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What’s Up, Doc? Featuring Dr. Carol Shields | The Eye Believe Podcast · The Eye Believe Podcast

0:03
hey everyone
0:04
welcome back to the Eye Believe Podcast
0:06
I'm Megan
0:06
and we have the amazing Doctor Shields here with us
0:09
for another episode of What's Up, Doc?
0:11
welcome Doctor Shields
0:13
yeah thank you Megan I'm glad to be here
0:16
we're thrilled to have you
0:18
so let's jump right in
0:19
tell us a little bit about your backstory
0:22
oh my backstory
0:24
well it goes to western Pennsylvania
0:27
so I was born in uh
0:29
kind of the countryside of western Pennsylvania
0:33
uh
0:34
attended schools there
0:36
and wound up in college at the university of Notre Dame
0:40
and then I went from Notre Dame
0:42
uh to the university of Pittsburgh
0:45
for my medical school training
0:47
and from there I went to Wills Eye Hospital
0:51
for my ophthalmology residency
0:54
then the best thing in my life happened
0:57
I met my husband
0:58
but my career was also honed
1:03
or polished at Wills Eye Hospital
1:06
and I've been at Wills for now 42
1:10
43 years and I have enjoyed pretty much every day
1:18
that's amazing
1:20
when did you know that you wanted to be a doctor
1:23
I think I knew I wanted to be a doctor
1:25
when I was in high school
1:28
um
1:29
I would do house calls with my father
1:32
who was kind of a general practitioner
1:36
maybe interested in cardiology
1:39
but it was before
1:39
they had a lot of fellowship trained doctors
1:43
so I would tag along with him
1:45
to see his patients in their home
1:47
and I always enjoyed like
1:50
the discussion and how he cared for them and
1:54
you know how he would do the blood pressure
1:56
and listen to the heart and I thought yeah
1:59
I think I can do this but reality set in
2:03
and I said you know
2:05
when I was in college
2:07
maybe I should be a pharmacist
2:09
or something that has more regular hours
2:12
um and I thought about
2:15
I thought very seriously about going into pharmacy
2:18
but the closer I got to my senior year
2:21
the more I realized
2:21
I really wanted the direct patient interaction uh
2:25
because I believed in myself
2:28
I knew I could take care of patients
2:31
I knew I could take care of little kids
2:35
who had cancer in the eye
2:36
I knew I could provide good care
2:40
for adults with melanoma in the eye
2:43
or whatever
2:45
and I just I trusted myself
2:49
so I did go into the medical field again
2:53
not really sure what field I'd go into
2:56
I thought about endocrinology
2:58
rheumatology
3:00
didn't really want to go into general surgery cause
3:02
it was a little bit too demanding
3:05
um and then I made a phone call
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I called my older brother
3:12
his name's Pat I had
3:14
you know I'm one of eight kids
3:15
so when you're one of eight kids
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you always first contact your siblings for advice
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and if they can't give you good advice
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you go outside your siblings
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so I called my brother Pat
3:27
who was
3:29
uh older than me
3:30
and he was the closest one to me in medical school
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and I said Pat
3:35
I'm thinking about subspecialization
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what do you think and he said oh
3:40
go into ophthalmology
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that's not even a difficult choice
3:44
if you have the grades and you have the gusto
3:48
go into ophthalmology it's a great field
3:50
and so that's what I did I went into ophthalmology
3:53
and wound up at Wills Eye Hospital
3:55
I couldn't believe I got into Wills Eye
3:58
I had sort of my heart set on staying in Pittsburgh
4:02
at the university of Pittsburgh
4:04
but when I got into Wills
4:05
that's like wow
4:07
the best residency I can't believe I got
4:10
got into the residency
4:12
but back then they were accepting 13 students
4:17
13 residents per year
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and I was sure I was number thirteen
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No.13 because I was unlucky but lucky
4:26
and I was probably at the bottom of my class
4:29
but it just so happened when I took my residency um
4:35
there was a guy in my class
4:37
his name is Mike Scrabic
4:38
he was our valedictorian
4:41
at the university of Notre Dame
4:43
I said I walked in and I said Mike
4:45
you're here and we couldn't believe it
4:48
two two Notre Dameers in one class
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that's amazing
4:54
yeah it was
4:54
it was amazing I was more of a hard worker
4:57
and when I was in college
5:00
you know I played sports
5:01
so I played varsity basketball
5:04
so I was kind of constantly juggling
5:09
you know
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different hats all the time to keep up with my science
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you know I
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I we actually have working in our office this summer
5:20
a student athlete from Notre Dame
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and she says nowadays
5:27
nobody who's an athlete goes into science
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it's just too hard but it was
5:32
it was really hard I
5:34
my medical school class when I was in med school
5:37
it was a lot easier than when I was in college
