Nineteen More

The countdown begins. My first time at Mayo is quickly coming to a close. I highly recommend this facility to others, but I might suggest slightly warmer months. Tomorrow morning is supposed to be -15 degrees, and that doesn’t include the wind chill. Brrrrr. That’s just plain cold!

Yesterday and today were rather slow days. My body checked out my mattress yesterday. It finally said enough of this – sleep. So, I did. Today, we took turns pushing each other in a wheelchair. (The excitement continues!) I’ve mentioned the wonderful artwork throughout the Mayo complex. We checked out a recorder that allows a self-guided tour. Much of the work relates to people in pain, fighting obstacles, being isolated and encouraging others. You can sit down throughout the facilities and hear people at pianos. All of the musicians are patients, guests or volunteers. It’s fun to have others slow for a few minutes and slip into the soul of music. You can almost see any tension or stress slowly melt off tired shoulders.

Appointments were rearranged to allow us to depart a day early. I only have an 8:15 visit with some doctors who will give advise on possible medication changes. I had to ask for this appointment. Mayo does not want to step on any toes, but I would love to reduce the number of pills I’m forced to daily swallow. I have a Monday appointment with my pain doctor at home where I will take the suggestions to heart.

My other appointment is with the lucky doctor who was assigned my case. He has been studying all test results, will clarify any questions, state any concerns and then share all the news with Bob and I. I’ve read a great deal of the information that he has provided. It should be a very interesting meeting.

Then we head home, twenty-four hours earlier than we originally planned. But, where does that nineteen come from that is emphasized in today’s title. I have about nineteen hours left for this trip to Mayo. (I’ll be back in two months!) In one of the books suggested to me is a list of foods to be avoided. Wouldn’t you know that they are many of the things I adore? I have to say goodbye to foods made with yeast and caffeine. There won’t be any more processed foods, dairy products or many fruits. I’m determined to give it a try as I fight off these migraines and vertigo. BUT, I will fully adjust after I leave Rochester. That leaves me nineteen more hours to eat to my hearts delight. I just finished a yummy chocolate cupcake. That will be cancelled out later with yeast and chocolate.

So, I better start typing and get more of the stuffing underway. There probably won’t be another posting until Saturday. We want to head out after my doctor appointments. We’re curious what our house is like. The contractor said they would turn the water and heat back on when they leave. So join me in the next “19”. It’s time the eating begins.

The Mighty Three Advantage:

• You get sympathy points when you show strangers the list of foods to avoid. Can you imagine no chocolate, caffeine or yeast? Be still my heart!

The Dizzy Platinum

I’m feeling like I’m in somewhat of a routine here at Mayo. I got up and got dressed, had a hotel doughnut, then off I went via subway to my first appointment. I know the gal behind the desk on the 12^th floor and almost feel like I should have brought a doughnut to share with her.

My time waiting and first two appointments were largely comprised of completing various questionnaires dealing with everything from my grandmother’s neighbor’s maiden name to the size of my high school graduating class. Silly me did the first 83 pages in blue ink before noticing the microscopic directions requiring black ink in order for the computer to quickly scan my responses.

It’s funny how computers really rule our lives. My second doctor took notes on his PC once he located the correct screen of my growing file. All of my doctor reports were already online. The reports from doctors that I submitted prior to coming could be easily seen with the push of a button, as long as you knew which button to push. I was ready for a jpeg of the underwear I wore last Thursday to be displayed next.

Toward the end of appointment number two, the doctor pushed back his chair and decided to talk. He was unsure about one of my medications, and he admitted it. (Shockers I know. How many doctors do you know who have a humble trait?) He got up and walked to the office of a peer to find out more about those colored capsules that have barraged my medicine cabinet. Despite the advantages of our technological era, Mayo seems to know when to turn from the computer and talk.

That’s one of the beauties of Mayo. They talk. PLUS, they listen. They also want to insure that there are others outside of city limits that will listen once I leave Rochester. (I brought up the topic of Stephen Ministers. The doctor’s parents are both Stephen Ministers in their congregation! Imagine!)

I’m blessed to have many people in that category. Friends and family are keeping track of Bob and I. They are even reading my goofy blog. Although many have noticed the length of these posts, some brave souls have suggested that I use my blogs and newsletter articles to write a book. Do any of you wonderful folks own a publishing company desperate for the thoughts of a “dizzy platinum”? (I admit that I can no longer be considered a dizzy blond.) I love the idea, but how in the world could my thoughts become a book? Can anyone help?

Since I still am a member of the Mighty Three and not recognized as an author, today’s Might Three advantage is:

• With multiple doctors and a gift of gab, you find out interesting trivia from your doctors. My second doctor today grew up playing high school basketball against the same towns described on Little House on the Prairie. The comfort of sharing works both ways!

