Daniel and I had a lovely morning.  We ate breakfast at Panera, discussed our upcoming trip to Walt Disney World, and headed to Border’s to pick up an online order (I managed to get at nearly 60% of the original price).  After our errands we did some practical bits around the house, ate leftover Chicago-style pizza, and decided it was time to chill for a bit.

So, here we are, sitting in the south-facing front room, enjoying the plentiful sunshine, and listening to the water feature melting snow pour off the house.  I’ve been catching up on the posts about my Mayo Clinic 2011 trip, so it seemed like a good time to catch up on some Mayo Clinic Radio.

Mayo Clinic Medical Edge Weekend is an hour long radio program that takes place each Saturday morning at 9 am CST.  The host, Dr. Tom Shives, is an experienced radio host and an orthopedic surgeon. He interviews specialists from Mayo Clinic with questions submitted via the website and Twitter (using #MayoRadio). They also accept a few questions via the phone, during the live broadcast.

Today, I thought it’d be fitting to listen to the June 5, 2010 broadcast on dizziness featuring Drs. Scott Eggers and Neil Shepard.  If you’ve ever struggled with dizziness, nausea, or feeling lightheaded, I strongly recommend you give this a listen.  The recording is about 45 minutes in length, and it held my (and my husband’s) attention for the duration.

A few notes…

• I appreciate their explanation of the different things people mean when they say they’re dizzy. For me, dizzy typically means I feel like my brain is a top, spinning around within the confines of my skull. A few times the sensation has grown so severe I become ill. But, rarely, if ever, have I felt like the world is actually spinning with me as the stand-in sun.
• My doctors believe I do not get enough blood supply or oxygen to my brain, but I’m not on medicine to lower my blood pressure.  In fact, one of my medicines was prescribed to raise my blood pressure, while the other was prescribed to lower my heart rate.  However, I pretty much fit the description of what happens when you’re taking medicine to lower your blood pressure.  (More on this issue tomorrow.)
• I love that they explain that benign things aren’t really benign if they are debilitating.  They may not be life-ending, but they are life-chaning.  But, I’ll take life-changing over life-ending, any day.

Now I’m thinking…

• Could any of my concussions have caused some of my current symptoms?
• Are my symptoms the result of something viral that will eventually resolve itself?
• Seriously?!  The Q-tip was created to clean baby belly buttons?  I never knew.  (Am I alone in being totally grossed out by belly buttons of any age, shape, or size?  Even the word makes me feel ill.)

While dizziness is a symptom I live with daily, I recognize we all have different trials.  Is there a health-related issue you’d like to learn about?  Head to their Upcoming Programs page to see if it’s on the calendar.  If not, tweet your recommendation @MayoClinic.  (Be sure to hashtag #MayoRadio.)

Do you have any Mayo-related questions?  Let me know.  Head over to the My Life with Fibro Facebook page, become a fan, and leave a comment.  I’m compiling the most frequently asked questions and will be posting the answers at the conclusion of my Mayo Clinic 2011 series.

What do your headaches feel like?

Sometimes, mine feel like this.  Other times they feel like my brain is throbbing and will surely burst my skull.  Kinda like this bit I found via Pinterest:

I have no idea if this can be purchased anywhere online, but you can visit this site to learn a bit more about this award-winning work.  If you find a place selling prints of this woodcut, please let me know.

This was written Monday, January 17, 2011.  I was exhausted after a long day at the park, and neglected to post it.  And, with that decision, my procrastination in posting my Mayo Clinic 2011 articles began.  I will be playing catch up this week, so don’t wander too far.

All great works have an intermission… why would Mayo Clinic 2011 be any different?

Intermission

I wanted to make the most of my Mayo-free time in Arizona, and I’d say I succeeded.  Here’s a bit of what’s happened:

• I fell in love with this salt cellar and pepper shaker set.  Trust me.  It’s stunning.
• Jen got her birthday gift in the mail.

• I spent far too long appreciating these.
• Dan taught Spanish to kids across the country, from the parking lot of a Mexican market, using Skype, on an iPhone.  No big deal.  (Actually, he did this a week ago… but I had to share since he did it a second time during intermission and I didn’t get to take a picture.)

• I felt like I was riding these, even while sitting still.
• My sweetie flew home, worked Friday, then had all weekend and today to miss me… and look forward to what promises to be an impressive snow storm this Thursday.  He will probably get a snow day to sit home and think good thoughts for me and my MRI.
• I decided I will order this when Dan and I finally celebrate our anniversary at our beloved Bonefish.
• Beautiful… city and dancers.
• I went to this lovely park to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with Dan’s family.

• This fascinated me.  I can’t believe I never saw the sun.
• I liked this big squishy guy.
• Daniel took care of two sick pupsqueaks.

That wraps up this evenings post.  As always, after thinking through my life, I’m feeling like a lucky duck.  I am grateful for this opportunity, and for this intermission.  I recommend you go think through your life.  I am sure you’ll end up feeling tremendously blessed.

Tomorrow I get the blood pressure monitor put on.  I will wear it for 24 hours.  That’s all I know. When I know more I will tell you.

I’m taking a brief break from my Mayo Clinic posts to share a bit of fun news…

You may remember, I was quite excited when Alltop created a page for the top fibromyalgia news.  Well, consider me thrilled.  Recently, a reader brought to my attention the fact that My Life with Fibro has been added to two additional sites as a recommended resource for fibrofolks.

