A medical doctor from Hawaii appears on a renowned radio program to talk about her book, which is inspired by her experiences and reflections during COVID-19 in 2020.
As 2024 kicks off, many people continue to hope for the best while leaving the worst memories of the last five years in the past. However, some authors believe that the lessons of 2020 shouldn’t be forgotten as it’s the key to resilience and enduring the possibility of even crazier times in the near future.
That’s why in this episode of People of Distinction with Benji Cole, we sit down with
Dr. Theresa Y. Wee, author of My Covid-19 Diary: Practical Tips and Scriptures for Improbable Times from an American Doctor and The Happy, Healthy Revolution: The Working Parent’s Guide to Achieve Wellness as a Family Unit, appeared on the radio program People of Distinction, hosted by Benji Cole, in which the author looked back on the journey that led to her first book’s creation and what valuable lessons it taught to her as well as her readers back in 2020.
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Health and Hawaii
Wee was born and raised in Oahu, Hawaii. She’s been a practicing pediatrician for nearly 40 years. She’s raised four kids in that time with her husband. She’s also the founder of the non-profit organization “Walk with a Doc – Oahu” where she conducts free weekly walks for her community to promote better health. Throughout her life, the things she’s experienced and learned have made her an inspiring example of perseverance and passion for thriving families.
Marriage, Private Practice, and Personal Loss
Ever since she was eight, Wee had always wanted to be a doctor. She was blessed enough to have so many people encourage her as she achieved that life goal. Her husband was also a doctor specializing in internal medicine. And together, they opened a private practice. It was her privilege to have provided care, healing, and comfort to so many families.
On the other hand, it was far from easy. Raising kids while being a full-time pediatrician was bound to take its toll. At the age of 40, she found herself experiencing sleep troubles and losing weight. An online article quickly made her realize that she was showing signs of a major depressive episode.
After a little more self-diagnosis, she sought help and got back on track.
That didn’t mean it was all smooth sailing though.
About 13 years ago, right after celebrating their 30th anniversary, Wee lost her husband.
His death was just out of nowhere. They tried resuscitating him in the emergency room but to no avail. A later autopsy would then reveal that he had an aortic aneurysm that no one was aware of as he had good health otherwise.
This was then followed by Wee’s second depressive episode, feeling lost without the loving partnership of her husband. She says that it was only by the grace of God that she managed to overcome it and press forward.
From Pandemic to Publishing
When the pandemic started, Wee’s experience with families already picked up a massive upheaval in terms of panic, fear, and despair as she knows the connections between loved ones were so incredibly important. This was mixed in with the many patients that she also knew and who still needed regular health advice despite quarantine restrictions.
She was immediately in search of solutions as she still had her four kids that she wanted to keep in touch with.
This eventually resulted in a daily blog that shared her life, gave advice regularly, and actively communicated with her readers. Many of these readers were patients as well as family and loved ones.
To her surprise, the blog got a bigger readership than she had anticipated and even began attracting more followers from around the world.
She began talking more earnestly about the importance of mental health and how families should take the lockdown as an opportunity to reconnect at home. Yet more surprisingly, she realized that her daily blogging was also helping her own mental well-being despite initially starting it to support her local community.
Today, those blog entries have been compiled into the book she published as My Covid-19 Diary. Through it, she hopes to continue imparting lessons on staying positive amidst upheaval, staying connected with loved ones, and rediscovering the value of social connections.
That’s not all though! Learn more by checking out the full interview over at the ReadersMagnet YouTube channel. My Covid-19 Diary: Practical Tips and Scriptures for Improbable Times from an American Doctor is available on Amazon. Furthermore, Dr. Theresa Y. Wee’s book on combatting pediatric obesity, The Happy, Healthy Revolution: The Working Parent’s Guide to Achieve Wellness as a Family Unit, is also available on Amazon.