Dr. Lori Langdon, a trusted pediatrician and educator, is a storyteller.
Langdon tells stories that are inspirational, funny. Others are heartbreaking, yet all are poignant and unabashedly honest.
In her compelling new book, “Doctors Work in Air Conditioning: An Intimate look at Southern Culture and the Challenges of Rural Medicine,” Langdon pulls from almost 30 years’ experience as a rural pediatrician, telling stories of her childhood through finding a place in academia.
The book is set for release Feb. 4.
Langdon is clinical chair of Pediatrics at the Campbell University medical school and was recently voted Best Pediatrician in Harnett County for the fourth consecutive year.
The autobiographical book, she says, explores the challenges of rural medicine and the persistent healthcare disparities for pediatric patients in rural areas. Peppered with “Langdon Laws,” it recounts her journey through life, from working tobacco fields as a child, a sometimes violent father, an unsettling experience with a family church, her academic prowess and scholarships, including to N.C. State and Duke.
Langdon’s work, though, centers around her career as a pediatrician. The challenges with patients and paperwork. The tears and the sadness. The joys and successes. Her husband, Mark — the hero of the book — and their six children. The future, for healthcare in general and for pediatrics, specifically. Filled with advice for medical students, residents and attendings.
The title of the book refers to a conversation with her father when Langdon was young, when she was working in the fields, driving a tractor at 7 years old. When she found she was too short to effectively “top and sucker” the plants. Much of the work in tobacco fields is done early in the morning, before a suffocating blanket of heat and humidity settles on eastern North Carolina.
“Seriously, I am (4 feet, 11 inches) if I stand up straight. So as a child, I was ridiculously short. I was too short to top,” she writes.
The retelling is comical, leaving residents picturing Langdon climbing a dew-soaked tobacco plant, finishing wet and bringing on regular bouts of nicotine poisoning.
“I asked my father if girls could become doctors,” she said in a recent interview. “He said, ‘Yes.’ I asked him if doctors were guaranteed to always get to work in air conditioning. He said, ‘Yes,’ again, and I decided that a doctor was exactly what I wanted to be.”
The arc of her young education was unorthodox, at best. It began in a rigid, controlling, oftentimes demeaning, church. An irascible father, but a caring, nurturing mother.
She and her siblings enrolled in a public school that, though she shined academically, throttled her potential. Then to the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics in Durham and, largely because of her love and aptitude for biology, to college and medical school. Marrying a wonderful, loving man and becoming an esteemed pediatrician in a rural, underserved part of the state.
A life through stories.
The heartbreaking.
Such as the Christmas Eve when a pair of siblings were brought to the emergency room, both unresponsive.The team at the hospital worked for hours to resuscitate them. They died of a form of meningitis. At the time, there was no vaccine.
The hilarious.
Falling off a rolling stool while contorting herself to check a child’s ears. Helping deliver a baby, without any tools, while still transporting a mother to a delivery room.
“When I was a child, I wrote stories all the time, of what was actually happening,” she said. “Most of my childhood stories were already written. I just had to incorporate them and update them.”
Langdon is still busy, still facing challenges each day. Her new role did, however, allow her time to write and compile her book.
“When you’re in clinic and you’re working 60 to 80 hours a week, you’re in survival (mode). I’ve been in survival mode my whole life, until I got here 2 ½ years ago,” she says.
Langdon is vice-chair of the Harnett County Board of Health, serves on the board of the Harnett Health Foundation and is medical director for Cypress View Children’s Home. She is active in the N.C. Pediatrics Society and serves as Pediatric and Adolescent faculty for the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners. She is also the faculty advisor for several student clubs including the Pediatrics Club and the Christian Medical and Dental Association.
She is encouraged by the support of groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and similar organizations, that embrace and spread positive messages about pediatrics, for example, or the challenges of rural medicine and the importance of vaccines, especially for parents who may be hesitant or simply misinformed.
Persuade people through narratives and anecdotes, colleagues said.
“Tell stories, real stories that were a part of your life,” she says. “I’m satisfied that I included enough specific stories that actually occurred that the reader will be able to get the full picture of my life and my concerns about rural pediatrics. My biggest surprise with writing the book was how vivid many of these stories still are in my memories.”
The book strikes a number of literary landmarks. It’s a life’s journey, for sure. It also hints that love conquers all, that good can — and will — triumph over evil.
It’s largely about overcoming adversity and achieving success, though that success has limits.
“The book is packed with advice,” Langdon says, “and I hope it can help pre-med majors, medical students, residents and even attendings. For women specifically, I do talk about the challenges of pregnancy, breast feeding, balancing work and family.”
“For women interested in becoming a physician, I would offer this advice: Medicine is certainly a demanding occupation. While you can achieve it, there is a price to pay. Remember that while I believe in you and you can accomplish anything, what no one can do is accomplish everything.”
Langdon’s book is available for pre-order on Amazon.