We are headed back to Rochester, Minn., today. I will be having a few scans and follow up visits at the Mayo Clinic. As you may recall, I had surgery in September to remove and replace one of my pacemaker/ICD leads. The surgery went really well and this week I’ll just be having some tests to make sure everything is working properly with my device. I’ll also be having a CT scan of my lung. Several years ago, doctors at Mayo removed a solitary fibrous tumor from my left lung and each year I have a routine scan to make sure it hasn’t come back. We are hopeful it has not.
We are so grateful for the exceptional care we’ve received at Mayo Clinic and appreciate the way they work closely with my local specialists, as well.
Our return to the Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Living Program
When we scheduled these appointments, we realized that they would be taking place about a year after our first visit to the Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Living Program. We had such an incredible experience there last year at this time and decided to enroll in the program again. Because of COVID, the HLP is only accepting a few guests at a time so we’ll pretty much have the place to ourselves. The photo below is from a foam roller class we took there last year.
Our daughter will be joining us
The best news of all is that our daughter, Meghan, will be joining us there. After a lot of thought, prayer, and research, we have found ways spend a little time together (from a distance and masked) this holiday season. Meghan lives alone and works as a cardiac ICU nurse in Oklahoma. She has had very limited contact with family and friends this year in an effort to protect herself and slow the spread of coronavirus. So, we’ve had to do a lot of planning and organizing to find ways to have this experience together-ish and still lower all of our risks of illness.
A few of the ways to reduce our risk of getting or spreading illness
- First, we will all be tested for coronavirus when we arrive in Rochester and we are expecting results the next day.
- We will also be staying in separate bedrooms at the Homewood Suites in Rochester. We stayed at this hotel in September and found it to be exceptionally clean and sanitized. All of the suites there have a small kitchen and dining/living room area so we can cook in our room or easily order takeout and eat there.
- Of course, we’ll take our own cleaning supplies, as well, including Clorox wipes, Lysol, hand soap, etc. We’ve always been in the habit of sanitizing high-touch surfaces in hotels and this trip will be no different. We’ll also use side doors and stairwells at our hotel to reduce our exposure to others.
- We will be taking two UV, HEPA air purifiers with us that we’ll run in our hotel rooms to help purify the air. These have really helped both of us with allergens in hotels, as well. Here’s a link to the AIR PURIFIERS we have.
- We will also continue to wear our K-N95 masks indoors and when distancing isn’t possible. The Healthy Living Program, like all of Mayo Clinic, requires masks on all guests and staff and they have worked hard to create a low-risk environment there.
Planning our meals in Rochester
As for meals, the Healthy Living Program will provide some of our meals while we’re there. We’re also packing some food for this trip so we can make breakfast in our room (oatmeal, berries, fruit, etc.). It will also be great to have a stovetop and microwave in our hotel room to cook a bit. We will do a grocery pickup when we get to Rochester for some additional fresh produce and stuff for salads with dinner.
There are many incredible restaurants in Rochester, so we’ll order takeout most nights for dinner and eat at our hotel. We can’t wait to have meals from some of our favorite places like Bleu Duck Kitchen (pictured above), Victoria’s, Nupa and Hyderabad Indian Grill.
This trip back to Rochester is an essential part of our healthcare journey and we’ll be writing more about it after the first of the year. Right now, I’d better go finish packing so we can hit the road.
So glad to learn this trip is for a routine check-up! Dave had his defibrillator replaced in September & it went very well. His battery was down to 15% so they plan ahead on replacements. Also, it’s wonderful that Meghan will be there with you. I’m sure that will put her mind at ease on this. She knows the right questions to ask, etc., although being a medical professional can have its drawbacks, such as knowing too much!!!
You guys look so terrific! Congratulations on your hard work with Noom! Our friend, Susie, in CO is very happy with their program.
God’s blessings to you all & have a wonderful Christmas!
Best wishes for good test results! Stay healthy! Stay safe!
Thank you, JoAnn! We appreciate it!
Sounds like it will be a wonderful experience for you to share with Meghan even if it is a heart wellness checkin! Nothing better than being together!
We agree, but it has been tight to be together this year. We think we have some good precautions in place for this visit.
Have a safe trip and enjoy getting to spend time with your daughter. Hope everything goes well for Ann.
Thank you so much!
Have a safe trip and hope all test results are good. So glad you get to spend time with your daughter.
Thank you so much, Mary. We are pretty excited!
Good that you are going to have things checked out. Best of luck, of course and I hope you enjoy your time with the daughter and good food in the area!!
Thank you Debra! These are follow-up appointments, so hopefully they go well. We are excited to see Meghan, for sure.
Best wishes for a safe journey, great test results and a wonderful time as a family!
Merry Christmas!
Thank you!
Prayers for good reports. Safe travels
Thank you so much!
Safe travels and during your stay in Rochester. I grew up in Mankato, about 80 miles from Rochester. So glad for you that your daughter is able to accompany you. Have a wonderful visit with her.
Where ever are you able to find Clorox disinfecting wipes, Lysol spray and the k-N95 masks? Every web site I check is out until further notice.
We bought the masks on Amazon, but they may be unavailable from time to time. The wipes and Lysol we found at Sam’s Club, though the Lysol is a rare find—we check every time we go and finally got some a couple weeks ago.
I pray for safe traveling to Mayo clinic and good news on your tests. Enjoy your time spent with your daughter. Happy holidays!
Thank you so much, Karen!
God Bless you both. It is so refreshing to see how God has worked in your lives. We are praying for a safe trip for you. Not the best time to travel in this kind of weather. You two have made tremendous success with the healthy living program you are on.
Thank you Ron! And we lucked out on the weather…the roads are bone dry.