Two Years Later He Was Dead
Michele McFie
One of our patients, Vicki, had brought her husband in for an exam. Her husband didn't seem to want to be there. It was obvious that he was only there to satisfy his wife. She had been a patient of ours for several months and was experiencing good results from her care. So finally he agreed to her urgings, and he came to our office for a consultation and exam.
When he came back for the report of findings, he saw his X-rays that had been taken. The doctor pointed outthe areas in the pictures that most concerned him. There were some subluxations in his backthat needed to be addressed to restore proper function with his body.
The man only laughed. You see, he wasn't in any pain, and he was proud of the fact that he was in his 50's and riding his bike to and from work everyday, about 7 miles each way. Fie left the office that day and never came back.
Two years later, Vicki's husband had a heart attack and died. Who would ever have thought it possible? After all, he seemed to be in such great physical shape. When the doctor heard the word, he shook his head and walked away.
It took me a few days to get over the initial shock about Vicki's husband. Then the wheels in my head began to turn. A question had arisen in my mind. And I began to wonder. So I went to the doctor and asked him about Vicki's husband. Fiad the fact that Vicki's husband had a heart attack surprised him?
“The doctor had seen the subluxations in his back that would result in heart problems two years ago. ”
The answer was "No." So I pressed further, and asked him why he wasn't surprised. The doctor said, "The X-rays showed subluxations, that if not corrected, would affect his heart." The doctor had seen the subluxations in his back that would result in heart problems two years ago. It didn't matter that Vicki's husband looked healthy on the outside, and it didn't even matter that he wasn't in pain or having symptoms of a heart c ondition. The problem was there.
That news was sobering. It can be easy to forget what's really happening in our chiropractic office—that lifechanging adjustments are being made everyday. We get caught up in the daily hustle and bustle of working in the office. While busy answering the phone and making calls, scheduling patients, assisting with office work flow and performing endless paperwork, we need to remember that our work has greater value than what our eyes see. Often times the difference we're making is unseen.
Recognizing that there is a greater reason for the work we do, makes the "seemingly" menial tasks we perform seem a little less menial. This greater reason can help us to perform our work better, and it can give us a greater sense of purpose. When we realize that patients have deeper needs than what we can see from the outside, they look different to us when they walk through the door.
Remembering that the care our patients receive in our office is making an impact on their lives, whether we can see it or not, makes it easier to do our job. You see, our job is all about the patient and the patient getting the care they need. When someone misses their appointment, their care is being interrupted. It becomes much easierto call or text the patient to help them reschedule their appointment. We don't have to feel awkward about making the call because it's not about us. It's about the patient.
Let's face it; people's lives are busy. They're pulled in all different directions all the time. They're out running to functions, meeting deadlines, picking up kids and dealing with all the things that can come up in a day. So if we can make it easier for them to get the care they need, we're doing them a great service. If we can make their visit to our office a peaceful and pleasant experience in their otherwise hectic day, we're doing them a great service.
And if we work in a chiropractic office all day and need people like Vicki's husband to remind us of our greater reason, what about our patients? Do you think they ever forget the greater reason they come? You see, they don't
always see or feel the changes that are happening as they get adjusted. Instead, they might see the visit as another thing to do in their already very busy day.
But we can help. We can open our eyes and notice changes whenever possible. Be interested in your patients' care. Talk to the doctor about the patients' progress. Rejoice with the patient and encourage patients to share their results with other patients while in the office. You see, everyone wants to be able to find the greater reason, to find out that good things are really happening. And find out who your patients know that might also benefit from care at your office. Your patients want to be able to find help for other people too, so ask them.
It's really too bad we couldn't help Vicki's husband...we could have, you know. But he wouldn't allow it. So let's rejoice over every patient who will let us help. Let's serve them well because it's the patients and the results they are getting that give our work greater meaning.
^a^ Michele McFie has managed 3 successful chi-
ta A ropractic clinics. Michele works with her husband Tom McFie, DC teaching chiropractors and their Il Ai assistants how to use The Perpetual Wealth Code™ mW^mk to keep more of the money the make and avoid fees, penalties and taxes. To contact the author: 1-866-502-2777 MicheledfLife-Benefits, com
