Held Hostage by Terrierists

Some people just shouldn't own pets

calliope2 — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 00:50:24 GMT

I need to rant, so here it is:

I had a new client today that just made me want to bang my head against a wall. Well, actually, it was her 14-year-old daughter who brought the dog in (and good for her!). The pet is a 2-year-old Yorkshire Terrier. She "broke her water" last night, and had been having contractions for 5 hours by the time she presented. A dog usually starts pushing and has delivered all her pups within 2-3 hours. Once two hours pass with no puppy produced, it is considered an emergency.

Anyway, this dog was pushing to no avail, so the poor little girl started calling vets. I told her to come in so I could at least examine the poor dog. When she gets there, she tells me she has no money. I told her she needed at least the $57 dollars for the exam and then I decided (because I am nice) to give her a free exam. Well, the dog was fully dilated, and I stuck my finger in the vagina and felt a very large head. Not good. Especially when having no money. I told the girl I really needed to speak with her mom.

I talked to mom on the phone, who was apparently at work in another town, and quoted her about $2000 if the dog needed a C-section, because she was going to need pre-op blood work, IV fluids, pain meds, emergency surgery, and aftercare, etc. I suggested she apply for Care Credit. She told me she knew she would get turned down, and so she would, "just take her home to die." I told her absolutely not--I would not allow her daughter to take the dog home to die a horrible death, and if that was all she wanted to do, I could euthanize her. So she told me to do what I could with a grand total of $80.

Now, two views of the abdomen cost over $150, but I needed to know what the situation was, so I told the girl I would take the X-rays for her $80. There was one HUGE monster of a pup, and there was no way in hell this 4-pound dog was going to pass it through the birth canal.

So I explained she was going to need a C-section and asked the girl if there was anyone at all in her family or circle of friends who could give her some money, because I can't give my services away for free. That's when her prize of a boyfriend decides to tell me that I obviously don't care about animals, and he cannot understand why, if I care about animals and am supposed to take care of animals, I can't just do the surgery for free. JUST. DON'T.

So I then told him, "I cannot care for your dog more than YOU care for your dog. It was completely irresponsible of YOU to breed her without putting away enough money to take care of her, should she have complications such as this. YOU are the one who put her in this position, NOT ME. Would you expect a mechanic to fix your car for free because you need it to get to work? No? Then why do you expect me to fix YOUR problem for free? Do I not deserve to be paid for my services, too?"

Well, he shut up at that point, and I went to figure out what I COULD, in fact, do to relieve this dog's suffering. In the end, grandpa came through and offered to pay for the C-section. I sent them to the ER down the road, because by the time they came up with the money, I was covered up in appointments and couldn't get it done in a timely manner. And I got a grand total of $80, while she got a set of X-rays, my expertise, an exam, and a lot more compassion than those people deserved.

I sincerely hope they got the dog through surgery. And I sincerely hope they learned you DO NOT BREED A DOG IF YOU CANNOT PAY FOR A C-SECTION.

Nope

calliope2 — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 00:07:13 GMT

We just can't do it. No matter how well behaved, nineteen animals is still nineteen animals. While I appreciate that pet owners can be very responsible (see self), I also know that my four dogs, three cats, and one rabbit do take a toll in wear and tear on a house and yard. Double that and then add THREE more on top of the DOUBLING of my own crew, and, yeah.

Or rather, NOPE.

Nineteen

calliope2 — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 17:23:33 GMT

That is the number of pets the family wanting to lease our house has in their possession. NINETEEN. I said pets were welcome, but come on! NINE dogs and TEN cats. Wow. I mean, I have four dogs, 3 cats, and a rabbit, but they more than double that!

Wow. We need a renter badly. I just don't know we need one THAT badly. I don't know. They were SO nice. And they have a boy with Asperger's and another with ADHD (who were both very well-behaved and polite). I liked them. Hell, LEGO liked them, and that's rare.

But NINETEEN animals? I don't know if I should even consider it.

calliope2 — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 02:50:16 GMT

"The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them."

~Ernest Hemingway

This is important

calliope2 — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 03:16:42 GMT

Read it. http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/articles/2011/12/11/led_by_the_child_who_simply_knew/?page=full

I am always amazed by people who can't/won't understand transgenderism. Countless examples in the animal world proving this occurs naturally don't seem to sway them. Maybe just reading about this little girl and her family will open ONE mind.

