Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Time at Mayo Clinic

Stepping onto the elevator from the parking garage at the Mayo Clinic I am surrounded by sickly people.  A couple who were trying to decide what floor they needed to get off on,  they obviously have not been here much, (I wish I could say that) I simply told them, "when you come to this campus just remember you always have to get off on the concourse level, so always push the big C button, then I can direct you where to go next if you'd like"  with a sweet smile the wife said "oh please, we are not familiar yet with this building and we would love some help"  the only word I heard from that sentence was "YET" I took a look at their itinerary and noticed they were going to the same floor as I was, so I walked with them to the 2nd elevator and showed them the way. Off the cute couple went, she was pushing him in his wheelchair, it was obvious he was in some pain.  After getting them in the line they were supposed to be in I smiled and told them it was a pleasure to walk with them.  Today when I checked in I had a bunch of paper work to fill out AGAIN they just wanted to make sure I was not pregnant....serious.....this is serious stuff.  laugh, just laugh I did.  Seems like a lot of wasted paper, I check off the same box every time ✓☐ hysterectomy ✓☐ cancer  ✖☐ could you possibly be pregnant? Kinda repetitious if you ask me,  I always laugh and say those eggs are hard boiled by now.
No waiting this time, the receptionist took me straight back to the nuclear medicine department.  No getting undressed from the waste up or down, today I get to go in fully dressed YAY.

This floor is much better than the 3rd floor

A young girl took me back into the CT scan room, and asked me to lay down while they preformed the necessary  testing Dr. Barr's had ordered.  I love the care I get at Mayo Clinic, yet sometimes I feel like a number to them.
Perhaps they don't want to know why I need this CT scan, or they don't want to hear about why I am getting this ordered--I wouldn't know because today they were all business, in and out. Today I was glad I didn't have to go to the dreaded 3rd floor. No now I get to make the transfer to the other Mayo Clinic campus--excited to maybe get a chance to see Dr. Kreymerman and Heather, if they are not in surgery.

  My bone scan was put on hold, along with the MRI and visit with Dr. Aguilar my neurologist.  Dr. Barr's is very prompt, he shows me the CT scans, and explained all that we were looking at.  Ist off the carcinoma is still there but it has shrunk slightly, he still recommends having it removed along with the prosthesis I have, which has dislodged it self from the original position and is actually doing no help for someone like me with SSD. (single sided deafness) The prosthesis is probably what makes my ear drain, and itch, so that will come out during surgery along with the carcinoma and the implant of the BAJA.  I am losing quite a bit of hearing in the left ear, so over compensate by leaning my head towards him to be able to hear what he is saying--he told me that--I never noticed until then but have caught myself doing it today. Dr. Barrs will send me to see a special surgeon for the nose problems--nothing seems to help.
I made an appointment with Dr. Freeman for my hip and back pain.  !st I have to get my dental implant done with Paul Kelly, I seem to get a breast infection every time I have dental work done--supposedly this is common for breast caner patients with ex panders,  Maybe the antibiotic is not strong enough, who knows.  It has been almost a year since they started my dental implant, I will finish with my last surgery at the end of September, then in October have the finishing touches done with Dr. Bryan Goodman.  I told Dr. Barr's I want to make my surgery after this dental implant is taken care of because the breast infections are serious enough to send me back to Dr. Kreymerman, not that I dont like to visit him, but not for this reason--he and Heather explained to me the importance of getting those breast infections taken care of right away as they can cause additional surgery and probably be needed to be removed again.  I told him "who cares?"  he smiled but firmly told me "I do, and so will you"
So back to Dr, Freeman, more tests will be on the schedule soon, more interest this time in my back problems, which could be causing my hip problem.  All I know is I cannot stand for more than 10 minutes without my legs collapsing on me...yes they buckle up and down I go....funny now? YES.... I think so, but Dr's don't seem to think so, why are they always so focused and serious?  They need to loosen up and laugh with me sometimes.  It all seems more than what it really is, I'm fine--just getting old and need to get these problems taken care of.  No big deal, at least they know it can be taken care or so no more pain--except for recovery, if they end up dong a hip replacement.

I am taking baby steps towards a full recovery right??? I hope my prayers are being heard, lately I feel like I need to change the wording in my prayers--

1 comments:

lorie said...

Hope you are feeling okay, Monya.