Cleveland Rocks #2

Hello!

Onward and up, more pictures and info on our trip to the Cleveland Clinic! The day after our marathon drive to Ohio, Bill piled Frax and I into the car and off we went for my 10am appointment. We were only five miles away from the main campus, so we didn't expect any delays.

About a block away from the main entrance, there was an amazing car blockage...cars upon cars lined up to drive into the circle of the clinic! It looked like we would be lucky to make it to the front entrance by five o' clock, not ten! Suddenly to our left, a contingent of about fifteen to twenty people dressed as valet attendants darted across the street and pelted into the crush of cars backed up in the circle in the front of the hospital!

Suddenly, the line of cars moved forward, slowly at first, then with alacrity. There were several 'conductors' waving cars into a smooth double line in the front circle of the hospital. Valet attendants darted into each car as it pulled up, and the occupants were rapidly disgorged. The double line of cars in the front circle was moving in a steady line towards parking garages next door to the hospital.

We moved into the que, Bill, Frax and I got out of the car, several attendants came and helped get the wheelchair out and assembled in seconds, I was plopped unceremoniously into 'pinkie' the wheelchair and off we charged through the front door!

It was amazingly quick. We found ourselves in the front lobby of the hospital, where again there were a plethora of attendants waiting to help us find our way to our part of the hospital for our appointment.

It took very little time to get to where we needed to go, but along the way wouldn't you know it~ Frax saw another service dog! It was a gorgeous fluffy golden retriever, wearing a vest placing it as a therapy dog! Both pups gave each other a knowing wink and pup smile, and the handler smiled broadly at us as we motored by. The people on either side of both teams beamed with pleasure as they watched my big raw-boned pup working and the fluffy youngster on the other side of the aisle working as well!

We proceeded onto an elevator, and when it opened, poof! We arrived at the office door! Not difficult at all! We didn't wait long in the office, till we went inside for our consultation. It was the consultation to trounce all earlier or future ones. The doctor spent over an hour and a half going through every organ system I could think of, trying to get to the root of my tummy troubles. Afterward, he had some dietary and vitamin suggestions, then we spoke to the dietician for another hour! We were exhausted mentally after such a grilling, but Frax, who had slept through the entire encounter was fresh as a daisy and rarin' to go! Lol. As usual, the staff loved watching him and interacting with him!

Bill and I went and ate a very healthy lunch, then went to retrieve our car. I dismayed of us ever finding the car again, but within a short time the valets brought the car back up to us as we waited in the circle. We found out while we waited that on an average day the valets park 2000 cars!!!! That's flat-out amazing!

We didn't doubt the numbers~ there were people from everywhere in the world, looking for help with various and sundry diseases. There is a hotel on the main campus, where there is nothing but suites catering to rich folks that come to the clinic for a 'tune up' and they stay in style! It's all just a bit of amazing. As far as our trip, we felt blessed that I was able to go to see if my tum could be all the way healed. I have been given a diet plan (Paleo Diet) to cut most allergens, and 'reset' my digestive system so it can heal. I have what's called a 'leaky gut' and likely have had it a long time, since I don't process a lot of vitamins well (vitamin B-12 for example~ I take it via shot). This affectsmy MS as well, because the B vitamins are responsible for proper neuron functioning! If the tummy is sick, it affects the entire body.

We returned to the hotel, totally worn out. We took a siesta then went out and visited the nearby Cleveland Museum. We saw everything from early Christian lecterns to Egyptian mummys!

After our trip to the museum, we all were tired, and ordered pizza from the hotel bar and restaurant! Bill went to the bar to retrieve the pizza's and was amazed to see two hands appear behind and slightly below the bar floor, carrying our pizzas and lifting it up to the barista!

The hotel is an older hotel, on the historic register, and the working kitchen is downstairs. Very interesting. Anyway, the orders are handed up to the bar as the kitchen cooked. They cater many big conferences and weddings in one of their large banquet rooms, so I suppose they have a system worked out for getting the food where it needs to be. The name of the hotel is the Tudor Arms. It was built in the early 1930's and was a great favorite of Al Capone! It was a special venue for clubbing and listening to the developing blues music throughout the country. The place fell into hard times in the 50's and early 60's till the job corps came in and developed it as a campus till a hotel chain came in and bought it under a federal redevelopment plan in the late 80's and 90's. Now it is a slightly over 200 room hotel with three or four HUGE ballrooms that have been restored to their former glory. They really are exceptional, and these photos don't nearly do them justice. The hotel is a popular venue for bridal receptions and even the entire wedding.

The people of Cleveland~ whether at the Cleveland Clinic, the museum, out and about or at the hotel were without exception pleasant and welcoming. We didn't know what to expect, but there is a plethora of good things to do while in Cleveland, and we just scratched the surface the couple of days that we spent while I went to my doctor's appointment. It is a wonderful place to visit, and I will tell you of our continuing adventures on our last day as we got up and drove back to Knoxville!

Later...

LV, JT &FX