Day #1: Monday

Schedule

GOOD MORNING ROCHESTER!  Today is the day that I have been waiting for for quite some time!  Let's do this!  After my morning pep talk from Heath, Dad and I were on our way to the world renown Clinic.

Heath:  Good Morning Beautiful!  How are you feeling today?

Me:  Good, just a bit nervous though....I know I shouldn't be, but I am a little.

Heath:  Just pretend it is a spa day.....just for different stuff.

Me:  A spa day??  Ok, right and since I'm not modest, just have fun with it?  Is that appropriate?

Heath:  Yes, just look them in the eyes and make it fun, that's the only thing to do.

Me:  Ok Honey!  Thank you!  Love you!  (my thoughts:  SPA DAY??!!  Really....spa day....with pelvic floor therapy, ok, Honey, you are always right and you have proved to me over and over that you really do know me better than myself.  Spa day here I come!)

And we were off!  Off to see the specialist in a program that has been around for over 30 years, off to begin my journey to healing, off to meet the nurse that I will be working with the whole two weeks.  Positive and thankful for this opportunity!

  

Mayo Clinic is that big silver building in the
back.  I am standing in what they call
Peace Plaza.

Dad in the waiting area with me!

It was a gorgeous morning for a walk with my Daddy who waited with my until they called my name to go back.  Thank you so much for easing the first morning!  I love you Papa!

The first session was an introduction to my nurse, Ms. Rose and to the Evacuation Disorder Program.  (Now that's quite an intense name for pelvic floor physical therapy....LOL!)  Rose is super nice and the program sounds to be very positive and have great results.  Sigh....God, we've got this!  Thank you for blessing me with this time and the resources and accommodations to be here.  I am grateful for all the people back home that are picking up the extra work on my behalf.  I am grateful!

My therapist/nurse asked me if I like pizza.  I told her that I did, but that I couldn't eat it because it made me sick.  She challenged me to eat it at her favorite place that was within walking distance to the Clinic.  Connected to her favorite pizza place is the local grocery store my host recommended!  So, over my break between appointments, I checked out the People's Food Coop and the local YMCA.  The Y reciprocates with our Scottsbluff Y so I can get in for free, so I took a self-guided tour.  It was ok and a free place to swim if need be - I decided to wait until next week to swim in the outdoor pools.  They don't open until Monday which is not as early as our outdoor pools in NE because the kids (lifeguards) are still in school (lots of snow/wind days they have to make up for).  All so interesting.  Anyway, swimming can wait until next week.  :)

People's Coop - Forbidden rice (dark black rice), sweet potatoes, apples, local lettuce, goat cheese, mozzy cheese, onions, avocados, sprouted bread, and tomatoes.  Oh, did I mention that I didn't realize that I'd be a pack mule this week.  Turns out this is a great way to shop because you can only get what you can carry which is the way I think they do it in foreign countries.  That way you only get what is fresh, eat it that way, and then go back for more.  It's a novel idea and something that I really like the idea of!  We will be able to do that this summer with our garden, Lord willing!  Eat fresh ALL summer long!  YAYAYYAY!!!!!  That's about as "local" as you can get!

Groceries loaded and a full heart, I headed on the journey back to my Air B&B.  My nurse told me that I should do my workout at 1:30 pm so we could see my baseline levels after a workout to see what that does to my numbers.  Good idea.  So, I had originally planned on a bike ride because I stopped to get a map of all their trails.  Can I just say WOW!  They have converted over 100 miles of railroad beds into paved biking/running/walking trails all over the city and beyond!  They call it the Nice Ride and you can rent bicycles to get out and get active in nature.  So cool and a healthy way to explore their city.

I ended up eating a yummy loaded salad with all of my new fresh supplies with the chicken I had from home.  I sort of ran out of time to go on a nice ride and explore, so Heath encouraged me to do my core workout so that I wouldn't be late for my next appointment.  I did as much core as I could before I ran out of time and headed back on the walk to the Clinic (about 1 mile each way).  Our afternoon session was the first session with the biofeedback meter and it was waaaaay better than I imagined and so relaxed.  Life is good!  God's Got This!

Eating at a sit-down restaurant alone is
LIBERATING!

After the session, I was headed back to the Air B&B and well my salad from lunch didn't last me that long and my hunger/foodie experience got the best of me.  I decided that I was going to try the pizza that Rose recommended.  While I was looking it up, I found out that it was closed on Monday's.  Ok, better try it another day.  Remember that place Dad and I ate last night, well, they had wood-fired homemade/local sourced ingredient pizza and well, my nurse insisted that I get pizza today.  Day #1 - I don't want to break any rules already!!

Before....

After!

Beautiful outdoor seating on a gorgeous day!  Praises!

Guess what was blooming right outside my entrance but white lilacs...we have purple at home, but talk about a breath of fresh air and memory from home.  I might have taken one of the blooms inside to enjoy.  Placed in my room and enjoyed!

Lovely, just absolutely lovely!