Hi! My name is Kim West. I'm a Graduate of the New York School Of Dog Grooming (Nov. 1984) and National Certified Master Groomer through NDGAA. I have been in dogs since the age of 12 with my first Am. Cocker Spaniel. At 17, I attended Pensacola Fl. Junior College and graduated from their Veterinary Assistant program in June of 1984. Passion for pets is a lifelong and rewarding journey. I have competed in grooming competitions nationally since 1994 accumulating over 50 placements, some of which include, Gold Medal Poodles 1999 Intergroom, Handstrip Terrier Silver Medal 2001 Intergroom, Wahl Artistic Innovations Grand Champion, Best in Show Div. B 1998 Gateway to the West, Best in Show Div. A Gateway To The West 1999. I was also nominated for the Cardinal Crystal Achievement Award for Grooming Contest Judge of the Year 2008. Currently I show my Standard Poodle and share my home with three wild and crazy Miniature Schnauzers. I have three children and one grandchild all of whom I love with all my heart. I love to teach others the art of pet styling, and share the information that others have graciously shared with me over the years. I believe in paying it forward. Hello fellow groomers. I hope this post finds you all doing well. I have a request of you all . I am doing research concerning the long term effects of our profession on our bodies .
I would like to have participants remain annonymous but to tell details of injuries, long term illnesses, skin problems, possible links to chemicals we have used in the past to terminal illnesses such as cancer.
These are hard issues to divulge and talk about, but folks, we need to. I have been doing this for 26 yrs this November. I know full well each and every morning the toll it has taken on "My" body. This we need to address and make changes in.
I have noticed that a lot of us are overwieght too, and yes, I am including myself in that catagory!
I want to figure out why....
Why is this such a majority in our industry? Is it because you sit all day? I don't think so. Some groomers do because it's most comfortable, but it has it's setbacks too....Is it because we don't eat properly, yes...It leads to deficiency in ability to fend off illness. Just one of the many side effects of obesity. With all the other potential health hazards we already face, especially our industry veterans, the last thing we need to do is be out of physical shape .
I will be taking emails until November 15th. I am planning to put up the numbers and percentages up in the December Blog. I need as many participants as possible to make the numbers more accurate. I need participants from all regions of the world.
Please include in your email how long approximately you have been grooming. If you have been grooming for more than five years, Did you stand and bend over a folding table? Did you work with poor equipment? What concessions physically did you make to make those situations work? Hoist dogs into household tubs built up on frames? Maybe you still do. I'm sure many of us do. I know I have in the past. I hope to hear from all of my grooming friends all over the world ! I know this information will be of great use in molding how we perform our jobs , how long we perform our jobs, as well as adding years to our lives. Thank you for your participation. Happy Grooming! Kim
crzzy4k9s@yahoo.com
dear kim, i have been grooming for 25 years over a folding table for 24 of those 25 years and i can tell you my neck is killing me i should have gotten an electric table a long time ago !my wrists hurt, my knees hurt,but i also got bit by a lyme tick and ended up with lyme disease 7 yrs ago.so i think it just made my joints ache more.i have had intravenous antibiotics and 2 spinal taps from the lyme disease.my hands are stiff when i wake up in the morning and my doctor thinks i may have copd i get short of breath easy, i think its from breathing all the dog hair all these years.so basically im falling apart at 45!!but im still grooming!!
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Posted by: Danuta | 02/24/2013 at 12:28 AM