9-11, Where Were You?

9-11-2001, where was I?

I was in a little one-room, second floor apartment in Bel Air, Maryland, getting ready to go work at Chiro Plus, a major work comp. practice in downtown Baltimore. I remember being depressed about working there, as it was a major high volume practice (50-80 per day), and I had stupidly settled for a one year contract that did not tie my pay to patient volume. In other words, the salary was the same, regardless of when I crawled out of there at the end of the day. I always made sure to tie my paycheck to patient volume after that experience.

My first and last attempt at starting a practice, in beautiful Valley Forge, PA, ended after 6 months of futility. I should have lived in Valley Forge, but practiced in a more blue-collar area. That was my mistake I am convinced.

I had always planned to open another practice, but I never did get around to it to this day. I ended up advertising office coverage services for other doctors, which was better than just dropping out of the profession at that point. Then I landed this Baltimore position less than a month after closing the office in "corporate central".

I remember I was watching the news on my little white television, trying not to think about the day ahead of me, when the first plane hit the World Trade Center. I sat down and watched. At first I thought it was a drunk pilot. Then the second plane hit. I turned on the VCR too, and taped the next two hours. I still have that tape. I should convert it to dvd soon, before it fades into eternity.

I was really late to work, like 1:30, and they were so pissed..............but they still hit me with about 45 patients that day. They weren't affected, business as usual. I thought that was strange. I lasted a year.

9-11 tribute video

Dr. A