Important announcement
I will be on medical leave for surgery from March 15-29,
and I will be on light duty in April as I recover.
What does this mean for current clients?
- Virtual appointments will be available the first half of March and in April. In person appointments will be on hold in March and April. Because of the amount of planning it takes to be off, I am trying to prevent possible exposure to COVID prior to surgery. My ability to be physically active may be limited after surgery, so I am allowing a month to rebuild my strength before doing in person appointments.
- If you have a need that arises while I am out of the office in March...
- You can contact my new assistant Lindsay Morris at 417-894-3611 or by sending her a message in the ChARM portal. She will be returning messages Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
- Lindsay can help you with your scheduling needs, questions about Fullscript, and general administrative questions.
- If you need to schedule with a naturopathic doctor and it cannot wait, Lindsay can help you schedule with Dr. Sara Gomendi, ND, FABNO, who will be providing coverage for me while I am out. Dr. Gomendi worked together with me in the past at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. We were both trained in the same way and we both have a background in naturopathic oncology. She will be using the same price structure I currently use. If you have a change in your oncology treatment plan while I am out, you are strongly encouraged to set up an appointment with Dr. Gomendi to make sure your current supplements are still safe to take.
- If you suspect you are having an adverse reaction to something that I recommended or urgently need clarification on my recommendation while I am out, please contact Lindsay Morris. Lindsay will connect you to Dr. Gomendi if she cannot help you. If you are having an adverse reaction to a recommendation, start by stopping the recommendation and see if you begin to get better.
- You can contact my new assistant Lindsay Morris at 417-894-3611 or by sending her a message in the ChARM portal. She will be returning messages Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
- When I return in April, I will be working Monday-Friday on a reduced schedule. I am currently making appointment bookings conservatively so I don't bite off more than I can handle. If you cannot get an appointment as soon as you would like, schedule an appointment when there is one available AND you are strongly encouraged to call Lindsay Morris to be added to the waiting list. I will get you in sooner, if it is possible.
- If you need to be seen urgently while I am on light duty, Lindsay can help you get scheduled with Dr. Sara Gomendi.
- If you have a test kit, please allow enough time to get the test done and for the results to return BEFORE I go on leave. Lindsay Morris cannot upload your results to the portal, and therefore Dr. Gomendi will not have access to them.
- I estimate that I will have 150-300 patient-related messages to return when I come back on light duty. Messages will be triaged. For your safety, I am not going to work if I am extremely tired because I will be more prone to making mistakes. Surgical recovery can be very fatiguing. However, I will do my best to answer messages as quickly and safely as I can.
What does this mean for new clients?
- If you are not diagnosed with cancer, we can book initial consults after mid-April.
- If you have been diagnosed with cancer, we may be able to see you before March 12th based on availability. After which point, we will resume scheduling people diagnosed with cancer after mid-April.
- Discovery calls will be on hold between March 8th and April 5th.
Are you okay?
To the best of my knowledge, absolutely yes! This is not a situation that can be addressed with naturopathic approaches, and it didn't get better after years of trying other natural approaches. It has a risk of becoming a medical emergency in the future and likely leading to a larger surgery with a longer recovery time if I don't take care of it now. I would prefer to get this addressed on my own terms and not as a medical emergency, which would be more disruptive.
I have an excellent support team, and I am so grateful for everything I am learning along the way. It has taught me about new mind-body approaches, generational psychology, and new advances in surgical recovery. It is wonderfully transforming who I am as a person and how I approach my own health. And I am grateful that it gives me an experience that so many of my patients go through so that I can bring greater understanding to the way I provide care.
I have an excellent support team, and I am so grateful for everything I am learning along the way. It has taught me about new mind-body approaches, generational psychology, and new advances in surgical recovery. It is wonderfully transforming who I am as a person and how I approach my own health. And I am grateful that it gives me an experience that so many of my patients go through so that I can bring greater understanding to the way I provide care.