Mayo

[Guest guest]

Report on our Mayo visit.

Chuck saw, for the third time, Dr. Fealey, and we were very

pleased that he spent at least five hours total with us. Poor man, he had

to sit and watch us both in constant motion---Chuck with his right arm

and me with my head.

Anyway, in four days, Chuck had blood, urine and fecal tests, a

sigmoidoscopy, a body CT, a head MRI, tilt table, and the ever-favorite

hot box sweat test, and saw a dermatologist---Remember the Rash

discussions?

Conclusions are that Chuck has MSA! No, seriously, they ruled out lots of

other things, so his symptoms are MSA-derived---including the itchy

spots. And his disease is not progressing as fast as it might. And he is

to try Mirapex and octreotide injections, things our home neurologist

would never think of.

Back to the itchiness! The dermatologist ruled out bugs of any kind---not

even octopods. She ruled out drug interactions. It is not hives and is

not poison ivy. She was mystified, but thought it might be a liver

dysfunction. Anyway, she suggested to stop using all antibacterial and

perfumed products, even laundry detergent and prescribed Triamcinolone

cream for the itches and Allegra.

Happy to report, the itches have decreased.

The week was like a nightmare for me. First Chuck wanted me just to drive

him to Rochester and drop him off (yes?). He could go through it all by

himself, he says. After one morning there, he realized that wasn't very

realistic. So I steered him through the whole thing, and as he got more

tired, he got more loopy and didn't know what he was doing or where he

was going, and I was going kookoo. He argued with me that he didn't need

a wheelchair to race three blocks to get to the MRI on time. The nurse

and I shoved him in it, and I was ready to tie him down with my scarf.

And he's been arguing with me ever since, and I'm so depressed with that,

I've come to the conclusion I don't have the strength to care.

In the dumps,

Barbara Woodford