When my husband was diagnosed with a rare liver disease, I made an astonishing discovery: the risks I took at my job actually helped me manage the ordeal. As a professional ski patroller, I carry explosives, start avalanches, hike in chest deep snow, and haul heavy toboggans carrying gravely injured skiers. We women patrollers do this side by side with the men. While some might … [Read more...] about Risky Business: Why Women Excel In Dangerous Careers
Doing It All: Juggling Career, Family, Life & A Serious Illness
In the movie, (now available on DVD), "I Don't Know How She Does It," main character Kate Reddy (played by Sarah Jessica Parker) lays in bed at night unable to sleep. She's going over what she calls "The List." Like many women juggling the demands of motherhood, career and a personal life, Reddy must stay organized. I know how she feels. Between my demanding job as a ski … [Read more...] about Doing It All: Juggling Career, Family, Life & A Serious Illness
How To Handle A Partner’s Extreme Illness
My husband and I had been married less than a year when crisis struck. As a patient with primary schlerosing cholangitis (PSC), he had always known he would need a liver transplant someday. What we didn't know was that he'd almost die waiting for one. As the years with PSC, an inflammation of the bile ducts, passed without notice, John had lived a normal life. But just as his … [Read more...] about How To Handle A Partner’s Extreme Illness
Crisis Management Tips From An Avalanche Controller
Life gets crazy sometimes. Every day the news highlights the most recent crisis du jour, spinning out stories of the latest financial, political or environmental catastrophe. It's enough to make you crazy. Even without the gloomy stories on the news, our own lives are often enough to send us into a panic. Whether dealing with external misfortune or internal stress, we must … [Read more...] about Crisis Management Tips From An Avalanche Controller