Medical Stuff (the reason we came to Mayo)

The reason for our trip to Minnesota was to have Rick's yearly checkup. It started out on Monday with a major amount of bloodwork and an abdominal ultrasound. The ultrasound took a lot longer than previous ultrasounds so we were a little concerned that maybe the tech found something to focus on. I enjoy watching the ultrasounds because I like to identify the parts and it makes me feel like it gives me a bit of a "look" at the situation. I guess it makes me feel like I have a little control over the situation.

Here is a picture in the ultrasound room after it was done. Rick looks really tired because he was tired. After that amount of blood is drawn he gets really tired. He came back to the hotel and took a 3 hour nap.

This morning was the appointment with Dr. L. We are very pleased with how it turned out. Dr. L said that the PSC seems stable at this point. He said that the bout of itching and jaundice that led to the ERCP this past February was just how PSC works and it seems to not be an issue now. He gave us LOTS of information and we also gave him LOTS of information. More on that in a minute. Rick appears to be doing good at this point. It is about time we finally got some good news. Dr. L talked about how important it is to get the yearly ultrasound and specialized blood workup. He said it would be good to keep coming back yearly but he understands that we live a long way from Mayo and it may not be financially feasible to come back every year. So we will see how things are going next year and then make a decision whether we can afford to go or not.

As worried as I was about how this would end up, it ended up all being worth it. It was worth the money and the time to hear from this doctor that everything seems to be good at this point. We had a great talk with him and laughed. Did I mention we gave him some information?? When he was checking out Rick he was looking at Rick's back and asked "where did they do the surgery??" When Rick showed him the scar in his abdomen the doctor was shocked!! He couldn't believe that spinal fusion could happen through the abdomen. Here was a world renowned liver specialist asking US questions about surgery. It was fun and he was really interested in how it all worked.

So in summary, Rick is doing good. YEAH!!! Finally something went our way!! Now we are in Rochester for a few more days with no appointments. We talked about going home early but decided to stay and do the tourist thing. We deserve a little break.

I would be very happy to answer any questions you may have about Rick's health or our experiences. Please don't be shy. If there is something you have be wondering or something you want to know please don't hesitate to ask. Just leave your questions in the comments with this post.

Thank you all for your support and prayers.

Until next time,

Jaime