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Leor Giladi

@leorgiladi

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Inspiring confidence through movement
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Clinic Director | Hamilton @mynextlevelpt
Force wielder
Saiyan warrior
Donnie 🥷🏼🐢

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Pretty sure my answer to "coolest thing I’ve ever done" just got updated.

Blew my chance to see manta rays two years ago, so when whale sharks were on the table, it was an immediate yes. Full circle moment: the mantas showed up anyway.

Being in open water with animals that massive completely recalibrates your perspective. It's hard to describe the calm of gliding next to them, but what stuck with me most was their total indifference to us.

Zero curiosity, zero concern—just cruising through the deep like we didn't exist. Had a whale shark bank straight toward me more than once with the clear attitude of "whatever you are, you’ll move." (I did.)

Less than 24 hours from hearing about the trip to setting sail. Grateful for a crew that jumps on spontaneity without hesitation.

@amandagiladi
@elizabethhartyy
@highspeed_lowlevel taken in Cancun, Mexico by @leorgiladi

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10

a month ago

A quick update on how it’s been going...

Since finishing treatment 6 weeks ago, rebuilding has been the full-time job.

It hasn’t gone as smoothly as planned. Had to dodge, duck, dip, and dive a bit to stay on track. Fortunately, no wrenches were involved 😮‍💨

The physical markers are trending in the right direction every single week. More capacity, harder efforts, shorter rest periods. I feel stronger, more mobile, and less beat down.

Hell, I even feel a little taller!

Milestone: 2 straight weeks without a daytime nap. First time in months. Still need to pace myself, but the engine is coming back online.

Cognitive recovery is moving slower. I had to triage and pull back on some mental projects to give training everything I had. But to Amanda's absolute delight, I’ve channeled that brain rehab into house-husband mode—planning, shopping, and cooking exclusively new recipes.

Next up is the return to work. That’s around the corner, and the roadmap is being built. I'm anxious about all kinds of things, but feeling ready to face everything head-on.

Rhythm is good. Progress is steady. One step at a time. by @leorgiladi

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a month ago

𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫. But let’s be real — it took its toll.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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I've processed a LOT in the past few months. Weeks of quiet reflection have left my mind clear, strong, flexible, and happy. My body, on the other hand, got absolutely wrecked.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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⬛ The visual reality: one week before the bleeding started vs the day I finished chemo⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Ten months brought a massive loss of stamina, stiff joints, and a 30 lb weight gain. What’s wild is that 70% of that physical regression happened in just the last three months. Chemo truly kicked my ass.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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As the nausea fades and my resting energy ticks up, I know it’ll get easier. But right now, moving is rough. Everything is heavy. I’ve lost about 60% of my strength and conditioning, and quite frankly, feeling that deficit every single day is demoralizing.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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But I show up. Walk, pilates, ride, lift — whatever the day allows, I do something.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Fortunately (unfortunately), rebuilding is a protocol I know by heart:⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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▶️ 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟑–𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟒: Right shoulder reconstruction + meh rehab⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
▶️ 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟓–𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟕: Grad school and wrecked routines. Up 50#⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
▶️ 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟗–𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐: Clawed back and lost 35 of those 50#. Shoulder finally pain free⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
▶️ 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐–𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: Long COVID. Body fell apart; painful, stiff, and weak. Gained all the weight back⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
▶️ 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒–𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: Put head down, lost 55#, got back in peak shape⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
▶️ 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: Cancer⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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My health has been a brutal pendulum over the last decade; constantly adapting to shifting priorities, illness, and lifestyle demands. I finally felt like I was fully "back" last fall...only to get handed this.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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𝐒𝐨 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐡, 𝐈’𝐦 𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝. I’m tired of having to rebuild a foundation I just finished cementing.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭. My confidence is unshaken, and I have an incredible support system.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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I know exactly how to do this. I will overcome, I will succeed — 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 🤣 by @leorgiladi

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3 months ago

Officially wrapped around her little paw 🐾 by @leorgiladi

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4 months ago

I can't believe this was 12 years ago⁣ (5/25/14)
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...and what a ride it's been!⁣
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Honestly, the wedding itself didn't change much for Amanda and me. We were already a 2-piece puzzle that fit perfectly together. What changed things for us was the rapid-fire challenges that came our way through the first 5 years.⁣
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They tested us, strained us, and in some ways broke us. We were young, carried many of our own unhealed issues, and expected too much from each other. This led to pain on both sides—pain we never intended to cause, but pain nonetheless. There were plenty of moments where we weren't sure we'd make it.⁣
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Then 2019 rolled around and we decided we wanted a house. After some very deep, intense conversation, we agreed to clean-slate all of our issues and start over in our new home.⁣
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The next 5 years were all about healing. Both healing ourselves AND our connection to each other. The last 2 have been nothing but fun and supporting each other as we do battle with this crazy world.⁣
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We often joke that marriage is just a way of saying "you are the person I want to annoy forever," and we both take that job very seriously.⁣

What's crazy to me though is that all these years later, we still look at each other the exact same way as we did that day.⁣
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𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲: the trick isn't having all the answers. It's being willing to sit in the shit together, have hard conversations, and choose each other repeatedly. This isn't right for every relationship, but when you choose to figure it out, you'll be amazed by what solutions become available.⁣
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I love you, my einstein supermodel. More than words 💕⁣
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𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝟷𝟸 🥳 taken in Stone House at Stirling Ridge - Wedding & Events Venue by @leorgiladi

