Late May update

Hi, folks.

Well, May is almost done and you know what that means...summer is just around the corner (or whatever passes for it around these parts).

My job is still going pretty well.  I still miss the old place, so not much has changed on those fronts.  I have actually run into a couple of patients from the old clinic, and that has been fun.  

As much I as might miss the old place, one thing this new job has going for it is a little more free time to spend with Gabrielle, which has been one of the driving forces behind the move.  It has turned out to be very good, as we've had some time to do some fun things. We recently got back from a 9 day trip to the parks of southern Utah.  My only reaction is to ask myself "what took you so long to see them, Steve?"  They are absolutely amazing and if you haven't had a chance to go, I highly recommend them...well worth the trip. Fly into Salt Lake City and be greeted by all sorts of very nice, clean cut young men and women, then drive your rental car down I-15 and enjoy the 80 mph speed limit till you get to Zion (at that speed, takes about half an hour (or so)).  Alternately, you could fly to Vegas and hit the parks from there, but you'll miss out on all those nice folks in white shirts.  And, contrary to popular opinion, you can actually hit up the local Starbucks in Salt Lake City!

Just for fun, I am including a couple of pics below of yours truly and his special friend.  Mostly at Zion, but one at Cannon Beach.  As you can see, I appear to be enjoying myself, and Gabrielle is so fun to travel with.  It has been a real blessing to be able to spend this great time with her while we are both healthy enough to enjoy getting out and being active.

One more thing about Zion, then I will move on to something else. The hands down best hike in the park is one called Angel's Landing.  No pics here of it, but Google it if you wish.  It is steep, with cliffs on both sides and then you get to this amazing lookout on top.  Well worth it, if you go.

On the home front, I am delighted to report that Gabrielle's tumor marker has actually gone down (drop in CA-125 from 24 to 16.5) which has been a huge answer to prayer.  This is especially remarkable since for the past two months, she has not been on any medication at all for her cancer.  She had previously been on a maintenance dose of Avastin but needed to stop due to side effects.

So, right now, we are getting into a rhythm of work and play.  I miss my bicycle commute, but manage to swim a couple times a week (was at Golden Gardens yesterday before work).  I have even managed to carve out a little time here and there to mow the lawn a time or two and get a haircut, so it's all good.

That's it for now.  Stay healthy.  I'll check back in a month to keep you in the loop.

Oh, and in case you want even more details of the goings on at "casa Dudley", I remind interested parties to check out Gabrielle's blog at "welovegabrielle.blogspot.com".

In case you want to drop me a line, my e-mail is: stevedudley@comast.net.  I recently heard from one of you who asked about boating on salt water, so I still may have a little advice left in me.

And now for the pictures.  Don't we look like a happy couple?

 Zion scenery with a tourist who insinuated himself into the pic.

 Zion National Park

 Cannon Beach

Gabrielle in Zion

April news

I suppose one reason for the lapse in recent posts has been that there's not much to report.  On the home front, Gabrielle has been doing fairly well, which is a huge blessing.  She had a clear scan in March and doesn't need to get another one till sometime this summer.  She's had some significant fatigue and aches and pains which she suspects might be due to one of her medicines she is on. Meets with one of her doctors in a week or so to get that sorted out.  Till then, she manages to keep quite upbeat and cheerful, which is something I really admire about her.  

As for me, I am slowly settling in to my new job, though there have been several different learning curves including learning the electronic health records system (Epic), keeping the office staff sorted out (still only at 20% in knowing their names...they make me wear a name tag but not them), and simply working in a bigger system.  My days are fairly busy, seeing anywhere from 20 to over 30 patients in a day, but they are rewarding as I get to practice medicine.  I miss seeing the same patients, as most everyone is new and they have regular doctors.  Somebody told me that, by definition, people come to urgent care because they can't see their own doctors and right out of the starting gate, I am seen as "second string".  On some visits, I hear how wonderful Dr. So and So is.  I get it.  Occasionally, somebody asks me if I can be their regular doctor, which is a nice compliment.  

I definitely miss my old practice; no two ways around that.  It's nice to have the familiar faces, the smiles, the checking in with each other's lives and such, but life does indeed go on.  When I get to missing things too much, I remind myself of the bigger picture: my desire to have a little more flexibility than I did before, and a little more free time.  I am working a little less and have more time to spend with Gabrielle, though I haven't made much of a dent in her "honey do" list.  

Next week, we are tackling another item on our "to do" list: the parks of southern Utah.  Looking forward to all those nifty place like Zion and Arches and that place where the guy got his hand stuck for 127 hours before he cut it off with a Swiss Army knife (note to self: take along very sharp knife and local anesthetic!).    I am pretty sure I will return with both hands intact.

