Getting messages on the Mayo Clinic patient portal

Hi @bnlc
That’s odd. Usually when you click on Send a Message in portal, it will take you to a menu about “What would you like to do” and gives you an option of Ask a Medical Question. If you click that option it takes you to: What type of medical question, such as non-urgent, followup, test result, care plan, etc.

When you click on one of those options it will take you to your team. That might be the key however, have you actually been seen by a doctor or NP at Mayo? If you haven’t, there is no one to write to yet.
Are you a new patient to Mayo?

Hi Lori...yes we are a new patient and are not going to be seen by all the doctors (oncology, radiation and surgery) for another week. We need to get some help as my husband has not been able to sleep or get comfortable. Our primary care giver outside of Mayo has retired and it will take a month to get in 🙁 Just looking to find out where he can go get some relief till next week

Oh dear, I’m so sorry to hear about your dilemma. That’s awful your husband’s in distress without any doctor on board right now. Unfortunately, if your husband hasn’t been seen at Mayo yet, I’m not sure the doctors there can give medications without ever having met with your husband. That’s standard practice everywhere.

Is there no replacement for your husband’s previous doctor? Was this his oncologist?? Isn’t there any continuity of care if this is in his same clinic where he’ll be seeing a new doctor?
They should be able to extend any medications that he was taking prior to the retirement of his other doctor.

Another thought, doctors usually have built in emergency hours. Have you tried calling the new doctor’s nurse and telling them of the urgency? Or, there’s always the ER as an option. He’ll at least be seen and possibly get enough medication to get through the week until you’re at Mayo. Has he been on previous meds for his pain?

It sounds like he’s in for quite a journey and I know this is a very stressful time for you and your husband. From experience, I know you’ll both be in the best of care at Mayo. It is truly a place of hope. I wouldn’t be here today without my amazing team in Rochester. So I wish your husband well with everything. If you don’t mind sharing, what is your husband’s cancer?

Are you all set with your lodging and do you need any help navigating with your stay at Mayo? Which campus will you be visiting?

Thank you Lori, My husband was diagnosed with Rectal Cancer and we will be going to the Phoenix Campus. They have been great and super responsive in scheduling everything. The gastro dr doesn't want to help, his primary dr is months out and understand now from you that Mayo can't either.
Question when you say - Have you tried calling the new doctor’s nurse and telling them of the urgency? - did you mean the Dr at Mayo? We did ask, but she has not yet responded, that was why I wanted to ask the question in the portal.
Thank you for your quick responses and help! This will be so helpful as we go on our journey!

I was hoping whomever diagnosed your husband would be able to give him some pain meds. Wasn’t he getting any local care? Or did he go right from diagnosis to referral to Mayo with no meds for the pain? Or, was he not taking any meds for discomfort but now needs them?
I’m not sure about a primary care physician helping in this case. Usually when a case is switched to oncology, the primary care provider is secondary. I can’t understand the gastro dr not wanting to help. It’s a pain med, it’s not hard to type in an order to a pharmacy for a week’s worth of meds. Oy…

I know palliative care is always available to cancer patients. But that takes time to set up as well so at this late date his pain management would be by his team at Mayo. He’ll get everything he can possibly need there. But it’s a long week in the mean time!

I don’t know what meds your husband is currently taking if this would interfere, but I had a situation for a few days where I was unable to take pain meds due to kidney and liver damage. I was able, however to take some CBD gummies. That took the edge off the pain…from a level 15 down to about an 8…on that grimace scale in doctors’ offices (of 1-10) Just a thought…

If you placed a call to your husband’s new doctor at Mayo, you may still hear back from his nurse practitioner or coordinator. They often return calls near the end of the day. But generally if patients haven’t been seen yet it’s really hard these days to get drugs for pain. It’s not just Mayo, it’s every medical practice in the US.
However if he has a doctor at the Phoenix Campus, by name, and he has scheduled appointments…maybe, just maybe??
It wouldn’t hurt to call again to speak with a nurse coordinator with the doctor he’ll be seeing.

Keep me posted. Maybe someone else will pop in with some ideas. I hope your husband finds some relief!