Our Ironman Veteran, Dr. Chris Mathis!

We would like you to join us in congratulating our very own Dr. Chris Mathis on an amazing recent accomplishment. Dr. Mathis completed yet another "Ironman" competition! Watch out Robert Downey, Jr., there's a new Ironman in town.

The Ironman competition is considered to be one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the entire world. You can only become an Ironman after completing an unimaginable triathlon in a time limit of 17 hours. To be specific, competitors must complete a swim covering the distance of 2.4 miles, followed immediately by a 112-mile bicycle ride, then followed immediately by a marathon run of 26.2 miles.

Dr. Mathis became an Ironman in San Lucas, Mexico, in April of 2013. In that competition, he completed the event in 14 hours and 58 minutes. Incredibly, just a few weeks ago in Chattanooga, Dr. Chris completed the Ironman over two hours FASTER than he did in Mexico! In Chattanooga, he registered a time of 12 hours and 44 minutes.

We mentioned this after Dr. Mathis's last Ironman, but it is worth repeating again: The distance of the Ironman is the same distance as traveling from Memphis to Little Rock! Now, imagine doing this without a car, on your feet, on a bike, and in over two miles of water.

Said Dr. Mathis, "The best part of long distance racing for me is the training with friends. The Ironman is not a team sport, but training for one is!"

Congratulations to Dr. Mathis on this amazing accomplishment. He is setting a great example to our Pediatric Consultants family on how to live a healthy style...to the max!

To view Dr. Mathis's full results, click here!

What We are Thankful For This Thanksgiving

Pediatric Consultants wishes all of you and your families a very happy Thanksgiving today! We hope you have a wonderful day and weekend spending time with your family and good friends. We thought we should share some things some of our doctors, nurses, and staff are thankful for today and this holiday season.

Dr. Kip Frizzell
"I am thankful for the good health of all of my close family members. Really, everything else on this list is not as important. I am thankful that my grandchildren live close by. I am, without a doubt, the luckiest person in the world. I am thankful to have a job that I enjoy every day and for my staff who help make it possible and I am thankful for all of the families who trust me with the medical care of their children."

Dr. Dawn Scott
"This year, as always , I am so grateful to have been blessed with two beautiful, healthy, clever children.  I have been particularly thankful this year  that our parents are healthy and have been able to travel so much to spend time with the grand kids."

Dr. Ann Lankford
"It's hard to put into a couple of sentences all that I'm thankful for but here are just a few things.  I am so thankful for my family. I'm thankful for my husband and his unconditional love.  I'm thankful for my three precious children who are my best teachers--about life and about pediatrics.  I'm thankful for 5 years of working at Pediatric Consultants and honored to be working with colleagues whose opinion I respect and trust."

Dr. Chris Mathis
"The thing I enjoy most about working with Pediatric Consultants is the sense of family, I feel like everybody there has my back. The thing I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving is that Dr Pendergrass is on call!! But VSS and I will help."

Dr. Blake Bergeron

"I am thankful for so much, but especially for God's blessings that come through my loving family and friend. To know you are loved and supported is a wonderful blessing. I love our PC team because I feel that we are an extension of each patients' family.  We get to see our children grow from newborn babies through young adulthood, and I love being a small part of that journey each and every day!  It is no small compliment to be trusted with the care of someones most loved person."

Meg Nickell

"I'm thankful for friends and family, and for my wonderful coworkers I consider family!  Working at PC is the best because I get to watch all of the children grow and succeed."

Cassandra Dyer
"I am thankful for my friends and family. What I love most about my job is getting to watch the kids grow. It's like being part of their extended family. We get to watch them grow up."

Lisa Tronsor
"I'm thankful for good health and the good health of my family and friends. One of the special things about Pediatric Consultants is our leadership. Our doctors set such a great example for us each and every day. It's GREAT to work for and with such wonderful friends. Every employee fills a certain niche and are much appreciated both within our practice and in the communities we are so fortunate to serve."

Stephanie Smith
"I am thankful for life. God has blessed my family and I to wake up every morning with a roof over our head, food on our table and clothes on our back and laughter in our belly and a mouth to praise him each and every day.  What I enjoy most about working with Pediatric Consultants is that when I come to work I feel like I never left home. 'Home is where the Heart is.' Being at work is like my second home.  When my home flooded earlier this year, my coworkers, the doctors and my supervisor all helped my family and blessed us with gifts, prayers, and kind words."

