“Let it go, let it go”, Spring 2014 Newsletter
By the looks of it outside it would seem that a young queen had a panic attack and let loose a spell condemning Chicagolandia to an eternal winter. Yes, I have 2 young daughters and yes…I’ve been watching A LOT of Disney’s Frozen lately.
For those unfamiliar with the story, young Queen Anna has innate magical snow powers that flare out of control in proportion to her emotions. When her true nature is revealed, her conniption results in the kingdom being cursed with an interminable winter. Only her kid sister, a showtunes-crooning snowman, a Nordic ice salesman and his trusty-sidekick reindeer can save the day. Granted, at face value it sounds difficult to relate this to chronic superficial venous disease. However, the subtext of the story is that physical challenges that many people face present a dilemma: run away or hide from them…conceal them, don’t let them show OR face them confidently…open the doors to the world around you and allow people who genuinely care to share the challenges with you.
Many of my patients can relate to such a dilemma. Living with chronic superficial vein disease meant quietly enduring legs that felt heavy, fatigued, crampy, “restless” and uncomfortable…especially after prolonged standing or sitting. It also meant avoiding clothes or activities that involved showing their legs due to progressively worsening varicose and spider veins.
Once patients open the door (both figuratively and literally) seeking help at our clinic and face their challenges with me, I spend an hour during my consultation getting to know their medical history and particular concerns. I spend a great deal of time teaching about vein disease and the methods of diagnosis and treatment. Treatment plans are tailored to an individual’s needs and overall goals.
Treatments are all performed in our comfortable office setting. There is no down time: most activities can be resumed immediately after treatments. Many treatments may be covered by insurance carriers, including Medicare.
In the end, an act of true love is what saves the day in Frozen. I can’t say that bringing warmer weather sooner is in my skillset, but I can honestly say that I love what I do. It is extremely gratifying to me to be able to alleviate patients’ chronic discomfort; to help their legs feel and look better; to allow them to participate in activities they avoided for years. As for the issue that has been troubling your legs for years, I say it’s time to “Let it Go”! See you soon.