Paul

With spring officially upon us I am reminded of Paul, one of the very first people we met in practice in 2002. When we met Paul, he was about 95 years old and was diagnosed with emphysema, a difficult breathing condition, due to years and years of smoking. Paul was a fiery old man, quick with a joke and not afraid to tell you his views on life or a situation.

What bothered Paul the most about his health was his inability to take care of his house and yard. In his own words taking care of his yard was the one thing in life that gave him the most enjoyment. After seeing his x-rays and hearing about his examination results, Paul decided that Chiropractic could help him out. Over the course of the next year or so, Paul rarely missed an appointment; when he did, he made it up. Thanks to his dedication, Paul steadily improved. His first goal was to walk up the stairs instead of riding the elevator, which he accomplished in no time at all. By autumn, Paul was cleaning his yard, raking leaves and hauling brush from his back yard to the curb for pick up. Paul was a happy camper to say the least!

After his original year of care was up, the nay-sayers began to get to Paul, most notably his daughter who is a career nurse. I remember Paul saying to me, “I understand that people plateau, but I don’t think this is helping anymore. I’m going to try and do it on my own.” Obviously, Paul decided to discontinue his care.

After being away from Chiropractic for about a year, we received a phone call from Paul expressing his desire to return. When he did, he told us how his emphysema had worsened. He expressed his discontent with his daughter’s opinions and his decision to leave Chiropractic care even though his condition improved. Paul was quick to tell other people in the office the same because it was the only thing that helped him do the things he enjoyed most in life. At 97 years old, he wanted to make the most of the rest of his life.

During his time in Chiropractic Paul made good with his ex-wife (and mother of his children.) He reconciled differences with family and old friends that we talked about. In fact upon his return it didn’t take Paul long to revive his energy and his spirit. After a week or so, he was climbing the stairs and mowing his lawn again.

Our story of Paul concludes one day when he didn’t show up for an appointment and then another and another. After a month of calling, we finally got in touch with his daughter who told us Paul passed a month prior. But her words still ring in our ears. Despite her anti-chiropractic position, she thanked us for reviving Paul’s spirit and bringing her father back to life. She stated her appreciation that he was able to remain active and it was his strong belief in Chiropractic that even changed her mind.

This spring, let’s remember Paul’s story, for what happened thanks to Chiropractic, what happened when he left, and what happened to those he touched.