This is what it's all about!

I hit the road yesterday morning about 6 am and made good time ! I took Interstate until Missouri where I took exit 16 and turned left towards Anna, then right [North] on Hwy 51 for some back road travel. That was a nice diversion including the HUGE piece of farm equipment I rode behind for a few miles! 51 took me to I-64 and I was soon in St. Louis and found my hotel. Ah...sweet stillness while my body continued to vibrate from the ride.

Yesterdays travels took me over 450 miles. Today will be a longer track. I'm not taking the Interstate but state highways with views. That probably ads about 100 miles to my route - but I really hate riding on the Interstate if I have a pretty road to travel instead. We shall see!

This morning I have the honor and pleasure of meeting the team of professionals at Cardinal Glennon Cleft-Craniofacial Center who work with patients with craniofacial anomalies.  You may wonder why a team? Why not just one doctor?

A Typical Team has the following professionals:

• Plastic Surgery
• Speech Therapy
• Ears Nose and Throat
• Audiology
• Occupational Therapy
• Feeding professionals
• Dental / Orthodontists Services
• Genetics
• Psychology

If you think about the head - you realize there's a lot going on above the neck. You have speech, hearing, breathing, vision, throat, facial structure, etc...And so when a person has a craniofacial disorder, they often need a combination of doctors that specialize in each of these areas and work together for the best possible outcome for the patient. The professionals that treat them have experience with craniofacial disorders and so they have a much higher success rate than a professional that has not worked with craniofacial disorders. They've seen it before and know what works and what doesn't; hence, their success rate reflects this.

And a Team is everything it implies. The Craniofacial Team works together and knows what is going on in all aspects of their patient. We all know Team Work is important!

So today, I get to meet some of these crazy busy professionals! They only meet once a week about four times a month, so their clinics are extremely full with kids and their parents patiently waiting their turns. I will basically be there to shake their hands, give them a FACES brochure and briefly explain how FACES helps with medical travel, education and resources, get a photo taken, and then I'll be out of their and heading towards Upland and the FACES Rally!

It's a great day!