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cause in college there was always a basketball game
5:42
or practice or whatever
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or you can't stay out late and go to that party
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cause you have a game tomorrow
5:49
it's just everything
5:50
but it taught me
5:54
taught me to trust in trust myself
5:57
believe in myself
5:59
believe in my skills
6:02
and know that I can do it
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and I learned very quickly that I could do it
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but I come from a long lineage of athletes
6:12
my dad was a semi pro baseball player
6:15
and he always wanted to play for the Yankees
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and he played on their farm team
6:23
but never made it to the Yankees
6:25
and he went into medicine too
6:28
wow
6:30
in college my younger sister played basketball with me
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and we had ESP
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we could read each other so well
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that she knew
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if someone was dribbling the basketball near me
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she better start running down the court
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because she would cherry pick
6:50
I'd steal the ball and throw it down to her
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and she'd put a a basket in
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and we had a very unique scoring system
7:00
wow
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that is that is so cool what a great story
7:06
but you know
7:07
when I came to Wills I was interested in everything
7:12
I wanted to do plastics I like glaucoma
7:15
I thought about cornea
7:17
I thought about retina
7:21
then I I met my future husband to be Jerry Shields
7:26
and I said wow
7:28
he's in this practice pretty much alone
7:31
he needs someone to really help him to organize
7:37
this field and to help keep him going
7:42
especially when he had a tough case
7:44
I could work up all the straightforward cases
7:47
so we wouldn't get behind
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so I went into ocular oncology
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and I'm glad I did it you know
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it's a it's a unique field
7:56
uh there weren't many of us in the US
7:59
there were maybe like 6
8:01
6 ocular oncologist when I joined him
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wow
8:07
one in New York uh
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maybe two in New York then us two
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and then maybe one in San Francisco
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this is before now nowadays
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we have maybe 20 25 ocular oncologists in the States
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but we worked hard and
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you know Jerry was working seven days a week
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and I told him I'd like two days off on the weekend
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and we got ourselves kind of organized
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so that we could work five day weeks
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and our patient volume grew
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and it grew to the point that
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you know we were seeing 50 new patients on a Monday
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new patients that's a lot of work
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and at one point we had like
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five doctors all working together
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and it was really big business
9:00
um now we're down to two
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maybe three doctors working together
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and we still see you know
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Monday we saw 36 new patients
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and today we had 70 follow ups
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and we just it's a very busy practice
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absolutely
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and I think our patients
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like that they see the same doctor every time
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even if like
9:27
a fellow who's new might work them up
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they know that I'm gonna come in to see them
9:32
or Doctor Sara is gonna go in to see them
9:35
and they'll see a familiar face who knows their story
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cold cause
9:40
I think that's the problem in medicine nowadays
9:43
there's too much shifting around in medicine
9:48
so that you might not see the same doctor
9:50
every time you go in
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and there's less continuity of care
9:56
tell us a little bit about Wills
9:59
yeah Wills is uh
10:00
kind of
10:02
Wills is a treasure for the city of Philadelphia
10:05
it's a true treasure we have top notch cornea doctors
10:11
