April 29, 2020
Hello from my home to yours. Lately I’ve been personally reaching out to patients and other recent visitors to The Plastic Surgery Clinic to see how everyone’s doing during the current health crisis we are living through. I wanted to address our audience more broadly and thought our blog might be a good opportunity to do so. You can also follow me on Instagram if you’d like a behind the scenes look at what I’m up to during quarantine. I’d love to know what you’ve been up to, too.
Like many of you, I’m at home self-isolating. I’ve been keeping busy by participating in Zoom lectures to teach young plastic surgeons around the world about the techniques we use here. I’m so glad that even though we’re physically separated we can still be active teaching and learning from one another. And the good news is, what we’re doing is working. In Canada the numbers are lower than we feared and we’re succeeding in flattening the curve.
It feels like forever ago that I was doing the thing that I love so much: being a plastic surgeon. I don’t think I’ve ever really taken my job for granted. I love seeing prospective patients every day, hearing about their goals and dreams and then letting them know what we can do to be a part of it. Walking into the operating room is a thrill, day in and day out. Chatting with a patient as they wake up from their surgery is an enormous honour; letting them know that their surgery went great and that they’re going to love their result is a joy every single time.
While I never took these aspects of my job for granted, they’ve certainly been cast in a new light. It is such a privilege to be able to do what I do, and being kept from my job—even while knowing it’s absolutely the right thing to do in this moment—feels like a new heartbreak every day.
So, how you are doing? I’m sure you are facing your own unique struggles at this time. Maybe you’re juggling childcare, homeschooling and a job. Maybe you’re out of work. Maybe you’re a front-line worker with a family at home. Maybe you have a loved one in a care facility. I am thinking of you. I am hoping that you are able to stay strong during all of this. And if you don’t feel strong, that’s ok too. Let yourself feel your vulnerability, it’s what makes us human.
Lots of my patients come to me saying that they have waited years and years for their surgery. Some patients whose surgery we’ve had to postpone were in tears learning they’d have to wait even a month or two longer for their procedure. If you are feeling this way, I’m so sorry. But know this: when this all ends, and it will end, we will be here to take care of you with more passion than ever before. Seeing you walk through our doors again will be a day of enormous joy for my entire team. It will buoy the spirits of everyone who works at The Plastic Surgery Clinic. I just wanted you to know that.
In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We’re still here working from our kitchens, our couches, and our home offices to answer your questions and allay your fears. We’re in this together and we’ll see you on the other side.
Dr. Frank Lista
Medical Director and Founder, The Plastic Surgery Clinic
Medical Director, MD Beauty Clinic
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