Born in Regina, Saskatchewan currently living in Colorado, Terri Pepin is a woman who keeps her eyes on the road ahead, even when it isn’t the one that she started her day on.

She graduated with a BA in Political Science from the University of Alberta, intending to go to law school, when she decided to suspend her studies while her husband pursued his career goal of Computer Engineering. While the law may have lost its attraction after working at a law firm, computers replaced it. Terri worked with ISM and EDS, becoming industry certified. While raising two children Sophie, now 12 and Liam 11, she founded her company Maple Leaf Solutions.

Terri is the first to admit that she is a competitive person, she likes that rush of adrenaline and being active in ju-jitsu, running, hiking, biking and 4x4ing. During her family’s 2008 tree cutting hike in Pike National Forest the then 39 year old’s life was about to take another unexpected path.

She left the house that December morning feeling fit and looking forward to this annual event that marked the beginning of the Pepin’s holiday season. As the hike progressed though she became aware of numbness in her leg with accompanying pins and needles and a pain that got steadily more intense. While pushing through the worsening symptoms to complete the trek, upon returning home an examination of the leg would reveal it to be a bright red while the other one was in contrast a ghostly while. Something was very wrong.

A trip to the hospital was followed by emergency surgery and a stay in the ICU, the diagnosis was DVT or Deep Vein Thrombosis. Life as Terri knew it changed. Weeks of recovery, follow-up procedures, adjusting to medications, and a rather daunting list of things that she shouldn’t do, didn’t however deter her will power and spirit.

One of Terri’s goals for her soon to be 40 something self had included participating in a triathlon. However 2009 and her fortieth birthday found her ‘In the worst shape ever but alive with a new respect for my body”. Terri soon learnt to do everything at a different level. She isn’t so hard on her body and she now builds up her physical stamina through walking and swimming.

As for her company, Pepin had always been focused on ensuring that small businesses got the level of technical functionality and support that was once only within the purview of corporations and government agencies. She moved that commitment up into high gear ‘no longer quite so cautious’; expanding her services to include web design and maintenance, SEO optimization, content management systems, database creation, LINUX server management to training and support.

As the tech savvy parents, of two pre-teen children she and her husband also had to come up with the best way allow their children to enjoy the best of the internet while protecting them from the worst. They liken it to teaching the children how to ride a bike and that starts with ‘training wheels’ and then slowly allowing more independence as they get older.

These are the current rules:

1. All computers are on the main floor of the house, and positioned so that the screen can be seen at a glance.
2. They know the computer passwords and browser history is checked on a regular basis.
3. Use of emails and IM is supervised and limited to family and a few friends.
4. Their daughter has recently been allowed a FaceBook page, with a flower in lieu of a photograph and a lot of family ‘friends’ who help to monitor activity.

The Pepins also make sure that life is well rounded with trips to the library, school activities, music, sports and ‘just’ quiet time. They do encourage the children to use certain sites to help with their home work or to research something new.

Websites such as: Fun Brain.com
Discovery Channel.com

Terri's life is back to a new normal; she is balancing a thriving business and a growing client list, baking and having family over for Thanksgiving. This December will find her once more participating in the family outing for that Charlie Brown Christmas tree... just at a different pace.

If you would like to find out more about Deep Vein Thrombosis go to:
www.preventdvt.org
www.clotcare.com

For specific information on women and DVT visit empowHer.com.

Check out Terri's company website: Maple Leaf Solutions