retina doctors we have 28 retina doctors
10:14
can you believe that at Wills
10:17
some who are tops in their field
10:19
we have very good glaucoma surgeons
10:22
very good oculoplastics people
10:25
we work with plastics and with retina all the time
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um very good pathology
10:31
we have two pathologist
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most places have zero pathologist
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or if they're lucky one half of a pathologist
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you know they do one day a week eye pathology
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and four days a week something else
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but we have two full time eye pathologist
10:50
who are excellent and you know
10:53
when you're in the field of ocular oncology
10:55
you need good retina you need good glaucoma
10:58
good cornea good pathology
11:00
good plastics cause we're taking off tumors everywhere
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so we need plastics to reconstruct the lids
11:08
or we need retina to advise us
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you know what should we do with this retinal detachment
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and vitreous hemorrhage
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and they go in and they clean it all up
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or a baby comes in to see us
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who had retinoblastoma treated elsewhere
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they come to see us the eyes filled with cancer
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we have to first get the cancer under control
11:30
and then have retina fix the retinal detachment
11:33
there's so much that goes on that we need other teams
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and I I would say
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probably the most important
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is having a good eye pathologist
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because we're nothing without our eye pathologist
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they're the ones who say yeah
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that was a Keratoacanthoma in Lynch syndrome
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or yeah
11:52
that was a basal cell carcinoma
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or that was a melanoma
11:57
and you were right
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it wasn't hemangioma as it was referred in as
12:01
so we really do need good eye pathologists
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and we're very thankful for Doctor Milman
12:08
and Doctor Eagle Doctor Eagle has been at our side for
12:13
you know 30 35 years now
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that's amazing
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yeah so
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you know in our practice
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I'll say a few more words about Wills
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you know Wills
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as I mentioned earlier is like a treasure
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it's like a treasure of diamonds
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because if you're seen at Wills
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you're gonna be seeing
12:35
one of the top 10 doctors in that field
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I mean we have very good cataract surgeons
12:42
and we use them judiciously
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I told one patient today
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she was a young girl who only had one eye
12:51
she needed cataract surgery
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and we couldn't break her capsule okay
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and I told that to our cataract surgeon
13:00
he says I can do that
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and he went in cleaned her up
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we could see her retina we could see the retinoblastoma
13:08
that was completely regressed
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she looked beautiful but we use them judiciously
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because
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you can't barrage them with patient after patient
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you know
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they can only see so many of these hard patients
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so we have enough
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we have enough doctors to go around so that we can
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you know alternate patients per doctor
13:31
that's amazing
13:34
young doctors being trained and staying on at Wills
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good young plastic surgeons
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oculoplastic surgeons good young retina doctors that we
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you know interact with all the time
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so you know
13:49
the more senior doctors
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uh kind of move on
