Doctors Pray Too “I just want you to know, the night before my surgery, I prayed for you, Dr. Liza Marie Colimon. God knows you and sees what you do.” She even included my middle name. It was the best compliment I had ever received from a patient. The conventionality of Western Medicine keeps discussions of spirituality in… Read More
Dear Patient, There is No Room for Your Cell Phone in My Office Honor Health Vow # 4 I Promise to Be an Active Participant in the Patient-Doctor Relationship Good afternoon Ms. B. Wait, how do I interrupt? As I walked into my patient’s exam room this week at the end of a very busy morning packed with procedures, there I stood, waiting over a minute at least… Read More
Getting On Track Prioritizing Your Health Care Needs So I have a confession. I’ve been guilty of misaligning my priorities and was recently called out when I saw my gifted gastroenterologist last week. I had it coming. A soft stern look is all I received. My block has nothing to do with my relationship with the doctor. Making the appointment was my first… Read More
Why I Value Face-to-Face Conversation With My Patients These are challenging times for physicians who aim to please their patients, and equally challenging for patients who are juggling full schedules and dread waiting for an upcoming appointment with their doctors. Technology has increased access but the demands on our time remain the same. Many of our email addresses are now posted online. Individuals… Read More
10 Things Your Gynecologist Won’t Judge… Honoring Health Vow #6 I Vow to Advocate for Myself and Pledge to Prioritize my Healthcare Needs Seeing a gynecologist for many women is very challenging. Anticipating and visualizing conversations about your body, breasts, period, vagina, and relationships can come all packaged up with a diverse mix of life experiences, perceptions, emotions, and beliefs. The… Read More
Are You a Procrastinator When it Comes to Your Health? Honoring Health Vow # 2 I Vow to Stay Connected to My Body to Hear and Feel Everything it has to Say I’m always deeply thinking about ways to connect, inspire, and motivate my patients. This requires recognizing what influences their actions. Over the years I’ve realized I have several categories or types of patients.… Read More
An Office Symphony… A Needed Perspective About Your Doctor’s Appointment and Why You Wait Honoring Health Vow #4 I Promise to Be and Active Participant in the Patient-Doctor Relationship A visit to the Doctor’s Office is like a symphony. Many players have to be working together as a team to create a melodious, harmonious, well-received result. And you, as the patient, are just as much a part of the… Read More
Having Fishy Odor? Bacterial Vaginosis, De-Mystified…What You Need to Know Honoring Health Vow #4: I Promise to Be an Active Participant in the Patient-Doctor Relationship Let us admit… this is a challenging topic. And embarrassing for many of you . But it shouldn’t be. Bacterial Vaginosis, known as BV, is the most common cause of abnormal vaginal discharge in about 50% of women of childbearing… Read More
Choosing the Right Doctor Advocate for Yourself… Four signs you know you’ve found the Right Doctor 1. Pay attention to that “gut feeling.” If you feel at peace then you’re likely on the right track. It may seem cliché but your body’s reaction says much about the chemistry you have with your Doctor. Does she make you feel safe,… Read More
Tired of Waiting at the Doctor’s Office Vow to be an active Participant in the Patient-Doctor Relationship! Here are Five Things You Can Do to Minimize Your Wait… My brother once called while I was booking an airline ticket during my office hours, when I picked up the phone and he asked what I was doing, I came clean. He quickly replied,… Read More