• Masters in Health Care – 50 Great Blogs for Fibromyalgia Support
  • says folks should read My Life with Fibro “for lessons in how chronic pain can lead to some surprising self-awareness and insight”
  • made me blush with their sweet summary
  • includes many other (49, to be exact) sites you should check out
• The Daily Reviewer – Top Fibromyalgia Blogs
  • is quite similar to Alltop
  • features links to recent articles from each of the featured blogs

Thank you for your continued support and contributions.  I feel much like I did this night, when I waxed all sentimental.  I am humbled by the compliment paid to me by Masters in Health Care.  As I alluded to here and here, my primary goal when I started My Life with Fibro was to bring folks with fibromyalgia together and encourage them to learn from each other. I hoped to raise morale by raising awareness.

My goals remain unchanged.

What are your goals?  Why do you blog?  Why do you tweet?  If you don’t mind me asking, why do you read My Life with Fibro?   What more could I do for you?

I am compiling a list of questions folks have sent me regarding all things Mayo Clinic.  If you have one to add to the list, leave a comment or, if you’re more comfortable, email me kate at mylifewithfibro dot com.  I will post the answers in the next week or so.

Last night I got a lengthy voicemail from my scheduler at Mayo.  She listed the appointments they’ve scheduled for me over the next week, including a new one for today.  Dan and I are taking the morning easy, but pretty soon we will head up to the Specialty Building for…

My Sixth Appointment

January 12, 2011 @ 11:30 am

Mayo Clinic Specialty Building 2nd Floor Check In
Radiology General X-ray
Rad Cervical Spine X-ray

I’d say they have this down to a science, but that sounds a bit obvious when it comes to medical things.

After checking in 15 minutes early, I was called back before I had time to take my seat.  (What a pleasant deviation from the typical doctor’s office experience.)  The kind lady verified my birthday (11th time, I think), showed me to an expansive and impeccably clean room of dressing rooms, explained just how much I had to remove,  and let me be.  If not for the whole hospital gown thing, I’d have felt like I was in a high-end department store with my personal shopper.

With some maneuvering and clever mirror usage, I was able to fasten my gown so as to prevent an unnecessarily awkward moment while I waited for my turn.  I took the time to text Dan to tell him I spoke too soon about being grateful my conditions rarely require me to remove my clothes, locked my dressing room with my stuff inside, put the curly 1980′s keychain around my wrist, and headed to the prescribed secondary waiting room… where I got to sit on a bar-height waiting room chair.  Who knew such a thing existed?  Not I.

Within give minutes a young-looking lady called me back.  She asked what was up and what we’d be shooting today.  I explained my understanding of the task at hand, she verified my birthday (12) and full name.  Although it took nearly a dozen, “just a smidge to the left”s, she was able to line me up just so into two different positions, take her x-rays, and send me packing in less than five minutes.  Perfect, I tell you.  Perfect.

Lunch Date

We had an almost two hours to burn before my next appointment, so we pulled out our UrbanSpoon app and went to work.  Long story short, it led us to a development with a Kona Grill (one of my favorite summer internship business trip stops).  Dan had never been, so it was the obvious and necessary choice for lunch.

While looking for parking on the way to Kona, I spotted a MoJo Frozen Yogurt place, so after lunch we strolled down High Street to grab some for the road.  I went for a mix of Original Tart and Apple Pie with kiwi and blueberries.  I think Daniel got cookies and cream.  Anyway, it was delicious.  The shop was immaculate, and the frozen yogurt was the best I’ve had.

We headed back to the hospital with me feeling a bit like a small child.  Why or how does frozen yogurt always seem to get all over your face?  It’s not that you can see it, or that it’s really even there, but it feels like your face is as sticky as sweaty baby fists. No fun, but totally worth it.

If you’re planning to make a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, I recommend you add CityCenter of CityNorth to your list of time-fillers.  It’s located just north of the 101 on the west side of 56th Street… less than two minutes from the Mayo Clinic Hospital and Specialty Building.  Shops, restaurants, and almost no people.  That part is a bit eerie, but the service was wonderful.

My Seventh Appointment

January 12, 2011 @ 1:45 pm

Mayo Clinic Hospital 5th Floor 5 East
Neurosurgery Consultation
Dr. M. K. Lyons

This was fairly short and sweet.  After the usual name and birthdate verifications, Dan and I were invited back to an office where we waited just a few minutes for Dr. Lyons.  He asked who Dan was, then proceeded to look directly at him while addressing me.  I had not realized how strange it is to have a conversation with someone who is not looking at you.  At first I thought, maybe he’s just like that.  Maybe that’s just how his eyes work, but then I remembered, “This guy is a NEUROsurgeon, I suppose his eyes can’t just be like that.”

About that time he began looking at me, when he spoke to me.  He went on to explain that he’d reviewed my MRI from late 2009 and he found no sign of a cyst.

Whoa.

What?

The three folks who diagnosed me were wrong?

He assured me he’d reviewed his opinion with their top folks and they agreed.  If there is any cyst in my brain, it’s tiny.  So small as to be lost between MRI slices.

Lovely.  Best news in a long time.

This is why I am here.  Smart people, on a schedule, who make things happen.

In Other News

• Dan’s decided he and I are aging amateurs… not young professionals.  I suppose I agree.
• How do you pick the perfect gift?  This year I’m sharing my gift shopping process.
• I can’t think of a more sweet or lasting way to spend $240. The Commission Project
• I agree with POTUS: ”If this tragedy prompts reflection & debate… let’s make sure it’s worthy of those we have lost.”