The wake-up call I never expected

My business and life changed when I simultaneously walked away from an academic career and walked into a surgical suite to have my melanoma removed. As a dermatologist whose career up until that point had focused on the diagnosis and management of skin cancer, this moment was both surreal and frightening. 

Thankfully, because of my expertise I caught that spot on my arm early, but its appearance was the first of my wake-up calls. Over the course of the previous decade, I had undergone dozens of biopsies and multiple excisions to remove growing and changing pigmented lesions. At the time, I paid little attention to their significance, went through the motions and continued to check my skin regularly, wear sunscreen, eat “healthy” and exercise. In fact, at the time of my diagnosis I was running ultra-marathons...thinking I was the pinnacle of health. 

But what I didn’t realize was that all along my skin was trying to communicate with me. The appearance of new lesions...a whisper. The growing and changing lesions….talking. The melanoma….full on shouting. But here’s the thing, at the time I was totally deaf to it. What was showing up on the surface was a reflection of the stress, pain, and dis-ease percolating below it and the volume was just getting louder and louder trying to get my attention. Tearing my hip, hormonal issues, gut issues….2 major surgeries, chronic pain. My ears were finally starting to burn and hear the message..what I was doing wasn’t working and I had to find another way.

For the first time in my life, I had to face the painful reality that what I was doing and how I was doing it wasn’t serving my health or my well-being. As a physician of 20 plus yrs, that’s a hard pill to swallow when you realize you can’t treat yourself. So I got help. I sought out physician colleagues, mentors, nutrition and business coaches and slowly built my resilience as I shed the layers of habits, beliefs and limits that were longer serving me. With committment to my process, that fortifies your skin from within, I’ve totally revitalised my life and my body. 

It’s been a long journey and one that I’m still on and will continue to travel. With all that I’ve learned and experienced in medicine, dermatology, health and wellness, it is my mission to help others tune into their bodies and hear those messages when they are just a whisper so that they can live life to their fullest potential, build resilience and thrive. #brandstorychallenge #day2