WPDC Pulse

I’m very excited to assume the position of Chair for Women Physicians in Christ—and overwhelmed! When I was first asked to chair an ad hoc committee to explore the needs of women in CMDA in 1992, I never dreamed it would become such a wonderful group of women who care so much for each other.

A highlight of the WPC year is our annual
conference where women physicians and dentists
of all life stages come together to improve their
medical knowledge and worship the Lord. The
integration of faith and work at this event makes it
unique, and the women who attend make it
special. Friendships develop and deepen as we
share experiences of life together.

A number of years ago I purchased a Cocker
Spaniel puppy to help distract and entertain some
children I was caring for while their mother was
dying of cancer. We named him Cappuccino, as
he was buff-colored. The kids had a great time
playing with Cappy, who was adorable, but he had
multiple health issues over his lifetime of 12 years.

This summer has been oppressively hot. My husband Andy and I had to cancel a week-long trip to Colorado to be adult guests at a Young Life camp in the mountains because Maddie, our Brittany dog, decided it was time.

When was the last time you asked yourself “What kind of doctor do I want to be?” I don’t mean what specialty or what branch of medicine in which you desire to practice, but what kind of doctor do you really want to be? Many of us chose our specialty early in our medical school days, or even before medical school started.

My husband is convinced that if even one person in a group outdoor activity does not come prepared for inclement weather, then bad weather will occur. For example, if all are prepared with rain gear, then it won’t rain. But if even one person forgets the rain gear, then there will be rain. I think CMDA staff may have decided to adopt this philosophy because this year the attendee gift for the CMDA National Convention was an umbrella with a flashlight built into the shaft. Historical data would show this to be a tremendously useful gift for this meeting.

I had my annual physical recently, having called for an appointment last fall. She has been my doctor for more than 30 years and caught my colon cancer early so I’m still here today. Much to my surprise, she ordered several tests. Each test precipitated a referral to another specialist because they were abnormal. My appointment book is filled with doctor visits up the wazoo!

We all face fear. Sometimes we are not even aware that we are experiencing fear. It may be subconscious, but show up in the way we handle conflict or difficult situations. Or, in the way that we avoid certain situations or challenging conversations.

How do you respond when the mistakes of someone else cause you injury or do harm to a loved one? I have faced this twice this last week on a ski trip.

January is back, with its dark, dreary days, cold temperatures and influenza in epidemic proportions (or so it seems). Every news station is talking about the flu and its increase in cases over last year at this time. No one seems to remember or mention that we had a late flu season last year and the total number of cases for the season may be no different than recent years.