Hello Paul @pbrowni25, You will notice that we removed your email address to protect your privacy since Connect is a public forum and anyone with an Internet connect can view the posts. Members can share contact and other information using the private message function of Connect. The Help Center has the step by step instructions for sending a private message and using other Connect features here - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/help-center/.

Thanks for being supportive. And, you are right--someone who is not afflicted may not be as understanding. Some friends and family members insisted that my health issues were due to stress, especially since so many scanning and blood tests had come back negative. Now with my diagnosis I am less stressed.

I confess to being a bit impatient with wanting my body to be what it was, say, when I was 70 and felt blessed with good health. I am still blessed because I have a wonderful dog and can live independently.