Told ya!

calliope2 — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 20:37:21 GMT

Got the results of my free T3 today: 1.7 of whatever unit of measurement with a reference interval of 2.3 to 4.2. Praise be to the god of your choice, I finally met the lab criteria for a diagnosis of hypothyroidism.

Of course, this is the test my doctor only ran when I refused to accept the supposedly "normal" results of my free T4 (which was decidedly not normal, but whatever). She said it would be rare, but that sometimes people don't convert T4 to T3 efficiently and maybe I was one of them. Anyway, the end result is she finally agrees with me that all of my text book signs do indeed warrant a diagnosis of hypothyroidism.

Thankfully, she IS on the ball with regards treatment and put me on liothyronine, which is T3, NOT T4, since that seems to be my major deficiency. I am still concerned about why my TSH is so markedly low when it should be HIGH with my other results, but I will save that for another discussion with her.

Let's just hope I get to feeling better soon.

No naps

calliope2 — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 01:57:14 GMT

That's right! I did not need ANY naps today! This stuff is working, I tell you. Also, I went running--2.95 miles. I did the first quarter mile barefoot, just because I was curious what it would feel like, then I put my shoes on. It felt amazing, actually, but I did not want to tempt fate, so shoes it was.

I cannot tell you how happy I am to be reporting the lack of a need of a nap.

More on the thyroid

calliope2 — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:17:24 GMT

So, as I said in a previous post, my thyroid functioning is not what it should be. Of course, my doctor does not agree, and the reasons for that are many. First, there is this stubborn refusal in the medical community to move past the "traditional" lab values used for years that have since been invalidated by the American Association of Endocrinologists. Yes, that is correct, the very association of doctors who should know what normal thyroid functioning is have decreed that the values we have used for years and years are, well, not correct. Yet many labs and the doctors that use them still go by the old numbers.

Secondly, while the "typical" reason for low thyroid functioning is that the gland itself is not producing enough thryoid hormone, that is not the ONLY reason. Yet when a patient presents with almost a textbook case of low thyroid functioning, if the lab values show a "normal" thyroid hormone level, most doctors simply stop looking at the thryoid as a reason for the clinical signs. This makes no sense, as not every patient's body reads the text book.

I don't promise to be able to explain this in a way that the lay person can understand, but I am going to try. At the base of the brain sits the hypothalamus. This little piece of the brain functions somewhat as a gland, in that it sends out neurohormones. In our little story, it sends out Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone to the pituitary gland, the "Master Gland" of the endocrine system. The pituitary gland then releases Thyroid Stimulating Hormone to the thyroid gland. The thryoid gland is kind of the Universal Remote Control for metabolism. It controls how fast or slow everything occurs in the body--temperature, digestion, cell reactions, metabolism of everything. So if the thyroid gland is sluggish, well, everything in the body, and I do mean everything, is in slow motion. A person feels cold, mentally foggy, cannot stay awake, digestion slows down, the body temperature is low, hair growth is disrupted and so hair falls out, nails become brittle and break, skin is dull, the whole metabolism slows so you gain weight, your heart rate is slow, you lose your sex drive because your other hormones are affected, menstrual irregularities and infertility can occur, basically, you are a slug. When the thyroid is over-functioning, everything speeds up: you have a higher temperature, the heart beat is fast, your thoughts race, you can't sleep, you can't keep weight on, you are hungry all the time, etc. etc.

Anyway, the typical test for thyroid functioning done by your doctor is the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). In hypothyroidism, in many cases, if your thryoid gland is not functioning, then your pituitary gland responds by cranking up the TSH and so this number will be HIGH. This is important to note. If your thryoid gland is over-functioning, as in hyperthyroidism, your pituitary gland shuts off TSH in an effort to get the thryoid to STOP making T4 and so your TSH will be LOW.

The other test they sometimes run is your free T4. Most of your T4 (which is the short name for thyroxine, one of two thryoid hormones) is bound to proteins in your blood. The "active" form is "free" of these proteins, so this is a more accurate reflection of what is actually available to be converted to T3 (triiodothyronine), the truly biologically active hormone. When your doctor tests your free T4, if you are hypothyroid, this value is expected to be LOW.