13:53
and the younger doctors come in and help out
13:57
what do you believe makes a great doctor
14:01
I think it's one word I
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it's one word but maybe it's two or three words
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it has to be a person who honestly
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cares about the patient
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and
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knows what is right as far as an approach
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so you wouldn't consult me
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on how to treat an epiretinal membrane
14:27
but you would consult me
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on how to treat a retinoblastoma
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I would send the epiretinal membrane
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to one of our retina doctors
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and I'm not gonna pretend like I know that
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but I know how to treat cancers
14:40
all the whole spectrum of cancers
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so it's one who really cares for the patient
14:47
and understands their concern
14:50
and who knows what is right
14:55
the right approach
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and who is devoted to their specialty
15:01
determined disciplined
15:04
will stay until the job is done
15:07
and last week we we had to catch a plane to Mexico
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cause we were going to Monterey
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and I was operating with my associate
15:17
and it was getting kind of close to the time
15:20
we had to leave for the airport
15:22
but I said to my associate
15:23
we gotta stay until we get this done
15:26
we can't leave early and
15:28
you know that's what a true doctor would say
15:31
you know nothing interferes with patient care in fact
15:38
my pet peeve is this cell phone
15:42
I usually
15:44
I never answer cell phone in front of a patient
15:49
I'll never answer a call on a cell phone
15:51
because I
15:52
I think my day in the clinic is for the patients
15:56
it's not for me to talk to somebody
15:59
you know that is not relevant to patient care
16:03
I answer my cell phones fast
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I answer all my text messages fast
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but when I'm operating or with patients
16:12
I'll only answer in between patient care
16:16
I'll never answer in front of them
16:18
I've seen doctors do that
16:19
and I don't think
16:20
I think that sends a message to the patient
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that
16:24
they aren't the most important concern for the doctor
16:28
so a good doctor has to really
16:30
care for each and every patient
16:33
you know when you go in to see a patient
16:35
you have to be thinking
16:38
you know you have to think
16:39
when you see a patient with a melanoma
16:41
is it regressing
16:43
did the fluid go away
16:45
did we appropriately treat with a PRP
16:50
to protect this patient's vision
16:52
what are we concerned with here in this case
16:55
well we're concerned with the patient's life
16:58
their eye and their vision
17:00
in that order and we have to care for all three
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this is where the juggling comes back in
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you know we're juggling life
17:10
saving the eye and saving the vision
17:12
doing it all the same time
17:15
you know it's a multi level of concern
17:20
when you go in to see a patient
17:21
patient just basically wants to hear you say
17:25
everything's okay
17:27
but when we dictate our letter
17:30
it's all terminology and abbreviations
17:35
and CME and ERM and all that stuff
17:39
but when I talk to the patient
17:41
I talk in their language and I say
17:45
you know everything I just said
17:47
it's just little details for the doctor
17:49
but you're okay
17:52
and what I also say to our patients
17:54
especially those who have melanoma
17:57
and have good genetics
17:58
the most important thing about today
18:02
is that we found out you have good genetics
18:05
and good genetics
18:06
means you're not likely to have metastatic disease
18:11
you know in our
18:13
in our hands About 60% of patients have good genetics
18:17
you know
18:17
we like to classify our genetics into four groups A B
18:21
C or D A and B
18:23
we call them apple and banana are good
18:26
C and d cookie and donut are bad
18:30
there are many mutations
18:32
so we like patients to be A or B
18:35
and that's about 60% of the patients we see
18:38
so I always give them the good news
18:40
I do talk to patients who have C or D
18:43
and I tell them they need to have systemic evaluation
18:46
we need to make sure
18:47
they don't develop metastatic disease
18:49
but I really peace of mind
18:52
talk to the A and Bs and tell them
18:54
I think they're gonna be okay
18:58
so if someone becomes your patient
19:00
what can they expect from you from the beginning
19:05
we work fast
19:08
we get all the testing done
19:11
same day we never bring a patient back second
19:15
third fourth day
19:17
people do that
19:18
because you get paid to do different tests
19:23
on different days we just do it all in one day
19:26
and we just swallow it and say
19:28
they got all their testing done
19:30
we know what they have
19:32
