If there’s one thing I’ve learned as both a doctor and an entrepreneur, it’s this:
You can’t heal — or grow — from a place of overdrive.

We live in a world that celebrates pushing through. As entrepreneurs, we take pride in our work ethic, in solving problems, in showing up no matter what. But sometimes, that same drive blinds us to the warning signs that our bodies — and our intuition — are sending.

My right thumb taught me that lesson the hard way.

When “Wait and See” Didn’t Sit Right

In early 2024, I started noticing something strange. Every so often, I’d feel sharp pain and numbness in my right forearm, wrist, and thumb. The discomfort came and went, mostly in the mornings, and though annoying, it didn’t stop me from working.

As an orthodontist, I use my hands all day. So when I started losing range of motion in my right thumb, I knew something wasn’t right. Still, when I mentioned it to my doctor, he brushed it off as “hypermobility” or maybe “aging.”

Now, I respect doctors — I am one. But when he said, “Let’s just wait and see,” something deep inside me resisted. It didn’t feel right.

I pressed for an X-ray, which showed nothing alarming. So, I waited. And watched. And kept working.

But by summer, my thumb had begun to painfully pop every time I moved it. I could no longer write comfortably, button my shirt, or zip my pants. I had to wear a brace at work just to get through the day.

Still, the first diagnosis hadn’t changed — until I met a new doctor that fall who took one look at my hand and said, “You have trigger thumb.”

Finally, an answer.

The Frustration of Limited Options

Trigger thumb, I learned, happens when the thumb’s flexor tendon becomes swollen and can’t glide smoothly through the tendon sheath. It made sense — I work with my hands all day. My new doctor referred me to an orthopedic specialist who recommended a steroid injection.

I did it, hopeful it would be the fix.
It wasn’t.

The pain decreased slightly for a few weeks, but my thumb was still locked and painful. The next step, I was told, would be either a second injection or surgery to cut the tendon sheath — a procedure that might relieve the popping but wouldn’t heal the swollen tendon itself.

As a medical professional, that logic didn’t sit well with me. I understood the anatomy. Cutting something healthy to accommodate something inflamed just didn’t make sense.

And as a human being, I knew one thing for sure: I didn’t want someone cutting open my dominant hand without exploring every other option first.

The Decision to Take Control

So, I did what every entrepreneur eventually learns to do: I stopped waiting for someone else to fix it — and took ownership of my outcome.

Through research and conversations with colleagues, I discovered stem cell therapy at a clinic in Mexico called Cellular Performance Institute. The treatment wasn’t available for my condition in the U.S., but I knew it was worth exploring.

In April 2025, I traveled to Mexico for the procedure. The clinic was professional, thorough, and holistic. They did a full workup — including an MRI (something I’d never been offered at home) — and created a complete post-treatment plan that included physical therapy.

The stem cell injections were done on April 16, and within five months — with physical therapy and proper rest — my thumb returned to full function.

No surgery. No scars.
Just healing — and gratitude.

Lesson #1: Self-Advocacy Is Not Defiance — It’s Wisdom

I share this story not to criticize anyone, but to remind us — doctors, professionals, entrepreneurs, all of us — that we are the CEOs of our own health.

When something doesn’t feel right, trust yourself enough to speak up, ask questions, and seek other opinions. You can be respectful and assertive.

Self-advocacy isn’t rebellion. It’s responsibility.

And just like in business, sometimes the experts around you mean well — but only you know the full picture of your own experience.

Lesson #2: The Same Rules Apply to Entrepreneurship

This experience taught me that health and business aren’t so different.

In business, we rely on professionals — accountants, lawyers, consultants — and we should. They bring incredible value and perspective. But we can’t outsource our intuition. We can’t assume someone else always knows better than we do about what’s right for our vision, our brand, or our team.

As leaders, we have to combine outside expertise with internal knowing.
Because when something feels “off,” it usually is.

That’s not arrogance — that’s alignment.

Lesson #3: Your Health Is Your Most Valuable Asset

Before all of this, I took my hands for granted. I worked long hours, wrote endlessly, bent wire, typed, texted — all without rest or recovery. I treated my hands like tools, not treasures.

Now, I see things differently.

I get regular massages. I stretch my hands daily. I take breaks.
I respect my body as much as I respect my business — because without it, there is no business.

We often chase success so hard that we forget the vehicle carrying us there — our body — needs maintenance, care, and gratitude.

Final Thought

Healing my thumb reminded me that health and leadership start with the same thing: listening to yourself.

When something doesn’t feel right — in your body, your business, or your life — don’t silence that inner voice. Don’t wait for someone else to give you permission to take action.

You know more than you think you do.
You are your own best advocate.

And when you choose to honor that wisdom — whether it’s about your health or your next business decision — you don’t just heal your body.
You strengthen your trust in yourself.

That’s the kind of strength that no surgery, no strategy, and no consultant can ever give you.