It was late fall of 2008 when the bird on the right was referred to me for stratification of her multiple cardiac risk factors (Hope you enjoyed the fruit basket Dr. Doolittle).
Although aviarian HIPAA rules are more lax than for humans, let's be ultra-sure and just call our patient Billie Jean. Due to a variety of circumstances, Billie Jean had not been flying as much as she used to. While adapting to the sedentary lifestyle, she had developed sleep apnea, hypertension (BP was 24/8), and was pre-diabetic. Although she acted sad during the visit, the pencil kept dropping from her feet while filling out the Beck's Depression Scale (I went ahead and put her on a trial of fluoxetine).
Despite what I was assuming was a diet of bird seed and worms, her cholesterol profile was less than ideal (low HDL and high LDL). With her increased susceptibility to bird cardiovascular disease, we discussed a stress test and spoke at length about appropriate amount of exercise and a healthy diet. Later that evening I felt horrible, remembering that I had recommended skinless chicken and turkey.
Anyway, Billie Jean was lost to follow up. I was always concerned with what happened to her, and I found out last Sunday.
Strolling through the west side of the Columbus Zoo, I saw Billie Jean.
She was simply stunning. Yes, she had really stretched out, but it was more than that. Her diet had changed dramatically. She was now eating
blue-green and red algae (colorful diets are the healthiest diets), diatoms, larval and adult forms of small insects, crustaceans, molluscs, and small fishes. To maintain her beautiful feathers her diet is now also high in alpha and beta carotenoid pigments. You could tell by her swagger that her self-esteem had significantly improved as well. A well known side effect of exercise that affects everybody. A matter of fact, she was so confident that she would not respond to my repeated calls of Billie Jean* (I know she heard me).
As a physician, I didn't have to measure her blood pressure and cholesterol to know they had to have improved dramatically.
It was also pretty obvious that she had died her hair pink, but if that makes her happy, it makes me happy.
To me, the moral of story is this. There are many
of us in Billie Jean's original position. We say that one day we'll do it, we'll make the change. Not Billie Jean. She must have walked out of my office...and kept walking. Now she is continuing to build on her initial momentum making smart decisions everyday.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the new Billie Jean is more attractive. I don't believe that nor would I say it anyway as my wife reads the newsletter.
What I am saying is the new Billie Jean is healthier. She will living a much higher quality (and quantity) of life, and that is what Walk with a Doc wants for you.
Everyday, we are watching more and more of you make the same change Billie Jean decided to make. It is our fuel and we will be here, when you need us, every step of the way.
