Truth be told – I was a big New Year’s resolution type of guy. For a couple decades I took the time to write out numerous, annual resolutions on multiple pages. This year and last year – I simplified this process by reducing the number of goals to something more manageable: “Don’t give up.” In a review of past goals it would appear that I haven’t made much progress because the areas I struggle with have been surprisingly similar over the years – balancing my life, eating right, losing weight, making better choices with my time, and living with more intention. I imagine that the appeal of the popular TV program, “The Biggest Loser” (www.nbc.com/the-biggest-loser/) is the life changing dedication and hard work that results in such dramatic changes. I seem to have a number of patients that have made regular (daily?) resolutions to wake up and commit to improving each day. They consult for those areas that do not respond to diet and exercise. Some people even name these little unwanted fat pockets (“my little friend”, “Fred”, “my other butt” etc.) and many patients are surprised at the dramatic improvements they see with even the littlest 2-5 pounds of fat removal. That’s not to say that these unwanted fat deposits are not noticeable – because they are – but my observation is more that the biggest rewards sometimes come to the littlest losers.

First confession: I love transformation stories. I love the old movie classic, “Rocky”, remakes of old classics like “Sabrina” and even quirky Australian movies such as “Babe” or “Strictly Ballroom.” Truthfully, I even enjoy cartoon versions of transformations such as “Shrek”or the classic “Beauty and the Beast”. Although in the case of Fiona and the ogre – beauty can be in the eyes of the beholder. It is easy for me to see why so many people enjoy reality TV and the transformation stories of Susan Boyle or Legacy on “So You Think You Can Dance.” Even the most physically transformative stories seen on “The Biggest Loser” are compelling in both the emotional and physical scope for most people. As viewers we get to see a very shortened portion of life altering changes.

Second confession: One of my favorite job benefits is to participate in transformations. The old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” is simply untrue. I have been impressed with the impact that a critical comment made by a family member, a friend or even a total stranger can have on some people’s self-image. An off-handed comment about the size of a nose or the protrusion of ears or the _______(you can fill in the blank), can leave some people with emotional scars that can be often forgiven, but not easily forgotten. It has been my privilege to have been a frequent witness to physical changes and emotional healing that are accomplished as a result of surgery. Some people would like to think of plastic surgery as just “vanity,” but my most typical patients are really attempting to normalize appearance or restore proportions that has been changed or lost with time, age, pregnancy, trauma or even cancer. In this century to say, “Well, you were born that way – and that’s how you should stay,” is also just untrue.

Third confessoin: I have kept a box of thank you notes from grateful patients who have allowed me the privilege of listening to their concerns, working with them to develop a treatment plan based on appropriate expectations and caring for them during their recovery and eventual transformations. Sometimes I do think, “Wow, I get to help people in unique ways – both visibly and emotionally.” While my 13 years of medical training were critically important, maybe my undergraduate major in Psychology from Bethel was better than calculus after all.