This was a Tough One to Write

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This post was a tough one to write, full of raw emotion and feelings of vulnerability, like very few other posts I’ve written.  But I think there’s an important message to be shared here, and that’s why I’ve decided to publish this.  I hope that this is a message of trying your best, knowing your limits, and being gentle to oneself.

Let me get to the point:  last month, we had to re-home our beloved puppy.  This decision was a long process, full of tears and pros-and-cons and back-and-forths.  But in the end, we did what we thought was best for him.  And for us.

Both my husband and I are “dog people” who grew up with dogs by our side- and we had a wonderful Chocolate Lab named Tyson for the first eight years of our relationship, who sadly passed away in September 2012.  However, our puppy Oz, an 80-lb Chocolate Labradoodle, is/was a gentle soul full of friendly energy.  We got him only a year ago, in May 2013, when he was just eight weeks old, and he soon became a constant companion for our children.  But as he grew, so did the am-I-giving-him-what-he-needs doubts.  Then came my two-year-old’s amblyopia diagnosis, and the choice became clear.

When her eye was patched, we were told, she would be virtually blind.  Add in an 80-lb puppy bouncing around, and I became overwhelmed.  It seemed I just didn’t have enough to give….. not enough energy, not enough time, not enough love.  I didn’t want to resent our dog for just being a dog.  I saw this on Facebook and I think it says it all:

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He simply needed more than what we could give him.  And so we diligently searched, extensively interviewed, and thoroughly screened potential families…. and we found the perfect fit.

Done and done.  So what’s made this post so hard to write?  The guilt part, the failure part, the I-made-a-mistake part.  The I’m-sorry-I-just-couldn’t-do-it-all part.  I’m a Type-A, first-born, female Virgo with high expectations and self-imposed perfectionism.  To feel defeat and admit to failing is hard for me.  It’s taken me more than a month to begin to see this situation in a different light, but I’m slowly getting there.

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And I’m trying to focus on “rising up”.

 

F*** Cancer. Enough.

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No really.  F*** it.  I’ve had enough of hearing that yet another friend is fighting this battle, had enough of cancer attacking young, strong, wonderful people, had enough of this awful disease.  Had enough.  Enough.

Last week alone, a friend’s husband lost his battle with cancer, another friend was diagnosed, and a third friend discovered a second cancer site.  And that’s just last week, just within my circle of friends and acquaintances.  Enough.

Cancer’s reach is widespread and non-discriminate.  More than 187 000 Canadians got a cancer diagnosis last year, and 40% of us can expect to get diagnosed with cancer at some point in our lives.  40%, 2 in 5, almost half.  Enough.

So what can we do?

We can help them fight.  We can fight with our friendship, our homemade soup, and our I’m-here-for-you-hugs.   We can fight with our screening tools, our risk-factor minimization, and our spread of awareness.  We can fight with our wallets, our research dollars, and our fundraising efforts.  We can help them fight until it’s enough.

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Here are a few fundraising efforts near and dear to my heart.  Please grab your credit card and click on the links.  Enough.

Love the Snatch Foundation for Cervical Cancer Research

Kim’s Ride to Cross Out Cancer

Burlington’s Relay for Life

One Year Later

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I was struggling for a blog topic this week.  Call it writer’s block, call it a busy weekend, call it lack of creativity…… but I was stumped.  In an effort to find some inspiration, I started to look back at what I was writing about last Spring and I came across ‘Challenge and Change‘.  One year ago, I was preparing to move my primary practice to Burlington Sports & Spine, leaving the five years of safety and comfort of my previous clinic.  Now, one year later, I look back on this decision as a pivotal point in my career- one that has brought me new friendships, professional growth, and a whole lotta happiness.  THANK YOU, my patients and my friends, for believing in me and in what I do, and for following me to a new adventure.

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*** April 2013 ***

It’s time for me to spread my wings, embrace change, and leap into a brand new chapter in my professional life.  As of Monday, May 13th, I will be relocating my practice just two blocks away, to the Burlington Sports & Spine Clinic (BSSC)!

On February 4th, 2008, I opened the doors of my current practice,
Active Sport & Health Centre, with this in mind:

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Less than a year later my son was born, and this happened…

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On September 15th, 2010, l sold ownership of the clinic but remained working there part-time as an Independent Contractor.  And now, after five and a half years at Active, another baby, and many happy memories later, it is time for me to move on.

I want to thank you for your support, and I invite you to come with me on this journey.

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Here are the details:

  • BSSC is in the Cora’s plaza on Fairview Street, right beside the Service Ontario office, at 3455 Fairview St.  For the next 10 days, however, you can still find me practicing at Active.
  • BSSC offers state-of-the-art treatment and rehab equipment, along with a great support crew, including Registered Massage Therapy, physiotherapy, and a full reception team.
  • I have also expanded my hours:
    • MONDAY             3:30-8:00pm
    • WEDNESDAY       3:30-8:00pm
    • FRIDAY                3:30-7:00pm
    • SATURDAY        10:30am-1:30pm
    • Call 289-351-0301 to book your appointment, or visit us online at www.burlingtonsportsandspine.com.

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