Rooms at MSK Hospital

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Foggyocean
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:31 pm

Rooms at MSK Hospital

Postby Foggyocean » Thu Sep 28, 2017 9:40 am

Hi All,

My husband is have surgery at MSKCC next week for the first time (previous surgeries were at MGH in Boston). Can anyone give me insight into what the rooms are like there? He is expected to have a 4-5 day recovery. Is it very common to have a roommate? I have booked a hotel for myself for a few nights but we have also thought about doing a private room at the hospital -- they are $500/night which is obviously quite expensive. He has had bad experiences with roommates previously -- last time it was a young man who FaceTimed his girlfriend at all hours of the night (on speaker phone) and it made it very difficult for my husband to get any rest at night. He had another roommate who would sleep all day and then flip on the lights at 2-3am because he was ready to get up. I know there are no guarantees, but would like to hear about others' experiences. Thank you!
45 year old caregiver to Husband
DX 3/16: 3cm Adenocarcinoma of sigmoid colon, Grade 2
4/16: colon resection; Stage IIIc (at diagnosis), 6/42 nodes, CEA: 11, MSS, KRAS
5/16: Baseline CT & MRI show 4 liver mets, CEA: 99
5/16-1/17: 4x FOLFOX, liver resect, 8x FOLFOX
8/17: 1 liver met, CEA 46.5
10/17: HAI pump; FUDR + Folfiri Oct-Mar '18 w/Dr. K @MSK
1/18: SBRT to liver met; CURRENTLY NED CEA < 1

kandj
Posts: 314
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 11:29 am

Re: Rooms at MSK Hospital

Postby kandj » Thu Sep 28, 2017 10:41 am

DH has been a patient twice at MSKCC. The first time we requested a room change due to an obnoxious roommate. He kept talking really loud, had tons of visitors, and would leave the TV on all day. Loudly. DH had problems with his pain management due to the epidural not covering about 1 inch of the incision at the top. Every time he got startled while sleeping, it would wake him up with a start, which causes a deep intake of breath and he was in so much pain. I was pretty insistent about a room change. We got down in the corner, which was empty for one night (tons of rest thank goodness that night!). But he got a roommate again, but this guy was better. The second time he had a few roommates due to the length of his stay. Both were pretty good noise why. They do give you a little kit that has earplugs in it and an eye cover might be a good purchase. The private rooms are usually reserved for those that need to be in isolation or have paid the extra. They will even kick those that have paid extra out of those rooms if they need them for ISO. My experience is that they are a very busy hospital and you are likely to experience a roommate. I know you said you have booked a hotel already, but the Helmsley Guest Facility is a quick walk to the Main hospital. They also have full kitchens, so you have somewhere to prepare meals.
wife to DH, dx 8/15 stage IV @36, 12+ liver Mets
HAI placed 12/15
Liver resect 5/19/2016 15-20 mets (surgeon lost count)
Liver Recurrence 7/2017-radiation
Lung met 10/18 VATS
lung/adrenal gland recurrence 11/19
Adrenal ablation 2/20 VATS 3/20
Radiation: 9/20 adrenal gland, 2/21 pancreatic node
9/2021 liver, 4/22 esophageal node
7/2023 proton therapy: liver
140+ rounds of chemo and counting
Chest nodes, lung nodules, and esophageal nodes currently.

veckon
Posts: 131
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2017 7:44 am

Re: Rooms at MSK Hospital

Postby veckon » Thu Sep 28, 2017 11:12 am

I had a roommate but I found the partition pretty good at providing privacy for my wife and I. Very caring and attentive nurses. I was impressed, but it is still a hospital.
27 yo male
Metastatic rectal cancer diagnosed 12/16
Liver metastases and peritoneal carcinomatosis
Lynch syndrome, MSI-H
Failed liver resection 3/17
FOLFOX6 12/16 - 05/17
Keytruda 5/17 - present
@Memorial Sloan Kettering

User avatar
Jack&KatiesMommy
Posts: 640
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2011 1:08 pm
Location: Columbus, OH

Re: Rooms at MSK Hospital

Postby Jack&KatiesMommy » Thu Sep 28, 2017 12:33 pm

Ive sayed at the MSK Hospital on at least 8 different occassions. I have always had a roommate. Sometimes they are fine (no issues). On other occassions they are not: (Moaning, bad smells, lights on, etc.) So it relaly just depends. I have just delt with the issues as they arose and the nurses are very good/kind. Mostly, I just lived with it for the few days that I was there if there was an issue.

