Mayo Trip Two

On July 7th, Stanley, Vanita, Lance and I headed north again to Rochester, Minnesota. The time arrived for Vanita's second operation, in which the doctor would construct the j-pouch to act in place of her colon. She was feeling better already following the first surgery which removed the colon and got rid of the ulcerative colitis. The doctors told her this second surgery was the most difficult of the three she would have. However, we were better prepared for this one, and felt more relaxed about the process. We were familiar with the hospital and the town. We stayed at the same hotel and ate at our favorite restaurants. We went a day early so Vanita could enjoy some of the trip. Monday we headed to the Mall of America. I might be the only person who went there and did not spend a dime. I even shared Vanita's lunch, because she is not able to eat very much. The roller coaster in the middle of the mall was impressive, as well as the huge Lego creations. Stan and Lance played a round of miniature golf while Vanita and I shopped. Stan's favorite part of the mall was watching the airplanes land from the parking lot.

Photo by Vanita Weber

Lance bought a pair of cool new shoes. We ate at Victoria's that night. It has the most delicious Italian food. The next day, Vanita had several medical tests. Lance and I went to Barnes and Noble nearby and I bought him the Duck Dynasty book. Although he does not like to read, he finished it in two days!

Notice the shoes Lance bought at the Mall of America. This is the view from the Mayo Clinic.

On the 10th, Vanita had her surgery. It went well, and she actually did not have a much pain as she did after the first surgery. The next day, Stan's parents, Warren and Janie, came up for moral support. While they visited, I was able to explore the town more.
Every week during the summer, they have "Thursdays on First and Third". A section of those streets are closed and filled with food, live bands, and vendors. I bought a delicious Philly cheese-steak sandwich from the owners of Pannekoeken, which is actually a little Dutch restaurant. The weather was beautiful and to walk around seeing a plethora of people from all different cultures was interesting. The experience helped me feel a little bit like what it might feel like to live in a city.

Unfortunately, Vanita was nauseated from the pain meds and did not feel like eating much. The next day Warren and Janie went home, and Lance happily went with them. Sitting in a hospital room is not much fun for anyone, especially an active 17-year-old. The following day, Vanita was released from the hospital, and we came back home to Missouri. The medical staff assured us the next surgery would be a "piece of cake" compared to the first two.