Good-Bye Mayo

Good bye Mayo Clinic. It has definitely been an educational experience. This is the most amazing place to be. This is the mecca of medicine. I am so glad that we were blessed enough to be able to come here. I know we are leaving with some unanswered questions but I know that Dr Lindor is working to get us all the answers we are seeking. It will still be a couple weeks before we know more about Wilson's disease but we are researching as much as possible so we know what to be asking if that is in fact the diagnosis. Hopefully it will be sooner than that when we learn about the iron tests (hemochromatosis). I was able to get a little more information from Dr Lindor about the ERCP. The right side of the liver is more diseased than the left side. There is some small duct blockages from my understanding and the ERCP confirmed the dilation of an area of the common bile duct. The entire report was not back yet and Dr Lindor said he would send us the entire report when it is all back. You know I will be waiting on pins and needles waiting to get that in the mail.

Since this is our last night here in Rochester I thought I would post a couple more pictures of the area we have been getting to know very well.

In front of the Mayo Building:

The entrance to the Mayo Clinic:

The view from the 19th floor of the Mayo building. This is where Dr Lindor's office is located:

The Gonda Atrium:

The Chihuly Sculptures hanging in the Mayo Nurses Atrium:The Mathews Heritage Dome:

The view looking out from inside the Heritage Dome:

The underground pedestrian subway system that links the Mayo buildings and local hotels:

One of the direction maps inside the subway:

I know this is an experience that I will never forget. The feeling of helplessness and fear that I felt yesterday will be hard to forget anytime soon. The thought of what happened yesterday still makes me ache inside. And I know that yesterday I proved to myself that I can handle more than I thought I could. I hate vomit. I always gag and even when the kids get sick it is all I can do to not throw up when trying to help them. But yesterday I didn't even flinch when Rick started getting sick. I knew he needed me and I was right there to help him. He doesn't remember much about it except that he got sick. So I was hoping for super silly Rick and instead I got super sick Rick. I don't want to see super sick Rick again.

Even though this was a very stressful week for me I did enjoy having Rick all to myself. He works so hard that I don't get him to myself very often. It was nice to take walks together and hold hands and just talk without being interrupted by little girls. I realized just how much I really am in love with my husband and how much I miss him when he is working. I am grateful for such a wonderful husband. I am a very lucky woman. And I am falling apart inside thinking of all the new challenges he is facing. But he has the most amazing outlook on all of this and I am going to follow him through this with as much grace as he has.

Rick wants you all to know that he is grateful for all the support and encouraging messages from everybody. I wanted him to let me put his words and how he feels about all this on the blog but he didn't want me to say how he feels. He just wants to say thank you to everybody for caring about him, and us. And I second that. So thank you all very much.

Our plane departs Minneapolis at 9:10 am (central time) and lands in Spokane at 10:15 am (pacific time). So the next time you hear from me I will be back at home with my girls.

With many thanks and love and hugs,

Jaime and Rick