Balancing a veterinary career with chronic illness

Louise Brooker MRCVS reflects on balancing a successful veterinary career with the complications of chronic illness and Covid. She outlines how her health has impacted her clinical responsibilities and working patterns, offering valuable insights into managing long-term health conditions within a veterinary setting. 

Early career and professional growth

I qualified from the Royal Veterinary College in 1996 and, like many of my cohorts, immersed myself in mixed general practice, initially in rural West Wales, which was the best introduction to professional life as a true part of the community. I moved to Shropshire to develop my small animal and equine skills alongside the farm work, before heading south to Somerset with the plan to move on after two years, but I am still here 27 years later. 

I became a director in 2007, preferring to consult than operate, and to grow the branch surgeries. The mixed practice grew and developed, with the large and small departments diverging into separate faculties in 2016 and splitting completely in 2018. We became part of IVC Evidensia during the pandemic, whilst navigating the Covid red tape, furlough and running the practice day-to-day. There was no option to stop, so I kept going on pure adrenaline. I was getting concerning symptoms, but I would push through each day and then collapse at home, often unable to speak. I had to stop operating due to decreased dexterity and mobility. 

Being short staffed, I kept going until I fell off a cliff, which resulted in three months off work.

I caught Covid in October 2021, followed by a series of chest infections. Being short-staffed, I kept going until I fell off a cliff, which resulted in three months off work. I returned on decreased hours, but I was still struggling to manage. The brain fog was all-encompassing: loss of word recall, not being able to read from the screen, and slurring my words. I was falling over in the consult room, dropping things because my arms were numb, and having to write down key words to make clinical notes whilst trying to make a diagnostic/treatment plan and engage the client. The masking and coping were exhausting, with a complex home with significant caring responsibilities and tribulations to add to the mix.  

From multitasking to mindful workload management 

Having a chronic illness means that I’ve had to decrease the scope of my work, initially from mixed practice to small animal, then stopping surgical procedures. My working patterns have had to decrease dramatically - from full-time and out-of-hours to part-time with no on-call. I’ve had periods of time off due to my illness, the most recent lasting 15 months. I used to multi-task and work across multiple branch surgeries, but now I can only do one task at a time and remain at the main site, where I can be supported.  

When I was fully fit, I was working on call and carrying out managerial duties, relishing the challenge and pace of the work. I would consult for the majority of the day, moving between surgeries, returning to the main branch between consult sessions to perform management tasks, working into the evening on correspondence and HR, being on-call nights and weekends, and supporting the younger clinical team out-of-hours.  

I am currently on a slow, phased return, working five hours a week over two days. I am able to manage this, but it tires me greatly. Since I crashed completely in September 2023, I have fought hard to get back on track. I have multiple co-morbidities which all influence and affect me. The neurocognitive fatigue is the most frustrating and debilitating as it is invisible and a complete contrast to ‘Hurricane Lou’ - who would multitask and jump from task to task (‘Lou Leaps’). To read, hear digest and respond takes time - it’s not instant - and processing can get disrupted if I am interrupted or cajoled. I may appear vacant, but it’s me processing the information. 

My advice to others is do not try to hide your illness, it just makes things worse for you.

My advice to others is do not try to hide your illness, it just makes things worse for you. You are a valuable member of the team, in whatever way you can safely perform. You are not an imposter; you are simply working differently to others but still have a valuable role to play, though it may mean some lateral thinking. 

The importance of self-care and occupational health support 

I have felt like each bout of collapse over the last few years has made me more vulnerable and poorly. I have had to learn to put time aside for me and, most importantly, to pace myself, be kind to myself, and not just push through regardless. The fear of being 'managed' back into work was overwhelming, but the reality has been positive and has increased my confidence again. A robust occupational health (OH) report is vital as it supports you and your employer, so everyone is clear of what the planned trajectory is, including any possible setbacks or limitations. I have had several OH appointments as my circumstances have changed, which have been invaluable for all parties. 

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