I was out-patient 11 days at Mayo Clinic Rochester in 1980. Was O/P at Jacksonville being evaluated from Aug. 2016 - February 2017 to confirm 30 diseases and to determine my level of care. It qualified me for the 120-hour Comprehensive (Pain) Rehab. Program (CRP) in March 2017. They helped me get out of a wheelchair and learn how to re-train my brain to function in spite of pain. I will always be grateful for that. However, I did get some poor advice on a couple of conditions I have that caused them to worsen.

I had applied in 2015 but was denied. You have to choose one specialty department, and because I have so many conditions, I didn’t know which one to choose from so I just picked one. It was obviously the wrong one because it was denied.

A year later, after fainting about 200 times in the previous two years and finally blacking out through a glass table, one of my local doctors told me to drive up to Jacksonville and go into the emergency room. The doctor I saw was very compassionate and called the head of ER. They were shocked at my condition and got me in within 10 days under the special exception to start the evaluation.

The 6-month evaluation was a long process and expensive to boot. Because it’s O/P, I spent five days at a hotel and tested or seen by a specialist, returned home 4 hours each way), went back 2-5 days, and so on. I had to pay to get there and back each trip. Using UBER to travel to and from the hotel to my appointments and eating out, plus the hotel, drained my wallet.

My pastor is a highly recognized physician in my town and he likes the Cleveland Clinic. If I have to go again, I think that is where I will go. I don’t know how far you are from Mayo Clinic and do not want to see you disappointed, but if your symptoms are bad enough you may be able to go into the emergency room to see if they will get you in quickly. It might be worth a try. It is a once-per lifetime offer they have for extreme cases. If you miss the appointment, you cannot be rescheduled. Because of the multitude of conditions I have, they first assigned me to a diagnostician who farmed me out to dozens of specialist.

I will always be grateful to them for getting me out of the wheelchair. However, I have not returned because of financial problems. My co-pay was about $6,000 even with Medicare. I paid all I could on it by installments, because I owed money to so many other hospitals and clinics, testing facilities and doctors. I just can’t do it. They suggested I send a compassionate letter request to the main office in Rochester. I have been unable to do that because they want me to attach so much financial documentation and I am just too sick and tired to do it. It is overwhelming.

Good luck and may God bless you. Please keep me posted. Peggy