I'd like to insert a gentle reminder of the Community Guidelines (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/about-connect/tab/community-guidelines/) that help keep the tone safe, supportive, inclusive, and, above all, respectful.

I'm confident that the recent messages shared come from a place of kindness and caring. Please keep in mind that we only have words on the screen to communicate our experiences, thoughts and support. Without the benefit of tone of voice or body language sometimes the messages may be interpreted incorrectly. And sometimes we bring the bias of our own experiences when reading the post of another member.

I encourage you to review the guidelines and pay particular attention to guidelines 1 and 2. Here's an excerpt.

1. Be careful about giving out medical advice
- Sharing your own experience is fine, but don't tell other members what they should do.
- Experiences and information shared by members on the Mayo Clinic Connect are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
- Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the community.

2. Remain respectful at all times.
- Exercise tolerance and respect toward other participants whose views may differ from your own.
- Disagreements are fine, but mutual respect is a must.

Since we only have words and words matter, please choose your words kindly and be aware of unintentional bias that you may be bringing into the conversation.

With gratitude,
Colleen, Community Director, Mayo Clinic Connect