On the exercise front, I haven't ridden my bike since stopping my commute to Holman Road, and I miss that.  On the up side, I have been walking to and from work over near the Shoreline Home Depot, and that has been quite pleasant.  I still manage to swim in the Sound, usually off of Edmonds, about twice a week.  Friday, it was very windy: whitecaps and waves to about 3 feet, which was a lot of fun, though I did swallow a tad more saltwater than usual.  I needed to dodge kite surfers who were out in droves.  I am discovering that they are a pretty tight knit bunch and aren't particularly chatty with outsiders like me.  I am not sure why that is.  If you happen to be or know a kite surfer, perhaps you could either disabuse me of this impression or let me know why that is.  I suspect they think I am invading their turf the way certain surfers "claim" a beach, but I could be way off base on that.  

Well, that's all the news that's fit to print.  I'll let you know how things went in Utah.  I am a little nervous, as I have heard that Starbucks has not made too many inroads down there yet.  

Good bye to the old, in with the new

It definitely has been hard to say goodbye to so many of you.  But, at least for many, I did indeed have a chance to say goodbye.  Unfortunately, that has not been the case with everyone.  I ran into a former patient last week who hadn't gotten the word, so I gave him a quick rundown on what was going on in my life.  I realize that I have not been able to communicate with everybody concerning my practice plans, change of venue, etc.  For that I apologize.  We just did not have the resources to send out a mass mailing to everyone I have seen in the past 10 years.  I tried my best to identify many folks, but clearly was not able to let everyone know.  For that I apologize.  Please don't take it personally, as it was not intentional that you didn't get a notice.
Having said that, my understanding is that Northwest Family Care Center is still going strong and that there are many opportunities to establish care with one of the providers who are still there.  And our staff remains the same as well. 
And on the update side of things, my new job has started with many meetings, new employee orientation seminars and quite a few online classes to check off.  I think I will start seeing patients later this week.  There is quite a learning curve in the way they chart in medical records (the Epic system), but I think I am up to the challenge.  Having said that, I will miss my thick, heavy paper charts...an over 50 doctor's form of a security blanket, I suppose. 
On the home front, my wife, Gabrielle, had a recent CT scan which was clear.  It was cause for much rejoicing.  So for now, she is on the same routine of a single medicine infusion once every three weeks.  This is a far cry better than when she was getting the more intensive treatment of three drugs once a week. 
Am hopeful that things will stay like this for a while. 
So, thanks for checking in.  Stay healthy, keep those spring allergies at bay.   For those of you training for the STP, time to ramp it up to 40 mile rides about now.  As for those swimmers, I have yet to see any of you at Golden Gardens.  Remember, the "pool" is always open.  Come on in, the water's fine!

Last Day

Well, here it is, the much anticipated and yet dreaded last day at my job.  I have been with Northwest Family Care Center for over 10 years and they have been, hands down, the most professionally rewarding for me.  I have been honored and blessed to work with a great staff from the front office, to those behind the scenes, to some great nurses, all of whom have made my job a little easier in the process.  Happily, they will all remain, so you will be treated to the same great care as before, should you opt to remain at our clinic.  I can't end by sending out a huge thank you to my patients.  You are the reason I get up every morning and pedal to work (on my ambitious days that is, otherwise it's the car).  I have been humbled by the faith and respect you have accorded me and I hope that I have been a dutiful guardian of that trust.  Thank you for the words of support and encouragement, not only for me, but for my wife and family.  Thanks for the great memories.  Wishing you all the best. 
As I said before, I will try and keep this updated from time to time, just to let you know what's going on, or if there are any new developments (e.g. if the police find my stolen bicycle or I hit upon that magic pill that melts the pounds away while letting you eat all the Red Mill burgers you want). 
Blessings to you all.  Now, off to work.  Somebody told me there would be cake.  I like cake.

Next post (how's that for a catchy title?)

In some respects, it seems like a scene from Groundhog Day.  If you've seen the movie, you'll recall that Bill Murray lives the same day over and over again.  In my case, I walk into the exam room and my patient is in there with my letter announcing my departure(usually crumpled up and thrown at me in disgust).  I explain, as well as I can in the few moments we have, in a little more detail about the reason for my change.  I don't mind talking about it, as I find it helpful to flesh out some points which were briefly touched on in my note.  It has also been a bit of a relief, because now it's out in the open and I can speak more candidly with people about this important part of my life. 
I have had an interesting array of responses from individuals.
One person congratulated me on my retirement, telling me she was so happy for me and that I had earned it, wishing me yet again happiness in my retirement and that she'd miss me. (I suspect she hadn't fully read the letter).
Two people have called me a quitter.  I am not sure if this was their attempt at humor, or if that's how they see me.
One woman told me she cried for an hour after getting my letter in the mail.
A few people have gotten teary eyed (me too for that matter).
I have been the recipient of many hugs, from even the most stoic of my patients.
Someone sent me a very nice note thanking me for the "excellent car" I gave him.  I suspect he meant "care", but maybe it was a car.  I will have to check my driveway when I finish this post. 
I have also gotten many nice cards and even a smattering of gift cards (Olive Garden here I come!). 
This is not a hint for more of the same of any of the above.  Truly, I wish it was as simple as retiring as that one person thinks.  Equally, I would love to be in a position to buy you all cars, but not being Oprah, you and I both know that's not going to happen.
Rather, I just want to acknowledge, in all humility, how touched I have been by your kind words.  Sometimes it is not easy to tell if my efforts on any given day, with any given person have any impact.  It appears that to a few of you they do.
I will let you in on a little doctoring secret of mine.  For a long time, I have often played a little mental game with myself as I go into a patient's room.  I pretend that I am encountering an angel in disguise, the ultimate Secret Shopper, if you will.  I imagine that I am being tested to see if I treat him (or her) with grace and warmth.  I think of the reception Abraham gave the angels in Genesis 18.  He thought they were just strangers, but welcomed them nonetheless.  I imagine that I am coming face to face with a VIP, someone I can learn from as much as I can offer help to them.  So far, I have found that most everyone has something to teach me, whether it be something very practical (e.g. get out of bed feet first to avoid headaches), or more sublime like how to have grace or patience in a particular setting.
In short, you have been my teachers and sources of inspiration as well.  Thanks for all you do.  I appreciate you.  Now, about that retirement....

