christinagomezmd

Reiki, raking, remembering

By / / Patients' Quotes

“After Reiki, I did some raking”

This morning, as I sit with my coffee, I think of my yoga and tai chi class of this week
And immediately this patient and her words come to mind
I think about how this quote was a shoe in to Stopped in My Tracks 👣

I love words
I love what happens when you put them together
And I love how words that have never been put together make magic
Reiki and raking
With these six words, she shared so much with me
First, how active she was remaining during her journey with pancreatic cancer
Then how she was taking care of herself holistically
She captured all the rules that my English teachers had taught with word choice and sounds for poetic justice
And she captured the very spirit of what I get to do every day
I remember her fondly
I remember the details – her thick wool socks in Birkenstocks
On New England fall and spring days
She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but chose to walk the journey naturally – chose no chemotherapy, but just her daily living, spending her days with the people and activities she enjoyed
I remember the day she said I just want to come here and see how we’re doing – reevaluate every few weeks
She had a monthly visit with me
And we talked about everything
At approximately 11 months, she shared with me that she was ready for more support and enrolled with hospice
I did tai chi this week
I’ve worn warm colored lines socks in Birkenstocks
I’ve watched the show we talk about
This morning and this post is like one of our monthly visits
I will never forget her
I am forever changed
👣

Turtle Tears

By / / Cancer, Patients' Quotes

“My tears hurt,” he said.

Chemotherapy leaves our body in our fluids
He described, stinging and burning as tears made their way out of his eyes.
I had never heard it described this way.

This morning, coffee in hand I learned about a most beautiful relationship.
Butterflies drink the tears of turtles, rich in electrolytes … think Nature’s Gatorade
And in turn, the turtle is groomed

I cannot help but think
Of how in this journey – life, parenting, the cancer journey even
We are called to walk with, hold space,
Listen and be with
And their healing happens

Maybe too we’re called to drink each other’s tears

View this post on Instagram or follow me @christygomezmd.

A Weekend of Reflection and Healing

By / / Retreat / 1 Comment

Please join me for a retreat inspired by Stopped in My Tracks!

Stopped in My Tracks: A Weekend of Reflection and Healing will take place at Camp Washington, in Lakeside, Connecticut, from 4pm on Friday, October 11, to 4pm on Saturday, October 12, 2024.

The ecumenical retreat will be a gathering place for all who have been touched by cancer: patients, survivors, families, caregivers, pastoral ministers, healthcare providers. It will be a weekend of reflection and healing for all of us on the cancer journey, sharing the moments that stopped us in our tracks, guided by our chaplains, The Very Rev. Miguelina Howell and The Rev. Dr. David K. McIntosh.

Camp Washington
190 Kenyon Road
Lakeside, CT 06758
(860) 567-9623

For more information or to register for the retreat, visit campwashington.org/simt.

Please contact my team if you have any questions about the retreat. I hope to see you there!

The ProspectiveDoctor and Other Medical Podcasts

By / / Media

It has been my honor and privilege to be interviewed by several doctors on their medical podcasts. Each conversation has taken a slightly different direction, but all have touched me in some way. Please listen (or watch) and support the podcasts as they share information and support for doctors, patients, and all of us!

The latest recording to go live is the ProspectiveDoctor Podcast, where I was interviewed by Dr. Erkeda DeRouen. I shared advice for doctors who have to deliver bad news, talked about the power of silence, and highlighted some meaningful quotes from Stopped in My Tracks.

Listen to the episode Echoes of Courage: Insights from Cancer Patients on Podchaser or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also watch the video of our conversation on YouTube.

Check out my Media page for more interviews on medical podcasts and in other exciting places. Stay tuned, as three more podcasts have recorded interviews with me and will be shared soon!

Get S#*t Done Podcast and Stopped in My Tracks

By / / Media

I have been honored to be a guest on a few podcasts now. The first one is live! Please listen to my interview with Julie Jones, host of the Get S#*t Done Podcast. We discussed my life, my lifelong dream to become a doctor, and how I work with the best patients ever and am inspired by their words.

The Get S#*t Done Podcast is a casual conversation of business owners giving tips on productivity, mindset, attitude, and how to live your best life now.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify

Check my Media page for more interviews, coming soon!

Book Signing in Connecticut

By / / Book, Book Signing

Please join me on October 12 at 9:30am at Wisdom House Retreat and Conference Center in Litchfield, CT, for a Stopped in My Tracks presentation and book signing.

I am so honored to be invited to speak at Wisdom House, a special and peaceful place that is an ideal setting for reflecting on the words and lives of my patients and all who are touched by cancer.

Wisdom House Retreat and Conference Center
229 East Litchfield Road
Litchfield, CT 06759
(860) 567-3163

This is a free event and all are welcome. Books will be available for purchase. Please register so that Wisdom House will know how many people to anticipate at the Stopped in My Tracks book signing.

Please Share Your Thoughts

By / / Book

Thanks to all of you who supported the launch of Stopped in My Tracks! 

It has meant so much to me. Whether you came to the book launch event, ordered the book online, sent me an encouraging note, or posted about the book online, I appreciate you and your support!

I believe that there is an audience for this book beyond my circle of family, friends, patients, and colleagues. Soon we will be able to share details about some podcasts and other in-person events which may introduce this book to more people.

If you have read it, would you please post an honest review on Amazon and/or Goodreads? (You can even copy and paste to share the same review to both.) This will help people who don’t already know me find the book. And it might also help them decide to buy it! 

Here are the direct links for reviewing on Amazon and Goodreads:

Review Stopped in My Tracks on Amazon.

Review Stopped in My Tracks on Goodreads.

Thank you!

Permanence

By / / Patients' Quotes

First day of school down
Fake/temp tattoo placed by my 6 yr old beginning to fade
Yep, my 6 yr old placed it
He chose this spot on my arm
Lay this paper,
Water and voilá
Perfectly placed
I secretly love it – even as I don’t recognize my arm
Never been able to place those without tearing them apart

What a summer!
And like this tattoo little parts of it fading into memory
And bleeding nicely into fall, into back to school, into my favorite time of the year

My patient today says
“Dr Gomez, God knows my days are numbered –
And I wish to stop therapy
I want to be with the people I love”

Mrs B –
I get it
All of ours are
Go enjoy em!

Here’s to the last days of summer
Here’s to back to school
Here’s to the decisions we make
Here’s to whatever seems to be fading
Maybe that’s what’s really permanent

Scroll to Top