Cynthia
Cynthia
Mommy to Jack (8) now (18) and Katie (4) now (14)
(My Most Precious Things)
Dx 8/11 Stage IV CRC (liver mets) CEA 2,600+
9/11 Folfiri 2/12: Failed Liver Resection
5/12 HAI pump/removed primary
4/13 Liver Resection
8/13-12/15 (10) RFAs lungs
5/17: Upper Left Lobe of lung resected.
02/18: 3 new lymph mets lung
05/18: Keytruda (MSS w/Intermediate TMB): NED CEA: 66.4, 39.2, 23.8, 13, 3.5 1.8, 1.0, 2.8 3.9, 5.0, 5.6, 1.5, .8,

mpbser
Posts: 953
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2017 11:52 am

Re: Rooms at MSK Hospital

Postby mpbser » Thu Sep 28, 2017 4:52 pm

If you do end up doing the private room option, the room might include a sofa for you to sleep on. Mass General Hospital's private rooms have them, so I am considering that for when my husband has his liver surgery. However, at $400/night, we might not be able to swing it.
Wife 4/17 Dx age 45
5/17 LAR
Adenocarcinoma
low grade
1st primary T3 N2b M1a
Stage IVA
8/17 Sub-total colectomy
2nd primary 5.5 cm T1 N0
9 of 96 nodes
CEA: < 2.9
MSS
Lynch no; KRAS wild
Immunohistochemsistry Normal
Fall 2017 FOLFOX shrank the 1 met in liver
1/18 Liver left hepatectomy seg 4
5/18 CT clear
12/18 MRI 1 liver met
3/7/19 Resection & HAI
4/1/19 Folfiri & FUDR
5/13/19 HAI pump catheter dislodge, nearly bled to death
6-7 '19 5FU 4 cycles
NED

kandj
Posts: 314
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 11:29 am

Re: Rooms at MSK Hospital

Postby kandj » Thu Sep 28, 2017 5:21 pm

mpbser wrote:If you do end up doing the private room option, the room might include a sofa for you to sleep on. Mass General Hospital's private rooms have them, so I am considering that for when my husband has his liver surgery. However, at $400/night, we might not be able to swing it.


Unless you get the private suite on the top floor (I think that one is like $5k or more a night) there is no couch. They do have these chairs that fold out into single beds. they are incredibly uncomfortable. I Slept in one once during DH's first surgery. I guess it was partial payback for the times he has slept on those when I had our babies. I only did it the night he didn't have a roommate. The main hospital is old and deeply in need of being redone. But, they are so busy and land is at a premium in Manhattan that I doubt it will ever happen. I do know some floors have been redone and I think the Peds floor might have the sleep couches, but that is more needed, given the age of the patients. I don't think the kids have roommates. We have huge private rooms here at the hospitals where we live. It is such a huge different. I have always wondered how the dual rooms past muster for HIPPA. Not like those curtains block sound!
wife to DH, dx 8/15 stage IV @36, 12+ liver Mets
HAI placed 12/15
Liver resect 5/19/2016 15-20 mets (surgeon lost count)
Liver Recurrence 7/2017-radiation
Lung met 10/18 VATS
lung/adrenal gland recurrence 11/19
Adrenal ablation 2/20 VATS 3/20
Radiation: 9/20 adrenal gland, 2/21 pancreatic node
9/2021 liver, 4/22 esophageal node
7/2023 proton therapy: liver
140+ rounds of chemo and counting
Chest nodes, lung nodules, and esophageal nodes currently.

Foggyocean
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:31 pm

Re: Rooms at MSK Hospital

Postby Foggyocean » Fri Sep 29, 2017 9:11 am

I think we are going to just play it by ear. Hopefully he will have a considerate roommate, I just want him to be able to get some rest but I guess that will come once he gets home. I'm glad to hear everyone has had great experiences there with nurses, etc. because I won't be able to stay in NYC with him the whole week. His surgeon is Dr. Kingham...anyone have experience with him? I assume they are all great!
45 year old caregiver to Husband
DX 3/16: 3cm Adenocarcinoma of sigmoid colon, Grade 2
4/16: colon resection; Stage IIIc (at diagnosis), 6/42 nodes, CEA: 11, MSS, KRAS
5/16: Baseline CT & MRI show 4 liver mets, CEA: 99
5/16-1/17: 4x FOLFOX, liver resect, 8x FOLFOX
8/17: 1 liver met, CEA 46.5
10/17: HAI pump; FUDR + Folfiri Oct-Mar '18 w/Dr. K @MSK
1/18: SBRT to liver met; CURRENTLY NED CEA < 1

