Two fractures = Two Professional Pivot Points

I have had 2 fractures in my lifetime, one in 1996 and the second in 2019. Each fracture was a pivotal point in my life and especially my career. I have been on both sides of health care, as the provider and the patient. In the long run these experiences have made me a better therapist.

In 1996 I lived in Cincinnati. I was on my way to a volleyball game, was running down the driveway and slipped on a patch of ice. I sustained a trimalleolar fracture of my left ankle, which was required 6 screws and a plate to stabilize. At that time, I was working on the Traumatic Brain Injury unit at a large rehabilitation hospital. After my surgery, I was not physically able to do my job so had to take time off to heal. After two weeks at home unable to put any weight on my ankle I was bored out of my mind. My Physical Therapy manager shifted me to the Outpatient Orthopedic Department where I could work seated and report in team meetings.

I felt like a fish out of water with no manual therapy skills in the Outpatient Department. A colleague had taken a Myofascial Release seminar and showed me some of what she had learned. It piqued my interest and I signed up for Myofascial Release 1 in Chicago. That whole experience changed my life and career. I fell in love with the work and from that point on Myofascial Release became the cornerstone of my treatment sessions.

I have had two full time private practices with the focus being Myofascial Release and Pilates. I started my first one in Cincinnati, then moved to Scottsdale, AZ in 2009 and opened my second.

My second fracture happened in November of 2019 where I was a passenger in an ATV that went up and over a hill and took a nosedive into a sand dune. As my head came forward with the impact, the tip of the helmet fractured my sternum (breastbone). I also needed stitches on my chin, sprained my neck and had multiple bruised ribs from the harness. My whole job focuses on pushing and pulling with my chest and arms, so work was out of the question. I was out of work for 6 weeks and could not ride my horse for 9 weeks. Those were the longest weeks of my life.

I was finally back to work full time and the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Again, my work was impacted as a quarantine was enacted and many clients were fearful to come in for face to face treatment sessions.

I have many ideas for how to expand my ability to help clients with educational materials, seminars, videos, online books and blogging. I never had the time to focus on these projects as was usually booked with a waitlist of clients. The quarantine was a gift of time. In these months I have an updated web site, taken a blogging seminar, finished my continuing education requirements and pulled out my self-treatment book for clients that was 75 percent complete.

I am excited for these new ways to help you and a larger group of people. My true professional love is treating clients and will still be the cornerstone of my work. My new additions will be my blog, plus digital and video resources for you.

When life handed me lemons, I made lemonade! Both fractures were life changing injures. I believe with every experience, no matter how traumatic, there can be a silver lining. Professional expansion happened with each one and in the end I am grateful.

Two Fractures=Two Pivot Points