Passions are what make us tick, give us a reason to get up in the morning and propel us through life with purpose and intention. Life can be so much sweeter if we are excited about practicing, perfecting and improving a skill or service that we love and enjoy. For Melissa Parker, MD, FACOG, this passion was developed when her fifth grade teacher gave her a book that would form the trajectory of her young life. That day a future Ob/Gyn was born.
Since then, Dr. Parker has been feverishly calculating how to attain her goals. Her success was realized when she graduated from Emory University's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. After joining Roswell Ob/Gyn in 1999, she became a valuable team member caring for women in all phases of life and has been doing so for the past 25 years.
By any calculation one would say, Dr. Parker has had a successful and happy existence, contributing to the community with her talents and care. Yet, tragedy struck when her son William suffered a traumatic brain injury while playing in an eighth grade football game. “As a physician, waiting for the ambulance, I knew while he lay there unconscious, I may very well lose my son before we even get to a hospital,” remembers Dr. Parker.
After surgery, weeks in the ICU and thousands of prayers that came from friends, colleagues and strangers, William began to get better, eventually making a full recovery and will be graduating from Auburn in December. Dr. Parker attributes his recovery to the boxes of prayers he received, the telephone calls of encouragement and the hundreds of acts of kindness the family encountered during this trying time. “I came across a name I knew..one of my long term patients. And she wrote next to her name, ‘Dr. Parker you were always there for me…now I’m here for You,” Dr. Parker reminisces.
This is a testament to the effect Dr. Parker has on all around her and this sentiment stretches to her practice where she has enjoyed years of friendships, cultivated with patients that have grown with her. As she has grown, so has her mission to continue helping these women beyond child bearing years. This need prompted Dr. Parker to research, attend anti-aging medical conferences and procure additional education with a certification in Anti-Aging through Empire Medical’s Functional Medicine program. Now, she is ready to start a new adventure in helping women realize their health and wellness goals through education, collaboration and action. Consequently, Dr. Parker has been able to transition from Ob/Gyn doctor to entrepreneur with the opening of Big Sky Anti-Aging, located at the Avalon.
However, this was only the beginning of the changes that Dr. Parker would make, because the big sky of Montana was calling. Yearning to fill her cup by spending time in nature, visiting with family and enjoying the amenities of Bozeman, while simultaneously operating her practice was a dream that Dr. Parker had and she was determined to make it happen. “I still remember on one of my trips landing in Bozeman in my late twenties, gazing at the mountains, the rivers, and the valley of Bozeman proper, that I had a realization that I would own a home myself one day in Montana so that I could enjoy all the serenity and activities on a more frequent basis. How quickly time passes as I am at present seven weeks into building a home with my husband Michael, three miles from my parents, in Bozeman”, says Dr. Parker.
The challenge was now to integrate this unique arrangement with her new practice. So, with determination and ingenuity, Dr. Parker crafted a schedule that would allow her to practice remotely in Montana and in person in Georgia. Dr. Parker learned from her son what true grit, determination and the will to accomplish anything can do. She took that winning spirit and became a pioneer in the growing field of anti-aging while also enjoying everything she loves about both Montana and Georgia.
Big Sky Anti Aging is the culmination of professional experience, the passion for her chosen craft and the resolve to change women’s lives. “Being an ObGyn, I daily hear the complaints and symptoms that occur as we enter our mid thirties and later. There is nothing more rewarding than to have a patient say ‘Thank you for listening’ and ‘Thank you for not making me feel like I was crazy’. We women need someone to listen and to provide guidance in this changing time of our lives,” says Dr. Parker.
Dr. Parker also believes that Integrative Medicine is important in this stage of life. “This includes broader lab evaluations and possibly even gut health assessments. With this information, we doctors can, hopefully, put together a Longevity Plan to treat the underlying causes of symptoms and create a ‘Life Plan’ to maintain vitality,” remarks Dr. Parker.
Dr. Parker believes that the era of women feeling alone as they mature is coming to an end as physicians realize that the later stages of life can be beautiful and enjoyable. Big Sky Anti-Aging aims to help women become, “...the CEO of their own mind, body and soul.”
Through numerous assessment options, therapies can be discussed and prescribed based on each woman’s unique need, creating the ability to live their best life.
"Today, through social media, podcasts and medical influencers, patients are taking it upon themselves to listen and come with questions about their hormones and their health and I love it. I have been doing this research for myself over the past years and I’m finally at a place to be able share what I have learned".