Is there a live chat room on here, or elsewhere, for Mayo patients?

Currently there is not a chat function on Mayo Clinic Connect.
What advantages of a chat room over a message board format do you prefer?

Thanks for responding. If there were a lot of patients on connect.MayoClinic, then being able to talk live with other patients would help
patients not feel so alone, whether they were still in the hospital, or at home. However, it takes a very large membership for there to be at least two
patients online at all times available to talk to each other. I don't know if connect.MayoClinic enables us to talk to other patients at other hospitals, or just
Mayo patients in Rochester, Jacksonville, and Scottsdale. It might be that the only way to keep a live chat room going 24/7 would be to enable all hospitals world-wide to join Mayo Clinic Connect. That would have advantages and disadvantages.

It looks like Mayo has Volunteer Mentors. I don't know how many of them there are, but if there was a live chat room, maybe the Volunteer Mentors could sign up on a schedule so that there would always be at least one online to chat with, 24 hours-a-day. Just an idea. I'm currently in remission with CLL, and at home. I feel that only a small percentage of Mayo patients even know that Mayo Clinic Connect exists. I just happened to stumble upon it, probably because
I spend hours-a-day on the internet. I'm a true 🙂 internet addict.

Hi @sofaramnotdead, I'm glad you found Mayo Clinic Connect. Connect is for Mayo patients and non-Mayo patients, so you can benefit from the knowledge from patients from around the world. You can read more about Connect here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/about-connect/tab/aboutconnect/

Connect is what is called an asynchronous discussion forum, meaning that you don't have to be online at the same time to talk with others. This also means you might have to wait before you receive a response. Usually there are several hundred people on Connect at any given time. We are constantly updating the site and one feature that is currently being discussed is to show who is online. Sound like you'd like that feature.

Seeking answers. About month ago my husband quickly developed severe & constant pain under rib cage, right side & radiating around to back. Two P As, 3 doctors said gallstones until a radiologist and a nuclear gastric scan say it is not. What could it be?

Hi @cectono, welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, an online community where patients and caregivers can connect and share experiences. You may wish to ask your question to the members of the Digestive Health group here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/digestive-gastrointestinal-problems/

Here are some discussions that may be relevant to explore:
- ACNES, Abdominal Cutaneous Nerve Entrapment Syndrome https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/acnes-abdominal-cutaneous-nerve-entrapment-syndrome/
- Has anyone been diagnosed with Abdominal Wall Pain https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/has-anyone-been-diagnosed-with-abdominal-wall-pain/
- Gastro Issues...cramping, upper back discomfort, Pancreatitis, CKD 2? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/gastro-issues-cramping-upper-back-discomfort-pancreatitis-etc/
- Rib pain under right breast and back after eating https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/rib-pain-under-right-breast-and-back-after-eating/