Its been a few weeks since I've sent out my usual Sunday email.

  

Fact is, my mother in law (who lives with us) had a stroke. She is recovering very well, but it has been a challenge for us as a family.

  

Polly is Mary's mom and is 88 years old. When she was my age, she lost her husband (Mary's father) very suddenly after a routine surgery. She is a strong and willful woman, and she raised Mary from her early teens on.

  

We now coordinate in home care, rotate with the family and wonderful neighbors to have someone with Polly at all times as she recovers. We are all grateful for the family and community support.

  

This has affected my practice in two ways. One is, I've been less available in my off hours and have had to scoot out a few times to take care of Polly. Mary is doing the lion's share (hmmm...strong and willful women...I'm seeing a pattern here). Fortunately, I have the awesomest staff in the world, and Drs Meiczinger and Pooler have been able to see our patients. This month I will be taking off a few extra days, and Kindred Spirits will go on quite well without me. I'm so grateful that Kindred Spirits is a community and business beyond just me at times like this. I will be available most days as normal, but will have a few Tuesdays that Karen will be seeing your pets, in addition to her regular Thursdays.

I remember when it was just me and Kelli sitting in building with no interior doors or grout on the floor seeing patients and driving the contractors crazy.  

March 10th 2011 marks our 5th Anniversary of Kindred Spirits Veterinary Clinic.

  

When I graduated from veterinary school, I worked with a fantastic vet named Pam Drake. I'm pretty sure I haven't told you all about her, but she was my first real professional mentor. She was about 5 years out of school, was an awesome veterinarian with an excellent knack for thinking outside of the box and being tenacious in finding out what was wrong with her patients when they were sick. But the thing I respected most about her was that she was as connected to the client as the patient and always had respect for the relationship people had with their pets. She taught me early in my own career that you had to know the relationship between the pet and the person to truly do a good job. Each case was different, and you couldn't do a good job without listening and taking a moment to connect with the client and the patient. It was a package deal for her. I hope that I've kept true to that in my relationship with my clients all these years later.

  

She also gave me a fantastic metaphor that I have used my entire life. I had lost a patient (Buffy) that was a sweet lhasa apso that was owned by a very sweet little old lady and her daughter who took care of her. Buffy had failure of the kidneys first, and then the heart. Medically, it was a difficult dilemma because medications that controlled one problem aggravated the other. I struggled with it, I sent her to a specialist, and ultimately I put her to sleep. For the first and only time (so far) I could not get myself together enough to see my patients for the rest of the day. Pam sent me home, saw her patients and mine and told me this...

  

Think of your emotional energy as a pie. When a client brings in a pet worried that it is seriously sick, you find out if it is or isn't, but either way they have just taken a slice of your pie. Maybe its a small slice if everything turns out ok. Maybe its a serious problem or a very worried owner, bigger slice. Angry people, difficult coworkers...slice slice slice. Loss of a special patient, BIG slice.

Some days you wake up with a big fat pie. Some relationships add to your pie. Self care adds alot of pie.

  

Some days you wake up with a little less pie. You are kind of protective of that pie, because you know that you don't want to go home with bloodshot eyes chewing on a empty friggin' pie plate (I might have embellished that part of the metaphor through the years).

  

Do what you will with Dr. Drake's metaphor. I'm going to use it this week to let you guys know my pie's a little light.

I've found some things that can fill it up when I'm in trouble....

  

...pets

...laughter

...love

...candy

...and the positive energy of those around me.

  

I was reminded of the laughter piece when I saw the newest Etrade babies commercial yesterday. Click on the etrade baby to see the link. I hope you will find it as funny as I did.

  

You guys add to my pie...the team at Kindred Spirits, those of you who trust us with a very special relationship. Notice that all of the things that add to my pie are things I get every day from going to work.

  

that is everything but the candy. Please just send me some extra pets, laughter, love and positive energy. In the interest of my dentist and doctor, I'll keep the candy as my little secret.