Visiting Mayo for spasticity in feet

Welcome @hump1278. Just to confirm, are you talking about muscle spasticity? http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/spasticity-management/basics/definition/prc-20021778

@gailfaith @cynaburst @dawn_giacabazi @burrkay @bobsconnect @rosemarya @jharsh and @elizabethcharis can you share your experience booking appointments and tests at Mayo Clinic? What tips would offer?

Hump - You may also be interested in reading this discussion: I'm traveling to Rochester, MN from Kansas City, MO http://mayocl.in/2bCiVB1 Have you already talked to the appointments department? http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63

Yes along other diseases protein defensively and several other thing but mostly wanting answers if my mobility will ever return .

Howdy! I've experienced Mayo in Rochester several times for myself and family members. Most recently I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia last year then got connected with their complementary and integrative medicine group. i cannot speak more highly of them.

I imagine I've had some of the tests you'll have. It's really hard to say how long you will be there until your first appointment. My thoughts are always to get a Monday appointment and leave myself open to staying for the week. Also, each step through the process it will help those you talk to understand how far you live away. They are used to dealing with people all around the world but also they are a medical clinic for locals. They will do their best to accommodate you when they know your needs.

Are you interested in pain/lifestyle management or just the diagnostic part? I ask because complementary med requires an internal referral. If you are interested ultimately in managing it will be helpful to have a conversation with you docs staff once your initial appointment has been scheduled.

I was there thanksgiving week so it was tough because we put restrictions on how long we could stay. We figured out immediately what tests needed done and you literally start running to appointments from your first one. It is worth your time to wait around and wait for cancelations to squeeze what you can in. They'll help you with that.

We figured out I didn't have anything that was a crisis so I scheduled a time to go back when they could fit in an education class. I had to wait to get into that but it was worth it to have all my appointments at one time. I ended up with 19 appointments over 7 work days. This included specialists, tests, mammogram I thought I'd throw in that resulted in a follow up one and biopsy, fibro diagnosis, 2-day education class. I was quite exhausted by the end.

Don't know if I answered or am just rambling. Just ask if you have more questions.

Thank you for your help and I hope you are feeling well. I will keep that in mind.

@ gailfaith here again. I was at Mayo in MInn. twice. Both times I flew from the local Lancaster airport, to Dulles, then to Mineapolis and then to Rochester. I think the first time (Nov 2013) I may have had Mayo Travel help me with booking flights......but I had to book the Lancaster flights as they are just a small outfit. When I told them what I was coming for, they told me to plan on being there for 7 or 8 working days. So the flights were booked to leave Rochester the day before Thanksgiving to return home. It went VERY smoohtly. This time (April, 2016) before I decided to go to Mayo I thought I might go to John Hopkins as I could just drive there. JH gave me an appt but they were not as coordinatied as Mayo had been, and it seemed their buildings are scattered all over the Baltimore area, so I cancelled that appt and booked Mayo again. And the Mayo appt was months sooner than the JH appt! This time I used frequent fllier miles so I had to book my own flights. I asked Mayo how many days they thought I needed and they said 4 or 5. So I booked my flight to leave Lancaster on a Monday and to return on Saturday. Then just before I left, I got an email that said that I was to be scheduled for surgery the the next Tuesday and then I could fly home on Wed. So when I got to MInn, I had to cancel all my return flights and since I didn't book them thru Mayo Travel, I had to pay Delta for the change ($150). I didn't rebook right away as I wanted to to be sure of the dates this time. SInce there were fewer weekend flights with the Lancaster line, I booked them first. Well no weekend Lancaster flights meshed with Delta so I had to stay overnight at Dulles at a hotel (another $200) . The next morning I arrived at the airport more than an hour before I was scheduled to be there. As I approached the desk, the man said my flight had been cancelled. Go have a seat! As I was waiting, another lady showed up for the same flight and the man walked her over to me as he explain the situation to her. He asked if either of us wanted to drive, but we didn't. About an hour later, they hired a car to drive both of us to Lancaster. SInce I live blocks from the airport he drove me to my home, and her to the airport to get her car. It turned out, that while I was in Minnesota, the Lancaster airline had changed hands and the FAA had not approved the new airline to fly in or out of Dulles....yet!! What did I learn on this trip.......get Mayo Travel to help with booking flights as there is no fee if changes need to me made. As an additional note, Mayo staff bent over backwards to schedule the tests needed before surgery so I could stick to the surgery date they had mentioned!

@hump1278 Welcome to the Connect Community.

I can tell you with absolute confidence your experience at Mayo Clinic will be like no other facility. I have been a patient of Mayo's since 1998. Super easy process.

It is difficult to judge the length of stay as it will depend on your physician's recommendations. Once you have an appointment with the physician, he may recommend other testing or referrals to other Physicians within the clinic or if there are other issues that are needing addressed.

My typical stay is 1 day of testing and the 2nd day follow up with my physicians.

Safe travels!!!
Dawn

Thanks

@gailfaith, your airline trip from Lancaster, PA, to Rochester, MN, is something! You're already engaged in driving from Dulles outside Washington DC to Lancaster. Perhaps your travel aide isn't aware of ground transportation available from Minneapolis airport to Rochester, including a stop at Mayo. If that makes sense to you, you could ask Mayo Travel about getting a reservation on the van to Rochester (about 1.5 hours).

Yes, thanks for the suggestion @ predictable! I was aware of the ground ride from Minneapolis to Rochester, but even with the 3 flights, it was already a whole day affair getting to and from Mayo. The first time I also had my service dog and all went well. . Unfortunately my service dog passed in Jan 2015.

Has anyone ever seen dr. Weinshenker