The Origins of MDI

Written by Dr. Carolyn LaFleur

I would like to start these newsletters with some background on me and MDI.

At age 60, working full-time as an Anesthesiologist, I began to think about what I wanted my work to be in the future when anesthesia would no longer be my passion. I tried to think about what I was good at, what I enjoyed, and what was special about my personal experiences and skills. I knew from past professional transitions that it takes about 10 years to become proficient in a new endeavor (i.e., ballet dancer to psychologist, psychologist to medical doctor). I knew I did not want to stop being a doctor, so the question became more of, “What do I want to morph into?”

I considered administration, and the courses I took showed me I really did not fit in. I took some great writing workshops to see if I should focus on writing, but I found that, at the time, I had no stories I wanted to tell. Also, I realized it was not physical enough work for me. I pondered what would be interesting, exciting, challenging, and meaningful to me and others. So, I made a list:

• Like to travel - can rough it

• I am curious

• I like people who are different

• Flexible and adaptable to new and rapidly changing situations

• Creative and good at problem solving

• Accepting of different views of life

• Like to listen and learn new things

• Like to be physically active in what I am doing

This list led me to international medical service. My first medical mission was to Iran in 2005, which I absolutely loved. It was a successful and wonderful first step into what was a hopeful vision for my future. Alas, life propels us in unexpected ways. After returning home safely from Iran, I found myself in the wrong place at the wrong time. My SUV and I were struck by a dump truck traveling at 55 mi/hour.

During my five-year recovery from an accident that should have killed me, friends pushed me into incorporating MDI, encouraging me to follow my dreams at my own pace. I was not going to run from fire, flood, or quake; I could only walk. So, in 2008, my new career with MDI started to evolve as I continued working as an anesthesiologist.

I will continue my story in the next newsletter.