Mayo Update

 

I don't always use Mayo.......but when I do, you know it's serious. Now picture the guy in the beer meme saying it.

Jokes are not that funny when you have to explain them. Sheeesh.

So the time has finally arrived. It was time for my Mayo Clinic appointment in Rochester, Minnesota. As we were driving the 4 and a half hours to get to Rochester, we were thinking we were lucky to have possibly the best hospital in the world so close to us. There are people that have to fly in here from around the country and also from around the world to get here. We went the day before so that we could easily find where we needed to go. If you have not been here, this place is huge. Covering many city blocks. I told Lisa that this is like Disneyland for sick people. Lisa laughed and spilled her wine.

Now before I go on, I want to put out a disclaimer. (Funny how we have to do that in the world today.) Some things I may say are from my observations and experience at the Mayo clinic and are not said to be mean or anything else. I can't believe I have to have a lawyer to express my opinion.

Well anyways, we got there the day before and found out where we needed to go and park. So thankful that we took the Jeep and not our 1 ton Dodge dually down there. We would not have even fit in the parking garage. 

We then located our hotel for the night. When the ad says that it is in the Mayo clinic area, that is code meaning it is in Rochester only. There are many hotels within walking distance of the clinic as we saw them when we drove through there. Once checked in it was time for dinner. I looked for restaurants on Tripadvisor. The place I picked was called Canadian Honkers Restaurant and Bar. Number three on their list of the best restaurants. I was kind of in the mood for Canadian cuisine since we haven't had Canadian food since our Alaska trip. We are so international.

This restaurant is very near the Mayo Clinic. So as we are sitting there watching people coming and going, I make this observation to Lisa. I said to her "There are so many old people here, and now we are one of  them". She belly laughed and spilled her wine. Actually she kicked me under the table and then gave me "The look" and then spilled her wine.

The next day was the big day. I felt like Dorothy going to meet the mighty powerful Oz. My appointment was in the Gonda building on the 15th floor. Coming from a place where a 3 story building is considered a skyscraper, this was amazing. It was like an airport. People rushing everywhere, gift shops, coffee shops and people rushing everywhere. Did I mention that there were people rushing everywhere? The people at the information counter pointed us in the right direction to our bank of elevators.

Once on the 15th floor we checked in with the receptionist for my xrays. This is one well run operation here. This area of the 15th floor deals with nothing but hands. Again, amazing. I heard my name called and was escorted to an xray room. Five pictures later I was back waiting for the hand specialist to see us now. Lisa and I were both a little nervous. This is the big leagues now. We didn't have to wait long.

We were escorted back again to a room by a nurse who was very nice. She went through our information and asked us lots of questions. She took measurements and ran some tests. She spent at least a half hour with us. Once she was satisfied with the tests she went to get the doctor. Dr. Shinn came in. Very friendly and right to the point. He looked at my hand and finger. He wanted to do an ultrasound on my hand so we went into another room. Lisa didn't come with. He found the nerve he was interested in and traced it up and down my hand but everytime he got to the middle of my palm he lost it. He said there was too much scar tissue to see it.

We went back to the other exam room and Lisa asked how it went. I said "It's a boy!" Dr. Shinn laughed, the nurse laughed and Lisa laughed and then spilled her wine. I think Dr. Shinn had an idea of what the problem might be but he didn't say anything. He did say that this perplexed him and he wanted to dig deeper into my problem. He ordered another EEG nerve test for my arm. Also he wanted an MRI done on my hand, forearm and elbow. 

I felt that he was very interested in my problem and quite willing to get to the bottom of it. I sure hope that he can. Lisa looked up his bio and he is a doctor and a scientist. He wants to figure it out one way or the other.

So I go back in September for more tests and also to see the doctor. Things are looking up.