Dr. Boeree patients

[spinches]

I had surgery by Mr Boeree on Aug 24. I got there a few days early and stayed at the Mercure Wessex Hotel, on the edge of the grounds of Winchester Cathedral. It was quiet, the staff was very helpful, and there was easy access to the cathedral and to downtown Winchester as well as other historic sites. The food was horrible, especially breakfast, which seems to be prepared by the same cooks in every English hotel. There was wifi access for an extra charge, but the network signal flickered at a low ebb. I still would really recommend this hotel.

After the surgery I stayed at the Eastleigh/Southampton Hilton. It was a big mistake. It is on a ramp off the highway with nowhere to walk around. This turned out to be very important. I was doing well after the surgery but was completely trapped in the hotel building. I seriously recommend checking out any hotel or B&B for walking access to pleasant surroundings around the place you are staying.

Internet access is sketchy, even if you think you have paid for it and arranged for it in advance. The internet access I paid for consists of a cable. It works with a laptop if you can plug in one of those phone jack connections, but I had an iPad, and I couldn't use it. The hotel has wifi in their reception area but again, you have to pay for it. I spent hours trying to subscribe to the service but didn't succeed, because the hotel staff didn't tell me everything I needed to make it work. They also didn't seem interested in helping. I found out later about what it was I needed from them, when the Hilton sent me their evaluation survey, but the Hilton didn't offer to refund the money I spent trying to get the wifi.

I don't know if there is any good food in English hotels or restaurants. I got very hungry in Winchester. The hospital food was okay, but I wouldn't call it good.

[laid up doc]

does his staff at all help w/ recommendations? i am working on scheduling a consult w/ him myself. also contacted Clavel's people - all things being similar otherwise, i'd rather spend a few weeks in Barcelona than south of London. i'm fluent in spanish and Spain is so much cheaper than the UK. also, my likely caregiver (good male friend) absolutely loves Barca - I've never been, just to Mexico and Costa Rica.

[spinches]

Jo Haley, who is Mr Boeree's PA, emailed me a list of hotels and B&B's near the hospital. You have to do your own research from there. After I got to Winchester, one of the cab drivers told me I'd made a mistake with the Hilton, that it was out in the middle of "nowhere." Another patient told me that Eastleigh has some "shops" and is pleasant to walk around in.

The historical sites in Winchester were very interesting to me, but I didn't find anything else in the immediate area around the hospital that would qualify as a tourist attraction. That has its advantages and disadvantages. I didn't want to overdo the sight-seeing before or after my surgery, but I could have benefited from access to more uplifting experiences than were available.