After having a breathlessness issue climbing up a huge escalator when on vacation in December 2022, I finally relented and went to see my relatively new doctor, Dr. Tammy Jones. At the time I was also unable to walk more than 2000 steps a day because of the most painful episode ever of plantar fasciitis - something that had plagued me since my teaching years in my 30s - along with debilitating joint pain in my hips and knees. I was in great pain and I was getting discouraged about how I felt, my stubborn weight, and my fear of doctors. I had been seeing Dr. Tammy Jones since that May and my first visit was positive, but I still felt hesitant to “bother” her. I’m so glad I did.
First of all, when I asked her the question, “Should I see a podiatrist or a physical therapist?” about my painful heel she replied matter-of-factly, “Why not see both?” Oh. So I guess I’m not bothering my doctor when I ask for help to feel better. That’s a new feeling for me. So I saw the people she recommended. Both the podiatrist and the PT were effective and neither one ever said that the first thing I needed to do was lose weight, nor did they seem bothered that I was asking for relief from pain. And by the way, Dr. Jones never chided me on that weight front either, which I highly appreciate because I always felt that it was obvious and why do I need a doctor to tell me I need to do what I already knew I needed to do? I needed someone to show me how. I actually appreciated and found it more valuable the way Dr. Jones encouraged me to be a greater advocate for myself and ask for everything I need to relieve the intense pain - both a PT and a podiatrist at that time.
After a few weeks of this unexpected source of enlightenment and bonus liberation from the fear of being a bother, I decided to take Dr. Jones’ advice from our appointment earlier in the year and called the hematologist she had recommended. That was life-changing, too. From what I thought was going to be a routine blood check for which blood thinner I should be taking, I found out I had celiac disease! Since this treatment - not eating any gluten and receiving vitamin infusions - my joint pain is almost totally resolved (within one year!). Now I’m off blood thinners and I’ve lost 35 pounds without really even trying (other than the fastidious job of hunting for gluten and the agony of finding out how gluten is in so many foods). By June 2023 - that’s about 6 months! - I was walking at least 10,000 steps every day on vacation with my son and husband, visiting family in Sweden and Iceland! I would never have even been able to go on this trip without Dr. Jones’ advice, encouragement, and care.
Dr. Tammy Jones made this transformation possible. Since then I have called her office many times with questions - all of them answered with kindness, patience, and compassion - and I’ve recommended a friend who also now adores Dr. Jones. As soon as my husband’s current Concierge Doctor membership expires, he plans to see Dr. Jones as well. Dr. Tammy Jones is not just knowledgeable and also knows the right specialists to recommend, she is easily approachable, compassionate, understanding, and non-judgemental while still being highly professional. She has taken the time in appointments to share her own (some difficult) experiences and to talk about books I thought she’d be interested in reading. She’s professional, incredibly intelligent, and a brilliant doctor but above all Dr. Jones makes me feel seen and heard. She inspires me to take care of myself. I’m so grateful she’s my doctor - well beyond the words written here.
The photo is me and family waiting at the dock after walking around the Swedish island of Grinda all day. It meant a lot to me to be able to spend this time in Stockholm to see family we hadn’t seen since well before the pandemic and meet the newest addition to the family, baby Minerva, only 4 months old. From right to left: my husband, his cousin, her husband and baby, me, and my son. What a memorable experience made possible, thanks to good health!