So, in a nutshell, with the traditional form of hypothryoidism, free T4 should be LOW, and the response of the pituitary gland would be to crank up production of TSH and so TSH should be HIGH. In MY case, BOTH free T4 and TSH are LOW, just not low ENOUGH to make my doctor think there is a problem.

Aside from the fact my free T4 actually IS below the normal reference for every lab in the country I contacted and the one they use seems to be considering my value normal based on reference ranges for a normal PREGNANT woman (and I assure you, I am not pregnant), my TSH is in the extreme low end of normal. It is almost sub-normal, and this alone, should alert my doctor, because this value SHOULD correspond with a HIGH normal T4. It is a value usually seen in a HYPERthyroid patient.

So, how can this happen? Well, there are a couple of scenarios by which this can occur. One is called Central Hypothyroidism, and this is the one my doctor SHOULD be considering. Central Hypothryoidism means the problem does not lie in the thryoid gland itself, but rather in either the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus.The problem, as it were, is that the Thyroid Stimulating Factor is not being released in enough quantity to generate enough T4. And given the mysterious advent of almost daily severe migraine headaches, some of them with visual disturbances and facial numbness and all kinds of signs I have never before had with my migraines, I think I would be quite concerned, were *I* my doctor, about what might be going on inside my patient's head. But what do I know? I am *just* a veterinary medical doctor, and I *just* deal with endocrine diseases in about eight other species, non-human.

There are other reasons for these lab results, as I said, but I am tired of typing, so I will leave them for another post. If you've read this far, I hope I managed to make this make sense. If not, let me know, and I will try to do better.

Of interest to possibly no one but me

calliope2 — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 03:38:20 GMT

This will be a chronicle of my battle with some recent health issues. I am posting it mainly as a record for myself. If you feel like reading along, more power to you, but it is not expected. Feel free to comment or make suggestions, as you wish.

Shortly after my graduation from vet school, so around the first of June, I developed a rash on my torso that some attributed to the hot tub, others to a river rafting trip, and still others to reasons unknown. It doesn't really matter. The long and the short of it is that right after this rash, my life changed. Something in my immune response to whatever it was went wacko. My previously extremely high energy level came crashing down. The woman who was spending her post-vet school days arranging the kitchen, taking cello lessons, going to the gym, training for a 5K, making jewelry, planning a vacation, and so on, while also working part time and feeling bored, suddenly could not find the energy to get up out of a chair and unload the dishwasher. Just planning meals took too much effort. Thinking beyond just putting on my gym clothes, going to my work out and then coming home to nap was exhausting.

And then there was the weight gain creeping up. I started at my gym just after graduation. I have never been a dieter. I am of the belief that in order to burn calories, you have to consume enough of them in the first place. I don't deprive myself, but I also make sensible and healthy choices. So it was mystifying, to say the least, to be going to work out with a professional trainer three times a week, doing weight training to build muscle, and then on my alternate days running 2-3 miles at an aerobic pace (keeping my heart rate in a fat burning zone, not a glucose burning zone), and yet, instead of losing weight, or inches, I was gaining them. And before you say it was muscle, I assure you, it was NOT. Over the course of 3 months, I gained 12 pounds of fat. My pants got tighter, not looser (with muscle, you get leaner, not plumper). Muscle does not look like cellulite. And all the while, Alan was working with the same trainer and losing 27 pounds, so I can't blame the trainer. Nope--something did not add up.

And my moods, oh, my moods! I was getting so ANGRY all the time. And when I wasn't angry, I was lethargic, or just...apathetic. I went from being someone who cared VERY much about the appearance of my house to being someone who just didn't give a fuck if the house was falling down around me.

And my sex drive, well, let's just say I could be the president of the Asexuals of America right now. I don't care what it looks like, male or female. I am just. not. interested.

My eyes got puffy and my eyelids swelled up. My normally soft and shiny hair became brittle and frizzy. My fingernails became ridged and brittle. My skin began to crack in regions no one should have cracks. My thinking became fuzzy, words became difficult to process. And the migraines started to come daily. I took FIFTEEN maxalt in a single month, and that's only because I ran out of them.

