"All of those curveballs that life throws us are trying to derail us, and you’ve got to have a real good sense of yourself and what’s important to you to continue to navigate that path."For Dr. Jennifer Lavender, those curveballs are compassion fatigue—something many veterinarians cope with—the devastating loss of her sister, a battle with substance abuse, and her attempt to balance her personal and professional commitments. She is the owner and practitioner of MetroPaws Animal Hospital in Dallas and the Medical Director of the Oak Cliff Location. Beyond her full-time roles, she’s a volunteer surgeon of the Spay Neuter Network, President of its Board of Directors and the mother of two. She also practices yoga.In this episode, she talks about how she juggles these activities, copes with the loss of her sister, and remains sober. She’s been through a lot and has come out on the other side with resilience, strength and positivity.If you’re enjoying this podcast, we would love to hear from you. Write a review on Apple Podcasts. We love reading them, and if you have a minute to spare, we would love to read yours too.Support the show