Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Dude2Dude.
The Basics
What is Dude2Dude?
Dude2Dude is a peer support community for people recovering from cardiac surgery. It connects members with Trail Guide mentors, a brotherhood of fellow patients, week-by-week recovery guidance, and vetted professional partners — all in one place.
Who can join?
Anyone recovering from cardiac surgery, or preparing for it. While Dude2Dude was built with men in mind, anyone navigating cardiac recovery is welcome.
Is Dude2Dude a medical service?
No. Dude2Dude is a peer support community. Nothing on this platform constitutes medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for all medical decisions.
How much does Dude2Dude cost?
Dude2Dude is a paid membership community. Current pricing is available on our website. You will always know what you are paying for before you commit.
How do I contact support?
Use the Feedback link in your portal, or email support@dude2dude.com. We respond within 24 hours on business days.
Account & Profile
How do I update my profile or bio?
Go to Profile → Edit Profile. You can update your name, bio, surgery date, surgery type, location, avatar, and contact preferences from there.
Can I control what other members see on my profile?
Yes. Your phone number, email address, and date of birth each have individual privacy toggles in your profile settings. Your journal entries and check-in scores are always private — only you can see them.
Can I change my surgery date after signing up?
Yes — update it anytime under Profile → Edit Profile. Your recovery week, Trail content, and portal status will all update automatically.
How do I share my recovery journey with my spouse or family?
Go to Profile → Family Sharing and create a named sharing link. Anyone with that link can view a read-only snapshot of your profile — no account required. You can create multiple links and revoke any of them at any time.
What can my spouse or family see on my shared page?
Anyone with your sharing link gets a full view of your recovery — including your daily check-in scores, journal entries, recovery trends, badges, and profile. This is intentional: the family view exists so the people who love you can stay close to your journey. Only people you share the link with can see it.
Daily Check-In & Journal
Are my journal entries private?
By default, yes — your daily check-in scores and journal entries are visible only to you. The one exception is Family Sharing: if you create a family sharing link, anyone with that link can see your full recovery data, including journal entries and scores. You control who gets the link.
What do the 1–5 scores mean?
Each day you rate five areas on a 1–5 scale. For Energy, Mood, Sleep, and Outlook, 5 is the best (feeling strong, optimistic, well-rested). Discomfort is the exception — a 1 means significant discomfort and a 5 means little to none, so a higher score is still better. They're for your own tracking — there are no right or wrong answers.
Can I go back and edit a past check-in?
Yes. Find the entry in your Past Entries list and tap Edit. You can update both the scores and the journal text.
How do I see my trends over time?
Once you have more than one entry, a "Show My Trends" button appears on the Daily Check-In page. It graphs all five scores over time so you can see your recovery arc.
Trail Guides
What is a Trail Guide?
A Trail Guide is a fellow cardiac surgery patient who has volunteered to walk beside newer members through recovery. They share lived experience — they are not medical professionals.
What's the difference between a Trail Guide, Senior Trail Guide, and Trail Boss?
These designations recognize members who have gone through additional vetting and credentialing with the D2D team. Trail Guides are members further along in recovery who've volunteered to help. Senior Trail Guides have guided multiple brothers through their first year. Trail Bosses are veteran members who have completed full recovery and help lead the D2D community. That said, any member can partner with another dude for mutual support — you don't need a designation to walk alongside someone on the trail.
How do I find a Trail Guide?
Use the "Find a Trail Guide" card on your portal. You can filter by community and search by name or keywords in their bio. Click any guide's card to view their profile and send a message.
How do I become a Trail Guide?
Members become eligible after completing their first year of recovery (week 52+). At that point your portal will show "Trail Guide Eligible." Reach out to support@dude2dude.com to get started.
Can I message a Trail Guide directly?
Yes. Visit their member profile and use the Message button. Your message is delivered to them by email. Whether your email address is visible to other members is up to you — you can toggle email visibility in your profile settings.
Communities
What is a Community?
A Community is a geographic or organizational group within Dude2Dude — think a city, a hospital system, a cardiac rehab program, or a corporate wellness group. Communities let members connect with dudes who are close by, share local Partners and Trail Guides, and see news and events relevant to their area.
How do I join a Community?
Your Community is set during onboarding and can be updated in your profile settings. If your community isn't listed yet, reach out to support@dude2dude.com and we'll get it added.
Can I see members outside my Community?
Yes. The Brotherhood and Find a Trail Guide pages show all members across D2D by default, with a filter to narrow by community. Your community just determines which local Partners, news, and events are highlighted for you.
Can an organization or hospital system create their own Community?
Yes — that's exactly what Communities are designed for. Cardiac rehab programs, hospital systems, and employers can create a private community for their patients or employees. Contact us at support@dude2dude.com to get started.
Friends
What is a Friend on Dude2Dude?
A Friend is another member you connect with one-on-one to share your journey. Friends can see each other's shared progress and encourage each other through recovery.
How do I add a friend?
Visit any member's profile and tap "Add Friend." They'll receive a request and can accept or ignore it. Once accepted, you'll both appear in each other's Friends list.
What happens if a friendship isn't working out?
You can remove a friend at any time from your Friends page. The other member won't be notified with a specific reason.
Goal Packs
What is a Goal Pack?
A Goal Pack is a pre-built set of recovery goals grouped by category — things like steps, sleep, nutrition, or cardiac rehab. Adding a pack copies all its goals directly into your personal goals list, where you can customize them from there.
Can I edit a goal after adding it from a pack?
Yes. Once a pack's goals are added to your list they're yours to customize — change the target, frequency, or name however you like.
Can I submit my own Goal Pack?
Yes. From your Goals page, select goals you've created, give the pack a name and emoji, and submit it for D2D Team review. Once approved it appears in Goal Packs for the whole community — with your name on it.
The Fire Pit & Community
What is the Fire Pit?
The Fire Pit is the community discussion area — organized by channel — where members can post, ask questions, share wins, and support each other.
What is a Shout Out?
A Shout Out is a public recognition you give to another member. Visit their profile, tap "Shout Out," write a note, and send it. It appears in the community news feed for their community to see.
How do I report inappropriate content?
Members are encouraged to be polite and kind — we're all here because recovery is hard, and this community exists to lift each other up. If you see something that doesn't belong, use the flag icon on any Fire Pit post to report it. Our moderation team reviews all flagged content and takes action within 24 hours.
Partners
What is a D2D Partner?
D2D Partners are vetted and approved service providers who support cardiac surgery recovery — in any capacity. That includes medical professionals like cardiologists, cardiac rehab specialists, and nutritionists, but also everyday helpers like drivers, handymen, meal services, and anyone else who makes the recovery journey a little easier.
Are Partners vetted by Dude2Dude?
Yes. Every Partner listing goes through an approval process before appearing in the directory. That said, Dude2Dude does not endorse any specific provider and encourages members to do their own due diligence.
What is Partner of the Week?
Each week the D2D team highlights one or more Partners on the portal homepage. Partner of the Week is community-scoped, so you'll see Partners relevant to your community.
How does a provider become a D2D Partner?
Providers can apply through the Partner portal at the Partner link in the footer. Applications are reviewed by the D2D team — approval typically takes 2–3 business days.