So I did what any sane person would do. I saw my doctor and told her something was horribly wrong. But of course, telling your doctor that you have gained weight when you are still what many people consider thin, well, that just gets you a pat on the head. And saying you have no sex drive, are moody and that you just feel WRONG all the time, when you are 45, well, that just gets you a, "well, of course, you ARE a woman of a CERTAIN AGE." So I did the hormone tests, and they show that I am not in menopause. And as far as my doctor was concerned, that was that. But she put me on topamax, and that helped the migraines, so she was happy. But I was still WRONG inside.

I did some reading and became convinced my thyroid gland had taken a swan dive. I began recording my basal temperature every morning before getting out of bed. MUCH peer reviewed literature shows that basal temperature is the most reliable indicator of thyroid function. Well, my basal temperature every single morning for the last 6 weeks was between 96.1 and 96.4 F. Anything below 97.6 is a pretty good indication of hypothyroidism. AHA! I figured now that I had this information, along with my long list of CLASSIC symptoms, I could tell my doctor this was the problem we should test for.

Well, she agreed to test, but I could tell she was skeptical. She did not do the full thyroid panel, though she should have. But she tested my TSH and my free T4, and both came back very low normal. So she interpreted that to mean I am normal. Well, let me just say that is not accurate. You see, if one has a low level of thyroid hormone (T4), then one should have a higher end level of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) because the pituitary gland should be signaling the thyroid gland to wake up and stop doing such a crappy job. Never mind that taken by itself, my T4 is actually low enough to be considered hypothyroid by every lab in the country EXCEPT, apparently, the lab my doctor uses. All I know as a veterinarian is that if I were a dog with my clinical signs and these lab results, I would be very suspicious of central hypothyroidism, ESPECIALLY given the sudden onset of severe migraines with ocular manifestations. But I am not a human physician, so I have to play the game.

So, I then requested a T3 test and anti-thyroid antibodies. They consented only to the T3. I am not sure why. Whatever. I am still waiting on those results. In the mean time, my GI system has completely rebelled. I think the sub-optimal body temperature has messed up my digestive enzymes. I can no longer tolerate lactose at all. I went off dairy completely and was doing great. Then last week, something else, though I have NO clue what, upset the whole apple cart again. I spend my days, and nights, bloated, full of horrible, FOUL gas, have to use the bathroom at least ten times a day, and in general am just not a happy camper.

So, to that end, I am trying an elimination diet of sorts. Tomorrow I am going to try to eliminate all gluten, dairy, amines, most salycilates, and soy. I am already vegetarian (and that is not an option to change, so don't suggest it). I can't eliminate fructose just yet, but will if I have to. For the next few days, I am going to try to get by on rice, coconut milk, sweet potatoes, vegetable broth, pears,and some low salycilate, low amine vegetables and fruits. I need to find a source of protein, and may try eggs, but I am not sure yet how I react to them. I think tomorrow I will go egg free. If my gut clears up completely, and I do mean COMPLETELY, I may try an egg. I know I cannot eat this way for long, and I know it is not balanced, but I HAVE to give my digestive system a rest and then add back one food at a time. Here's hoping.

The weather gods have spoken

calliope2 — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:58:51 GMT

Well, it appears the storm knocked out power at work, so all my worrying was for naught. Surgery delayed. I shall use the delay as an opportunity to practice my suturing and visualize my procedure.

In storm-related news, my tree was victimized:

Surgery

calliope2 — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:31:53 GMT

So, I've been asked to do a hernia repair on a kitten this morning. If you don't know this already, let me tell you that I am TERRIFIED of doing surgery. I never enjoy it, and really don't like it. But my boss offered me the opportunity to help this kitten and the owner the opportunity to have an inexperienced surgeon (me) do the procedure for almost nothing. The client has no money, so he agreed. I just hope I am up to the task.

Just send me all the good vibes you can, as I would very much like this kitten to have a good outcome. It would also help my confidence to complete the surgery without complications.

Gulp.

Scared!

calliope2 — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:18:03 GMT

I've been hired to work part time as a veterinarian by a local clinic. I was originally going to start on Monday, but the doctor called this morning and asked if I would like to come in today to "get my feet wet" because she is busy. So I am about to leave for my first day of work as a real veterinarian. I AM the doctor starting today. To say I am terrified is an understatement.

Here goes ...hopefully something!

Please, can I just NOT have a headache?

calliope2 — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 23:32:43 GMT

I am so worn down by these migraines. Today's was brought courtesy of the drop in barometric pressure. It is yielding somewhat as the pressure rises, but we are still on the low end of comfortable for my head.

