Dr. Susan Hunter-Joerns might help you fall asleep, but it’s not because she’s boring.<\/p>\n
The Juneau neurologist, who is board certified in sleep medicine, recently turned 75, went on a horse-riding vacation in France and was inducted into the International Skydiving Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
“It’s fun,” Hunter-Joerns told the Capital City Weekly on a Friday morning outside of office hours. “I’ve gone to Crossfit, and that’s big fun too. I can still do stuff that helps me have core strength with the horses. Some of it is purely by the grace of God. While I take care of my body, I am very grateful.”<\/p>\n
At 75, she continues to pursue her passions, which include both work and play.<\/p>\n
Her skydiving hall of fame induction included a jump and a recurrency check<\/a>, which is akin to taking a driving test when renewing your license.<\/p>\n The check was no problem for Hunter-Joerns, who has 1,656 jumps to her name, was twice the U.S. national overall champion, was a member of seven U.S. Parachute teams, a seven-time national champion in freefall for style, one-time champion in accuracy of landing and member of the U.S. woman’s team that twice won gold.<\/p>\n The interest in skydiving branched off of a girlhood interest in aviation.<\/p>\n “I had a pilot’s license before I could drive,” Hunter-Joerns said. “But as soon as I got into jumping, I never went back to flying.”<\/p>\n Skydiving has bookended lifetimes in Hunter-Joerns’ world.<\/p>\n She skydived while carrying her son, Dana Beowulf Christian Joerns and scattered the ashes of her late second husband, Jack Joerns, while in the air.<\/p>\n “Skydivers have more fun,” Hunter-Joerns said.<\/p>\n The good doctor<\/strong><\/p>\n Being a doctor is a relatively recent development for Hunter-Joerns.<\/p>\n She had studied math and physics and was working as a physicist sizing lipoproteins with a laser, when she began entertaining the thought of pursuing a doctor of medicine even though she was staring down 40.<\/p>\n “I thought, would I rather be 40 or 40 with an MD,” Hunter-Joerns said, and she’s been a neurologist since 1984.<\/p>\n She said the decision to earn an MD instead of a PhD in physics is “because a laser never hugged me,” and the human connection is a major reason she continues to practice.<\/p>\n Her patients and their family notice the connection and appreciate her work.<\/p>\n “She’s got a big heart,” said the Rev. Jonathan Winchester, who takes his wife, Mary, to Hunter-Joerns for neurological treatment. “She’s helped so many people here. I have to take my wife in at least once a month. When I first took her in, Mary could barely walk. She could barely move, and with Dr. Hunter-Joerns’ help, she’s moving a lot better now. As far as I’m concerned, she’s a miracle worker.”<\/p>\n When Hunter-Joerns was considering becoming board certified well into her medical career, she fell back on an old thought pattern.<\/p>\n “I thought I’d be 70 before I was board certified in sleep medicine, and I thought, would I rather be 70 or 70 with board certification,” Hunter-Joerns said.<\/p>\n Horsing around<\/strong><\/p>\n While the skies came first, Hunter-Joerns is also an avid equestrian of many years.<\/p>\n Hunter-Joerns recently vacationed in France and rode 90 miles in six days, and when she spoke to the Capital City Weekly Hunter-Joerns wore a tall pair of boots perfect for miscellaneous stable muck.<\/p>\n She keeps two animals, a black Arabian named Dante, and the 44-year-old Sammy the Wonder Pony<\/a>.<\/p>\n “He’s the equivalent of 170 years old in human, and he’s got the attitude to match,” Hunter-Joerns said. “Half of Juneau has been dragged along or kicked by Sammy.”<\/p>\n Sammy, who is also an escape artist, has suffered from Cushing’s disease for more than two decades, but Hunter-Joerns said as a neurologist she has access to samples of Parkinson’s disease medicine that she reasons has helped keep the disease in check.<\/p>\n Cushing’s disease is a dysfunction of the pituitary gland that can cause longer, curlier hair, rounder bellies and lethargy in horses. Some ponies have reportedly lived to be more than 50 years old.<\/p>\n Hunter-Joerns enjoys many different types of equestrian events, including English riding, western riding, dressage, and extreme cowboy riding.<\/p>\n