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BergdorfBlonde
Getting blonder every day
PeaNut 162,956
August 2004
Posts: 10,054
Layouts: 0
Loc: LI girl, livin' in the gulf
 |  Posted: 3/1/2013 2:09:31 PM
DH and I have had endless medical issues for the past 18 months or so. We live near Tampa, FL. I just checked with my Uncle (he's a top-notch anesthesiologist and his wife is one of the best cardiologist's, in CA) about another surgical procedure they wanted to RUSH my DH into for next week. DH has just been thru the mill with bladder cancer issues. Anyway, my Uncle said that if we wanted to stay in FL, he suggests moving to Gainesville, where he knows of many great cardiologists, etc.
So, Peas, can you give me a clue as to anything about Gainesville? We eventually want to move back up north to NY, but that's not in the cards for about another year or so. This move would be immediate. Thanks. |
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Peabay
Happy now?
PeaNut 156,993
July 2004
Posts: 44,661
Layouts: 13
Loc: Connecticut
|  Posted: 3/1/2013 2:12:48 PM
I went to grad school there a million years ago (okay - 25.)
It's a nice town. Very much a college town and Shands Hospital is top notch. |
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sharonmnc
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 39,386
May 2002
Posts: 6,854
Layouts: 28
Loc: Charlotte, NC
 | Posted: 3/1/2013 2:18:06 PM
Great college town. Shands is a teaching hospital and has a great reputation. Very low cost of living. |
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BergdorfBlonde
Getting blonder every day
PeaNut 162,956
August 2004
Posts: 10,054
Layouts: 0
Loc: LI girl, livin' in the gulf
| Posted: 3/1/2013 2:18:33 PM
Thanks, Peabay. From what I see, it looks like a nice college-town. Seems that when you're over age 50, the doctors/hospitals should be the 1st thing you check. That was our last mistake!
ETA:
Thanks, Sharon. Hmm, this needs an immediate roadtrip! |
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can_i_pea_2?
We are the Boys of Old Florida
PeaNut 190,429
February 2005
Posts: 10,614
Layouts: 5
Loc: Down Where the Old Gator Plays!
| Posted: 3/1/2013 2:18:58 PM
What Peabay said (except mine was undergrad, not graduate.)
Very much a college town. You'll be in the middle of the state, not near the water, so summer may be brutal. They've gotten a lot more shopping and restaurants over the years, but there is still a small town feel to it, and lots of little towns around it. There's things I loved about it (the college life) and things I hated about it (because it WAS a small town, and I'm a city girl), but take that from an 18 year-old prospective. Oh, and game days can be brutal traffic-wise. (I went to the FAU game last year, and it took an hour to get to 75.) |
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BergdorfBlonde
Getting blonder every day
PeaNut 162,956
August 2004
Posts: 10,054
Layouts: 0
Loc: LI girl, livin' in the gulf
| Posted: 3/1/2013 2:24:38 PM
Meri: More quick questions..... How far is the nearest beach (not that I'd go too often b/c it's the gulf)?? I lived in a college town for over 25 years and LOVED it. I was only an hour away from Manhattan, so it was fine for me. I checked the weather there, and it seems to be the same for here as far as humidity/heat, but their winter season can get colder than here. No biggie to me. I'd LOVE more of a change of seasons. Is it brutally hot b/c you're not close to water?? I wouldn't miss the swamps here. The foliage and historic aspect alone, looks appealing so far! |
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Leezer
PeaAddict
PeaNut 181,021
December 2004
Posts: 1,425
Layouts: 1
Loc: Florida
| Posted: 3/1/2013 2:32:59 PM
I live in a small town outside of Gainesville. I travel all over Florida and I've never felt the summer here was worse. Beaches are about an hour away depending on where you live. And we have springs you can also visit to cool off (20 - 30) mins away. | |
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can_i_pea_2?
We are the Boys of Old Florida
PeaNut 190,429
February 2005
Posts: 10,614
Layouts: 5
Loc: Down Where the Old Gator Plays!
| Posted: 3/1/2013 2:34:01 PM
I'd say about an hour and a half to Jax Beach. You've got a lot of lakes nearby, Ichnatucknee (I totally butchered that name!) has great springs for tubing and cooling off in. Cedar Key is maybe an hour, but I don't know if they have what you would call a beach. But yeah, you are missing the seabreeze, being in the middle of the state. You'll get some cooler temps than here in the winter, but nothing to drastic. Maybe a few more freeze days. |
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BergdorfBlonde
Getting blonder every day
PeaNut 162,956
August 2004
Posts: 10,054
Layouts: 0
Loc: LI girl, livin' in the gulf
| Posted: 3/1/2013 2:38:50 PM
Thanks! Hmm....... similar heat doesn't appeal to me. Honestly we haven't been to a beach in well over a year (Clearwater Beach or Honeymoon Island Beach), so I just like to know how far that would be. I'd never go into a lake again. I don't do tubing or anything like that. Are the springs nice? We'd be primarily moving there for the doctors and hospitals, but it would be great to be in a nicer climate. I can't take the humidity (DH loves it tho!). Thanks, Peas. |
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Peabay
Happy now?
