christinagomezmd

Terminal

By / / Cancer, Patients' Quotes

Terminal – definition

adj

1. Of, forming, or situated at the end or extremity of something

2. (Of a disease) predicted to lead to death, slowly, incurable

noun

1. The end of a railroad or other transport route, or station

2. A point of connection for closing an electric circuit.

“I’m the guy with terminal cancer.”

These words as I walk in the exam room for initial consult and stretch out my hand.

This is how he introduced himself.

He was standing in the room. I could almost feel he had been pacing.

I listened to his story and we started a new chemotherapy regimen.

This was over two years ago.

In January this year, he says “We bought our tickets to visit Thailand – for July”

The calendar in my mind scrolls the many weeks until then

And I share with them, “can we go sooner, March?”

So as to be sure to make the trip, most fit

They look at me unwavered

“The tickets are bought, July’s best”

As cancer will have it – we notice progression this spring

Thailand on my mind!

Specialist and sub specialist, scans upon scans

We choose a new treatment regimen

One with some flexibility … to travel

Today I receive these photos

I only see terminal joy, terminal living

You teach me, terminally

I am Stopped in my Tracks 👣

Today, elephant tracks

View this post on Instagram or follow me @christygomezmd.

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.

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

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