that you were able to get the details of your trip worked out. It sounds like you are in good hands and that they are planning on really going over your case and your problems. I hope they can find some way to give you some relief and get to the bottom of this.

I also wondered if, since it is so cold up there, according to the above post, if hubby has put anti-freeze in your car.

Love,
Cathie

I was born and raised in Rochester, MN. My father was a Mayo neurologist. My first clinic visit was for diaper rash, my last, the 80th visit, was a for a general checkup after college graduation.
Yes, they have plenty of wheel chairs for you, and other than a few other companieslike IBM, the town was built around the Mayo Clinic, so all there are is motels and hotels, the most famous being the Kahler Hotel which has a underground walkway connecting to Mayo's main building. Several other hotels have these walkways also.
I should warn you that you will be sitting and waiting a lot, so bring your knitting or a good book.
You will be assigned a primary physician who directs and schedules all of your appointments: blood work, xrays, etc. When those are completed, you end up seeing him again, to hear the results. Plan on spending an entire week. (sorry) If you present with something tricky, your physician will consult with a team of appropriate specialists to arrive at a game plan for you.
You might have to travel to other Mayos buildings, so be prepared for that.
But Mayos is located in the heart of Rochester, so you'll have easy access to shops, restaurants, etc. Try Michaels restaurant. It used to be the best in town. And the Kahler Hotel has good food also. The drug store is located in the basement or lower level of the main clinic building.
And, yes, there are plenty of mortuaries in case you have something really serious. (a little dark humor)

Thanks Michael178,
That is a very good description of Rochester's Mayo. I found everything to be exactly like you said, except I didn't have to wait for very long times. Just the usual doctor's office visit time. We stayed at the Radisson that is downtown. It has a walkway to Mayo also and the hotel loaned us a wheelchair to use. We used Mayo's wheelchair's when we were supposed to be at Mayo. It was just easier to leave the wheelchair at the hotel and ride to Mayo and get one of their chairs. I'd highly recommend the Radisson as a place to stay. It is a little pricy, but the comfort and quiet was well worth it.

Billye

I just had to post this. I was browing around the internet this morning, looking up message boards for IVIG. Guess what I found out??

The first was that they are doing clinical trials for IVIG in kids with Austism!!!
Autism!!!!! can you imagine that???

and now for the best yet!!!

Get a load of this!!!

June 20, 2005 -- A very small, short-term study may lead to a new approach to treating Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers found that an experimental treatment called IVIg (intravenous immunoglobulin) improved mental function in Alzheimer's patients.

Antibody Cocktail
IVIg is a "cocktail" of antibodies derived from donated human blood. Its antibodies include those that fight beta-amyloid, a key ingredient in the brain plaque associated with Alzheimer's disease.

The news does not amount to a new treatment, say the researchers, who included Marc Weksler, MD, of Cornell University's medical school.

These results clearly justify further examination in a larger study, says Weksler, in a news release. "However, our evidence does not recommend IVIg as a current treatment for Alzheimer's disease."

The study was presented in Washington, at the Alzheimer's Association's International Conference on Prevention of Dementia.

The study included eight people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. They received infusions of IVIg for six months.

Participants took cognitive tests before and after the six-month treatment. They either received infusions once a week, once every two weeks, or once a month.

Mental Function Stabilized
After each infusion, patients' blood samples showed higher levels of antibodies that target beta-amyloid. The antibody increase reflected the dose of IVIg, say Weksler and colleagues.

Successive treatments brought increases in beta-amyloid antibodies in the weekly or every-other-week groups, but not in the monthly group. That may reflect the shorter life of such antibodies in people with Alzheimer's disease, say the researchers.

In addition, samples of spinal fluid taken from patients showed a drop in beta-amyloid. On average, beta-amyloid in the fluid dropped 45%, more than previously observed, says a news release.

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SO DOES THIS MEAN THAT ALAN IS GOING TO BE BRIGHT EYED AND BUSYTAILED UNTIL HE'S 150????

lol, Mel

Melody,
Did you mean to post about IVIG and Autism in this thread? It's primarily about the trip to Mayo I made in Dec. and your post might be missed if no one is interested in my trip.

Billye