It's Complicated

After having a few too many not-so-enthusiastic responses to my starting to tell people that I'm going to be an ob/gyn (YES it's true!  And that's short for obstetrician gynecologist for anyone who is thinking how in the world do I pronounce that) I decided that I needed to write a letter to myself about why I want to do it.  Not because I'm not sure, but so I can reflect back on it whenever I want a reminder in clear, honest words instead of a jumbled, messy "well I don't want to do what you do either!" knee jerk response which is not necessarily the greatest.

As I was groping for the right words I read this awesome post by an ob/gyn from her fabulous blog that I just stumbled upon and thought: SO RIGHT.  I like it because it's complicated.  Because women are complicated.  Because women talk through everything they are thinking and feeling about their health.  Because for women, health isn't just about them but about the people in their lives, the people they love.  Because women's bodies are changing and morphing throughout life in ways that are fascinating to me and aren't just getting older or getting diseases that can benefit from explanations of the inner-workings of medicine.  Because I want to be on the same page as my patients (and while I wish I felt that way with male patients, I just don't).  Because I want to be able to take my patients into their C-sections if that's what's necessary, into their hysterectomies, to catch breast cancer early and explain what happens next, to talk about safe and empowering sex, to deliver a baby and then deliver her baby many years later, to talk about how hormonal changes can affect even the most powerful woman - but how they don't have to be debilitating, to help women make their lives healthy with exercise and good nutrition and screening tests and asking questions.  Because I want to be an advocate for women's health and while I could do that from other fields, it would be only so that I could say I didn't JUST go into women's medicine - when in fact all I want is to go into women's medicine.

phew.  this might need some editing later, but for now I just want it out there in the world.