50 | www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com MEN WI N HEALTH Throughout most of Dr. Lori Robbins’ early life, she planned on being a veterinarian. She was a dutiful parent to childhood pets – cats, frogs, hamsters – and even a mom for a hedgehog named Gadget that she took to medical school at Albany Medical College. And then, at some point during the college science classes, Dr. Robbins started to see the limitations of being a veterinarian. “I realized that there would be times that people couldn’t afford to do something for a pet, so it would have to be put down,” Dr. Robbins explained. “Or a pet would have to go through an intense chemo treatment, and it couldn’t understand what was happening. I didn’t see those limitations in human medicine to the same degree.” Now, Dr. Robbins, with a specialization in general gastroenterology, teams up with five male colleagues at Palmetto Digestive, which has offices in West Ashley and Mount Pleasant. “I never thought of going into gastroenterology,” she said. “In fact, I struggled with GI tract issues when I was younger, and I remember thinking, ‘Why would anyone go into this field? Who goes into a field that deals with poop?”’ Dr. Robbins explained, “I really wanted to go into a field that helps women, and it became clear that the best way to do this was to go into a field that doesn’t have many women.” She added, “As part of my internal medicine training, I rotated in gastroenterology. I loved the mix between getting to see patients and using my procedural skills. Females on average have longer colons, which tend to be packed into a smaller body cavity. This creates more twists and turns and a longer procedure. You have to be very efficient.” Dr. Robbins also gets energized knowing that more people, at a younger age, are screening and paying attention to cancer’s red flags, such as rectal bleeding. Early diagnosis of colon cancer saves lives. Her advice to women who are thinking about going into the health field but just can’t quite make the leap? “You need to be passionate about it. It’s a field with a lot of sacrifice,” she said. “But I love what I do, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. Even if I had the chance to go back in time and choose a different career, I would keep choosing gastroenterology again and again.” The qualities that enabled the young girl to offer compassionate care to her cats, frogs, hamster and hedgehog still exist in the woman today. Just ask Dr. Robbins’ patient, William Eury, 80. He spent 28 days in the hospital and went from 167 to 127 pounds. He worried about seeing his grandchildren again. Robbins diagnosed Eury with Crohn’s disease. “And in a year-and-a-half, she has brought me to a point where I’m looking forward to seeing my grandchildren getting married. She loves what she does and it shows; she treats you like a family member. She even changed the music in the procedure room from Taylor Swift to Shania Twain for an older guy.” By Lisa Moody Breslin Dr. Lori A. Robbins PALMETTO DIGESTIVE DISEASE & ENDOSCOPY CENTER West Ashley and Mount Pleasant 843-571-0643 palmettodigestive.com @palmettodigestivehealthspecialists I really wanted to go into a field that helps women, and it became clear that the best way to do this was to go into a field that doesn’t have many women." " Photo by Jenn Cady.
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