Day 1 @ Mayo... Complete, Finally...

So let me just say that the last 24 hours has probably been the longest day of the whole entire last year. Just to summarize: 3 ER vists. 1 Gastric Emptying study ended early. 1 unbelievable appointment with Dr. Camilleri. Finally back at hotel at 230am to update blog and get some sleep before I start at 915am Thursday for more testing.

Let me start at the beginning of the day that started at 3am Weds night (1st night being here). So i get sick and have to go to ER. They give me fluids and nausea medication. Get me stable enough to leave at 530am to come back to hotel, shower, and then get the shuttle at 630am to head to the hospital for the 1st of the tests, Gastric Emptying study. I'll explain what this is all about (being that is my 3rd in the last year, and they have all been conducted differently). First, they give you a radioactive capsule to swallow which will allow them to take pictures of your bowel and colon. Then you come back an hour and a half later for the 2nd course, which consists of the grossest scrambled radioactive EGGS ever (I mean after a night in the ER, and not eating in at least 7 months, this could be the grossest meal ever), and they take another picture that will show your stomach motility. Then you're supposed to come back after 1, 2, 4, 6 and 24 hours for them to take pictures. However, if your me, you eat the EGGS, get sick and the test ends after an hour so that they can take me back down to the ER for the 2nd visit.

So, I'm back at the ER for the 2nd time in less than 12 hours. The same staff is working and is like "You're back ???" To which I reply, "Of course, this is how my last year has been." So, they start some IV fluids again to get me hydrated, give me the usual Zofran for nausea and I was in some pain from the radioactive stuff, so I was given some Fentanol. Then they decided they wanted to do a CT scan since I was having the pain now and it wasn't going away yet. So, I got to do a CT scan which showed that everything was OK, and that the pain was probably associated with the vomiting, etc (which goes along with my other hospitalizations previously). I'm there for 4 1/2 hours as they get me re-hydrated, pain controlled and nausea controlled before getting me out of there at 230 to get to my appt with Dr. Camilleri. This was what we came for and so it was vital for me to get out of the ER in time to still make this appt.

So, we head over to the GONDA Building where is office is located. And when I say office, I mean GI doctors have 2 waiting rooms on their floor that are both humungous and plush. TV's, Computer Terminals for patients to use, chairs (w/padding --- not 2 common for doctors waiting rooms), etc. So I check in for my appt, they gave me a beeper and told me they beep when it was my appt. This is the most-high tech office visit I'd ever been on. They scan all the paperwork you bring with you into the computer and it appears instantly on the computer screen in your room. The nurse takes you back to the room, which has a nice sofa and elegant furniture, computers, printers, and is very high-tech. That seems be a common theme @ Mayo --- High Tech... We spent an hour and a half with Dr. Camilleri going over birth to present day. Specifically focusing on the last year or so that things have regressed as they have. Dr. Camilleri has an unbelievable ability to ask questions and generate conversations with his patients that makes you feel at-ease, comfortable, and honest with him with regards to all facets of your life so that he can take notes and generate some ideas. He seems to already have a plan at least for the next few days with some specific tests which now will test my Neurophysiology (Brain/Receptors) and then we'll meet again hopefully on Friday to discuss results and the plan of action to follow. Overall, I came out very impressed with the possibility that this DR was finally going to figure this puzzle out after a long, trying year.

So the night didn't end calmly unfortunately. Rather I went to dinner with my parents at Chesters --- nice spot here in Rochester, happening place to be --- and then we came back to the hotel and I feel asleep for about 2 hours (missing American Idol, until the last 3 minutes when the announcement is made that Alyson was going home, and the final 3 are Adam, Chris and Danny). However when I awake I am in total cold sweat and nauseous and starting to feel sick again. So, i end up getting sick a little later in night so at midnight I was in a cab to the ER for now the 3rd time in less than 24 hours (has to possibly be a Mayo record and I've been here only a day so far). They gave me the usual tune-up --- Couple bags of IV fluids, nausea and pain medication, and I was back at the hotel at 230am.

I'm signing off for the night --- It's now 4am and I have to be up at 8 to get ready for the days activities.

I'll be back on 2morrow night and place Day 2's adventure (hopefully with some color photos of the different buildings for people to get a visual of the experience)...