Other young adults going to Mayo Rochester

Posted by jordyntea @jordyntea, Jun 10, 2023

This may be too random but I am 24 and visiting Mayo at the end of the month and I would love to be able to meet other people around my age that are going through the experience of a unique enough medical problem strange enough to trek out to Mayo for answers. Or just people to chat with in this forum that can relate to being young and sick.

I have friends at home that have had medical issues but nothing like what I have been going through and it’s been very isolating to go from perfectly health to out of the blue acute kidney failure and other problems and no distinguishable cause for any of it yet.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Visiting Mayo Clinic Support Group.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jun 13, 2023

@jordyntea, welcome. You ask a good question. I'm not aware of a specific group meeting or hang out for young people at Mayo Clinic, Rochester. I'm tagging @roch @loribmt and @cheyennepeterson who may have some suggestions. While they don't fit your age group, they may have tips.

What I do know is that you'll meet people in the waiting areas and lobbies of Mayo Clinic. The favorite meeting place in general is in the piano lobby of the Gonda building.

Rochester is a very walkable city and June is a lovely month to be there. Are you traveling alone?

Laurie, Volunteer Mentor | @roch | Jun 14, 2023

jordyntea @jordyntea

If want to connect with people with similar conditions, use Mayo Connect site.

If want to connect / have conversation with random people, try Mayo subway level in Gonda building, the coffee shops and sidewalk restaurant down town, your hotel breakfast area (if has one) or events downtown.

If in town on a Thursday, the downtown area has "Thursday Downtown" with vendors and bands.
https://www.downtownrochestermn.com/events/thursdaysdowntown

Also, on a few Sunday nights in July and Aug, there are free concerts along the banks of the Zumbro River (it is on edge of downtown).
See this web site for dates:
https://www.rochestermn.gov/government/departments/rochester-civic-music/events/down-by-the-riverside

A couple times a week, there is music over noon hour at Peace Plaza (few blocks east of Mayo Building).
It is called Sidewalk Sessions:
https://www.downtownrochestermn.com/placemaking/sidewalk-sessions

Laurie

2gallonhabit | @2gallonhabit | Nov 20, 2023

Sorry that I'm late to the party. Since getting my transplant it's been a whirlwind. I moved to Florida four months post transplant and have been getting acclimated to the new weather and the new life. 🙂

Unfortunately I don't have a good answer for you @jordyntea. But I would say that your best bet is striking up a conversation and talking with people in the waiting room on Mayo 19. Or seeking out people with the green transplant totes when you're getting labwork done. Everyone I went up to was very friendly and loved sharing their stories.

Best of luck to you. I didn't realize how much I'd been self-isolating until after my transplant. But the thing that I found out was the the support, the understanding and the care was there all along. I just needed to reach out and ask. I'm glad you took the first step.

Take care.