Announcement from Phoenix Rising Veterinary Care – Becoming an Elder!

It has been an incredible year of the symbolic rising of the Phoenix. The logo that shows the Phoenix and the Dragon in close association is symbolic of the close association of Phoenix Rising with Dr. Marlene Smith. At this time of our first anniversary, Dr. Marlene has requested that I announce her retirement.

While it is true that she will be less available on-site, her close relationship with Phoenix Rising and myself will continue to remain the same. She will still be a consultant for Traditional Chinese Medicine and homeopathy. In short, she wishes to continue to support Phoenix Rising from behind the scenes.

I have never seen Dr. Marlene as relaxed and happy as she is now. She is confident that the practice of integrative medicine started by her will not only continue to flourish but will continue to grow and assume many forms.

Her passion for Traditional Chinese Medicine has fueled my own .Traditionally, every Doctor of Chinese Medicine trains under a mentor for several years and I am glad to have had this experience learning from her. We have also had some of the best discussions contributing our respective inputs on challenging cases and have often said to each other that “our two brains make one. “

I am happy to know that she is there for me to talk to on a daily basis. I think her retirement is well-deserved and she has made a huge impact on the practice of integrative medicine. I hope each and every one of you will join me in congratulating her on her immensely successful (albeit long-drawn out career) and the best of times in her retired life spending time with Steve and doing what she likes to do best.

Here is a message from Dr. Marlene herself!

Dr. Radica Raj

Many cultures recognize the different stages we pass through in our lives. The European culture I came from mostly recognized the different life stages as an excuse for (bad?) behaviour; i.e. “you are just a kid” or “typical for a teenager”. Then there is the adolescence stage and the career phase of working, and being responsible (“you should know better at your age”). The final stage is that of the senior, sometimes looked upon with amusement when the overworked brain manifests its failure to make connections.

Dr. Marlene doing acupuncture on a Rottweiler patient.

In Chinese medicine there is an awareness and recognition of changes in the lives of women every 7 years and in men every 8 years. At 7X7 years, interestingly enough, the age of 49 often announces the beginning of menopause and the changes that it brings along.

Dr. Marlene receiving a quick Lab Report at an agility trial.

The more traditional nature-based cultures also recognize the stage of the Elder and the wisdom it brings. The Elders are an important part of the community in providing advice for all kinds of situations or decision-making. In North America, we are blessed to still have some of the First Nation cultures, traditions and teachings to learn what that stage is all about!

The stage of the Elder coincides with almost 9X 7 years and I just slipped into that age bracket In June! Looking back at my career, there have been 40 years of Western Medicine combined with learning and then practicing Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and acupuncture. Herbal medicine has also been part of my practice for almost 30 years out of those 40 and a genetically-programmed interest in homeopathy. To all this learning, I added another 15 years of chiropractic experience. I do truly feel I now have more of an “Eagle eye “perspective of the many ailments that I come across. At the same time I also feel I want to step back from the stress and fast-pace of the days at the clinic; I need more time to think and process (checking all those memory boxes which store and string all that information together) more carefully and slowly. I now understand much more clearly what the Elder stage and function is! So at 65 I have not slipped into “retirement”, but instead have slowly moved into the role of an Elder, becoming an advisor and consultant for Phoenix Rising Veterinary Care.

Doing chiropractics on one of the patients.

During the last 28 years in the Valley (and Campbell River) I have been your family pet’s doctor for sometimes 3 generations of pets – horses, dogs, cats, ferrets, the odd rat, bird and even the odd reptile and wild animal. I have contributed to educating and training veterinarians all over the world and have taken on many an apprentice.

As most of you know the Tree of Life Veterinary Care was my baby, the first Integrative Veterinary practice in Western Canada. My dream was that it would last forever! Yet nothing can nor should last forever. Evolution dictates things change (it is the only constant feature in life!) and evolve. No one was more saddened when the Tree of Life practice closed than me. At that time, the Taoist philosophy (which is the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine) showed me the tender, sometimes difficult and rewarding lessons of letting go! So I did and out of it came Dr. Radica Raj as my last, most suited and almost cloned successor! To my biggest surprise, our brains and thinking seem to meet and connect on every difficult case! She is and has been without any doubt the best vet I have worked with over the last 27 years! Not only do I feel she will actually continue my dream of truly integrating the various forms of medicine, she has already proven to expand on it with prolotherapy and PRP, treating conditions far more successfully than anything I have ever seen! So now I can peacefully enter my Elder phase and role and continue to consult with Dr. Radica on her more complicated cases.

Every treatment received an extra dose of love and trust.

I trust her implicitly to carry on the practice of Integrative Veterinary Medicine bringing it to a higher level than I am leaving now behind. I hope you support Dr. Radica and Phoenix Rising Veterinary Care to achieve this goal as it means so much to me. If you have not met her yet, please do with an open mind. As the mythological Chinese story tells us, the Tree of Life will only bear fruit when the Phoenix Bird and the Dragon meet!

I can now find peace in my retirement and elder stage of my life.

Thank you all for your support and trust over the last 30 years in the Valley, the medicine I brought to you and your pets. Thank you all for helping Dr. Radica and me through the difficult year after the Tree of Life closed down!

Becoming an Elder