Life is Too Short

My father-in-law, Jim, started acting weird a few weeks ago, more weird than a fatherin-law usually acts. He put on his clothes backward and got lost in his neighborhood. My mother-in-law assumed a stroke, so she raced him to the emergency room.

The MRI showed a large neoplasm growing on the right temporal lobe of his brain. The attending physician immediately transferred him to Intermountain Medical Center to prep for surgery. Upon arrival, the neurosurgeon looked at the image and decided to hold off surgery for a few days to allow for family and friends to visit Jim. Due to the size and location of the tumor, the surgeon was concerned that Jim would be different after surgery.

Though it is a terminal cancer even with removal of the tumor, the surgeon wanted Jim’s friends and family to have the opportunity to say goodbye to the old Jim because removing brain tumors commonly affects personality, memory and nerve function. Jim enjoyed the next few days very much with friends and family from near and far who came to see him. He was quick to quip that when the surgery was over, he would become a superhero.

The day of the surgery came, and it went better than expected. The surgeon was able to remove a good portion of the tumor, enough to relieve the pressure on the rest of the brain, all while not causing any noticeable damage to brain function. This was wonderful news as Jim could function normally and we could enjoy our remaining time with him.

It has been a couple weeks since the surgery, and Jim’s skull is healing well. Cancer treatment begins today. The diagnosis is Glioblastoma, and treatment is considered successful if it gives him 12-14 months to live. The next few months will be his best, then things will gradually decline and become more difficult.

Our lives can also be like that sometimes. Just when we finally get to a point where we are comfortable (Jim just retired six years ago), unexpected difficulties arise, and we need to reevaluate and refocus. After considering what matters most to us, we should choose what matters most over what matters least. Are we living our best lives? Or are we just hoping for something better to come along eventually?

I am surprised by how many dentists don’t love what they do. Some can’t wait until they retire, others can’t wait to open up enough locations or employ more associates so that they can become more of a business person and less a wet-fingered dentist. They think of hygiene checks as a four-letter word rather than an opportunity to connect with great people. Certain procedures on the schedule make them cringe, and they hate dealing with insurances.

I know the difficulty of dealing with insurances. Low reimbursement is to blame for much of our dissatisfaction. Yet, very few of us are willing to demand more from the insurances we accept. We are constantly looking to save a few tenths of a percentage point on credit card fees, but don’t think twice about insurance companies discounting our fees by 20 - 50%. Or, we continue to do procedures that we are not great at, nor like very much, because they pay better. Is it worth it? Are you happy, or are you just surviving? Let my father-in-law Jim’s experience be a motivator for you to demand better of your current situation.

As autumn begins and the end of the year approaches, take time to reevaluate how you would like the rest of your life to be, personally and as a dentist. If you are not happy with your current practice, change things to how you want them. For example, if you don’t like your current relationship with insurances, negotiate better fees or go out-of-network. If you are not happy doing some procedures, find good CE to teach you how to have better outcomes, or refer your patients to a colleague that enjoys those procedures.

Life is short and there is no reason to not love what you do. Take advantage of the time you have been given to make a better life for yourself, your family, your employees, and your patients. Not only will you benefit, but so will those nearest to you who care about you the most.

Dr Rodney Thornell ADA Delegate

Text to: 801 -261 -5315

1. Include your First and Last Name 2. Your interests to get involved:

a) House of Delegates - Governance b) UDA Action Committee - Publications c) UDPAC Committee – Legislation d) I know my legislators – Name them & connection e) I’d be willing to be a Collaborative Dentist