Vacation!, by Dr. Ogi Ressel

Friday, March 27th 2009

Warm hellos to everyone!!

Alright! I'm back!! And I'm ready to rock! I mean, who needs beautiful
South Carolina sunshine every day? And fabulous southern people who
talk funny? ....and call you "darlin' and honey", ....and serve you grits
and sausage gravy,.....and when you say "thank you" , they reply,
"uhum"?.... and 105-110 heat and humidity? ....and the 92 degree
surf?....and the palmettos?
.....and the alligators?...and of course, the beach?
I could go on but the bottom line is this: I had a great vacation.

Let me spell that word out for you: V.A.C.A.T.I.O.N.  - aka REST, time off,
holiday, time out, brain fog, brain in neutral, no stress, mindless
pleasure, etc., - badly needed and very welcome!

Here is the "thing" that I want you all to get: You all need a vacation!
There's a concept!

Yes! You need to recharge your batteries and your body. You need to do
this for you, and your family, and your patients And while on vacation, you
need to do things that you normally do not do - golfing, tennis, kayaking,
crabbing, swimming, bike riding, hiking, whatever. Or just sit there and do
nothing. Nothing? Yes, nothing. I have to tell you - it is hard to do. It's like
watching paint dry or grass grow. Listen....I'd be at the  beach and I'd watch
the surf for hours, ...and the people. And while there, I heard on the radio
that the hobby everyone enjoys the most is apparently people-watching -
God must love the common Man; He made so many of them!
Sounds boring from your side of the fence, but it is not.

Last year while I was sitting on the beach with my fifteen year old son,
Brandon, our beach chairs in the water letting the waves wash over us, a
mom and dad wander in front of us with their two teenage kids - a boy and girl.
The girl has an obvious scoliosis. They are taking pictures of each other.
What do I do? I offer to take a family picture of them. AND then,... I mention
to the parents that their daughter has Scoliosis. I can't help it, I am a chiropractor.
Fulltime. Always.
Even on vacation. Yes!
I gave them my card and asked that they call me for the name of a PEP Doctor
close to them.

You see, I am on purpose. I am deadly. Even on vacation. And that is totally ok.
You can still save a life - even on vacation.

So.....when I got back home and my older son looked me and the first
thing he said was this:
"Dad, you look so rested!"

I rushed into the house just to look in the mirror. ...and I saw the same
face I always see. "What is he talking about?" I thought.  Here is the crux
though: You cannot tell if you look rested or not,
BUT others around you can - especially your patients. So while you may feel
that you do not need that vacation, that you are not tired, that you feel
great, trust me: You need one.  And those around you who love you need
to deal with a different you. You owe this to your family, yourself and your
patients! ...And no long weekends here. No! You need to take minimum
7 days off every 6 months.

Ok.....here are the excuses: "But Dr. Ogi, I can't afford one." Right. It is not
a matter of affording one. No. It is a matter of needing one. You'd be
surprised how much better you'll handle all the day-to-day BS that hits
your plate each day, after a vacation.

Does it need to cost a lot? NOT! You can even spend time at home - BUT
no work - you are on vacation! And if you simply cannot afford to take that
badly needed rest, then you really need to seriously consider joining with
me - failure is not an option and I'll show you how to do it!

So...for all the spouses out there - make certain your family doc takes you
on a vacation. I know it is difficult when you are a sole doctor, so..here's what
you do. Schedule everyone on Mon, Tues, and Wednesday the first week and
then, you are on vacation  - Thursday, Frid, Sat, Sun. Mon, Tues, and Wed.
 And.... you're back at the office on Thursday, Frid, and Sat. the next week.
Easy. All the payments are in, everyone is on schedule, and you've had 7
days off! Amazing.

Whoever said you have to vacation Sunday to Sunday?
So...do it.
And send me a postcard. From the beach. The one with your goofy smile
and the sand between your toes! That one!

Warmest wishes,
Dr. Ogi Ressel