and we're gonna sit and talk with them
19:34
about what is going on and what we need to do
19:39
and so we will get all their testing
19:43
their ultrasound their imaging
19:45
we'll see the patient
19:47
and at that point after we examine them
19:51
we'll know what's going on
19:53
we'll sit down with them
19:54
I physically sit down on a stool
19:57
and they're sitting in a chair
19:59
and we discuss what's going on and what we need to do
20:03
and we usually have our counselor
20:07
or the scheduler in the room
20:09
and they will schedule them for that day
20:13
whether they need a conjunctival tumor removed
20:16
or they need the eye removed
20:19
or they need plaque radiation
20:21
or the baby needs systemic chemotherapy
20:24
or we need to do an orbital tumor biopsy
20:27
whatever they need we'll get it done
20:29
and if they need to have
20:32
fine needle aspiration biopsy
20:34
we also do that same day that we do the radiation
20:38
we just do it immediately before why
20:41
because we want it to be as efficient as possible
20:45
for the patients so we
20:48
we wanna get things done in an efficient way
20:53
what advancements are most exciting to you right now
20:57
well if I could talk about melanoma
21:01
the advancements
21:02
we are heavy duty exploring neoadjuvant therapy
21:10
so neoadjuvant therapy is when you give a chemo
21:13
or immunotherapy
21:15
before you even treat the tumor in the eye
21:18
and
21:20
we're looking at Darovasertib and Tebentafusp
21:23
we're the only
21:25
uh center doing the neoadjuvant Tebentafusp trial
21:30
but we're also doing a Darovasertib trial
21:33
so we're hoping that these neoadjuvant therapies
21:38
will shrink the tumor
21:40
we know Daro will shrink the tumor
21:43
maybe within three to four cycles
21:45
the tumor goes from 10 on average
21:47
down to seven isn't that crazy
21:51
but what we really wanna know is
21:54
what is it doing for metastatic disease
21:57
is it getting rid of metastatic disease
21:59
we won't know that for two to five years
22:02
but we're hoping fingers crossed
22:06
that it reduces metastatic disease
22:09
same with Tebentafusp Tebentafusp
22:11
is the only FDA approved medicine
22:14
for treatment of metastatic disease
22:16
but now we're using it
22:19
in the beginning
22:20
as a neoadjuvant therapy to shrink tumors down
22:23
hopefully eradicate metastatic disease
22:26
so we can save more lives with uveal melanoma
22:31
and the that's very exciting
22:35
we also have uh
22:37
new therapies out there we have Bel-sar
22:39
which is a new therapy for tiny uveal melanoma
22:43
which can control the tumor and hopefully
22:47
preserve vision so we like that uh
22:51
because you know
22:52
putting a plaque on the eye with small melanoma
22:56
you're likely to have poor vision
23:29
how has this work changed you as a person
23:34
so how has ocular oncology changed me as a person um
23:41
it has allowed me to enjoy
23:45
my free time
23:48
you know I love my free time
23:50
I do a lot of handy work at home
23:54
I love painting building
23:58
taking care of animals I have goats
24:00
chickens everything
24:01
and I live on a farm and I really like that
24:04
and so
24:04
it allows me to really appreciate my private time
24:08
but as a person it has made me
24:12
want a life of efficiency a life of exactness
24:20
and a life of one and done what do I mean by that
24:26
one treatment and we're done
24:29
you know I just I I don't
24:33
I don't want to tie up patients too much
24:37
with multiple treatments multiple coming backs
24:40
and we typically get really good results
24:44
with one treatment and done
24:47
so that's how it's changed me as a person
24:50
and you know
24:52
I'm very different than my late husband
24:55
who was more of a kind of semi casual
25:00
happy go lucky guy I'm a little bit more uh
25:05
maybe focused and
25:10
I have you know
25:12
set hours that I wanna work really hard
25:15
and really make a difference for patients
25:18
so I think
25:21
in answer to your question
25:24
how has this changed me
25:27
it has made me want to make a difference
25:29
in this life that I am living
25:33
and what have your patients taught you over the years
25:41
they've taught me to
25:46
be satisfied with my care for them
25:49
I can't tell you the number of times
25:51
today we had a lot of patients in the office
25:55
and every time they see me
25:57
they smile even though my hair is a mess
26:01
I'm so focused on you know
26:03
checking their retina um
26:05
focused on our charts
26:06
I'm focused on making sure the charts are accurate
26:11
and they're they're sitting there smiling
26:14
because they're just happy that I came in to see them
26:17
so they make in some way
26:18
they make me feel happy about myself
26:23
and believe in myself
26:26
but I learned that a long time ago
26:28
when I was playing college basketball
26:30
to believe in myself
26:32
but even when patient after patient comes in and smiles
26:37
that just tells me I think I'm doing the right thing
26:42
and what does hope mean in your work
26:49
hope means having a future
26:56
that is meaningful and sensible
26:59
and that's what I hope I give
27:02
that's what I hope or try to give to everyone I see
27:08
and you give hope by
27:14
by showing that you care that gives a patient hope
27:18
you give hope by being efficient in how you handle them
27:23
you give hope by getting that chest x ray same day
27:28
you know you give hope
27:29
by doing all of their imaging the same day
27:32
so you can sit down with them at the end and say
27:36
your right eye looks good
27:38
everything's okay with your right eye
27:40
this is not gonna happen in your right eye
27:42
