How far would you, or do you travel to see a Doctor?

[Sea_Star]

How far do you travel to see your Doctor? Would you travel more than 1.5 hours/45 miles away to see one?

Now that I have accepted the diagnosis (dx in 2010, never took it seriously since I felt fine, but I've "matured")...and I unfortunately don't live in Miami anymore to go to UHealth, or don't live in Jacksonville to follow up with Dr. Picco/Mayo Clinic, and stopped seeing a Dr. in USF here in Tampa due to having to go back to school in Miami...I am very very very anal about who I trust to put my colon in their hands lol....

it's really difficult :/

 

[theOcean]

Mine is maybe 15 minutes away. We have a great hospital that specializes in GI problems here since apparently we have the highest incidence of IBD.

 

[DJW]

I'm so thankful my specialist is 10 min away.

 

[Daisy123]

Takes me about two hours to get to my specialist but well worth it.

 

[Mattie]

My specialist is 3 hours away, but well worth the journey.

 

[Sea_Star]

theOcean: wow, really?! I do see a lot of Canadian posts on this forum but that's interesting...I wonder why..

Daisy123 and Mattie: you wouldn't happen to live in FL would you?! lol Yeah, I guess it's worth the trip! What do you do in "emergencies"? Do you have a local GI Dr?

 

[DustyKat]

The kids GI is three hours away. Nothing closer for us.

To see a Crohn’s specialist or Colorectal surgeon it is a trip to Sydney, so about 7 hours away by car (with stops), 1 hour by plane (they charge like wounded bulls!) and 8 hours by train. When the kids were younger, if they needed to see a paediatric GI it would have been a trip to the Sydney.

Matt was sent to Sydney for his care and I didn’t mind as it was far superior to what he could get in the bush.

Dusty. xxx

 

[Mattie]

Sea Star

No, I live in the UK!
Definitely worth travelling to see my specialist. I trust him completely and know he's fighting my corner. So far, I haven't had any 'emergencies' to deal with, but if I did I would simply phone my specialist and he would either advise over the phone or fax my GP with details of any prescription.

 

[Ness1993]

To see my IBD nurse i have to travel 2 and a half hours in car (longer on train). He is the closest to me but he tries to do things over the phone if he can.

 

[poopaholic]

One hundred miles from my door to the closest VA hospital that has a GI . So two hundred mile round trip . I get all my care there . At least now I am doing better . I was going every couple of weeks , due to having so many doctors . It takes the best part of the day.

 

[Queastor]

My specialist is 3 hours away, but well worth the journey.

Same- except mine isn't a specialist.

 

[StarGirrrrl]

I just got fantastic care from a Hospital which isn't my local- a routine appointment to try and find the cause of my problems led to an emergency admission for two units of blood stayed 3 nights.

I was very very well looked after and if I get a GI diagnosis from this episode in the near future I am definitely keeping my care there, as well as potentially moving my Rheumatology care there too.

I had to get there in an emergency so taxi, train and taxi, maybe 40 minutes of travelling maximum. Journey went fine. Trains are not going to be 100% fine all the time in which case I would have got a taxi the whole way, I have emergency money for just that purpose.

 

[Sea_Star]

Same- except mine isn't a specialist.

Your doctor isn't a specialist? They're just a general GI?

 

[Sea_Star]

One hundred miles from my door to the closest VA hospital that has a GI . So two hundred mile round trip . I get all my care there . At least now I am doing better . I was going every couple of weeks , due to having so many doctors . It takes the best part of the day.

WOW...well, i guess the trip is a mini "escape" but that's pretty far! I feel like here in the US there's an overdose of specialists..we should give you and the UK some lol

 

[ThanksP]

I drive about an hour to see my GI doc here in Costa Rica. There are plenty closer but I like him the best.

 

[Daisy123]

My local hospital just about killed me, ended up in ICU with my family being told I would die, so I am never going back there! The journey to a specialist hospital is well worth it.

 

[Grumbletum]

No choice but to travel when you live on a remote island. The first GI I was assigned to used to fly over here from Stornoway. Then after my first hospital stay, I was assigned to a GI there and had to fly over my Infliximab infusions. 1.5 hours on the plane and an overnight stay in Inverness. I don't mind cos I can get a bit of retail therapy in too!

 

[Grumbletum]

No choice but to travel when you live on a remote island. The first GI I was assigned to used to fly over here from Stornoway. Then after my first hospital stay, I was assigned to a GI there and had to fly over my Infliximab infusions. 1.5 hours on the plane and an overnight stay in Inverness. I don't mind cos I can get a bit of retail therapy in too!

 

[Ness1993]

Grumbletum I go to Inverness hospital too
Never thought id see someone who goes to the same one as me lol

 

[Grumbletum]

Hey Ness, it's a small world sometimes. Dr Potts is my GI and Mr Walker did my surgery.

 

[mama21princess]

My first GI doc was about 5 mins away. I changed docs, and now my GI is about 30 mins away. Not bad at all, especially considering some of you travel hours!

 

[lisadc1]

MY GI is almost two hours away, but I would definitely travel further if necessary. Not much confidence in local drs here.

 

[gotumtum]

My appt will be a 3 to 4 hour drive over a windy mountain pass with the risk of snow and possibly having to put snow chains on (with a 1yr old in the car - so maybe longer!). I could have seen one which would have been about an hour away, but I would have prob had to wait 5 months + to see them. But at least my Mum is at the other end of the line