Dr. God

As many of you know, I have accumulated quite a collection of children’s books. I am drawn to them as I travel across the city, state or country. I look for books to describe people, places and personalities. I used to claim these volumes were to be used with my students, but I enjoy the writings just as much. This week, I purchased Dr. Jack: The Helping Dog. I admittedly cried as I read about this popular canine found throughout the halls of Mayo assisting the young and old alike.

Today, I was blessed to be able to worship nearby where my cousin serves as senior pastor. What a wonderful opportunity to see him utilize the many blessings given to him. His church is friendly and inviting, welcoming all in Christ’s name. I have never before been fortunate enough to see my cousin John “in action”. After today’s inspirational service, I pray that it will not be the last time. With multiple appointments scheduled in the future at Mayo, the likelihood continues to grow.

Many of you are starting to wonder why I depicted two very different topics. (For friends from our congregation, I won’t now lead these paragraphs into an analogy with Stephen Ministry. I may remind you of my beloved role as a grandmother though!)

Let’s return to the children’s book mentioned at the start. Dr. Jack, a miniature pinscher, performs multiple tasks throughout the halls of Mayo. He comforts seniors, loves children, and is available to “visit” at a moment’s notice. He loves to tell stories of the past while encouraging others to have hope for the future. He brings smiles to all but understands the tears of others. He loves to be quietly nearby but can keep up with the children in pediatrics. Dr. Jack believes in teamwork and supports the triune belief of Mayo. The serenity of art and nature helps patients feel better as Dr. Jack often reminds. He’ll talk with you IF you listen and provides hope to all he meets.

While contemplating how I could use today’s sermon, Dr. Jack came to mind. I became conscious of the similarity between Dr. Jack and “Dr. God”. You see, He also walks those Mayo halls ready to help anyone. He helps all ages of patients feel better as he works with entire families. You just need to ask, and He will be there. He knows the importance of teamwork. Through “Dr. God”, hope is revitalized. Nature’s creations plead to recognize the value of all. Just listen. He’s there.

The weekend accomplished what it was supposed to do. I head across the street tomorrow morning for new tests and more appointments. I feel revitalized! While waiting to be called, I’ll listen for the “clicky-clicky-clicky” noises of Dr. Jack in the hall while I also pause to hear the voice of Dr. God.

Today’s benefit of The Mighty Three:

• Communion cups look really cool when you have vertigo. They catch the light of the sun as they spin in celebration.

Wait, Wait and Wait Some More

I had no scheduled appointments or tests today. Since cereal was staying down, I decided to show my courage and still head over to Mayo. Staff told me on Wednesday that I could try to get earlier appointments since I had a gap in my schedule. That way, I might get home to Einstein sooner than expected. Patients just go to the desired department and place their name on a waiting list. If there is any additional time or patients do not show up, there is a chance you might get called. You can’t leave the spaces surrounding the desk though or you lose you spot in line. The waiting areas are beautiful, so why not? Bob was really feeling cruddy today, so off I headed.

I informed the staff on Floor 12 – West Desk that I was ready to hang out with them for the day. I got good vibes going in because at the time, the children’s TV had on Handy Manny, one of Teddy’s favorites. So down I plopped, ready to wait.

So I waited. And waited. And waited some more. I felt that I should be on a maternity floor instead of the psychology department. I waited some more. It was warm where I was sitting, so I changed seats. Then I waited. And waited some more.

By now, I was used to seeing some of the same patients and their family members. I could recognize the 26 year old from Nebraska, the cancer patient from Northern Minnesota and a high school girl from Iowa suffering from grand mal seizures. Somehow, a bond is sewn and a close kinship is woven while waiting. People found out I had vertigo (I wonder how they figured that out), had a hubby with a sprained ankle, Naval officer son-in-law serving on a sub, clever daughter, spoiled dog and the two most fabulous grandsons in the whole world. (Did you know I was a grandma?)

Mayo has worked hard to create serene waiting areas. There are comfortable chairs in cozy groups, lots of paperbacks and magazines, educational movies, fantastic artwork and more. Scattered throughout the rooms are jigsaw puzzles on round tabletops. You can check out music. Books with various puzzles are readily accessible.

I smiled as I listened to a gray haired gent working a crossword puzzle with his daughter while his wife was receiving treatment. I was impressed by his quick recall of words that would fit perfectly in each space. His daughter praised his skill and a quiet tear slowly crept down his cheek. “I never was any good at these darn things. Your mama has just been here too long. You start to hear the same clues after awhile.”