Maryellen Morgan
"I am thankful for good health, blessing, and guidance for my family and others. As a Pediatric Consultants associate, we work as a team to serve our patients better with care and understanding and that's what I love most: UNITY."

Terri Hardeman
"I'm very grateful for my family, my friends and my freedom. I have the best job in the world; I consider my colleagues at Pediatric Consultants 'family.' Our patients are wonderful and our docs and staff are the absolute best. Thanks for a wonderful 12 years, Pediatric Consultants, and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!"

Iron Doctor

Please join us in congratulating Pediatrics Consultants' own Dr. Chris Mathis on recently finishing the IRON MAN race in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! The Iron Man is a grueling competition that combines incredibly long distances in swimming, biking, and running. It is viewed as the the ultimate athletic endurance competition in the world.

Just how far are the three components of the Iron Man? A 2.5-mile swim along the azure blue waters of the Sea of Cortes kicked off the Iron Man for Dr. Mathis, which was immediately followed by a 112-mile bike ride. Finally, the athletes have to run the marathon distance run of 26.2 miles between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, a feat of athletic endurance in and of itself.

To give some perspective on the astonishing length of the Iron Man, here are a few things to think about. The total distance for the competition is about 140 miles. That is the distance between Memphis and Little Rock, Arkansas! The running portion alone would be the equivalent of running from the Mississippi river all the way to our Pediatric Consultants office in Collierville!

Dr. Mathis completed the Iron Man in 14 hours and 58 minutes, all in the blazing heat of the Mexican sun. To combat the intense rays, he wore long sleeves and high SPF sun screen. Locals along the way referred to him as "the ghost" because of his white sunscreen appearance, but it was important to keep his skin well-protected!

Joining Dr. Mathis in the Iron Man Competition and in training was fourth-year medical student, Cayce Nawaf. Cayce created the University of Tennessee College of Medicine's 5K Race last year to raise money for scholarships for the medical school. The second annual installment of the Medicine in May 5K race will take place on May 18 at 8:30am at Health Sciences Park (formerly Forrest Park) and will include music from the midtown band The Vintones.

Dr. Mathis hopes that his achievements in the Iron Man will serve as a reminder for the importance of exercise in our lives, and also, the importance of wearing sunscreen. The next time you see Dr. Mathis at the office, make sure to give the Iron Man a high five!

Memphis in May Triathlon 2012

Here are a few photos from the Memphis in May Triathlon 2012! Dr. Kip Frizzell (cycling) and Dr. Marybeth Huggins (swimming and running) competed as a relay team and Dr. Chris Mathis competed in the full triathlon. Congratulations to our athletes!

Dr.

The King of Pediatric Consultants

Elvis Presley with Dr. Mathis at Wine Opener

A few weeks ago, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Memphis hosted a benefit at the Playhouse on the Square. The Wine Opener featured wine tastings, gourmet food, and Pediatric Consultants' own Dr. Blake Bergeron as Elvis Presley!

Dr. Bergeron says, "I got involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in order to help raise awareness for this disease and to raise money for this great cause. The foundation is a major supporter of research efforts, but that is not all they do. They help families get assistance for testing, medical supplies, medications, and offer a support network for those affected by the disease."

"Cystic Fibrosis is one of the most common genetic disorders and it affects thousands of children.  These patients are very brave individuals, and we as a practice take care of several children affected with the disorder.  It is a life long disease, and these children need frequent medical care.  They face a life of daily medications, breathing treatments, vest treatments, and doctor visits.  Back in 1950, children with CF had a life expectancy that barely included elementary school.  Through extensive fund raising and research, major advances have been made in the field, and today patients can expect to live to the 40s and beyond!  In fact, emerging research is suggesting that there may the possibility of a genetic cure!"

Part of the evening was the "Sixty Five Roses" competition. According to legend, this is what one young CF patient called his disease when he couldn't pronounce the proper name. Several local florists donated some beautiful arrangements, and part of the evening called for "celebrity judges" (including Elvis!) to pick the winner.

This was Dr. Bergeron's first gig as Elvis, but party-goers would have guessed he was a professional! Dr. Bergeron's neighbors served on the committee for the fundraiser and recognized his untapped potential to be the King of Rock and Roll. He says, "I was thrown into the Elvis impersonating business, I can assure you! I figured it would be for a great cause, so I volunteered.  The costume was donated generously by Mr. Lincoln's Costume Shoppe in Midtown, and when I tried it on, I didn't really think it was me! I even sent a picture to my mom when I was in costume and she didn't recognize me!"

