Today is one of the hardest days of my life. My father Dr. Kent E Carder is being laid to rest. He got to meet Jesus on Valentines Day, but today is the day I have to let go of his earthly body. My father pushed me to start blogging almost 5 years ago with the Evolution of Little Doc. He was so excited for the prospect of letting people know what all chiropractic can treat. He has been telling people for over 60 years exactly how we can help people and the internet can reach an infinite amount of people.

My father “Big Doc”, was a chiropractic giant. He help mold the chiropractic profession in the state of Oklahoma. His father Dr. Bert E Carder helped start laws in many states, as well as, helped many patients in the years he practiced.

Having patients and friends reach out to us during this last week has been amazing. I have some great friends and amazing patients. Hearing some of the stories about my father has been touching. I had one woman reach out to me to tell me my father found rheumatic fever in a little girl who had already been to 4 regular doctors, who all missed it. There are countless stories of how my father helped people, found things other doctors had missed and how patients had become like family. He was passionate, caring and brilliant.

My father had huge expectations for people and he would let you know exactly what he was thinking. When patients wouldn’t follow his treatment plan, he let them know that their health was the most important thing and they needed to put themselves first. He always spent extra time with people, which lead to us getting behind schedule, and me griping at him that we were behind. (What I would give to be able to get on to him just one more time!)

I got the honor to practice with my father for 9 years. This last year I have been flying solo at the office and being able to keep his legacy alive. When I first entered practice in January of 2012, my father expected a lot from me. I thought since I had gone through chiropractic school and became a doctor, I knew everything I needed to know. I soon realized that the expertise and experience that my father had for the 51 years of practice was such a blessing. He taught me things that school didn’t even cover! There were times I felt like he was stepping on my toes, but I have come to know that he was just molding me into a better doctor. The gratitude I have for my first 9 years of practice can’t be measured. Even in this last year, I was able to go talk to him about patient cases, ask for advice, and see how much he loved his profession. It is going to be hard to not think about what dad would do for harder cases. I’m going to really miss our talks and telling him about my day at the office.

Final Resting Place

My father is being laid to rest in a pecan wood casket. He would always joke that he just wanted to be buried in a wooden box. Not to waste any money on expensive things. (He also wanted a light and a heater, but I haven’t figured out how to make that happen!) His father Dr. Bert planted pecan trees in their backyard, which my mother has always wanted to cut down, but dad just would not let her! So I find it very fitting to have his forever bed be made out of pecan wood.

The suit (or costume as my daughter called it) comes from an after 5 gala. A couple of years ago he was invited to attend a gala, but didn’t have a good suit that fit him. He went and got fitted for a suit and made the mistake of not looking at the price tag! When my mother picked up the tailored suit, he asked how much it ended up being. My mother, dumbfounded, told him it was $1000. To which he replied, “Take the thing back!” So we have joked that he was going to get buried in it. He is wearing that beautiful suit with a pink shirt and white tie. He always looked so handsome in that pink shirt.

We chose yellow roses for his flowers. His favorite color was yellow and when his father proposed to his mother, he told her that if she married him, he would build her a castle and they would have a rose garden. When my father built the building that I currently practice in, he put one of those rose bushes in the front of the office. A little way of having his father and mother close.

Chiropractic

My father was the strongest man I have ever known. Not only was his grip strength amazing, he was so driven to take care of his family, he worked just days after breaking 8 ribs. Adjusting people is hard, people fight you, it’s physically demanding, you sometimes get hurt while trying to heal others. I can not imagine the pain he had adjusting while having broken ribs! I adjusted a guy one time, he tensed up on me and the recoil went right through my arms into my chest and sternum. My dad had to adjust me 3 times that day because of the pain I was in.

I’m going to miss all our talks, the love he had for people, the way he made people feel included. This isn’t goodbye, it’s a I’ll see you again. Wait for me at the pearly gates.

Chiropractic care is truly full body care. Adjusting the spine helps not only pain, but resets the nervous system which helps you heal quicker from colds, reprogram your posture, help scoliosis, help with stomach issues, headaches, along with many other things. If you have a question on how chiropractic can help give us or a chiropractor near you a call!

~Dr. Lacey~
Carder Chiropractic Clinic, INC.
El Reno, OK 73036