switched radiation to other center?

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oceangirl654
oceangirl654 Member Posts: 217
edited February 2015 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

Have any of you started radiation somewhere and then switched to another center? I love where I'm at but it is too stressful staying in a hotel. Do you think I can switch to a local place or would they have to do the measurements all over again? Would the insurAnce pay if they have to do the measurements agAin ? Thanks so much for your experiences and advice

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  • labelle
    labelle Member Posts: 721
    edited February 2015

    I don't know, but I was very unhappy with my radiation center and I wish I would have tried to find out the answers to your questions and maybe switched. If you are unhappy with your situation, stressed about staying in a hotel, I think you should continue to explore this rather than continuing in a situation you are not happy with. Your insurance company rep should be able to answer insurance questions, and if you were to get an appointment with a different RO at a different rad center, I would think he/she could answer your other questions. However, you write you are happy with your treatment center, so beware, they are not all the same. If you switch, you may find the stress of staying in a hotel is less the than the stress of a treatment team you are unhappy with.

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited February 2015
    OG, I don't have any answers - I wish I did! However, if a large part of the stress is economic, please explore 'scholarships' and lower cost housing options offered through your current treatment center as well as the American ?cancer Society if you haven't already. Many hospitals negotiate lower rates with nearby hotels. The hospital social worker should be able to assist with these issues as well as some of the other questions you've raised. Of course, no one's available to answer them on a weekend, which doesn't help, does it? Hang in there - we're here for you.

    How are the rads going otherwise?
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  • oceangirl654
    oceangirl654 Member Posts: 217
    edited February 2015

    Thanks for telling me that not all radiation centers are alike, and that it might be better to stay with what I have. It is going really really well at the center where I'm at, so I want to stay. It's too bad the housing thing made me so stressed this week. And I had to lug my bags to a new hotel every night because they were booked for different days. But I have a hotel booked through now, and I'm also going to try an airbnb, so we'll see how it goes. Thanks for your support! I'll try scholarships, but are they only for low income people? We never qualify for these, even though we could use the help, since we have student loans and huge health insurance deductibles.

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited February 2015
    Ugh - changing hoytels every night is SUCH a pain!! No wonder you were eager to change. DO talk with the medical social worker, OG. They can look at your big picture and help with resources & options. Enjoy your weekend off. I hope it's not bitterly cold where you are.
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  • bride
    bride Member Posts: 382
    edited February 2015

    Hi,

    Are you at a NCI designated cancer center? If so, they might have a Hope Lodge attached. There is no fee to stay at a Hope Lodge, but you must live more than 50 miles from your treatment center. Also, many cancer centers that don't have Hope Lodges have made deals with local hotels, my treatment center had both. When the Lodge is full, the overflow is directed to a specific hotel -- the cost of which is predicated on a sliding scale which tops out at around $15-20/night. You might want to check with your center's social worker or ask your RO

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  • oceangirl654
    oceangirl654 Member Posts: 217
    edited February 2015

    Thanks! My center had moldy housing, and the hotel which they said I could only stay at for two nights was also super old and musty. I have allergies so I couldn't stay at either. I did manage to negotiate a lower rate with a marriott hotel but it's still pretty expensive. Thanks for the tip though!

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited February 2015

    That's pretty disgusting, OG. If you have the energy, perhaps consider writing a letter to the center once your treatment's done and you're back home. Moulds, dusts, etc., can have very real health effects, as you are super aware, and it's irresponsible for them to provide housing that would be hazardous to their patients' health.

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