Mayo Clinic Prep - 2025

The hardest thing about preparing for this trip is stopping the additional pain, fatigue and nausea treatments prior to this trip. 

We are doing the BARE MINIMUM. 

You read that right… Why, you ask, because it’s necessary. 

What I noticed is that doctors are having a hard time pin pointing the necessary symptoms then linking it back to Vasculitis or the autonomic dysfunction, while I am on certain types of managements. 

Timing is crucial, so my appointments are spaced as such:

• Acupuncture and body work last appointment was on 06/27

• OT last appointment is on 07/08

• PT last appointment is on 07/19

• Rituximab immunotherapy will have to wait until August when we return

Since I am due for a herb break, I have stopped herb today: July 8th. 

So much has gone into preparing for Mayo that I had to space out mentally preparing for the above. 

I started in May being consistent with home management, because an organized and clean home means a less cluttered mind and less PTSD/anxiety flares. 

In June, we started cleaning up the room in preparation for us leaving and that meant rearranging things so we are better organized. I subconsciously moved things into zones so our space flows better. 

July’s focus is fun, because I have a problem fixating on big events until it happens. My wife has scheduled this month strategically, so we are doing enough to keep me distracted. 

Mental agility and gymnastics was crucial this summer. Lots of sitting in silence. Weeding out stressful people and situations. Ensuring I stay focused on this trip’s preparations and the very last thing I do need to do,  which is the most tedious task:

Review my files, collate questions, discussion points, play out the conversations and diagram out how to guide each turning point to benefit the end goal: a better treatment plan and systematically arranging my diseases based on priority. Then arranging what conditions are symptoms vs standalone symptoms. 

Mayo Clinic’s appointment was a long time coming. The process was tedious and at each step you could be turned away. Your case has to be serious enough to take on, but not too complicated.  

Our prayers have been answered and the hope now is that we can connect the many dots floating in my health universe. 

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Friends, the goal in sharing with you is to spread the wealth of knowledge I have gathered through the years. Hopefully you can apply this to your next big medical adventure or procedure or appointment.