Friday, November 4, 2011

The Clinic

This past Monday brought my first visit to the ALS Clinic at Johns Hopkins. Amanda and I set off in the darkness for Baltimore -- many thanks to David and Phyllis for getting the girls off to school -- with a four hour journey ahead of us. Thankfully the roads were  fairly quiet, and the journey in to Baltimore was easy.

I'm not sure how I feel about becoming familiar with a hospital and its surroundings, but I'm becoming more familiar with the Johns Hopkins Out-Patient Unit.

I had barely checked in when I was called back for my appointment. Amanda and I waited a short time before meeting with a rep from MDA, an Occupational therapist, a Physical Therapist, and the clinic director.

Although there were plenty of laughs, the visit wasn't without some sobering moments: life expectancy statistics and forms transferring legal power in the event of a medical catastrophe, to name two.

On the plus side, I'm now the proud owner of a disabled parking sticker, and the staff in the clinic were all extremely responsive and helpful.

My next appointment is in March. Until then, I'll just hope to hear of a clinical trial that needs my help.

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