"The evening was incredible.  It's not everyday that you get to go to a party with Elvis!  I posed for what seemed like hundreds of pictures.  At first I was uncomfortable, dressed as such a spectacle, but after a little while everyone was giving me high-fives and shouting, "Well, there's Elvis!"  I tried to get as much into character as possible, so I practiced talking like Elvis and even tried to mimic his little smirk!  Not so sure I pulled it off though.  Someone asked me to sing, but I politely declined. I told them they want people to come to the party, not run away screaming.  At this point, I'm not available for bookings. However, if demand picks up, I may consider starting a side job!"

Pediatric Consultants Triathletes!

The race site of this year's Memphis in May Triathlon!

The doctors, nurses, and staff of Pediatric Consultants preach the importance of exercising and staying physically active to our patients and parents on a daily basis. We also practice what we preach! This past weekend, Dr. Kip Frizzell (Le Behoneur office) Dr. Marybeth Huggins (Le Bonheur), Dr. Chris Mathis (Baptist Women's East), and nurse Cassandra Dyer (East) competed in the Memphis in May Triathlon, located this year in Tunica, Mississippi.

Nurse Cassandra kicked off the weekend's fun by completing the sprint triathlon on Saturday. Her husband, Tim, also did the olympic triathlon Sunday! Dr. Frizzell and Dr. Huggins teamed up to form a dynamic duo relay team, while Dr. Mathis completed the entire olympic triathlon on his own! The weather was definitely iffy as hard rain poured down for a large portion of the event, making the course wet, but also perhaps providing a bit of relief from the heat.

All four of our Pediatric Consultants competitors put in hours, days, weeks, and even months of training in order to be able to complete these events. Dr. Frizzell logged over 800 miles on his bike in order to build endurance to complete the 40K (24 miles) bike portion of he and Dr. Huggins' relay team. Dr. Huggins swam 1.4K (one mile) in the water just outside of Harrah's Casino to begin their relay, then she got a brief rest as Dr. Frizzell briskly finished the bike course. Dr. Huggins then ran 10K to finish the race, which would normally be just over 6 miles, but the course actually was longer, almost seven miles total!

Dr. Mathis, a fitness enthusiast and well-rounded athlete, did the entire olympic race by himself, finishing the event in an impressive 2 hours and 50 minutes (that's almost 34 miles total via water, bike, and foot!).

Fun was had by all four and we send them a hearty congratulations for completing such a difficult challenge, and for setting a wonderful example for our patients, parents, and friends!

Dr. Mathis Runs for St. Jude!

Photo by Mike Maple, The Commercial Appeal

 On December 4, 2010,  thousands of people ran through downtown Memphis, Midtown, and the St. Jude's campus to raise money for children's cancer research. Our own Dr. Chris Mathis was one of those people! Every year, he participates in the St. Jude Marathon Weekend and this year he achieved a personal record in the half marathon (13.1 miles)!


Dr. Mathis says, "Running and raising funds for St Jude is on my calendar every December. We tend to take for granted having the world's premier children's cancer hospital right in our backyard. St Jude also has added a biking event this year in the late summer which Dr. Frizzell and I plan to do next year. Right, Dr Kip?"


Dr. Mathis stays fit by running, biking, swimming, competing in triathlons, and playing neighborhood kickball. If anyone out there has a New Year's Resolution to get fit this year, consider signing up for a race! It's a great motivator, and it's also a great way to raise money for a cause you believe in. Try starting with a 5K, but in time you may be ready to run a half marathon like Dr. Mathis!


"Training for the half marathon doesn't take too much time from your schedule. Four runs a week will do. Allow three months to get ready. Speed work one day a week, a long run one day a week, and middle distance or cross training the other two. Find a training partner if you can or join Memphis Runners Track Club to get the scoop on group runs around town," advises Dr. Mathis.


What was Dr. Mathis's favorite part of the race? "The best parts of the run are Beale Street with all the screaming supporters and the St Jude campus with patients and their families lining the route. This year I ran with a friend in his second year of med school who was running the full marathon so I couldn't complain about the pace! See you all next year!"