PeaNut 156,993
July 2004
Posts: 44,661
Layouts: 13
Loc: Connecticut
| Posted: 3/1/2013 2:43:20 PM
It's seriously humid there. Just be prepared - seriously humid.
But I'll say come November, it's lovely. November to March/April were really pretty and less humid. |
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can_i_pea_2?
We are the Boys of Old Florida
PeaNut 190,429
February 2005
Posts: 10,614
Layouts: 5
Loc: Down Where the Old Gator Plays!
| Posted: 3/1/2013 2:47:02 PM
I did a search, and I forgot about Ginnie Springs. It's very pretty up there. Ginnie Springs Beautiful area up in there. |
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BergdorfBlonde
Getting blonder every day
PeaNut 162,956
August 2004
Posts: 10,054
Layouts: 0
Loc: LI girl, livin' in the gulf
| Posted: 3/1/2013 2:47:29 PM
Thanks again, Peabay. Okay, so the weather sounds identical to Tampa then!! I hate it but I'd be used to it. I assumed there'd be more color and foliage further up north. |
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CarolT
Slow Poke Pea
PeaNut 857
June 1999
Posts: 5,108
Layouts: 37
Loc: Central Florida
 | Posted: 3/1/2013 2:59:38 PM
I love Gainesville. I live in Orlando now, but lived in G'ville as a child, ds did his undergrad there and dd plans to start grad school there in the fall. I love college towns and that's what Gainesville is, through and through.
It's affordable, friendly, busy when students are in town, and quiet when they aren't. It's generally cooler in the winter than Tampa, and not quite as humid. |
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writermom1
Thrift Whisperer
PeaNut 114,407
November 2003
Posts: 22,304
Layouts: 66
Loc: At the intersection of Hooterville and Stars Hollow
 | Posted: 3/1/2013 3:59:28 PM
I have family there and Shands is the hospital they rave about. |
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ChildOfThe60s
Who has my six? Anyone??
PeaNut 3,009
February 2000
Posts: 16,477
Layouts: 27
Loc: the left side of the right coast
| Posted: 3/1/2013 5:39:36 PM
Tampa has a lot of top-notch medical professionals. So much so that DH and I have considered a move to the Tampa Bay area (Tampa General/All Children's) in order to have access to it for our son.
I've spent a lot of time in both towns and I'm not sure that Shands would be MARKEDLY better - enough to justify a move. For that matter you could move to Orlando, Miami or Tallahassee. I'd definitely check into the availability of specialists for your specific medical issues, even checking credentials, recommendations and driving to speak with them since G'ville is only a couple of hours from you.
I'm not being critical and I don't need an answer from you; it's just something to think about and you're asking for input so that's my $0.02. Good luck w/ your decision and I wish you and your husband better health ahead. 
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scrappinfuzzylover
PeaFixture
PeaNut 201,180
April 2005
Posts: 3,257
Layouts: 0
Loc: CANTON, GA
| Posted: 3/1/2013 6:36:51 PM
I haven't lived there since 2004 but we LOVED it! Both my husband and I went to school at UF (but at separate times) and jumped at the chance to move back to Gainesville. We would have stayed be we had to re-locate for his job.  I have lived in many places in Florida (Ft. Lauderdale, Sunrise, Lake Worth, and near Orlando) and it was my favorite! |
Saving one dog won't change the world, but for that one dog the
world will change forever. ---AUTHOR UNKNOWN | |
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BergdorfBlonde
Getting blonder every day
PeaNut 162,956
August 2004
Posts: 10,054
Layouts: 0
Loc: LI girl, livin' in the gulf
| Posted: 3/1/2013 6:44:41 PM
childofthe60s: I don't take offense; no worries! I mentioned Gainesville b/c that's specifically where my Uncle would send us for (in his opinion) the "best" cardiologist and "best" urology team in FL. He did say that Miami ranked up there, but nowhere else in the State. He didn't like any of the hospitals near here (Tampa), and I trust him implicitely. I could PM you his name and you could look up his credentials--he was on the show "60 Minutes" many times and he's spoken at the Genevia Convention numerous times, etc........., so I trust him as a final word on all things medical.
DH *does* go to the V.A. in Tampa, and while they've been much more thorough than our pcp here, it's still lacking significantly. Besides that, if I liked the area more, I'm ready to move in a heartbeat. There's nothing keeping us here.
Thank you, everyone else, for your input. It sounds like a nice area! |
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AlyseRenee
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 115,077
November 2003
Posts: 2,133
Layouts: 121
Loc: Florida
| Posted: 3/1/2013 7:09:33 PM
I lived in Gainesville for 10 years and it's really a great college town. And your uncle is right, you can't beat Shands Hospital for your DH's medical issues. Good luck!
Alyse
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BergdorfBlonde
Getting blonder every day
PeaNut 162,956
August 2004
Posts: 10,054
Layouts: 0
Loc: LI girl, livin' in the gulf
| Posted: 3/1/2013 7:13:53 PM
Thanks so much, AR. Yeah, he knows these things!  It's just too bad we didn't check it all out BEFORE we moved! Duh! |
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