Two middle-aged parents quietly sat across from me, sharing a complimentary newspaper. Their eyes just glanced over pages, never really focusing on the printed words. Hours later, a pale daughter joined them. She had become a new comrade of mine, often-sharing bathroom floors. I’ve noticed that each day, she has less hair framing her thin face. I passed on a magazine given to me by a mom from Kansas.

Then there was the cutest three-year old girl with an 11-month old brother. Dad tried to keep them off the floor and within 32 miles while waiting for Mom. Other patients took turns chasing their energetic bodies. I gathered one on my lap for story time about Elmo visiting a friend with cancer. I don’t think she noticed the lump in my throat as I read certain pages.

Many people read books or use various e-reading devices. We compare Kindle with IPads, passing technology hand to hand. Bob made a friend who was eating popcorn. She quickly informed him of the closest spot to get this tasty treat. A woman in the corner quietly sleeps. As her magazine slides to the floor, a teenager walking by places it by her side. She keeps talking to her friend, not missing a beat in the conversation. I help a high school student with some algebra homework. (Judy, you would be proud that I could still find the value of y!) Then there are the crafty people who knit, sew, embroider and sketch. People “aah” and “oooh” over their work. (I’m the aaher, not the crafter. I do start people pondering about who says “oooh”, “aaah” or “that’s beautiful.” We start guessing responses and laugh at our accuracy.) Laptop games are popular. That darn hubby of mine is ahead of me by one single point in Word Twist. I’ve got to catch him. (I’m not too competitive am I? It’s just a coincidence that I start up a conversation when I see his score quickly climbing!)

So we wait. People of all sizes, ages and nationalities wait together. We have become a sacred community. The silent support and quiet prayers interrupt the “tick, tick, tick” of the clock. Although never formally introduced, we’ve built a bond that won’t be taken for granted. Tonight, I will add new names to my prayers and I sense my name on lips across the city. You see, we waited together. And we will continue to wait as long as is needed.

Good night new friends. Godspeed.

The newest advantage of people with The Mighty Three (check earlier posts if this doesn’t make sense):

• You make new friends while waiting in doctor offices (and sitting on washroom floors!)

My Kind of Home Exercise

Thanks for the kind thoughts about our Mayo Mission. Lots of you sent words of encouragement via email but were chicken to make comments here on the blog page. (Now all the rest of you are laughing saying, “Sure Janet. People actually read your skewed thoughts?”)

Today was hardly as jam packed with amazing appointments and tantalizing tests. I did arrive at 7:45 AM all set for fun with a vestibular physical therapist. (I am really starting to cringe when I hear the “V word”.) Maybe I felt too cocky since a mini muffin was still safely sitting in the stomach after sixty minutes. The idea behind this session was to make me dizzy (easy) and then teach me ways to cope with that dizziness (not as easy). Instead of staying for my two-hour session, the PT strongly suggested that I needed to stop after a mere twenty minutes. He had also come to the educated decision that starting my dizziness was far easier than stopping it.

I left with my idea of aerobics and a home exercise program. My homework was to try to slowly turn my head to the sides until the vertigo worsened to moderate. Then stop. I need to try that four times per day. He said don’t be upset if this took months before I could slowly turn side to side five times.

After I visited one more Mayo restroom to check out the tile and porcelain goddess, I headed back to the hotel. We decided to change hotels to one that was directly on the subway/skyway. I then could walk underground in a heated walkway instead of a longer journey by shuttle or Bob. Despite the new snow, we made it safe and sound to a new hotel located just blocks from Mayo. I got to try out the comfort of our new beds for the rest of the day. (Boy, Bob didn’t know the exciting wife that he had chosen.)

Of course, he is not exactly a barrel of fun himself. His sprained ankle is still mighty swollen and despite his gruff exterior, he now agrees to wear a heavy coat when going out in that balmy Minnesota weather I described yesterday.

The best thing about today was my short excursion to the Mayo bookstore (conveniently located near a comfortable and clean restroom). When checking out, I had some fine motor problems removing my credit card from my wallet. Then, my signature more closely resembled what Ollie would write if he were standing next to me. Yet, the cashier took it in stride. She gently touched my hand, smiled and then asked me about my family. She was ready to stand and wait as long as I needed. A handsome young gent insured a wheelchair was handy IF I needed it. It was at a discreet distance, but nearby if necessary. They understood me. I was not this weird lady who couldn’t walk straight, but someone just wanting to purchase a book. I wore a green shirt, I was buying a book, and oh yeah, I had vertigo. What a blanket of calm gently wrapped around me! They understood!

