Rethinking what's truly important: Meet @ckscoville

ROSEMARY: What brought you to Mayo Clinic Connect? 

@ckscoville: I came upon Mayo Clinic Connect by chance. I had been diagnosed with a disease, bronchiectasis, that I knew absolutely nothing about. I was searching the Internet for some information about the disease and happened upon Mayo Clinic Connect!

ROSEMARY: What motivates you to take part in the community?

@ckscoville: There is tremendous value in finding others who are experiencing some of the same struggles that you are. When I moved on from finding answers to my own questions, I realized that I might be able to offer help or suggestions to others. That gives me an even greater motivation to stay involved!

I should also mention the wonderful care I've received from Mayo Clinic doctors. Their care for me and of me has made a huge difference in my life and given me even more motivation to help others if I can on Mayo Clinic Connect. The Cystic Fibrosis team at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville has definitely changed my life for the better. They helped me through what could have been a depressing discovery: learning at the ripe old age of 73 that I have cystic fibrosis!

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

@ckscoville: When it comes to our health, there really aren’t any dumb questions. We’re all trying to make sense of our disease or treatment, or how to cope with a particular challenge. While some members may be grappling with a new diagnosis, others have been living with the same disease for many years. There is remarkable patience between members that’s obvious in the questions, answers, and comments on Mayo Clinic Connect.

ROSEMARY: What support groups do you participate in?

@ckscoville: Well, I started in the MAC & Bronchiectasis support group. Since then, I’ve joined a number of others: 

• Aging Well
• Headache & Migraine
• Heart & Blood Health
• Lung Health
• Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases

My own medical history includes a variety of ailments: a stroke, three heart stents, some debilitating headaches, frequent lung infections, and cystic fibrosis. One of my daughters calls me, somewhat humorously, a medical miracle. There’s some truth in that! 

Several years ago, my doctors at Mayo Clinic diagnosed me with cystic fibrosis, about which I also knew nothing. I’m a volunteer mentor in the newly formed support group devoted to those of us adults with cystic fibrosis.

• Cystic Fibrosis support group

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

@ckscoville: As I have already noted, I have multiple ailments, and the intersection of those diseases and treatments often presents new challenges. Several years ago, to assist with the breakup of junk in my lungs, my doctor at the Mayo Clinic prescribed a vibrating vest. That’s a pretty standard remedy for anyone with cystic fibrosis, since we accumulate a lot of mucus in our lungs without the ability to easily get rid of it.

Unfortunately, I also have a pacemaker. Whenever I used the vest, the vibrations made my pacemaker think I was sprinting and my heartrate went through the roof, often painfully. The technicians at the Mayo Clinic tried, without success, to find a setting that would allow me to use the vest without the unpleasant side effects. Finally I had to give up the vest. That’s when I did a search for alternatives to the vest on Mayo Clinic Connect (See discussion Alternatives to the vest). I was delighted to find a few people who had successfully used a Theragun to break up the mucus. A Theragun is a handheld percussive massage gun that uses rapid, powerful pulses (percussive therapy) to deeply massage muscles, but when used against my back it also proved effective — in my case — in breaking up the mucus in my lungs! It was a great discovery!

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

@ckscoville: I think what surprised me is also what keeps me engaged. Unlike social media platforms where ego seems to play such a large and often unpleasant role, Mayo Clinic Connect is really just a national or international community of people seeking and offering help to one another. While I originally joined to find answers to some of my personal questions, I have a lot of experience in dealing with those ailments to share with others.

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

@ckscoville: My faith is a huge part of my life, and more than anything else that keeps me energized. As for balance, my wife has always kept me sane and — when faced with a new health challenge — focused on what we need to do next, rather than engaging in depression or self-pity. I’m sure that, at different times and in different seasons, we’re each other’s rock. My three wonderful children and my brother have also been so helpful in keeping me balanced…and humble!

ROSEMARY: Tell us about your favorite pastime or activity.

@ckscoville: Before I retired almost 12 years ago, I often said that when I retired I would finally have the time to play Bridge, a game that I love. I have definitely enjoyed playing Bridge in the years since, and several years ago I even taught the game to some others in the community where we live. Even more than the game itself I have enjoyed the friends that I’ve made around the Bridge table. In addition to Bridge, I am a constant reader, fiction and nonfiction, and I’m just beginning a study of our family history. My wife and I also have a large jigsaw puzzle to work on at all times!

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

@ckscoville: Twenty-three years ago, I had a stroke. When I was lying there in the hospital, still not sure if I would survive or not, I realized that I didn’t spend a single moment worrying about all the things that would demand my attention in a typical work day. Instead I thought about my children, about my loving wife, and about my faith. As I recovered, I wrote down the phrase “Death-Bed Priorities” and resolved to live, as much as I could, prioritizing the truly important people and things in my life. I’m sure I fail to do that over and over, but I’m still trying!

ROSEMARY: What food can you simply not resist?

@ckscoville: That’s easy: ginger snaps!

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

@ckscoville: When we retired, my wife and I moved into an over-55 community in Florida. It was a wonderful choice. Everyone here is from somewhere else, so there are no outsiders versus insiders… we’re all outsiders. It’s also been fascinating to discover, with just a few exceptions, that nobody knows what anyone else did before they retired. When I was still working and would go to a social function, I would often ask, or be asked: “What do you do for a living?” That almost never happens here, and that’s a welcome change.

As for vacations, my wife and I don’t travel that much any more; we tend to explore places within a 2-3 hour drive from our home. Some years ago, however, we splurged on a vacation trip to Nantucket Island, and we both loved that trip! We’d like to make that trip again at some point.

ROSEMARY: Puppies or kittens? 

@ckscoville: I’ve had both, but my wife and I are definitely dog-people! We currently have a 12-year-old rescued and lovable “mutt” called Lilah that we adore.

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