Balance is everything. Greek philosophers thought of it as the key to happiness — the Golden Mean, the happy medium between extremes.

When you’re out of balance —emotionally or physically — things can go wrong real fast.

In the context of health, we often think of balance as a problem that primarily affects older patients. But there are a wide variety of illnesses and conditions that can quite literally knock you off balance.

Our sense of balance is created by delicate, complicated systems. And so it takes a very specialized approach to treat. FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Center, located in Lafayette, is a doctor-owned clinic set up specifically to treat vestibular disorders — the range of conditions like vertigo that impact human balance.

Jenee Leger, is Fyzical’s physician liaison. Her job is to connect the center’s services with doctors and other providers in the Lafayette area. She came to the company with a background in medical sales.

Fyzical itself is a franchise, with several hundred locations across the country. The Lafayette location opened in 2018, and is owned by a group of ear nose and throat doctors — otolaryngologists, if you’re into proper names.  The centers offer the kind of specialized balance treatment you might find in a hospital setting. And it can also offer adjacent services like an on-site audiologist.

Vestibular disorders commonly affect military veterans. And Jenee works with local veterans groups to do outreach and education about those disorders and how to treat them. Jenee grew up in Franklin and is also the author of a children’s book calledI Know Just What I Want to Be.

When George Mills was in Texas, you might say his life got out of balance. He landed there to go to rehab and stuck around. The program didn’t take and he went through another. George has been clean since 1994 and the journey brought him to a career in behavioral health.

For 25 years, he worked for the treatment program that helped him. He left that role to become the executive director of The Extra Mile, a nonprofit organization that fills gaps in behavioral health left by government services.

The Extra Mile primarily offers programs for families, with an emphasis on support for families dealing with addiction, trauma and severe mental illness. It’s free clothes shop distributes $48,000 worth of donated clothes each quarter. The Avec Les Enfants program provides space for noncustodial parents to visit their kids. Meredith’s Place is a residential addiction treatment center for pregnant women or women with dependent children.

George grew up in Michigan and has served as executive director of the Extra Mile since 2020.

Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. You can find photos from this show by Lilliana Morgan at itsacadiana.com.

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