Quite a difference from when my fabulous friend Dorie took me to the Container Store some months ago. The cashier was frightened that I was drunk and probably alarmed that my cart could careen off course. I laughed at the time. You have to learn to enjoy the moment, but that sense of peace was surely missing.

Well, as you can see, I’m thrilled with the strong patient belief system here at Mayo. The artwork and music is phenomenal. There is a strong sense of surrounding yourself with serene beauty to aid the healing process. (As long as I don’t look in the mirror, I’m fine!)

I’ve decided to end each blog entry with a benefit from having The Mighty Three. Yesterday’s positive was:

• When you fall outside in balmy Minnesota, staff can easily locate you with your rosy cheeks.

Today please add:

• Vestibular physical therapy exercises can make you look like an athlete in under a minute per day.

Keep the prayers and good thoughts coming. Happy exercising!

Greetings from Balmy Minnesota

I promised many of you that I would try to stay in touch during our vacation in Rochester. A few of you lucky ones got hear an abridged version of yesterday describing the fun trip here. All you missed was that migraines, vertigo, tinnitus and good old NAUSEA decided to come with on the ride. That marvelous info and the fact that I mailed it out at 2 AM from our bathroom really states it all. (The good news is that I have dropped 15 pounds since Christmas. The bad news is that I still am fatter than Santa!)

Today began with an early shuttle ride to Mayo with MANY other people cramped in the vehicle. (The bad news - too many people in a hot van. The good news - there were so many people that when my vertigo got worse and I fell, I just fell into people and not to the floor A youngin' saw my plight and then quickly offered me a seat.)

When I got off the van, the vertigo really hit again so my body once again decided to closely examine the pavement. Boy, those wheelchairs come fast when people fall. Then off to 8th floor for doctor appointment one.

We both were very impressed with the detail and time spent by my coordinating doctor, Dr Egger. He actually specializes in people with migraines, vertigo and tinnitus (hereafter named The Mighty Three. You have to have ALL three in order to see him. Wow! Although he looks only slightly older than my grandson Teddy, he examined, explained, tortured, filmed and questioned me for about 2 hours. Bob particularly liked the fancy goggles I wore. It was totally dark for me, but my eyes appeared huge for people watching my fun.

Note - One thing I learned was that if you didn't have pretty bad motion sickness as a kid and can now read in the car, you very strongly won't have tinnitus.

Basically, my day was packed with appointments. I had an audiological exam, balance testing and MRI all right in a row. That had me finishing up around 6 PM. The balance testing has lots of fun torture devices that will hopefully help me and others with the mighty three conditions. One of my favorites was being placed in a big chair like a Disney ride. I was strapped in, given special goggles, fitted with clothing protective gear (for when your tummy gets mad at you as the test guarantees) and then hermetically sealed in a huge cylinder. The fun begins as the chair "bent to create a variety of vertigo induced positions" for about 3 years. The test was probably much shorter, but I dare you to question me for accuracy.

I ended my day with an MRI with contrast where I challenged multiple staff to find a vein for an IV to get back at them for all that balance fun earlier inflicted upon my poor body.

Well yippee! My four pretzels and sips of pop have stayed down while I filled you in on an adventure packed day. I'm back there tomorrow morning at 7:45 AM to continue the process. I start with more balance testing. Life is Good.

All kidding aside, thanks for all of your concern and prayers. Many of you asked for an update, so a mass email seemed the best. My last appointment is Friday, January 21st.

Well guys, at this rate, I should return home weighing 92 pounds. Appointments continue through next Tuesday. I get a two day reprieve for staff to write reports and gather with Dr. Egger in hopes of figuring me out. All kidding aside, I am truly blessed to be able to come to Mayo. The professional care and dedicated staff are definitely gifts from God. We could not be treated any nicer. Although I wish the film of me walking down the hall could be submitted to Funniest Home Videos, I'm grateful for a chance to help others ease The Mighty Three.

Remembering

I am just home from the funeral service and luncheon of a fabulous woman who was dear to my heart. I remember her as a story teller, devoted grandma, dedicated mother and strong Christian. It got me to pondering. How will people remember me?

Think a moment before reading on and contemplate on that.

My husband's immediate response was a woman who struggled with job and pain. I hope that isn't what most people think. I would hate to have "struggle" my main accomplishment during my time on this earth.

I used to have teacher right up towards the front, and I believe that has changed. A close friend just called me "grandma - and that sums is up". I think that would be good.

What's a grandma? Loving, spoiling, listening
I hope somewhere is serving since I am the director of Serving Ministry and those activities are strongly ingrained.

What about other terms?
Listener
Determined
Humorous
Writer
Teacher
Mother
Friend
Wife

How will people remember you?
Ponder that!