Lantern Family Medicine, PLLC

10/29/2023

I promised regular updates. Then I had one of the worst summers of my life. Shame and guilt slowed me down even more, leading to greater procrastination. Then I blinked and it’s already four months after I closed my clinic unexpectedly on a Friday afternoon.

Here I am now, finally posting an update. A few decisions have been made but honestly the majority of my time has been on everything but my clinic. Life has been…….challenging. There have been days spent focusing on my next breath because I couldn’t see any further than that. There have been days when anxiety was so overwhelming, I was completely paralyzed. A medication adjustment finally helped me see beyond the fog of exhaustive depression and incapacitating anxiety. I finally have the energy to start putting my life back together.

And that’s where I am at right now. Deciding what my life is going to look like now. The last four years have challenged and broken me in ways I wasn’t ready to acknowledge. And when emotions and grief and trauma are ignored, they eventually demand to be addressed. I was not exempt from that phenomenon. As a doctor, we are taught to be super human, to not tend to our needs and to pretend we are fine when nothing is right in our world. I tried to ignore my grief and trauma and finally I had no choice and everything changed.

Healing is messy, hard, exhausting…..and critical to growth. Healing is best done in community. Thank you so much for all the texts, messages, and check ins. You have been my community and feeling your unconditional support and genuine love has allowed my heart and soul to begin to heal.

Now for the hard part.

I will NOT be reopening my clinic in Bonaparte.

I have given myself to the end of the year to decide if I will be reopening elsewhere. There is a lot of thought going into my decision making process so please trust it is not a snap decision. My life looks very different now and I have to be fair to myself and my family.

I know many of you have received messages or emails telling you to schedule appointments and I apologize for all the confusion surrounding those messages. It is a feature of my EMR I can’t turn off and previously would have been quite helpful. For now, I will continue to refill medications, just as I have been. I am checking athena messages regularly and that is the best way to communicate with me. I am checking the messages from this page as well but please keep in mind this is not a secure platform. For those who have transitioned to new providers, please continue to be patient as I slowly work through those requests for records.

I am grateful to all of you who trusted me to care for you and your families. Thank you for your patience as I make decisions on the future of Lantern Family Medicine!

Dr. Ge**er

06/03/2023

As most of you now know, Lantern Family Medicine is closed effective immediately. I don’t yet know for how long. I know you all have so many questions and concerns. I want to address as many as I can.

Mental health has always been a huge emphasis of mine. And I have worked for years to help the residents of Southeast Iowa heal and grow and get through hard times. Since my surgery, so much has changed in my life. Between parenting teenagers, the divorce, multiple moves and the intense demands of working in the ED in this age of Covid, my mental health suffered. More than I was willing to admit. After caring for the mental health of my community for so long, I now need to focus on myself and my family for awhile.

I am NOT abandoning my patients or my community. I just need some time to do my own healing.

-I will be refilling all medications for at least the next two months.
-I will be reaching out personally to anyone with appointments currently scheduled.
-I will be checking portal messages most days.
-I will follow up and complete all referrals and tests that have previously been discussed.
-For anyone who would like to have records transferred elsewhere, they will be available by the end of the month.

I will provide regular updates via portal messages, texts, phone calls and Facebook.

I appreciate everyone’s support throughout the years. I am hopeful this bump in the road is only temporary.

Thank you!
Dr Amanda Ge**er

05/26/2023

Are you waiting on a sign?
A burning bush?
A shooting star?
A thunderbolt?
Are you grasping for any reason at all?
A reason to live?

I see you struggling.
I see your exhaustion.
I see your determination.
Yes! It really is this hard!!
No. You are not expected to do this alone.

THIS is your sign!

There is help.
You don’t even have to know how to ask.
Just show up.
In all your real and messy and broken.
I will accept you as is.
No judgment.
No condemnation.
No platitudes.
I will sit with you and ALL your feelings.
I will remind you that this will pass.
I will wait with you while you rest.
When you are ready, I will help you pick up the pieces.

This is your sign!!

If you’ve been contemplating ending it all and find this, this is your sign - to save your life. Please SHARE this with someone that needs to hear it.STREAM ...

05/19/2023

Another great summer opportunity! Contact Chloe Proffitt, Naturalist/Conservation Technician, with questions. 319-293-3589

05/19/2023

💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

Attention Everyone:

All in person appointments today will need to be rescheduled.

The building is being evacuated and checked for a possible gas leak.

💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

05/19/2023

Hello Everyone. 👋

Please be patient with us as our phone lines are still having technical difficulties.

Please be aware that accessing your portal is the best way of communication with Dr Ge**er.
💥 (This will hold true even if everything is working properly)💥

"Lighting the path to Healing"

05/16/2023

Hello Everyone.
We are having trouble with our phone/ voicemail today 5/16/23.
We are so sorry for the inconvenience.
Please remember to log into your portal. This will be the best possible way for you to connect with Doc and your health.
Thank you.

05/10/2023

Hey Everyone 👋

👩‍⚕️Doc will be out of the office May 11. and will return May 16.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. 💐

❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌If you have access to your portal account this will help a lot to get Doc your messages, and make appointments to better assist with your healthcare needs. If you need help knowing how to access or getting help please call us on Tues May 16th and we will assist you.

"Lighting the Path to Healing"