Physician and entrepreneur didn't let sickle cell disease keep her from reaching goals.
NEITHER RACE, gender nor debilitating illness have stopped Marjorie Dejoie from achieving her goals. The 35-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y., native, who's of Haitian ancestry, does not ask permission - she just does the damn thing. Pink collars, glass ceiling and good old boys' clubs have not deferred her dreams.
Dejoie is the founder and CEO of Bonne Sante (which means good health in French), a health and wellness center at 201 S. Camac St. that offers holistic health, exercise, meditation, nutrition, yoga and personal fitness services.
In a word, Dejoie is unstoppable. She landed in Philadelphia in 1992 to study pediatric medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, later switching to surgical sports medicine. While dealing with the rigors of medical school, Dejoie was diagnosed with sickle cell disease.
Undaunted and with staunch determination, amid tears, a life-threatening condition and debilitating pain, Dejoie triumphantly realized her dream of becoming both a physician and an entrepreneur. I recently sat down to talk with the dynamic Dr. Dejoie.
Q: Marjorie, tell me, what was your inspiration for opening Bonne Sante?
A: I have an illness, sickle cell. Initially, I was pursuing surgical sports medicine, but that path was incompatible with my disease. I needed to take control of my disease and my career path. I also wanted to help other people take control of their health.
I'm versed and skilled in all of the modalities - holistic and traditional medicine. There's a synergy between both and combining them is a win-win. Restorative health is my business and Bonne Sante was born from that.
Q: Who or what inspired you to pursue your dreams of medicine, fitness and entrepreneurship?
A: Well, I give a lot of credit to my parents and my Caribbean upbringing. My parents taught me that I can do anything. Despite my gender, ethnicity and illness. My parents told me that.
Even now, people are surprised when they find out I have sickle cell. I was trained to work hard and to try to give 150 percent. I also had an uncle who practiced medicine in Paris, and that, too, inspired me.
Q: Was there any defining moment or an a-ha! moment, if you will?
A: Realizing my illness. Residency was the two toughest years. There were three intense rotations. My brain could handle it but my body could not. My a-ha! moment came from an intense battle for my life with my disease. I realized I could not work according to someone else's schedule. My illness dictates my lifestyle. When the acute pain and high-powered meds are necessary, I have to have a flexible schedule that will still allow me the ability to dictate the business, too.
Q: So sometimes you're in constant pain? How do you manage?
A: Depends on the level of the pain. I live in denial - it works for me. God has blessed me. I could be at the hospital with three tubes in me.
So when I'm in pain, I hold on to my faith and the circle of family and friends who help me. People who care keep me going. I strive to be an example. I would be remiss not to use my gifts. It is very challenging. Chest pain. Hip on fire. But I have so many angels. You might as well do as much as you can. Keeps my mind off my illness.
Q: Do you feel challenged with the illness every day?
A: Yes. I do not wake up any day without being in pain.
Q: Every day. Wow. I guess I don't really know much about sickle cell disease. I know it affects primarily African-Americans.
A: Yes, about 70 percent of sickle cell patients are of African descent, but it does cross cultures. Sickle cell disease is a red blood cell disease. It is a genetic illness; there is no cure. [With sickle cell disease], instead of being soft and spongelike, blood cells become hard and brittle and cannot flow. The most common symptom is pain, and there is also an increased risk for infection.
It's somewhat like a traffic jam. One blood cell blocks the passage and the organs don't get adequate blood supply. A single stuck blood cell triggers a crisis. Then the white blood cells send their army, and a particular joint will, in turn, swell. Damage also occurs when organs do not get proper blood supply. What dislodges [the cell]? Only time, hydration and strong pain medications.
Q: I know you are very active in the SCDAA - the Sickle Cell Disease Association Philadelphia/Delaware Valley chapter. What can you tell me about your work with that organization?
A: SCDAA is the advocacy organization that deals with all the nonmedical concerns of sickle cell patients. The National Chairman of SCDAA is Philly's own Dr. Kwaku Ohene-Frempong, M.D.
I serve as a consultant to the young adults transitioning [program]. This can be the most difficult point. You are tied to medications for the rest of your life. I help them manage their illness and get through it. I serve both as a counselor and role model.
Q: That brings me to my next question. How do you do all that you do and still maintain your workouts?
A: I have to work out. It is one of the ways I manage my disease. I work out daily. I have high and low days. Hot yoga, spinning, running and weight training, which has improved my muscle mass.
I was very weak. Exercise helps my body deal with the illness. With exercise comes new blood supply. There is a therapeutic effect for me.
If I feel something coming on, I try to work out. With exercise, I'm better-equipped to manage the illness when it hits. The illness can hit any and everywhere - head, legs, jaw, hips... . As much as I can, I opt for non-pharmacological treatments.
Q: What is your diet like?
A: Mostly vegetarian, the opposite of what I grew up on. Now I eat lots of greens, wheatgrass and beets. I [eat] to make more blood cells. Every day I eat to improve oxygenation. Studies have shown a vegetarian diet is ideal.
Correction
Several readers wrote in to correct the formula that appeared in last week's column for finding your target heart rate for cardiovascular exercise. Here's how to do it:
Subtract your age from 220 to calculate your maximum heart rate. Find your training zone by multiplying that number by 50 to 85 percent, depending on your fitness level.
For example, the equation for a 40-year-old: 220 - 40 = 180; 180 x 0.50 = 90; 180 x 0.85 = 153. This person's heart rate during exercise should be between 90 and 153, depending on their condition. *