I am really, really, really tired of headaches.

Speed, or lack thereof.

calliope2 — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:34:03 GMT

The girls both requested an evening run, owing to their stronger desire to sleep in. Because I am worried another headache could impact my ability to run, I decided to go by myself this morning and I will just run again with them this evening, should they actually go. Since it was already getting warm out, I decided to head to the gym and run on the treadmill. I figured I could at least find out how speedy, or not, I can do a 5K.

I started out with a walk because my right calf was feeling tight. I don't think the 3 and a half minutes of warm up walk would have made much of a difference in my overall time, though. Otherwise, I ran/jogged the entire thing, with the exception of a one minute recovery walk when I got a stitch in my side. I logged a disappointing average of 12 minutes, 14 seconds per mile, for an overall 37.6 minutes. Very disappointing. I just cannot sustain the pace I want to yet.

So, I guess that means more interval training to get my speed up. At the moment, I am not running faster than 7 mph, and my slow jogs are at about 4.5 mph. By the time August rolls around, I'd like to be running 5K in 30 minutes. Yeah, I said it. Now I have to do it. :)

I am amazed that some can run one in something like 16 minutes. But I will leave that for the young, and be content to get my arthritic, old body to run 10 minute miles. But these 12 or so minute miles are just embarrassing.

Complaints and Grievances

calliope2 — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 12:33:22 GMT

Hey, its a title that worked for George Carlin, so why not?

I feel like complaining because I don't want to post a bunch of "woe is me" status updates on facebook. I hate when people do that. Things like, "I can't believe this is happening AGAIN!" drive me nuts, especially without explanation. But this is a different forum--it's my own damn diary, so I will complain if I want to, It's not like anyone is reading it.

I've been plagued by migraines for about 9 days now. This morning, I woke up headache free, and I hope to stay that way. Yesterday was miserable because of the storms. My headache finally broke after midnight. Thank goodness I am seeing a doctor tomorrow so I can get some maxalt.

My eyes have been plaguing me,too. They become swollen (the lids) and then pockets of fluid develop underneath, leading to wrinkles. The lids itch like crazy and it feels like something is IN my eyelids. It took me over a week to realize it was eczema. I have not had the problem in a while, so just never thought about it. Besides, seriously, EYE ECZEMA?! What finally clued me in was accidentally finding a tube of Elocon. I looked it up to see what it was for, and lo and behold, it is a potent steroid cream given to me for my last bout of eczema. I applied it to my eyelids last night and also slept with a face mask. My eyelids are about 80% better this morning.

And while I am airing grievances, I HATE summer. I truly hate it. Heat and humidity do nothing to make me happy. I long for the advent of fall, with its cool, crisp air. I hate running in the heat, but I also hate running on a treadmill, so the heat it is.

And I want to find a job, damn it. It is frustrating spending all that time and money to become a veterinarian and then being unable to practice due to the sucky economy. I may have to consider relocation.

Ok, that feels better. Now I can return to the regularly scheduled program of puppies and sunshine and optimism.

Frustrated

calliope2 — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:47:46 GMT

I just cannot tune a fricking cello. The pegs are hard to move, and then they just don't stay put. Anyway, I broke TWO, count 'em, TWO strings today. I don't even know how I did it, because I was so out of tune, I should not have been able to break them. I was nowhere in the range of needing to use the fine tuners. Whatever. At least I still have the back up cello, and was able to practice with that. However, I totally and completely sucked today at every exercise I tried. I'm just not feeling the cello love today.

In other news, the girls took the Megabus to D.C. yesterday. They spent part of the morning at Arlington, but were too hot and thirsty to stay. Tonight, the big event is the Glee Live show (the reason they went in the first place). I am a little worried about them tomorrow, as they have to check out of their hotel by 11 am, but can't catch the bus back until after 10 pm. Thus they will be stuck outside in the heat and humidity all day long. I hope they can find a nice, air conditioned museum or two to spend the day in.

My job search is increasingly frustrating, too. There just are not jobs for veterinarians in this area, unless one is already experienced. Well, excuse me for being a new grad, but how the hell can I GET experience if you won't hire me? I did hear of an opening at a clinic about 20 minutes away. I went and delivered my resume yesterday, but they were very busy, so I was not able to speak to the owner. So far today, no phone call. I don't know if he just has not had time, or if he is just not interested. A phone call to let me know would be nice. I will try to maintain a positive attitude and assume he cannot get to it just yet.