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4 months ago

Sometimes, you just need to break stuff

Being an uncle rocks. 10/10, would recommend 🤘🏼😎🤘🏼 taken in Anger Management Rage Room by @leorgiladi

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4 months ago

I caught it! 🦁

After quite a battle of wits, circa Jan 2026 taken in San Diego Zoo by @leorgiladi

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5 months ago

I'm still terrible at golf, but at least I’m hitting the target here 🎯 😂 (thanks for the tips Jacob)

I have mixed feelings about firearms in general, but love the mental 'lock in' that comes with target practice. Plus, skill building is just plain fun! taken in Cecil Web National Park and Gun Range by @leorgiladi

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5 months ago

It's been almost 10 years since Jaimee and I met at Michigan. We may have fallen off for a bit, but after getting together it was obvious that we didn't miss a beat.⁣⁣
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It was a great day, even if Tom Felton skipped over us for pics and was kind of a dick when we asked a second time 🙄 ⁣⁣
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I get that you're busy but we were ready! Phone out and everything. Le sigh by @leorgiladi

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5 months ago

Clearing out the drafts! Starting with this high-energy core memory from last August 🤘⁣
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𝘒𝘰𝘳𝘯 + 𝘚𝘖𝘈𝘋 @ 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘥 taken in MetLife Stadium by @leorgiladi

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5 months ago

𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐨 𝟐 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨...⁣
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and it feels as weird to type it now as it did on day 1.⁣
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While I’m currently 𝘵𝘶𝘮𝘰𝘳-𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦, there’s no guarantee I’m 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞. With colon cancer, you don’t get the full story until pathology cuts things up post-op.⁣
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝:⁣
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Stage 1: Localized⁣
Stage 2: Through the colon wall, no lymph nodes⁣
Stage 3: Spread to lymph nodes⁣
Stage 4: Metastasis⁣
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𝐌𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝟐𝐀: the tumor made it through the wall and broke into major veins. Because it was ulcerated and bleeding, there’s a high likelihood microscopic particles escaped. Like every zombie flick ever, a𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳.⁣
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I had two choices: monitor and wait for it to maybe come back, or do chemo now to clean up the neighborhood. I opted to burn it all the fuck out. 𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘸 🐈‍⬛🔥⁣
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬:⁣
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1️⃣ 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫: In life it is 100% okay to be nervous, or afraid. It is NOT okay to let fear stop you from doing what is right. Educate yourself, face it, and do the hard thing.⁣
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2️⃣ 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧: Asking "How can I help?" actually adds a "mental load" task for me or Amanda. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺. DoorDash/Starbucks cards, house help, or just sending memes.⁣
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𝐋𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 = 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭⁣
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3️⃣ 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: Chemo is a beast. For almost a week after infusion I had the absolute worst hangover of my life, by a substantial margin, but I’m not in distress. Choosing this path voluntarily centers the locus of control. 𝘖𝘸𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 "𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘬" 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦.⁣
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And the suck has been massive. For scale I went to Rutgers. There have been some wicked hangovers in my life haha.⁣
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I have 3 months of this; with all that said I’m finding ways to manage it, and I'm grateful my arm looks so damn cool in the process.

Now let's get back to it 🤘🏼 taken in Memorial Sloan Kettering, 160 E 53rd Street, Nyc by @leorgiladi

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5 months ago

𝐓𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬: 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝. 𝗪𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭, 𝐰𝐞’𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐧✌️⁣⁣⁣
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(𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘱𝘦: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 → 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 → 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺)⁣⁣⁣
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For months, I ran protocols to manage complex GI symptoms. I cleared 90% of the issues…but two "red flags" remained: a change in bathroom habits and persistent bleeding. When the data speaks, you don't ignore it. You run a differential. That led to a colonoscopy and a shock: a large tumor in my sigmoid colon.⁣⁣⁣
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲:⁣⁣⁣
Yesterday I underwent a robotic sigmoidectomy (so cool!) at MSK. They removed 12 inches of my colon and a packet of lymph nodes. Surgery went exactly as planned—the tumor was contained and is officially OUT. Pending post-surgical pathology, I am cancer-free.⁣⁣⁣
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𝐎𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞:⁣⁣⁣
I spent the last month in "overdrive," locking in every block of my professional and personal life. I fought through the stress to ensure everyone was taken care of. My nervous system paid a price, but because of that work, I can now spend the next 10–12 weeks focusing 100% on my recovery without stress. I’m proud of that discipline.⁣⁣⁣
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𝐌𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞:⁣⁣⁣
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𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟: My post-op afternoon was intense. Pain management stalled and things got bad. I had to advocate hard for the support I needed. You are the primary stakeholder in your care. Speak up, or recruit a support system that will do it for you.⁣⁣⁣
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𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝: I’m a healthy, athletic 39-year-old. I don't drink, I eat for performance (mostly...also love snacks), and I prioritize sleep. This shouldn't be "my" story according to the stats, but statistics aren't everything. If I had waited for the "standard" screening age of 45, the outcome would have been very different.⁣⁣⁣
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𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦—𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.⁣⁣⁣
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The prep work is done. Now, the real training begins.⁣⁣⁣
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𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈’𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 taken in Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center by @leorgiladi

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6 months ago