“Get it done” The response I got from my friend when I said I am not even sure I have written an actual email for my community since February. So I am doing it. (Not for her approval, but a little bit for that). I am going to tell you a little story though, cuz man I do love a good excuse. And I am personally not falling for the “NO EXCUSES” line anymore. I am going to disclose some real stuff to all of you. One. I find I see a lot of people in mid life. It’s my favorite. Two

I read somewhere that it can take 3-5 years to recover from burn out. I don’t really know if that is true for everyone- but I am a little over 2 years into my recovery and I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t still impacted. There are moments now when things are calm—when I’m drinking my coffee, looking at the trees—and instead of feeling peaceful, I feel a flicker of panic: “What if no one needs help anymore? What if I’m not doing enough?” And then, almost automatically,

I used to really hold things together quite well. In the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day I would have a small, but thoughtful gift ready for my daughter. I would probably have written some kind of letter to my husband and maybe made a little play list (what can I say we have been together through many iterations and timeframes- so we used to burn CDs). Then, burn out. I had a baby during Covid (November in 2020). I kept up that intense pace of having it all together for a

Can you circle where it hurts? Ever have days when you could circle the entire picture? Achy shoulders, jaw aching, headache, hips aching, calves sore. Why? Is something “off?” I spent a lot of the beginning of my career seeking clear answers. Was something off, was one muscle that is very weak throwing everything out of whack? Wanna know how my experience was? Exhausting. The longer I do this work, the clearer it becomes: the answers are almost always more complex than “a pe

In mid August, I got to reconnect with an old patient of mine. Someone I hold very dear- she’s just so funny and so freaking honest. (You all know how I like to ask about a thousand questions….so imagine this 45 minutes into our 2 hour session) Bridget: “how is your diet?” Patient: “Bridget it is like SHIT. I eat like shit.” RELATABLE. How refreshing. And honestly can’t we all say “Ope I’ve been there.” I grew up eating pop tarts for breakfast and having hot dogs for dinner.

I have had quite the busy summer and I know many of you have had lots of adventures. I have had a recurrent theme and am having a hard time articulating the things I want to say without making it feel all jumbled. It’s female pleasure. I want to start by saying pleasure is huge. Sure I might ask about sexual experience- I am a pelvic PT after all, but maybe to start we talk about what brings us pleasure, in the small nooks and crannies of our days. This letter is just about t

I hope you are up to some great things this Summer (and staying cool). Taking a little break If you have worked with me in clinic, there is a very good chance we talk about mixing a little rest in- teaching your body safety, and knowing that taking a break should come before exhaustion. As many of you know, because I am also human- I think that is a great way to live but not always the way I choose. I spend much of my free time working on business stuff, taking classes, or re

June is on its way- but I want to get one out to let you know about a great event that is happening right before the end of May and have some important changes to the practice that I just wanted to get out there. I have found myself in this situation at least monthly since starting my own business…. When I meet someone in public or I am introduced as a pelvic floor physical therapist- someone will often say oh yes I do my kegals at stop signs or to the beat of songs, or whene

Hey! I am late in getting my little newsletter out. I committed to sending it out, but I am also finding- how do I say it- sometimes find myself a little scattered and not doing quite so well. At the end of April life was just coming at me quite fast. Last week, I met with some fellow female business owners in an event and the theme was: at least in the beginning- I got called to pick up my four year old who punctured his lip at school: “What stories do we hear or tell about

Oh Hey! I got a little text message from an old patient of mine who was working with someone who just casually said, meh I leak little when I run- no big deal And she responded- No it is a big deal! And you don’t have to leak…. This April, let’s all agree that when our body starts telling us something is wrong- That it warrants attention and action. It might be a leak, an ache, it might be a quick pain or a headache. What if we get curious about what our body needs? Does it n

I hope this letter finds you feeling healthy. I am often meeting people in pretty exciting and often very difficult times in their lives; after the birth of their baby, when they are heading into perimenopause, when they are about to get married, following surgery…etc These moments in our life are stressful. They are beautiful and scary, and messy. You can look at your new baby and feel absolutely in love. It can also open old wounds (for me the loss of my mom) or present one

We made it through the darker days. At least as far as the sun is concerned. As we head into February, I actually do not have much in the tank. I spent the majority of January fighting back Influenza A, and am just starting to feel back to myself. I wish I could give some fabulous advice about resting and restoring, but I am exceptionally bad at this. Maybe why my symptoms have been lingering for 3+ weeks. Things I noticed when I was sick. I have a lot of responsibility. And

What better way to start 2025 off with a newsletter outside of my comfort zone. As many of you know, I grew up Catholic. I no longer practice (any religion) but do refer to myself as “Culturally Catholic,” so I often feel kind of bad/guilty for no good reason at all- naturally. I am also someone who is consistently working on checking shame and stepping into a lot of roles I used to be too scared to talk about. A small miracle happened this Christmas… more on that, later. Tha

“ Beside” …… is my favorite word of all time. I love telling my kids when they are sad or angry or overwhelmed, “come sit beside me.”​ As a therapist, I am often I am reminding myself- I am walking BESIDE this person. I am not their mechanic. I have the honor to help people with some very serious things, things that change lives; chronic pain, leaking, pain with sex, pelvic organ prolapse. These things can be so difficult. They can take a toll on people, in so many ways. They

Hello Reader, A lot of things have been changing lately. Most of you know I worked for a very very busy clinic at the end of my career working for insurance companies (ah-hum..I mean “insurance based practice”). I wait, rather impatiently, to just recover from the burn out. But I am learning that it is a much longer journey than I had anticipated. What I am really proud of is how I have been able to start to see a shift in how I am able to treat. I learned during my first lit

Celebrating Routine Hello Reader, This month, I am really focusing on celebrating the routine that the school year gives us back, which as a human who struggles with constipation is 🎉! The routine of start times, packing lunches, family dinners. The routine of knowing where you are going to be at any given time of the week. As a mom, loving that my kids are sleeping by 8:30 pm. And as Pelvic PT loving that people start noticing their bowel routine again. I do hope as you get

Happy Anniversary Resilient Root! Hello Reader, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed earlier this week. And I saw a short video of a young man calling his big sister- to tell her he doesn’t feel well. The sister said “Did you drink any water? Did you sleep enough? Did you take medicine?” Response: BLANK stare. She tells baby (grown man) brother- “maybe you should try one or all of those things.” I hate to be boiled down to one vibe- but that’s it: “Big Sister.” One year

I am just going to be a little short and sweet. I had a long email written about too much physical pressure in our bodies- lending to pelvic floor issues, pain, constipation, leaking. No one wants to read a novel email especially in July. But if that little list makes you go “Hi! That’s me!” LETs chat! I did think about those little key chains that were at gas stations about 20 years ago, when you squeeze them- it looks like they are pooping. Wasn’t that fun? Our bodies act l

Hope you are heading into June ready for a Nice Michigan Summer. Summer around my house can look like a lot of water games and BBQs with our next door neighbors, late night sitting by the camp fire listening to Dave Matthews Band, and beers on the driveway as the sun sets with friends. Pain and pelvic floor symptoms can have us really hunkering down to find a way out. We try to find the right things we can do and the right thing someone else can do for us. Sometimes we can be