Embracing Change

“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.”

-  Gail Sheehy

A few weeks ago, I found a dove sitting in the succulent box in front of my front door.  At first, I did a double take.  Is there really a dove nestled amidst my succulents?  After watching her for a few minutes as she peacefully sat on her nest, I realized that she was incubating her eggs and researched a bit about the dove incubation period.   I soon found comfort in seeing her every morning when I picked up the morning paper and every evening when I took my little Pico, my adopted Bichon, for our nightly stroll.

Finally, the little hatchlings arrived – 2 days before Mother’s Day. And my what a proud Mama she was! – I couldn’t believe how fast the 2 hatchlings grew.  At one point, I thought that 2 new doves had flown into the nest and taken over this coveted territory.  But then Mama soon returned with evening dinner and all was well again at the succulent flat.  A few days ago, I glanced at the nest and it was empty!  They had left their nest, spread their wings and left to explore their new world – filled with trees, fellow birds and wonderful flowers.

I felt sad not having these little companions near my front door but I realized that this is life with its every-changing phases and circumstances.  As Gail Sheehy reminded us:

“If we don’t change, we don’t grow and without growth, what is life really about?”

Change has become a primary force in my life, especially with regard to my office practice.  We are finally converting from “old-school” paper charts to new-age electronic medical records.   It’s been a challenge for me – not feeling each page of white paper between my fingers or pulling on the plastic tabs separating the important categories.  Now they are all on a computer screen.  What a learning curve this has been… and it never ends!

I think about the patience of the Mama dove – quietly sitting on her 2 prized eggs until they were ready to hatch, then feeding and protecting them until they spread their wings to explore a new chapter of life.

This dove experience made me realize how change is inevitable in life and that you need to embrace it rather than fight it.  It was finally time for me to let go of my paper charts and emerge into a more modern and efficient way of communication and record keeping.  

So an exciting announcement: Telemedicine has arrived at the office to optimize your care, help you navigate the changes in your body, and give you back some of your valuable time. I will still be in the office for personal exams until mid-December and will provide you with the name of a wonderful provider who can take over the gynecological exams thereafter.  In the new year, I will continue to provide you with personalized, individual care plans to help you navigate the changes in your body, your hormones and overall healthcare needs - just from a virtual space.

Thank you all for your patience as we convert to this new technology.  Your health and well-being are always at the forefront of my medical care.

-In health and happiness