New year, new beginnings

Dear friends,
Thanks for checking in to my blog.  I have started this blog just so people can be aware of what I am up to.  I know that many of you are patients (sadly soon to be former patients) of mine who have taken a genuine and sincere interest in what's going on in my life, especially as it pertains to my wife, Gabrielle's cancer journey.  I also know that typically when a doctor leaves a practice, that's the last anyone every hears from him (or her).  Time and again, I have had patients express their thoughts about "whatever happened to Dr. Smith or Jones".  I think that is sad, as medicine is a profession built on relationships and it is unfortunate that when a doctor leaves, all of a sudden that's the end of a partnership that has been developing for 10, 20 or even 30 years or more in some cases.  It is a special relationship, built upon mutual trust, respect and understanding, and I shall truly miss the interactions I have had with many of you.  The decision to leave my current practice was very difficult because of these factors, but I believe it is the right one for the reasons I outlined in my departure letter. 
When I first entered medical school, I always wanted to be a family doctor and it has brought me a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.  On most days, I can go home thinking that I did my part to help a few folks out, on the way to better health or wellness, and that's a good feeling.
As I mentioned, I will be working at the urgent care clinic of the University Washington in Shoreline.  I have long been impressed with the University of Washington, having spent 8 years there as a student and also sending my son there for medical school (yep, watch out for the future Dr. Dudley (new, improved and 50 pounds lighter, version 2.0)).  I will even be considered faculty at the UW, which means I'll continue to get to teach students, which is something I enjoy doing as well.
The most important thing about the new job, however, is that it allows me to have more flexibility in my schedule.  I will actually work fewer days (albeit longer) and have the potential to have time off if the need arises.  I have been working hard on enjoying time with my wife while she still has health enough to travel and do a few things, and hope to do more of the same in the future.  I'd like to take a road trip to the parks of southern Utah (I hear Bryce is nice), possibly hop a Canadian train to Banff or even parts farther east like Montreal, or just amble on down the Oregon coast in no particular rush. 
I am happy to stay in touch with you, as much as I am able.  To that end, I thought I would include my e-mail address (see below), but I need to do so with a big caveat.  The caveat is that I cannot offer any medical advice, answer questions about current doctors or where you should go to see a specialist.  For that matter, since the e-mail is not considered secure (no fancy encryption), I am not even supposed to acknowledge how I know you, if you are a former patient.  HIPPA raises its head once again.  Also, I may not be able to answer every e-mail I get, so if you don't get a response from me, it's not because I am ignoring you.  I will do what I can, but no promises.  I just don't want to feel the burden of needing to answer e-mails for an hour each night (probably wouldn't be that long...I'm not that popular). 
I will try and write something on this blog from time to time to update you on family matters (appreciate your prayers for Gabrielle, by the way), and how things are going at my new job. 
I will end this post by reiterating what I said in my letter which is that I have loved being your doctor and shall miss you.  Thank you for the kindness and trust you have placed in me.  It has been an honor to be your doctor.  Many of you have been great resources for silly jokes, best fishing holes, homemade treats, restaurant advice, tree trimming, bicycle repairs and all sorts of other things.  In sort, you are my friends, and I am honored to count you as such. 
Wishing you all the best for a new year.


Steve Dudley, M.D.
My e-mail:  stevedudley@comcast.net 


Oh, and in case you are curious and would like more information about my wife, we have a blog about her as well.  It has been going on since her cancer diagnosis in January, 2013.  It has a few more hits than this blog.  At last count, her hits were 196,000 and I had 12 (not 12,000, but 12).  That's life. 
Her blog is: welovegabrielle.blogspot.com 


Oh, one more thing.  You may notice that the "blogger" is Daniel Dudley.  That's because I piggy-backed on to his blog account, finding it easier to do so than to set up my own.  Being significantly over 50, I find things like this a tad more challenging than he does at 24. 

Staying in touch

Hello, friends, etc.
This will be a site where you can find out what I am up to.  More to come....