Here we go again on our journey at Mayo! This one will focus on my swallowing test and balloon test, although I will not go into detail about the balloon test.
This was the first time we stayed overnight, so we arrived in the middle of the afternoon since my throat test was scheduled for 3 PM. It was nice to take our time leaving and driving. Those early mornings can be tough on my mom and me, but sometimes they're necessary.
We tried to check into our hotel a little early, but they were sold out the night before and had many rooms to clean. There were a lot of events happening that week and weekend: a medical conference at Mayo, dance competitions, and three other sports events.
We made our way to Mayo and arrived a little early for my appointment, which was fine because I was feeling really nervous about this test. I have a lot of issues with coughing after eating and experience quite a bit of gas. I was hoping it wasn't anything too serious; I already have enough health problems and didn't want to add another one.
Once I got back for the test, all I had to do was change into a gown, which I appreciated since I could keep my pants and shoes on. The test lasted about 45 minutes, and I had to drink this unpleasant paste along with some sparkling water-looking liquid, which helped the doctors see my throat more clearly. I took small sips of the paste, then had to take small bites of food or drink a bit of water afterward. They provided me with applesauce, crackers, and bread to see how each item went down and whether any of them caused me to cough or get stuck. I did cough a few times, especially with the crackers.
During the test, I had to move my head into different positions and lie on my back so that they could monitor how the liquids were flowing down. Overall, it was a pretty easy test, and the results came back normal. They advised me to take small bites, remember to drink while eating (I sometimes forget), and avoid lying down immediately after eating. So I was thrilled to hear that everything was ok! Yay!
After that, we checked into the hotel. I was drained; all these tests leave me exhausted afterward. My mom and I relaxed and had some food, but I started to feel very anxious about my balloon test the next day. To take my mind off it, we went to Target to grab some cards, ice cream, and snacks. Back at the hotel, we played double solitaire, which is how we learned to count. My grandma loved playing cards with us from a young age – games like Double Solitaire, Rummy, and Uno. This really helped me relax, and I also grabbed a coloring book and some colored pencils because I had forgotten mine at home. We played cards, enjoyed our snacks, and I colored.
I was very nervous about my balloon test, as it has always been an "exit-only" area, haha! We had breakfast the next morning, but my mom fell back asleep and didn't wake up until 10:15 AM. Since we had to check out by 11, she had to rush to get ready. My first appointment for the prep wasn't until noon, so we found a fantastic coffee place called Mako. It was amazing! I had an iced miel latte, which was so good – it had honey, espresso, milk, and cinnamon powder. My mom ordered an iced caramel macchiato, and it was just the pick-me-up I needed.
We arrived early and had to walk all the way to another building. I ended up sitting in the basement for the enema prep, which I was not excited about. However, I managed to get through it, and honestly, I hadn't been able to go to the bathroom that well in a while!
Since my test wasn't until 2:30, we returned to the main area. I noticed that the side of my pants and shirt were slightly wet. After some investigation, I figured that it might have been my bottle of sparkling water in the bottle pocket, but it turned out to be my entire bottle of apple juice that had leaked everywhere! My whole back was wet, and everything in my bag was soaked – my binder, my appointment notebook, my planner; my entire bag was a mess! I felt like freaking out at that moment, but luckily, my mom was there to help.
She calmly suggested, "We have two hours before your test, so let's just empty your bag and throw away anything wet that you don't need." That meant saying goodbye to the spilled bag of gum I had in there and throwing away the ruined Core bottle (note to self: don't reuse those). Then, my mom took my bag to the bathroom, where they had hand dryers. She spent about 20 minutes getting everything dry, including my binder, notebook, and planner.
All my belongings were dry, but I ended up tossing my notebook when we got home and took out the pages I had written on. I got a new binder and printed everything I needed. My planner didn't get too wet, so I kept that.
I also ordered a new bag from TikTok that I had wanted for a long time, and it turned out to be a great purchase; I absolutely love it!
All this happened right before my balloon test, and I was feeling extremely anxious at that point. But thanks to my mom's quick thinking, we managed to handle everything. Now, it's time for my next test!
Now it's time for my balloon test. I won't go into too much detail, but I got to keep everything on, pull down my pants, and face the nurses. They were very friendly and sweet, explaining everything they were doing and talking to me, which helped me feel at ease. It was an interesting test, and I will have to repeat it after some therapy for my muscles to see how they are getting stronger. This will also help me with my bowel movements.
Once we finished, my mom and I headed home and stopped for Chick-fil-A because we were both hungry. The ride home was quiet, and I fell asleep, waking up about the time we reached Albert Lea. The next day, I felt like I had done 100 hours of leg exercises, haha! Everything turned out ok. My muscles are very weak and need a lot of therapy, but it's something that can be fixed, and I can get stronger.
I appreciate you staying while I discussed some sensitive topics. My next blog will be about our visit to a specialist in traumatic brain injury, concussions, and brain issues. This is where I start to beat myself up.
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