Megan was discussing Karl’s case with her fellow therapists while he was on his stomach and she was stretching his legs. They were talking about how well he was healing. Either Karl is proud of the scars on his derrière or he’s becoming an exhibitionist because he told Megan it was okay for them all to take a look. Keep in mind that for about two months straight Karl had people looking at his “better side” several times each day. As they were checking it out, Megan said that something didn’t look right. Thinking that she was joking Karl said, “Yeah, right.” But Megan said she wasn’t kidding and summoned his nurse. The nurse then called the doctor. The doctor came and took a look and proclaimed that he wasn’t going to mess with the work of the surgeons, so he summoned Dr. Yaszemski’s team. Dr. Hannah, Dr. Redmond, and Dr. Erickson came down to look at Karl’s booty and decided that it wasn’t an infection, but was a build-up of fluid that sometimes occurs with skin grafts. They will continue to monitor it, but aren’t concerned. This just goes to show that his show-off tendencies (and divine intervention, in my opinion) may lead to saving Karl’s butt, literally.
Anyway, this type of teamwork is so typical of Mayo Clinic. We’ve heard stories over and over. It is this teamwork and consultation among medical professionals that truly make Mayo different. Not that physicians and medical professionals at other health systems don’t confer with one another in a similar manner, it’s just that Mayo has so many specialists with whom to consult.
One lady told us she lived in Washington, D.C. and went to Georgetown where they diagnosed her with colon cancer. She decided to get a second opinion at Mayo where after several tests and physicians poring over the test, they told her she didn’t have cancer, but definitely had irritable bowel syndrome. They told her to go to the drug store for Maalox and Milk of Magnesia. Yikes! That’s a bit different than the treatment for colon cancer! Another lady told us she wouldn’t be alive today if it hadn’t been for Mayo. A team of physicians decided the best course of action for her was a tricky bone marrow transplant. A fellow Gloria Dei church member struggled for years with many specialists in the area to try to figure out problems he had for 15 years. Finally he went to Mayo where a team of physicians determined his pituitary gland was out of whack (the exact medical terminology they used, I believe).
We also feel incredibly blessed that the doctors at Mayo Clinic could take on Karl’s case. But we feel equally blessed that Dr. Biermann at U-M recommended Dr. Y. The thing we didn’t know about the Mayo Clinic, unless you have a PPO insurance plan, is that you do not need to be referred. If you or someone you know has a medical condition that doctors can’t seem to figure out or if you need a second opinion, call the Mayo Clinic at 507-284-2511. Explain your medical history and current situation. The operator will then tell you what will be needed and a team of physicians/surgeons will review the information and determine the best course of action. They may need extra tests, which can be performed locally, to determine whether they can help, but they will look at your case. To me, that’s amazing service.
Now back to Kid Rock, I mean Karl. Other than the weird lesion on his back, he’s progressing well. His hospital bed now has a regular mattress and he’s able to transfer without help. He’s been standing for 30 minutes at a time on the tilt table and with the aid of the parallel bars, can go from sitting to standing for a few minutes at a time. He’s also taken a few steps!
Please keep praying…we need the lesion to go away on its own and for him to keep getting stronger so he can come home in October.
Blessings,
Kerry
2 comments:
"Kid Rock" does look like Karl. What a fun discovery. The medical staff a Mayo sounds like a fabulous group to work with...I'm certain they feel fortunate to work with Karl. The laughter and delight that Karl, Kerry and Aunt Jo add to everything they do must brighten up the days for the medical staff. We are blessed to have your laughter & light in our lives. With love from Skeeter
hi kerri and karl,
i've been checking back and wondering how things are going down on 3MB. or....did you bust out of the place already? hope all is well and the "fluid collection" turned out to be nothing to worry about.
still think of karl when i pass 91. we miss your jokes!! hope all is well. keep us updated, and if you did blow this popstand already, come visit us during your return appointments....we never get to see patients after the fact, when they are finally feeling themselves!!
anne (RN from 8MB)
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