Full Circle by Frank Segreto, D.C.

Every once in a while you have one of those seminal moments in practice where you just have to pause and reflect, a moment where you see a certain chain of events has come full circle. I had one of those moments the other day.

One of my patients is moving from here in New Jersey to Florida. We’ll call her Terry. Terry is in her early twenties, and her boyfriend got a great job down there and she wanted to move down as well. She set her intention, started interviewing for positions, and landed a great job with great pay. Terry very quickly did all those necessary things that come with moving, and in short order was ready to start her new life.

We all have patients whom we have the honor taking care of for a while and they move on to new places and new lives, but this one was a little different. You see, Terry and her family have been under my care for many years. I started caring for Terry when she was an infant. When she was born there were some difficulties that occurred and I was called to their home to adjust her shortly after her birth. What an honor, to be given a chance to get an infant off to a great start by delivering that wonderful first adjustment at such an early age. 

Fast forward to my first NET seminar in 1998. I came home from that seminar knowing I had discovered something powerful. Terry’s family members were some of the first patients I treated with NET, and through the years they’ve all come to me for various reasons. I’ve seen all of them go through life’s trials and tribulations, heartbreaks and challenges, joys and celebrations. 

Before leaving New Jersey I was one of her last stops. She came to see me for an adjustment and NET. In the other treatment room was her mom. One NET treatment needed for Terry to send her off, and one to help mom say good-bye to her child. Talk about changing gears in a hurry. But Terry was so excited and I was so happy for her, and we still managed to find an NEC to clear; no surprise there! 

And now it was time to say good-bye. Twenty-plus years going by in a flash, memories of seeing this lovely young lady grow before my eyes, and a comforting sense of contentment in knowing that NET certainly helped her along her way. Did she work hard and earn the opportunity before her? Of course she did. Don’t think for a second that I’m minimizing her efforts in any way. But I couldn’t help but wonder just how much NET had helped her all these years. It obviously meant a lot to her. After all, she was here, making sure she got treated before she moved. She obviously recognized the value that NET has had for her.

I’ll admit that I’m certainly guilty of taking NET for granted sometimes. When you see wonderful results day after day after day, it’s easy to forget how powerful NET is. It’s moments like these when I stop and realize just what a gift we’ve been given. How amazing it is to have NET to help our patients every day. How amazing it is to see the impact it has on their lives. How amazing to care for a patient for years, and see it all come full circle.