your left eye needs a treatment
27:44
and we can get that done this week or next week
27:47
that's you give them hope that way
27:49
and I know some of my patients are very bright smart
27:57
what do you love to do outside of work
28:04
well
28:06
I love athletics
28:09
I
28:12
I enjoy biking I enjoy downhill skiing
28:16
I enjoy hiking just taking a walk
28:20
I usually take my little dog with me
28:22
in fact my little dog comes to work every Wednesday
28:25
uh
28:27
she's only this big this tall
28:29
weighs about 9 pounds every time she weighs 10 pounds
28:33
my vet gets on my case and says
28:36
you know that would be like you gaining 20 pounds
28:39
you know you have to keep her little weight down
28:43
but I bring her in to see all the children with
28:45
with retinoblastoma so I enjoy athletics
28:51
but I also enjoy handiwork around the house
28:55
I really enjoy that you know
28:58
right now I'm in the middle of painting a picket fence
29:01
I feel like Huckleberry Finn
29:03
I go home last night I went home
29:04
and I sanded the fence with my electric sander
29:08
I enjoy that stuff I try
29:10
I have all you know
29:12
10 fingers so
29:13
I try to do only things
29:14
that will keep 10 fingers on my hands
29:17
that I did have paint all over my fingers on Monday
29:21
because I painted half the fence
29:23
I'll probably paint the other half before this weekend
29:27
um so I enjoy
29:29
you know handiwork around the house
29:32
I enjoy um
29:34
taking care of my animals
29:36
I enjoy getting together with
29:38
you know folks
29:39
my friends my colleagues at work
29:41
we get together on the weekends
29:44
and my kids I do a lot with my kids
29:46
we will I'm going with uh
29:50
one son and his wife and child
29:52
down to West Virginia this weekend
29:54
we just take little trips
29:56
we go and see little places and enjoy
30:00
you know I enjoy the countryside
30:02
I'm not a city person I never have been a city person
30:06
and the years Jerry and I lived in the city
30:10
which was our first maybe five years um
30:15
I got tired of stepping over people
30:18
sleeping on the sidewalks
30:20
you know I enjoy stepping over a fence on our farm and
30:27
you know lifting the wood
30:29
or bringing in dog food or constructing something
30:33
I enjoy the countryside
30:36
who has had the biggest impact on your life
30:42
my children have had a big impact on my life
30:46
and my siblings have too
30:49
but the biggest impact was my husband Jerry
30:53
he's the one who got me interested in ocular oncology
30:57
I would have probably been doing oculoplastic surgery
31:02
or maybe retina
31:04
and he taught me a lot in life
31:08
he taught me how to enjoy every day
31:10
even if it's a bad day it's a good day
31:13
even if it was a tough day
31:15
it's a good day even if things didn't go right
31:18
it's still a good day
31:19
so I learned from him how to appreciate every day
31:24
I mean we would drive into work
31:25
and Jerry would say
31:27
don't we have the best job in the world
31:29
and I'm like
31:31
some days but not all the days
31:32
you know but he taught me how to enjoy every day
31:38
and he also taught me how
31:42
maybe not to worry about things so much things
31:45
everything's gonna be okay
31:47
things will be okay don't worry
31:50
so he had the biggest impact on my life
31:54
and when it came time to for example
32:00
we used to take our kids out to Colorado to go skiing
32:04
and I used to look at oh
32:05
my gosh this is costing us so much money
32:08
he said don't worry
32:09
we'll never miss it and he was right
32:12
it was so worth it for our kids to have those memories
32:18
you know skiing in Colorado
32:21
or going to the Jersey Shore
32:23
and enjoying that time there
32:25
they will never forget those memories
32:29
so I credit him with a lot uh
32:33
needless to say
32:35
he taught me a lot about ocular oncology too
32:39
but a lot I taught him though too
32:42
because he was from the days
32:45
when radiation was used for retinoblastoma
32:48
and we weren't using neoadjuvants in uveal melanoma
32:52
and all that has come about
32:54
the chemotherapy for retinoblastoma
32:56
and the neoadjuvants for uveal melanoma
32:58
has come about in the past
33:01
you know 20 to 30 years
33:04
when I was more leading uh
33:07
our service
33:10
that's
33:12
I have lots of good staff
33:14
I have really good technicians
33:18
and schedulers and counselors
33:20
and head of the office
33:23
I call him my CEO and my executive secretary
33:29
I couldn't do it myself it's just
33:31
it requires and it requires pediatric oncology
33:37
medical oncology interventional neuroradiologist
33:41
neurosurgeons good pathologist
33:44
good team in retina plastics
33:47
everything to make this all work
33:51
absolutely
33:53
um
33:55
looking to start a practice in ocular oncology
33:59
it takes about 10 years to build a good practice
34:03
where you have everything you need
34:05
sometimes it's a little easier to just join a practice
34:09
you already have all of those persons in place
34:14
and you just move on in and gradually take over
34:19
yeah
34:22
alright we're gonna go into our lightning round now
34:24
where I'm just gonna ask you some questions
34:26
and you just give me sort of a quick
34:27
rapid fire answer so first one is
34:31
what is your go to Starbucks and or coffee order
34:36
I never order Starbucks it's too high octane for me
34:41
it could be tea OK Dunkin what do you get
34:44
I get Dunkin with two creams no sugar
34:47
okay morning person or night owl
34:50
total morning person I get to work at 5:15 5:20am
34:56
oh and what is your favorite way to spend a day off
35:03
usually
35:03
