Congrats, Charlie on your rapid recovery!  Thanks also for alerting our membership to the most fantastic health facility in the whole world--the Mayo Clinic.

For those of us living in this part of the country, the Mayo Clinic is well-known, and we wouldn't think of ever entrusting any other health care facility with our own lives or the lives of our precious loved ones.

In the lingo of the medical community, medical facilities that are the cream of the crop for a particular disease are known as Centers of Excellence for the treatment of that ailment.

Mayo Clinic is known as the Center of Excellence for many diseases.  It is one of the top four Centers of Excellence for Oncology in the whole world, if not the top one.

In my own case, their Oncology Dept. did a fabulous job of caring for my wife.  Their surgeons are second to none, anywhere in the world.  We were able to talk in person to the Head of the Oncology Dept. at length during our visit.  Fabulous, just simply fabulous treatment, getting personal help from one of the most famous oncologists in the world.

A little known fact--Doctors do not apply to work at the Mayo Clinic--they are invited to work there.

Another fact--Treatment and care at the Mayo Clinic actually costs less than at most other health care facilities.  In our own case, we were prepared to pay $25 K for an operation here in Illinois--it cost $14 K at Mayo's, including all preliminary diagnosis and post operative care.

You just can't imagine the rigorous testing and diagnosis process that you will undergo at Mayo.  Nor can you envision going into an examining room that has a full size couch for you to sit in  while you talk to the doctor, who by the way may spend an hour or more talking to you and examining you.  Imagine that--a doctor who will spend not 10 minutes with you, but rather an hour or more!

Thanks again, Charlie, for telling us about Mayo Clinic.  I am happy that they have helped you.

David Jones