People keep saying...Mayo Clinic

[creatingkarma]

I don't know how many people have told me that I need to go to the Mayo Clinic. I don't know why. What's so special about the Mayo Clinic? Has anyone been there for their IC? Should I go there? What could they know or do any different than my current uro? Could someone fill me in on why people keep telling me this?

[blue]

I don't really know about they Mayo clinic. I thought it was something like Betty Ford. I guess a internet search would be a good place to start.

[ICNDonna]

I grew up in the midwest, southwestern Nebraska, to be specific. I lived in a very tiny town (about 1500 population) where there was little available in the way of medical care. When anyone became extremely ill or was injured, it was common practice to go to Denver, Omaha, or Rochester (Mayo Clinic).

The Mayo Clinic has some excellent medical facilities, as do the hospitals in Denver and Omaha. My father was treated for cancer at Mayo and my parents thought the Clinic was outstanding.

If you live very near, it might be a good idea --- but there is also outstanding care available in other places. If you're happy with the care you're receiving and the doctors providing it, then I don't see much reason for traveling a long distance to get there.

My urologist did his residency at Mayo and diagnosed my IC within six months of my first visit to him.

Sending gentle hugs,
Donna

[rjyoon]

It's my understanding that the big advantage of going to Mayo clinic is that they look at ALL of what's going on, instead of each doctor looking at a certain part (e.g., the urologist, the pain management doctor, the rheumatologist). Because the problems are being looked at across the board, they can come up with better solutions at times.

[darlene]

Back in 1969, the Mayo Clinic said my IC symptoms were all in my head. They were not ahead of their time, in the knowledge about IC. I avoided talking about my symptoms for decades because of their misdiagnosis, and didn't get correctly diagnosed until 2001. Ask youself this question. Does Mayo have any new treatments for IC, that are not offered by your local uro. If they do, a trip there might be worth it. If they don't, it might not be worth your time and money.

[Katrina]

I have gone to the May Clinic many times for many things. They saved my life a few times and lived there for 66 days once but when I went there for IC I got no help at all. She wanted to retest me and since saw nothing during an office cystoscopy could not verify I had IC and caused me more problems and did me no good what so ever. Now I have never had a hydro cystoscopy so she didn't have one to go by but I have had a Potasium test and she had those test results and all the others. I would recommend Mayo for a lot of things but for IC it turned out to be a big waist of money. I went to Mayo because I couldn't believe my doctor was doing all that could be done. I was severe constant pain. (well pain was going down by the time I went to Mayo) Mayo is suposed to be the best hospital in the world...people from all over the world go there...not everyone can even get in. I knew I could since I had been there before. I hope that some people with IC they really do help...but they didn't help my IC. She basically put some dammage in my efforts to get disability too.

I would like to add
--there good points are that all the doctors talk to each other.
--they listen to patients and treated me very well


They do a lot of research. Possibly if I had the time and money to have a hydro cysto there she could have helped me....because they have helped my epilepsy, they did my colon surgery, a stomach surgery, and created my Pouch which at the time I had that done it was a bit ahead of the times for kid to have that surgery and is still concidered complex.

BE FORE WARNED If you plan on trying to go that they like to do their own testing. (I guess to ge sure your diagnosis is right)

If you want to know more about my experiences with them let me know. I have been there plenty.

What rijoon set is right on the ball.....if you talked about symptoms they may send you to other doctors there and than all of them will talk with each other.

When I lived there for 66 days a group of doctors with specialities different talked each morning on my case.