Moving Soon What do I need to do in regards to my cancer treatments

I would think Memorial Sloan Kettering would be a good choice. I have met some of the cancer doctors from there. (One of hose situations where you know you are the dumbest person in the room) I even had a friend move back east from Oregon to get treated there. But a quick look says that Fox Cancer Center also gets rave reviews.
I have been involved in a few transfers of care long distance, and this is what we did to assure a smooth transition. First we asked that our doctor do a referral to the new location, after we researched it of course. Then we signed a release of records. Then we asked for a physical copy of our records. We do that regularly now and keep them in binders. Also disk of scans, and biopsy slides if available. We hand carry everything, and then see if they need any of it when we get there. A lot can be transferred electronically.
Moving can be stressful enough without the fires. We had a huge fire at our back door, and on level 2 evacuation a couple years ago. It was awful! I hope that you can make smooth transition to your new home.
Are you planning to move soon? Are you excited?

@auntieoakley covered most items I was going to recommend. Few additional options:

1. Seeing your son is already in NJ, maybe he can ask some advice from his provider or other locals.

2. Seeing your moving states, start investigating medical insurance options. Hopefully you will not need to change your insurance when everything else is changing. If you do, then what insurance you pick might depend on who is in network.

3.When you have selected a possible oncologist, maybe can do a remote appointment via phone prior to move to make sure your comfortable with their follow up treatment plan.

Good luck with move.

Laurie

Look for a "cancer center" Anyplace that specializes in cancer care. Best of luck to you. And by the way, I think you "had" Stage III cancer? Putting that in the past tense can start you on your way in a positive light! Keep up with your "pill" no matter what you do! Warm regards

So sorry for your added stresses - my Boulder family was visiting during the fires. Understand your concerns - I am jealous your family will have you so much closer! All the above replies were excellent. To add a slightly additional perspective, this past summer I had to unexpectedly deal with reoccurring cancer by doing weekly chemo sessions. We always leave hot Florida and head to CT where both my husband and I can work remotely, and see family and friends. Moffitt indicated that they have lots of patients that split their care. While I know yours will be permanent, my 3 biggest impediments to my temporary transfer of care to Smilow/Yale was: 1) you will be considered a ‘new’ patient - ie less available appointments when you want one so give yourself plenty of time. 2) in the summer many docs start taking vacations so again less availability 3) Covid protocol can impact scheduling. Yes some care centers can transfer everything electronically but hard copies help. I did both. I kept calling to check on waitlists. Know that everything will be reviewed and your new team will need to determine best meds and practices (so don’t be shocked if more tests are run, and things are done differently). My Yale docs reluctantly agreed with my treatment plan simply because it was working in my case. While initially stressful, we came to look at the process like a second opinion. I wrongly assumed that they would just take over but rather they saw it as a new start. What I also learned is that many of the bigger cancer centers now have satellite locations where their docs rotate through and they provide cancer services - great in my case because I didn’t have to drive far/fly somewhere weekly for my chemo. I mention this because being in NJ you can consider both NY and Philadelphia as well as NJ for possible new medical options. Best of luck - never question your resilience- look what you have accomplished so far!