Kathy's Posts

Today I had medical appointments to review all the tests I had yesterday. I spoke with a surgical nurse, an anesthesiologist, and my surgeon, Dr. Gillinov. I had been told prior to this visit that I'd need a sternotomy, but today I was told that I can have a robotic procedure to repair both the mitral and tricuspid valves. That should result in a faster recovery! Yippee. This pumpkin sculpture is in the "J Building" at the Cleveland Clinic. It reminds me of something from the "Yellow Submarine" movie.

Today was pre-surgery testing at the Cleveland Clinic. I was there from 7:30 until after 3:00. I had blood work, urinalysis, MRSA test, EKG, chest X-ray, heart CAT scan with contrast, neck ultrasound, ECHO, and a visit with a cardiologist. I learned much more about my condition than I knew before, including that I had somehow snapped a cord without having any symptoms! The Cleveland Clinic is like a medical city - incredibly large and very efficient. People are very nice and helpful. There is a 24 hr Panera, a food court, and two Starbucks in the Miller Pavilion. We are staying at a hotel on the campus and getting around by shuttle, so we don't need a car. All this works well for us.

Two days on the train and we are in Cleveland. Because I'll need to take the train home, I wanted to scope it out beforehand. We've figured out how to get a wheelchair or a cart to transport through the Chicago Union Station transfer. We have a room so I'll be able to stand up and move around. The trip from Flagstaff takes you through some beautiful countryside. NM was incredible! The hotel we are staying at is on the Cleveland Clinic campus. It's set up for patients and families. There is a shuttle to and from the hospital. It should work well for my girls. Here we are on the train.