Communication is easy with patients like me: Meet @rfherald

Mar 28, 2023 | Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Comments (23)

Meet @rfherald

ROSEMARY: What brought you to Mayo Clinic Connect?

@rfherald: I was discussing a difficulty I was having with BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) with a close friend and former employee of the Mayo Clinic. She put me on to Mayo Clinic Connect. It took a little while to get used to it because I had never seen or heard of a social network tool like it. I’m glad she pointed me to it. It is a great source of information on many subjects. I can choose to get information on what ails me or get first-hand information on a topic that I find interest in.

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

@rfherald: Whenever I talk to a doctor, I am always careful with my word choice to ensure I don’t mislead them. The people on Mayo Clinic Connect are patients just like me and that makes it easy to communicate. Members can find experienced patients. Some members have had a problem that I can easily relate to and learn from. Sometimes I have experiences that can help other members. Often discussions go back and forth and grow over time – that makes it even more interesting and valuable.

ROSEMARY: What support groups do you participate in?

@rfherald: I participate in the following support groups:

I also follow and comment on these blogs:

I take part and post where I can, but sometimes I am just a listener.

ROSEMARY: Tell us about a meaningful moment on Connect.

@rfherald: I enjoyed teaming up with @bill5letsfixthis to exchange our experiences with BPH and how we deal with it. We learned from experience using different medications and shared what we learned. We exchanged results and helped each other.

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

@rfherald: What surprised me most was how easy it is to jump into a subject and be received as a neophyte. I could ask questions and get answers.People on Mayo Clinic Connect like to help each other.

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

@rfherald: Good health energizes me. Light exercise energizes me. When I get back from a good hike in a forest or in the clean mountain air I feel refreshed and new. It changes my whole attitude..

ROSEMARY: Tell us about your favorite pastime or activity. 

@rfherald: My favorite pastime used to be riding a road bike. I LOVED it. Unfortunately, I’ve had several concussions and I’ve been told to avoid getting another one. My newest activity is traveling with my wife. When we take a hike in a different part of the United States we are always rewarded, invigorated and come away having learned something new. Many times my wife sees things that I miss and we get into a great conversation.

ROSEMARY: What food can you simply not resist?

@rfherald: Denver chocolate sheet cake. Ask me and I'll send you the recipe.

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

@rfherald: I love living in Colorado. It is a great tradeoff between Minnesota winters and Arizona (lack of) humidity.

ROSEMARY: Puppies or kittens?

@rfherald: Puppies. Hands down. Puppies know how to have a good time. They stumble, fall down, get up and laugh about it. I like kittens but they always grow up to become a cat.

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.

See more Member Spotlights.

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

yvie | @yvie | Apr 6, 2023

In reply to @yvie "Thank you for the hug, Lori. I needed that today." + (show)

Thank you for the hug RF. I feel your pain and my prayers are with you.💕

Julie, Volunteer Mentor | @julieo4 | Apr 7, 2023

@rfherald

Welcome to MCC. I enjoyed reading your Spotlight. It's a blessing when mutual help groups come into our lives, and MCC is one of the best. My life changed so positively when I discovered such a group for people who have hearing loss years ago. Being diagnosed with progressive HL at age 22 and being told I had 70 year old ears that would be deaf by age 40 was a shock. Learning I was not alone gave me hope, along with knowledge about developing technology that was only a dream back then.

I'm blessed to be able to share my story with others as a hearing loss mentor for MCC. Your Spotlight says you check in on the Hearing Loss group. I look forward to connecting there in the future.

Julieo4 (Julie Olson)

rfherald | @rfherald | Apr 7, 2023

Julie, thanks for the welcome! Yes, I do check in on hearing loss because, thanks to staying alive for a long time, I get to discover all of the physical changes that are lost due to aging! Plus, I get to exercise my sense of humor.

One of the changes is age-related hearing loss. It comes so slowly that it is not noticed until it is. Mine is a precipitous drop in high frequencies resulting in the inability to hear the actors in a live performance. I was at a play recently when the actor must have said something funny, I could not hear her, but the people behind me were laughing! Time for a hearing check. I now have the aids on order.

Most of what I read in the Hearing Loss group are from people with more serious issues than I, like what you experienced. But I find it interesting anyway. I find the comments of people in several of the groups interesting. I continue to follow Men's Health, of course, and contribute where I can, but I guess I like ALL of the groups. I guess I like medicine.