December 22, 2009

Hi there,

I am happy to finally be writing my first blog. In the last couple of weeks my family and friends have been raising funds to get myself and my care giver to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ. I have medical insurance, but it does not pay for air fare, hotel rooms, or food expenses. We are staying at the Inn right on the Mayo Clinic campus and there is a shuttle that will take us to several different places. That will be a blessing as we will not need to rent a car.

We leave Friday, January 1st, 2010. What a great way to start a new year. Last time I checked it was 71 degrees in Phoenix and 18 degrees here. I have to go to my storage unit in order to pack because all my summer clothes are packed away..lol
So far we have raised a little over $2000 for the fund. The airfare was $550 for 2 round trip tickets and will charge a fee if we need to change dates for coming home. Three weeks at the hotel will cost $3000.00 but includes a hot breakfast each morning and an evening snack each night. Also our room is set up like a studio apartment with a kitchen, living area and then bed and bath. So we can buy groceries and have healthy food. The pictures of the clinic and hotel are incredible and I feel extremely blessed to be staying there. In the lobby there are "pod" areas where you can hook up your laptop, charge your phone, or just sit and have quiet time. I am really happy with this as I am not sure yet, what the doctors will be doing and if I will be allowed out of bed, or if I will even want out of bed, but at least my care giver will have soem breathing space. Only 10 days till we arrive in AZ. My first appointment is at 7am on Monday the 4th. We are leaving on Friday because the airfare was less money and also if it snows or weather is bad, we have some wiggle room for another flight. I am happy that we will have time to get settled in our hotel and perhaps even find a church/chapel on the campus that we can visit. My care giver is my best friend's mom. She is a wonderful woman of God and will take good care of me as I withdraw off some meds and get used to new ones.

I am a little sad for my kids at this time. My husband and I seperated in October and my little boy is really struggling to understand. The last thing I want to do is leave him for 2 to 3 weeks..but I know God has a plan and I will come home healthier and a better mom for it. Check back for updates..I will tall how daily how things are going and what my experiences are like. It will be fun to share this journey.