Golly this sounds like Silverlady's adventures , last year? Year before?
The weather seems to be cooperating [not] as always. I for one, just want you to know I am thinking and praying for not only a safe trip but a GOOD medical experience! I know you probably won't be able to read this until later, but I don't think I'm alone as you go thru such travels asking yourself: WHY am I doing this? Someone, please remind me! Sending as many warm soft, cyber fuzzies as I can muster to you to help along the way - j

This is so very like my own experience. I am so amazed that we are so much alike. Seronegative Sjogren's. I so hope they get all her problems ironed out and find out what is really wrong with her. I for one believe she is seronegative for Sjogren's. Believe me when I say this disease can cause disaster in your life.

I'm praying for a safe journey for you Fanfaire. I hope you will at some point be able to correspond with us. I know you don't have a lap top and you are
at this moment I'm sure doing all kinds of nasty preps for the tests tomorrow. I wish you fortitude. It was so very hard and difficult to get thru. Prayers your way from me are coming.

But at the time we were struggling and spending all day in Mayo, we'd come out to get in the shuttle after dark and we watched Rochester come alive for Christmas. There was a light snow and lights. It felt like Christmas even tho we were so far from home. Another world so far away. Many many good wishes and hope for you.

Billye

Wow, thanks for these posts! I haven't left yet, but will Sunday morning. Silly me, I got all concerned about the Rochester forecast and forgot to check Sioux Falls, and sure enough, we're supposed to get six inches of snow tomorrow!

I start fasting Sunday night, a 12 hour one. I may have to do other fasts if they refer me to gastroenterology, which might be a practical thing to do considering my history of gastroparesis. I may have to do other digestive tests which I choose not to think about at this time.

I think if I'm up to it my husband and I will at some point do a driving tour of Rochester at night to look at holiday decor. That's one of our fave things to do in December, no matter where we are. And my husband is hoping there will be Christmas movies on cable.

You both have been through so much! I really appreciate your support. Actually, that goes for everyone here.

fanfaire

I am about 3 hours east of Rochester MN, it is wicked tonight, has been since 10am...the new 'winter hurricane', wind, snow, pellets and freezing rain is the new kind of 'blizzard' we get. (I am waiting for thunder...they said that may happen too). I prefer the old snow and wind kind of blizzard, to this new freezing rain kind (call me a gnome). I have never heard a house make these kinds of noises, and I have lived in the Great Lakes region my whole long life. I hope it improves tomorrow, I think it will. It seems to be moving faster than predicted and I think the ice will stay south of Rochester, which is good. Snow is drive-able...ice is not.

Good luck, stay safe, wish for the best.

I will be undergoing some very invasive diagnostics in the next 6 weeks and I am apprehensive. I understand the uncertainty and difficulty of it all.

I will be thinking of you and hoping you have a safe trip and that the clinic will help determine what is wrong and even better, what can be done to give you some relief.

I am a little jealous of the snowfalls you all are describing. I haven't really seen much snow in many years. Every Christmas seems to be missing something...

Have a safe journey and let us as soon as possible what you are able to find out. We will all be waiting anxiously to hear.

Cathie

All is quiet in the midwest, and I would think roads are clear by now. Our crews are usually very good at getting these messes cleaned up. I remember blizzards when I worked for the county as a nurse. I used to call the county crew to find out when they were going to plow a certain rural road, so I could follow them to my home from work. That was back in the early 80's when we still had huge blizzards that would shut us down for days, despite plows that had 12 foot high blades. I always liked it when they pulled out those huge plows. One year, I believe it was early 1978, a woman went into labor and they called one of those plows to get her to the hospital and it got stuck and she ended up delivering the baby in a farm house. It was kind of boring to stay home and yes, I had a child the following fall! A blizzard baby. There were quite a few born around late September, early October, who had their beginnings in the blizzard that year. We had no internet or computer games to keep us busy. Soap operas only kept you entertained for so long. Yep, those were the days.

Now we get more ice. We still get snow storms but they do not reach those proportions. The news channels makes them seem worse than they are.

Ice is far more fearsome.

Also back in the early 80's, a -60 was recorded not far from here, and that was actual temperature. We had one year when it was ranging from -20 to
-30 plus windchills in the -80 range. I lost headlights driving to my night shift job in that. Every one was driving around with a headlight out. I think the cold just cracked them. We don't get this kind of weather anymore. I guess that is fine for us, but it makes me wonder about climate change. It is noticably warmer and we have over the last few years gotten much less precipitation. Those old Great Lakes are not as full as they used to be.

One thing that has not changed is we only get one third of the possible days of sun. That is not a fun thing. Winter is dark AND dreary.