with one of our kids doing something fun or worthwhile
35:12
cleaning their garage I love doing that
35:13
I love organizing things so
35:16
and I've done all all that cleaning garages
35:20
basements with the kids
35:21
just because it took them so long to move into a house
35:26
yeah I would like you to come to my house hahaha
35:29
yeah I could organize it I would love that um
35:33
what is your favorite vacation spot
35:37
well we have a little home down on the Jersey Shore
35:41
it's in Avalon and that's my favorite vacation spot
35:46
but my best trip ever was to South Africa on safari with Jerry
35:55
it was an incredible adventure
35:59
all night long we could hear animals oh
36:02
it was pitch black
36:04
we could see all the constellations in the sky
36:07
it was beautiful but I still see some of that
36:10
and get some of that on our farm
36:13
but it was like on steroids when I was in South Africa
36:19
what is currently on your playlist
36:25
well you're probably not gonna like this
36:29
I like Johnny Cash I like country western music
36:37
um
36:38
so I like uh
36:40
any song by Johnny Cash
36:42
especially when he sings with June Carter
36:45
that he was his she was his wife
36:48
and boy
36:49
they have some great songs together
36:52
so I usually like country western
36:54
um
36:55
I'm gonna move up just a tad more recently
36:59
nothing I don't listen to rap
37:01
I don't listen to anything too recent
37:05
um I do like
37:08
these are groups that you probably have never heard of
37:10
the lettermen because one of them
37:14
Tony Butala went to my high school
37:17
and the carpenters
37:19
I always thought they had great music
37:21
um
37:23
that's who I would put on my playlist
37:25
but it would start out with Johnny Cash
37:27
I actually I love all of that
37:30
what is your favorite movie or TV show
37:35
hmm
37:37
well
37:39
I watch a lot of Netflix documentaries
37:42
and I totally enjoyed the documentary on the Crown
37:48
where they talked about the Queen of England
37:51
and how she came into power and who preceded her
37:55
and then what happened with her kids
37:58
and it was amazing it was an amazing story
38:02
I couldn't stop it I mean
38:05
I would watch like
38:06
two episodes a night
38:07
and then I'd go to bed late and be tired the next day
38:11
are you more of a planner or go with the flow
38:15
oh planner
38:16
I like to plan things I like to
38:18
like if I'm going on a trip
38:19
I like to have you know
38:22
one thing that we're gonna do each day
38:24
just so we don't waste a day
38:26
um I like to plan
38:29
what is a small thing that makes your day better
38:36
haha Duncan
38:40
haha
38:42
every it's not every day
38:44
but most days Debbie
38:47
at our front desk
38:48
goes out and gets herself a cup of coffee
38:51
and she gets me a cup of coffee
38:53
that's sweet
38:57
haha
39:00
versus a Dunkin coffee I get Dunkin
39:03
yep
39:04
do you have a favorite quote or mantra that you live by
39:09
I would live by don't worry
39:12
everything's gonna be okay
39:14
I love that it's a they say
39:17
you know you torture yourself twice
39:18
if you worry about it and it happens
39:20
or if you don't worry about it and it happens
39:22
then you only torture yourself once
39:24
yes and it's funny because my
39:28
one of my kids had difficulty with calculus in college
39:33
and I said to him
39:35
he didn't get a good grade
39:36
and I said don't worry
39:38
no one has ever asked me
39:40
what my calculus grade was in college
39:43
I said forget it
39:45
and he's a very successful lawyer
39:48
so it doesn't matter in the long run
39:51
I agree
39:52
what is the best advice you've ever received or given
40:15
so when I got married when I was asked to get married
40:22
I thought about it
40:25
and I gave myself a good piece of advice
40:29
follow your heart
40:32
and it worked out now
40:35
when people have asked me
40:39
people have met in our office
40:44
and I'm married and they've asked me advice
40:49
you know should I do this
40:50
should I not do it and I give them the same advice
40:53
always follow your heart don't try to reason out things
40:57
just follow your heart if it feels right go for it
41:02
do you have a hidden talent
41:06
yeah
41:08
can you share
41:11
I'm an artist
41:13
so I used to do watercolors
41:15
oil paints when I was a kid
41:17
starting at a young age maybe around age eight
41:21
I took art lessons from Nate Dunn
41:24
Nate Dunn was in western Pennsylvania
41:26
well known as an oil painter
41:30
he was an impressionistic painter
41:32
and I learned to paint just like him
41:36
and all of my early paintings were very impressionistic
41:41
oil paints of scenes I would do a a
41:46
a dock on the water then I do a boat on the water
41:50
and then I do a cabin in the woods
41:53
everything impressionistic
41:54
they were beautiful and then when I went to Notre Dame
41:57
I said I'm gonna try watercolors
42:01
it was my toughest course at Notre Dame
42:04
and I think it was also my worst grade
42:08
um but I learned how to paint watercolors
42:12
which is backwards to painting oil paints
42:15
oil paints you never make a mistake cause
42:18
you can always let it dry
42:19
and then paint the white over it
42:21
but when you paint watercolors
42:23
all your whites have to be left open
42:27
cause there's no white watercolor
42:30
it's it's all colors
42:32
I I know your watercolor behind you might have
42:34
or whatever that is behind you
42:36
has some streaks of white
42:38
yeah
42:40
right
42:42
and I painted very realistic
42:45
so I went from impressionistic to realistic
42:49
and I painted portraits and painted my parents
42:54
and I painted ducks and all kinds of things
