My journey with diabetes & CKD: Meet @cehunt57

Jun 13, 2022 | Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Comments (6)

Member Spotlights feature interviews with fellow Connect members. Learn more about members you’ve connected with and some you haven’t met yet. Nominate a member you think should share the spotlight.

ROSEMARY: What brought you to Mayo Clinic Connect? What motivates you to take part in the community?

@cehunt57: I live with diabetes plus various complications, and am a pancreas transplant recipient. I also have chronic kidney disease (CKD stage 4). About six years ago my pancreas and kidney function started to decline. While I was looking into transplant centers to evaluate me for simultaneous pancreas kidney transplant (SPK), I discovered Mayo Clinic Connect. I found a wide range of groups and discussions where members could share their medical experiences (information, tests, and treatments, etc.) to encourage others.

ROSEMARY: What about Mayo Clinic Connect makes you feel comfortable to share and to be open with the community?

@cehunt57: Members are generally not medical providers who are responsible for diagnosing and prescribing. We are just ordinary lay people who share our own stories to offer support to others who may be in similar situations.

ROSEMARY: What groups do you participate in?

@cehunt57: Diabetes & Endocrine System, Kidney & Bladder, and Transplants are the main groups that I follow. I also have an interest in Neuropathy and Eye Conditions groups. In the past few years (2020 to present) I also follow the information shared in Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 group.

ROSEMARY: Tell us about a meaningful moment on Mayo Clinic Connect.

@cehunt57: It has been especially rewarding when something I have posted resonates with another member and we have been able to share in more detail through the private message. I also have high regard for the moderators and volunteer mentors of Mayo Clinic Connect. They are so helpful and responsive. I’m afraid to specifically mention any by name for fear of leaving someone out.

ROSEMARY: What surprised you the most about Mayo Clinic Connect?

@cehunt57: I was surprised by the broad scope of the membership. It is not limited to patients of the Mayo Clinic system or even just people from America. There are members from all over the world.

ROSEMARY: What energizes you, or how do you find balance in your life?

@cehunt57: I am Christian. I would be remiss if I left that out. I believe God created me and I have put my life into His hands for His care and keeping. I refer to my pancreas transplant as my “personal miracle”. I find that I must remind myself that my current situation and future aspects of this health journey are in His control, not mine. I am blessed.

ROSEMARY: Tell us about your favorite pastime or activity.

@cehunt57: I love to read. Reading is entertaining and educational. Acquiring new information is powerful.

ROSEMARY: Do you have a favorite quote, life motto or personal mantra?

@cehunt57: I rely on a Proverb from the Bible. It is Proverbs 3:5-6 — “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”

ROSEMARY: What do you appreciate the most in your friends?

@cehunt57: Honesty. This is a quality that is very important to me. It is becoming a rare virtue. I don’t have a lot of friends but those I have can be trusted to be honest and true.

ROSEMARY: What do you love about where you live or vacation?

@cehunt57: I live in Minnesota and there are four seasons. I like variety. I just wish spring, summer and autumn were longer. I’m not a huge fan of winter.

See more Member Spotlights.

Interested in more newsfeed posts like this? Go to the About Connect: Who, What & Why blog.

@cehunt57, Thank you for participating in a Spotlight Interview. I commend you for your long-term commitment to your own health and for the support and information that you have offered to other members. You wrote, "We are just ordinary lay people who share our own stories to offer support to others who may be in similar situations." However, I believe that you have risen above the category of a "ordinary".

I have enjoyed getting to know more about you as we faced together the challenges presented by technology and personal schedules. I look forward to future posts.

REPLY
@rosemarya

@cehunt57, Thank you for participating in a Spotlight Interview. I commend you for your long-term commitment to your own health and for the support and information that you have offered to other members. You wrote, "We are just ordinary lay people who share our own stories to offer support to others who may be in similar situations." However, I believe that you have risen above the category of a "ordinary".

I have enjoyed getting to know more about you as we faced together the challenges presented by technology and personal schedules. I look forward to future posts.

Jump to this post

@rosemarya
Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comments. As my Spotlight Interview was being published I was in an ER department at a local hospital after being very sick for most of the weekend. I was diagnosed with diverticulitis. This is something new for me and my health journey continues with this “new thing”.
Cheryl

REPLY

I loved reading your spotlight @cehunt57 ! Such a positive attitude! I’m with the autoimmune disease group so our paths have never crossed, but you sound like someone i would like to know.
Sure hope you get better soon with this “new thing.”

REPLY
@cehunt57

@rosemarya
Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comments. As my Spotlight Interview was being published I was in an ER department at a local hospital after being very sick for most of the weekend. I was diagnosed with diverticulitis. This is something new for me and my health journey continues with this “new thing”.
Cheryl

Jump to this post

Hello @cehunt57,

I so enjoyed reading your Spotlight, it is good to get to know you. I'm happy that you've found Connect so helpful in your health journey. All of us on Connect learn so much from each other and gain a new perspective on living life with chronic health issues. You have expressed this quality of Connect so well!

You mentioned having a new diagnosis of diverticulitis. This is a health issue shared by many of us on Connect. If you would like to learn more about how we all deal with this problem, here is a link to an active discussion on the topic, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/diverticulitis-1/

@rosemarya Thanks for introducing us to @cehunt57. It was a great interview!

REPLY
@becsbuddy

I loved reading your spotlight @cehunt57 ! Such a positive attitude! I’m with the autoimmune disease group so our paths have never crossed, but you sound like someone i would like to know.
Sure hope you get better soon with this “new thing.”

Jump to this post

@becsbuddy
Thank you for your comments regarding the Spotlight Interview. I have seen your posts and always thought highly of them. It might be that I’ve followed things in the autoimmune disease group as diabetes (type 1) is an autoimmune disease.
Thank you for the encouragement for my “new thing” (diverticulitis). I am busy trying to process the diagnosis, tests, treatment etc. Hoping to start feeling better. My faith tells me “this will alright” but it is a trial.

REPLY
@hopeful33250

Hello @cehunt57,

I so enjoyed reading your Spotlight, it is good to get to know you. I'm happy that you've found Connect so helpful in your health journey. All of us on Connect learn so much from each other and gain a new perspective on living life with chronic health issues. You have expressed this quality of Connect so well!

You mentioned having a new diagnosis of diverticulitis. This is a health issue shared by many of us on Connect. If you would like to learn more about how we all deal with this problem, here is a link to an active discussion on the topic, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/diverticulitis-1/

@rosemarya Thanks for introducing us to @cehunt57. It was a great interview!

Jump to this post

@hopeful33250
Hi Teresa, thank you for the link about diverticulitis. I will for sure be looking into that.
You, Rosemary and Becky were some of the volunteer mentors I was thinking of when I did the Spotlight Interview. You are all helpful and encouraging.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.