Day 3... Results and Treatment Plan... Going Home!!!

So, it's officially over. Day 3 @ the Mayo Clinic is complete. It's been an exhausting 3 days that seemed like an eternity, but at least I know I was able to get the best care possible from Dr. Camilleri. I'm coming home 2morrow to begin the next phase --- Recovery and Treatment.

Today started with an Autonomic Sweat Test. Basically they hook up some things to your arm and leg and then measure your sweat responses and blood pressure / heart rates in different positions. It was fairly easy to go through and I was happy to know that it was hopefully the last of the many tests.

After the test, my parents and I spent some time walking around Rochester and I actually stumbled upon a store here that was having a 2 suits, 2 shirts, 2 ties SALE and so I bought 2 suits in between appointments. What better way to spend a few hours in Rochester while your anxious for results and a follow-up meeting the DR, than buying 2 suits cheap (no sales tax on clothes in Minnesota for all you shoppers out there).

At 130pm, we went to meet with Dr. Camilleri to find out the results of the many different tests and to discuss the treatment plan. And so Dr. Camilleri explained everything top to bottom and answered the many questions that both I and my parents had. This man is incredible with the patient (me) and was the same with my parents in answering all and every questions we all had. He spent about an hour going through it and explaining in detail what the next few months would be like.

The results were as follows.
1. Neurological dependency on anti-nausea medication that over the past 15 months only got worse and worse as the previous doctors kept prescribing more and more combinations to try and combat the symptoms. So, in order to break this I will be put on another medication that over time will help reset the nausea receptors in my brain back to where they should be. So, I'll hopefully be starting this next week and can begin this 1st phase.

2. Muscle problem between my colon and other lower GI organs. This was found by the unpleasant procedure that unfortunately I don't think would have been appropriate to share, but take my word --- Don't ask to do it! So, again, a treatment is offered that requires some rehab with a medical professional --- I'll either be able to do this at University of Chicago or Northwestern, or it is possible that I may have to return to Mayo Clinic where they specialize in this type of muscular rehab which here would be only 10 days. So, in the next week or so as I begin to find the resources around Chicago, we'll then make a decision if it will be necessary to come back to Mayo for the treatment for this problem.

3. Over the course of the next 2-3 months, I will slowly and gradually be able to ween off the feeding tube and onto regular meals again. I'll start with some soft things, then advance it a little bit at a time and see how my body responds. So, Pete Weiss -- rest assured, I'll be back at Little Louie's by the end of summer back on the Shark Special. Hopefully this can be done over the course of 2-3 months (ideally), but time will tell and dictate this process.

4. I will be practicing something called Diaphragmatic Breathing --- This helps to calm your stomach muscles and allow you to try and control any nausea or vomiting you think may occur. It may look silly and sound silly, but there have been extensive studies done here by Dr. Camilleri and some of the other doctors that show this has a tremendous impact if done with regularity over time.

So basically, the past 15 months I can say I have been to "hell and back," but now I am re-assured that over time this is all going to be cured with my hard work and dedication to all the different treatment regiments that are required.

I'll be leaving 1st thing in the morning to come back to Chicago, and will start ASAP on the recovery.

I want to thank everyone for all their encouragement and support. I hope that I have been able to paint a realistic picture of what the last 15 months has been. I will continue to update the blog periodically over the next few months so that I can share how the recovery and treatments are progressing.

To my parents, a special thank you... There aren't words to describe what these 15 months have been like for them also, and without them by my side the entire step of the way, I wouldn't have been able to get to this point. I love them!

I'll be back soon... Signing off...

SHARK.

P.S. I'll post 1 more blog when I get back home and upload some pictures for everyone to get an idea of what this place is all about...