And with that, I am going to go out and buy some organizational stuff and organize my kitchen.

Ugh

calliope2 — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 22:27:28 GMT

Yesterday was a complete loss to a stupid headache. I woke up feeling great today. I went for a run with the girls, then headed to the gym for a nice work out. I had all kind of plans to be productive to make up for the nothingness of yesterday (I even had to decline going to see the new X-Men movie with Alan and Katy).

But half way through grocery shopping, I was hit with a sudden, intense mother-fricking headache again. I could barely drive home. Alan drove me to the chiropractor, and while it helped, it is still there in the background. Now I have a headache basically starting at the middle of my skull (ear to ear) and going forward to my eye brows, and it just WON'T LEAVE. I am sitting with an ice pack on top of my head.

I am very well hydrated, am eating well, am taking both allergy and decongestant meds, and Excedrin Migraine. Nothing is working. The only medicine that ever really helps me is Midrin, and that's no longer available. I just want to cry.

So, does anyone remember me?

calliope2 — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 13:13:03 GMT

It's been a long time. Hi, how are you? As for me, I blame facebook. As I commented in another journal, it's just...easier. But I miss taking time to be introspective, and so, I think it's time to dust the LJ off and get writing about me again. I hope you'll sit and have some coffee with me.

So what have I been up to? Well, there's this:

Yep. I did it! I graduated veterinary school with my DVM. I guess that makes me Dr. Calliope2. However, the market for veterinarians--it sucks. And since I am not free to move where the jobs are until Katy finishes high school (1 more year), I am an unemployed veterinarian at the moment. However, I am choosing to call this a sabbatical. I am taking time to find "me." I am doing things that I have wanted to do for the last eight years (or more), but could not find time for during the BUSY that was becoming a veterinarian. These are the things keeping me occupied of late:

I have always had a LOVE of the cello. Its tenor voice just soothes me. I also find the body of a cello to be sexy--much like a beautiful woman. So recently, I found a cello instructor and rented an instrument and am working my way through a couple of books. It's maddeningly frustrating, but if I can finish vet school, I can learn to play at least one piece by Mozart. And to my immense surprise, my cello is male. He told me his name is Arthur.

Then there is

I've wanted to create jewelry for a very long time, too. So I am making pieces for other people. I have not yet created anything for myself. Both the cello and the jewelry making are very difficult on my hands, as I have pretty severe osteoarthritis in my thumbs. But I figure they are a good way to improve my fine muscle strength and endurance, both of which I will require as a surgeon.

And I have taken up running again. I have always loved to run. I cannot explain why to those of you who don't love it. But I have convinced both my girls to give it a try with me, so I am taking them through the awesome Couch to 5K program. We've completed week 1 of 9 and I signed the 3 of us up to run a 5K for the American Cancer Society in mid-August. I hope the girls stick with it, as both sorely need exercise. And speaking of exercise, I have also hired a personal trainer at the gym to whip my increasingly flabby ass back into shape. I find that I am needing my chiropractor less and less the longer I work out.

I suffer a connective tissue disorder that makes all my joints hypermotile. So basically, my muscles and tendons have to work extremely hard to hold my joints in place, and this leads to almost constant spasming of the muscles. My hope is that by training the muscles, I will make this work easier for them. My trainer, Josh, is an expert in sports medicine, so he knows what I can and cannot safely do and he knows how to alter the exercises to suit my particular needs. After 12 sessions, we will see where that leaves me, and decide on whether to continue from there. I have been training for 3 weeks and as I said, I need the chirpractor less, so I think it's working.

And this entry is now much too long (see, facebook has influenced me there). Expect another one from me in the next day or two, as I intend to take up writing in my trusty old journal regularly.

Namaste.

11 weeks of clinics down, 43 weeks to go!

calliope2 — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 16:24:23 GMT

I've left the familiarity of the small animal hospital to start a large animal rotation for 9 weeks. The last 2 weeks I've been on Field Services--Large Animal Ambulatory.I have another week to go, then I begin 3 weeks of Equine Medicine followed by 3 weeks of Farm Animal Medicine, both of which will be in hospital cases.