42:58
and I still have those I've given a lot of them away
43:02
but I still have some of them
43:03
so I'm an artist I'm a hidden artist
43:05
which is why I like to do fundus drawing
43:08
it satisfies that need of being an artist
43:13
love that
43:14
cause when I draw subretinal fluid I don't just draw flat subretinal fluid
43:19
it always has volume
43:22
I shade it so that where the retina is going back
43:26
it's shaded heavily
43:27
so it really looks like it's coming up on you
43:30
wow that's amazing
43:32
what is something
43:34
that people would be surprised to learn about you
43:36
besides that you're an artist
43:40
they would probably be surprised to learn that I am a goat keeper
43:49
I keep goats I know exactly how to take care of goats
43:53
easier than dogs
43:55
and I have a little on our farm
43:58
I have a little barn for the goats
44:00
and every single day of my life
44:04
I go out to the barn in my sloshing boots
44:10
because I have to walk through the weeds
44:13
and the goat things and I go into the barn
44:18
I feed them their grain and I feed them some hay
44:24
and they adore
44:26
they adore me because I'm the one who feeds them
44:29
it's not like they like my personality
44:32
they like me because I give them food everyday
44:37
and it's really important in winter
44:39
cause there's no little plants to eat in winter
44:41
so I have to go out every single day
44:44
even when it's below zero
44:45
and we had some wicked winter days this past winter
44:50
and I had my zip up parka on with a hood on
44:55
gloves on
44:56
and I have to slosh out to the barn and feed the goats
45:00
that's ok it brings me down to earth
45:05
haha I love that um
45:08
if you could instantly master a new skill
45:11
what would it be
45:12
I think I am a
45:16
slightly frustrated Carpenter
45:20
I wish I could be a better Carpenter um
45:25
I do a lot of home fix its
45:28
and I always have to think really hard on
45:32
you know how I'm gonna handle this wood or
45:36
you know how do I screw it in with a
45:39
my electric screwdriver
45:40
so I wish I had some skills at carpentry
45:44
or maybe even more broad
45:47
uh
45:49
management of home repairs
45:53
what's a fun or quirky habit that you have
45:58
every morning when I get up to go to work
46:02
I fill a can of water about 16 ounces
46:08
and in the car I drink all the water
46:11
I always start my day with hydration
46:15
um kind of quirky but
46:18
and I drink it right from our spicket
46:20
so it's not bottled water
46:21
it's right from the spicket
46:23
so I figure that gives me my immunity
46:27
I don't know what I'm getting out of the spicket
46:30
but it's city water so it's probably good and tested
46:33
but I always like to hydrate in the morning
46:35
I think I feel better and I feel more ready to
46:42
you know see patients go to work
46:45
definitely
46:46
alright coffee or tea
46:49
coffee for sure tea if I can't find coffee
46:53
beach or mountains
46:55
I go to the beach
46:57
but I behave like I'm in the mountains
47:01
okay becasue I am not a sunburn
47:03
sun tan person
47:06
and I love to hike
47:07
so I'd probably be better off in the mountains
47:10
but we don't have many mountains in Pennsylvania
47:12
I mean we have Poconos but
47:15
so I go to the beach for my family
47:17
but I probably would be better off in the mountains
47:21
early mornings or late nights
47:24
early mornings don't ever trust an email
47:27
from me after 8:00PM there's gonna be spelling errors
47:32
I'll say ridiculous things
47:34
and I am halfway going to sleep
47:37
because I get up at 4:50AM
47:40
and so I have to do all my emails uh
47:45
before dinner or before 8:00PM
47:48
I understand sweet or salty
47:51
oh definitely salty
47:53
like I don't eat
47:54
I hardly eat anything sweet
47:56
but I love everything salty
47:59
I love my pesto I love my tomato pesto
48:04
I love it on my meat I love
48:08
you know
48:08
I'll take a pretzel before I take a potato chip
48:12
I never take potato chips
48:14
I will eat cheese that has nice flavor in it
48:20
cause it has a little bit of saltiness in it
48:22
but I won't eat a piece of cake
48:25
you'll never get me to eat cake
48:27
I I just can't do it
48:29
but I will eat if you serve me cheese
48:32
I will eat cheese with olives
48:34
that's like a big load of salt
48:38
and what is your favorite salty snack
48:42
cheese
48:43
cheese I I can get on board with that
48:46
cheese with horseradish if I'm be feeling bad
48:50
like really bad uh
48:53
because that really makes me feel good
48:55
but if I am a little bit worried about cholesterol
49:00
I'll eat mozzarella cheese cause
49:02
that has low cholesterol and my cholesterol was high
49:05
so I try to cut out ice cream
49:09
I used to like ice cream but I told myself
49:12
I can't have it because of my cholesterol so
49:16
but I still eat cheese so go figure
49:19
yeah well
49:20
you gotta have some joy in your life right
49:22
yeah that's my enjoyment definitely alright
49:26
well that is actually my last question
49:28
is there anything else you wanted to add
49:30
before we wrap up no thank you for the interview Megan
49:34
absolutely thank you so much for being here
49:36
we really appreciate it
49:37
we appreciate your time and for everyone watching
49:40
thank you for watching please check out our website
49:43
ACureInSight.org
49:45
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49:46
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49:48
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49:51
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49:52
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49:55
and we will see you all next week