Friday, January 7th

We were reunited with Dr. Tang in Neurology Friday afternoon. The best part about the the meeting was he remembered Taylor and I. That is the difference between the Mayo Clinic and doctors elsewhere. People here spend time reviewing you history before they walk in the door. When Dr. Tang came in, it was like we had never left. He knew exactly who Taylor was and what was going on. We reviewed any changes and a second Neurologist came in. Everyone agreed that the course of medication that the GI doctor recommend, Imuran, is the best possible choice for treatment.

When we left Neurology, we had a follow up appointment with the GI specialists. All of Taylor's tests came back normal including his scope procedure. We asked several questions and went over the effects of Imuran again.

After speaking with all the doctors I know we are on the right path. It will take several months for this medication to kick in, but when it does, it will help. Imuran is a powerful medication and there will be side effects. Taylor will have to have monthly blood tests to watch for developing problems.

The prayers are helping! Thank you!

Thursday, January 6th

We started our first day early with Taylor's appointment at 7:15 am. After meeting with the GI doctors and discussing the options for treatment, we spent the rest of the day in testing and a procedure. The last time Taylor ate was at 5 pm Wednesday. Taylor had to fast for testing on Thursday. It was a full 24 hours before his next meal. I had not eaten much either, so our dinner at Victoria's was delicious! I love Italian food!

We ended the day with full tummies watching Gray's Anatomy with Taylor's parents. It was a long day. We all were exhausted and glad to be relaxing. Friday brings at least two more doctor appointments, Neurology and GI. The appointment with Neurology most likely will bring more testing and more appointments.

Continuing positivity and prayers.

Headed back to Mayo 2011

With the beginning of a new year, we are headed back to the Mayo Clinic. When most people are traveling south to escape the frigged temperatures, we are headed north for answers. This time, I am packing every glove, every long sock, every scarf and every coat I can find in our house. I rather look like a fool and be warm than freeze. Needless to say, I was not prepared last time.

Taylor and I have decided to begin the year with a new positive outlook. No this is not a New Year's resolution. I find that New Year's resolutions are usually not kept. This is a state of mind. Positivity=Actuality. If we believe it, it can happen.

We seem to be at a standstill. Taylor hasn't had any significant improvement over the past year. He has gotten worse and recovered several times. We started a Gluten Free diet by choice, and that has seemed to help his stomach symptoms. But the beastly Crohn's Disease is still flaring. Headaches still persist, but with some assistance from Topamax, the everyday headache has dulled.

So as we head to the Mayo Clinic this week, we pray for guidance and clarity for the doctors in hopes that they will guide us down the right path for healing.

Last Plasma Exchange

Taylor had his final Plasma Exchange this afternoon. He is sore from bruising, but everything went well. After the exchange, we met with the MS specialist. With the conclusion of Taylor's treatment, there are some positive outcomes but little visual improvement. Taylor's headache has decreased slightly. The numbness and tingling in his hands and feet have decreased. Also, Taylor is seeing the shade yellow in his left eye instead of dark gray or black.

We should be home Friday, weather permitting. The MS specialist basically advised us to keep close track of Taylor's condition but has yet diagnosed him. We will meet with a recommended MS specialist in Oklahoma. The doctor basically has said that Taylor's symptoms look and smell like NMO (neuro mylitis optica) Spectrum Disorder but there is not enough evidence to diagnose him. He also said that Taylor could have one spell and never have another, or could have more. So we need to keep track of what happens with his health.

We continue to stay positive and pray that Taylor's vision will be restored. This has been a long, grueling process, especially for Taylor. Our stay in the freezer known as Rochester, MN may be over for now, but Taylor still has a long road ahead of him.

Plasma Exchange #6

The sixth Plasma Exchange went very smoothly today. Taylor is beginning to bruise around the areas where he has iv punctures. Other than that he is doing well. Still no significant vision changes other than the shade of yellow in his left eye. We will meet with the Neurologist Wednesday after his final treatment.

Please continue to pray! Thank you.

Plasma Exchange #5

Taylor's fifth Plasma Exchange went well today. Morgan, Chris and Victor went with us to his treatment. They were very intrigued by the machine used during the procedure. They asked alot of questions and enjoyed learning about the process.

Taylor is no longer taking any medication for his headache. On a scale of 1-10, it is at about a three. This is a dramatic improvement! Taylor's headache use to be a nine or ten even after taking narcotic medication. He is still seeing yellow and has not noticed any other vision improvements. He seems to be doing well.

The remainder of the day was spent resting and playing cards. We had a lovely Italian dinner at a small restaurant down the street.

Again, we cannot thank you all enough for the support!

Friday

Thursday morning, Taylor began fasting. He was preparing for his colonoscopy Friday at 6:45 am. Everything was seemingly normal. Taylor started drinking the half gallon of colon cleanse fluid. The only way he could get the disgusting liquid down was to take it like a tequila shot. Needless to say neither of us slept Thursday night. When 4:00 am rolled around, Taylor had to complete the rest of his liquid. The combination of a sleepless night, nasty liquid, and early morning hours resulted in Taylor getting very sick. We managed to get to the colonoscopy and the appointment went smoothly.

After his colonoscopy we came back to rest for a couple of hours and then back out to another appointment. At 12:15 he had a ct scan appointment. Remember, Taylor still has not eaten since 11 am the previous day and no water since 5 am Friday morning. At the ct scan he has to down three bottles of Barium to highlight his organs. At this point Taylor is miserable and on the verge of opting out of the scan. Taylor found the strength to get the Barium down and the ct went well.

Right after the ct, we went to a doctor's appointment to hear the results from the colonoscopy and ct. The doctor said everything looked good but Taylor has a two inch section of Crohn's in his small intestine. He has started to take medication to help.

After a very long day at Mayo, we wheeled Taylor back to the room to rest. Low and behold, Vic, Morgan, and Chris were waiting for us in our room. Awesome surprise! We rested for a little while and then enjoyed a delicious steak dinner paid for by Bank2. (Thank you work! It was delicious and we are very grateful!)

So the day started horribly but ended well.