kandj
Posts: 314
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 11:29 am

Re: Rooms at MSK Hospital

Postby kandj » Fri Sep 29, 2017 4:03 pm

Foggyocean wrote:I think we are going to just play it by ear. Hopefully he will have a considerate roommate, I just want him to be able to get some rest but I guess that will come once he gets home. I'm glad to hear everyone has had great experiences there with nurses, etc. because I won't be able to stay in NYC with him the whole week. His surgeon is Dr. Kingham...anyone have experience with him? I assume they are all great!


Dr. Kingham wasn't my husbands main surgeon (Dr. DeMatteo was but he has moved to U of Penn) but he did assist Dr. D when there was a more tricky complication. Apparently DH has very small arteries and they had trouble placing the catheter and Dr. Kingham came into assist. His education and work profile is quite impressive. I think you are in good hands. Is your husband also a patient of Dr. K?
wife to DH, dx 8/15 stage IV @36, 12+ liver Mets
HAI placed 12/15
Liver resect 5/19/2016 15-20 mets (surgeon lost count)
Liver Recurrence 7/2017-radiation
Lung met 10/18 VATS
lung/adrenal gland recurrence 11/19
Adrenal ablation 2/20 VATS 3/20
Radiation: 9/20 adrenal gland, 2/21 pancreatic node
9/2021 liver, 4/22 esophageal node
7/2023 proton therapy: liver
140+ rounds of chemo and counting
Chest nodes, lung nodules, and esophageal nodes currently.

Foggyocean
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:31 pm

Re: Rooms at MSK Hospital

Postby Foggyocean » Mon Oct 02, 2017 11:53 am

kandj wrote:
Foggyocean wrote:I think we are going to just play it by ear. Hopefully he will have a considerate roommate, I just want him to be able to get some rest but I guess that will come once he gets home. I'm glad to hear everyone has had great experiences there with nurses, etc. because I won't be able to stay in NYC with him the whole week. His surgeon is Dr. Kingham...anyone have experience with him? I assume they are all great!


Dr. Kingham wasn't my husbands main surgeon (Dr. DeMatteo was but he has moved to U of Penn) but he did assist Dr. D when there was a more tricky complication. Apparently DH has very small arteries and they had trouble placing the catheter and Dr. Kingham came into assist. His education and work profile is quite impressive. I think you are in good hands. Is your husband also a patient of Dr. K?


Thanks for the info, it's always good to hear from someone who had a good experience. Dr. K is his oncologist. We've only had one visit with her so far, but I'm impressed with how direct and thorough she, and everyone, at MSKCC has been so far (while still being compassionate).
45 year old caregiver to Husband
DX 3/16: 3cm Adenocarcinoma of sigmoid colon, Grade 2
4/16: colon resection; Stage IIIc (at diagnosis), 6/42 nodes, CEA: 11, MSS, KRAS
5/16: Baseline CT & MRI show 4 liver mets, CEA: 99
5/16-1/17: 4x FOLFOX, liver resect, 8x FOLFOX
8/17: 1 liver met, CEA 46.5
10/17: HAI pump; FUDR + Folfiri Oct-Mar '18 w/Dr. K @MSK
1/18: SBRT to liver met; CURRENTLY NED CEA < 1

User avatar
mmblz
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2015 3:03 pm

Re: Rooms at MSK Hospital

Postby mmblz » Wed Oct 04, 2017 9:01 pm

We had a shared room for about one hour. Even worse than any noise was the shared bathroom. We were glad we opted for the paid upgrade when I started vomiting during prep for surgery... for nearby hotel we liked the affinia garden.
40yo married 16 years. 4 kids 12, 10, 7, 5
2015-09-21 colonoscopy finds tumor in sigmoid, partial obstruction
2015-09-22 CT no mets, path G2 adenocarcinoma, CEA 1.2
2015-09-29 lap hemicolectomy at MSKCC
2015-10-06 pT3 N1a M0 stage IIIB
2015-10-22 folfox started - 12 rounds, last 4 no oxaliplatin
2016-10-27 clear CT !
2021-03-25 "cured"


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