Kate2011

I can relate to having the insurance issues. Mine does pay but they're difficult because Mayo is out of network for me. I wish I could tell you more about specific rates but I'm not really sure. I've spent hours on the phone with tricare but the actual prices never came up. As for how much time I spend there, that depends on the visit. I usually visit for about a week at a time (I stay at a hotel on the campus). When I just have follow ups it can be a couple day visit with one or two 30 minute appointments a day, but when I have a lot of tests it takes hours at a time and lots of little check up appointments throughout. On busy days, I will start at 6 am and end around 2-ish. It really depends on what you're having done though. I have a lot of gastro issues so I've had some interesting tests. One took all day coming back every hour or so for more video (I had to eat a radioactive egg and then they videoed it going through my digestive system. My colonoscopy was another long affair because I needed to spend the day before emptying my system so I had to be in a hotel near a bathroom and not in the car driving. I hoped this helped somewhat. Oh, another issue you may run into is finding someone to stay with you after anesthesia. Try to plan ahead if possible because they can't release you without someone there. They are very good about working with you no matter what your circumstance, so after the initial throng it should slow down a bit. I think I've seen my cardiologist twice, the neurologist three times, urologist three or four times, and my gastroenterologist three times. By the way, if you have gastro issues ask to see Dr. Sami R. Achem!!!! He is absolutely incredible. He's like the grandfather I never had, so sweet and so great at making you feel better while fully explaining whats going on with your system.

Hi guys. I'm new to the forum and so forgive me but I may be starting a few different topics. :-/ My question is does anyone else have extreme and multiple drug allergies? My doctors said that this could be related to the Dysautonomia but they weren't sure. I'm just curious to see if anyone else is in the same boat. I have allergies to Azithromycin, Levaquin, Trileptal, Minocycline, Amoxicillin, Hydrocodone, Bactrim, Methocarbamol, Meloxicam, and Nitrofurantoin. Basically, I haven't yet found an antibiotic I can take successfully (they tell me the next time I get sick I'll have to try some antibiotics that are only available through IV); I also have a few other more random drug allergies in that list as well. My reactions vary but have gotten more serious as I've gotten older. I've had rashes, swollen hands, hives, breathing problems, and last but not least gone into anaphylactic shock. Can anyone relate? Does anybody know if this is a Dysautonomia thing? ~Kate~

I'm at Mayo clinic right now too. They are wonderful! I'm at the clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Well, I saw several cardiologists who didn't know what was wrong, then I saw an ear, nose and throat doctor (for the dizziness) and he said he thought I had Dysautonomia and sent me to a cardiologist at Shands Jacksonville. Well, the cardiologist at Shands ended up sending me for testing at Mayo Clinic because they have the closest autonomic nervous system testing center to me. Once I was referred to Mayo I was sent to a cardiologist who ordered the testing and officially diagnosed me. So to answer your question I'd start with a cardiologist. I saw Dr. Lakshminarayanan K Venkatachalam. Long name but he is an amazing doctor. He goes by Dr. Venkat. Venkat referred me to a neurologist, who then referred me to a urologist and a gastroenterologist, so now I have quite a few doctors at Mayo.