Women Today

Women magainze's Women Who Inspire feature shares the stories of local chiropractors and their efforts in helping people live long and health lives. Today we present Dr. Marilyn R. Dragosh, D.C.:

Dr. Marilyn R. Dragosh, D.C.
Breitbach-Dragosh Chiropractic Clinic SC
Kaukauna

What made you become a chiropractor? My father was a chiropractor; I grew up watching people come to see my dad.
They were in pain, couldn’t stand up straight, had severe headaches, they couldn’t work, or they couldn’t take care of their families.
These people were not able to live their normal lives any longer because of pain. I watched my dad take care of the person, not just the pain they had.
They would get better and I saw them return to normal lives, go back to being moms and dads, go back to work and be a contributing member of the community.
I wanted to do that. I wanted to help people become healthy and get well.

What is the best part of your job? Watching people return to “normal.” Helping them learn the skills and give them the tools that they need to stay healthy.
When adults or children are in pain their personalities change. They are short-tempered, fatigued, stressed and anxious. As they get better they lose all of those negative attributes.
I love watching them become nice again and be able to use their God-given talents and gifts.

What advice do you have for people interested in the profession? You must honestly want to help others. You need to be a good listener.
Of course you will also need to be able to touch people, all kinds of people. This seems like an easy thing but it isn’t for many.
The patient wants and expects you to care about them and why they are in your office.
The chiropractic school, just like medical school, is long and tough. If you want to succeed you have to work hard and study.
The rewards, though, are great. To see people get well is unbelievably awesome and well worth the time and effort.

What is the most interesting case you've worked on? The cases over the past 30-plus years are so diverse.
The baby with colic who is crying constantly, the pregnant woman with severe pain in the lower back, the athlete who can’t compete, the child who misses school constantly because he’s sick but no one knows what’s wrong.
The person being told to just live with pain or disability. He or she may have just about given up when someone suggests trying one more doctor.
Each of these situations happens frequently and each one is vitally important to that person or family.

How have you seen the profession change? I have been a chiropractor for more than 30 years. I was the first woman to be elected and to serve as president of the Wisconsin Chiropractic Association.
I have seen dramatic changes in the political end, law changes that both helped and hurt.
I have seen wonderful advances in technology; MRI, CAT scans, digital X-rays, and scientific advances that have helped all health care providers understand how the body functions.
Today there is more of a joint effort among doctors of all specialties to work together. All of these changes have allowed me to do my job better and more thoroughly, which is a great advantage to the patient.