Word from Alex
A true life’s reflection presented itself when we walked the Tongariro Alpine Crossing last weekend.
We didn’t tell our 9 year old son that to complete the walk he would have to walk 21km, the length of half a marathon. “Mum, why are there no kids here, he asks at the start of the walk.” At the 4 km mark, there is a sign that indicates that it will get harder from here on, and he starts crying. Someone else tells you it will be hard, and you believe what you hear, and it becomes your self-limiting belief.
I encourage him to focus on the steps, take a step at a time and take a break as needed. Something amazing happened after that. He said, “Edie, you can do it! Keep moving, you can do this!” One step at a time. He then educates me that with a growth mindset, things become easier, less sweaty and more effortless.
Life happens. The wind is cold, the hill steeper then ever and visibility is impaired. Through blood, sweat and tears, he pushes through that too.
Then there is the sun, a beautiful vista, and we are sliding down the hill. Life is good.
“How are you feeling, Eden?” we ask, crossing the finishing line 7 hours later. Accomplished, he said with a smile full of pride.
It’s through challenges that we grow and become better versions of ourselves.
Clinic Chronicles
Gastric torsion in a Great Dane wasn’t all that “great” for Aola. She presented late one evening, extremely bloated, trying to vomit and very lethargic.
Bloat or even worse, a twisted stomach is a life-threatening condition, which causes severe complications, impaired breathing and circulation.
We managed to decompress the stomach by passing an emergency stomach tube initially, but Aola needed surgery the following day to save her life. A dedicated owner and dedicated team- Aola could finally go home 3 days after the procedure and is now playing again with her Great Dane brothers and sisters!