A lot has happened since March of 2020. Several of my patients have reached out to me in concern for my well-being and questioning when I would be back in the Seattle-area. I won't lie, the past two and half years have been tough, but not nearly as tough for some that I know. I had amazing friends to fall back on when I had to leave the Kenmore area suddenly. Right before Covid hit, my romantic partner that I was preparing a life with left, which, in turn, left me on emotionally shaky ground. The pandemic hitting forced me to relocate. At the end of 2020, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer, thankfully caught in its early stages and only needed a surgery to correct that.
Some jobs I had during this time was working at a skilled nursing facility in full PPE, I've added a photo for some levity, I directed a clinic in Olympia until I realized the stress was too much and was jeopardizing my health, and then I contracted with the Dept. of Corrections treating inmates. That was an enlightening experience and I learned a lot from every job. My goal for 2022 was to prioritize my health- mentally and physically and to get back to my personal business again.
I still live in Olympia as it has provided me a place to be with friends, I've learned to love kayaking and enjoy being close to the Olympic National Park and all that it has to offer. It is also significantly cheaper than Seattle and I don't want to pull my hair out sitting in Seattle and Eastside traffic. I sincerely miss all of my previous patients and am so grateful for the support you have provided and well-wishes for my safety and wellbeing during this scary time. As I turn over a new leaf, I reflect on the past couple of years and am amazed at how far I have come as a person and the resilience we have all had to find.
All my best to you and yours. I know that we are definitely not clear from the pandemic and other frightening things happening around the world and in our communities, but we are stronger together. Feel free to ask me questions if you have any, I would love to hear from you. Also, another big accomplishment was learning how to make gumbo so my Cajun mother can be relieved!
Kathleen Neal, DPT
Integral Foundations Physical Therapy