I am surprisingly having a great time so far. As a vegetarian, I am generally bothered by the food animal industry practices, so I thought I would really hate this. But I actually enjoy working with cattle (and horses, too). It's nice to leave the clinic and go different places every day, all day. Working outside is nice, except that it has been soooo hot and humid. The heat is so draining that I come home and fall asleep by 8 pm each night. But there is something so satisfying in performing hard physical work outdoors. It feels productive. I do miss the complexity of working up a medicine case, but this is not too shabby! I don't even have to wear makeup or jewelry and I am enjoying just being....natural.

The more relaxed nature of the large animal clinicians is a remarkably refreshing aspect of this whole rotation. Small animal clinicians are so uptight, the rules so strict, the praise so long in coming. The large animal doctors are just more fun. I don't know how to explain it better than that. It does make mixed animal practice look appealing. I mean, we actually stop and eat lunch or go out for ice cream! Of course, equine medicine will likely be a whole lot more like small animal, as both the clients and the clinicians are much higher maintenance than those working/owning farm animals.

So far, I've palpated dairy cows at the prison run farm, dehorned calves, castrated bull calves, vaccinated and tattooed heifers for brucellosis, examined several equine eyes, done lameness exams in both cattle and horses, been shat upon a multitude of times (I've learned to keep my mouth closed while palpating or castrating), been stepped on (just my foot), gotten really good at drawing blood, and yesterday I euthanized my first ever animal.

The euthanasia was very justified, as this heifer had likely impaled her stifle on something and between that and the maggots, had a HUGE gaping hole in her leg. One's arm could go up all the way to the elbow and the stench was incredible. I was so glad the owners elected euthanasia rather than trying to get her to market on Monday. She was already on the verge of too febrile and probably would not have been ambulatory, besides, it was just the right thing to do to allow her some peace from her suffering. So I was strangely at peace with the whole thing, and did not shed a tear for the cow. I was so unbothered by being the one to actually inject her that I stopped to wonder if I should be bothered by NOT being bothered. I think not, as this felt like an absolutely correct action to take.

I am spending the weekend tethered to my house, as I am on call so cannot even go to the gym. I have to be within 20 minutes of arriving at the clinic should I be called in. So I am thus forced to actually work on my grand rounds presentation. My group has chosen to present on equine eye disorders. We've seen a multitude of corneal ulcers, and strangely, no one has presented an ophthalmology case on field services in years.

My small animal soft tissue rotation did not end up to be as bad as I feared. I still have not received my grade, but my clients were all VERY happy with my ability to communicate with them and care for their animals. One client actually mailed me HAND MADE jewelry she created for me because she wanted to thank me. So I will take that evaluation over whatever grade the clinicians hand down (provided I passed, of course, which I am sure I did.) I am, however, glad to be off surgery for a bit. I don't enjoy it. I shall content myself with pulling bull calf testicles and palpating cows as my soft tissue handling for a while (and I did neuter a barn cat last week, too!).

And now, back to the eyeball.

I protest!

calliope2 — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 23:37:45 GMT

Two periods in one month is SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE!

One rotation down, 23 to go!

calliope2 — Sat, 15 May 2010 23:08:34 GMT

It's hard to believe we've been on clinics for nearly a month already. I just finished Community Practice. I have a lot I could say, but I am too tired to say it. Suffice it to say, the days were long, I saw a little bit of everything, and I found that I am excellent with clients, and need to work on my communication with clinicians. I tend to want to tell the whole story instead of a succinct, "just the facts, Ma'am" report, and so I need to focus better in that area.

Tomorrow I have emergency duty and then I will start a week of Emergency Medicine. I am somewhat intimidated by the fast pace of ER, but maybe it will work well given that I am often told my energy level is so much higher than normal. Please, god, don't let there be any ventilator cases--boring to the max times three.

Tap, tap, tap....is this thing on?

calliope2 — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:59:55 GMT

Yesterday was the first day of clinics. I am on the Community Practice rotation,
which is basically doing well visits, vaccines, spay and neuter, and dentals for
the staff and students of the university (not necessarily vet school people, just
university associated).

Mondays are dental day, and gosh was it BORING! It probably would not have been
so boring except that one of the patients was a dog with an allergy to plaque
and so she had to have every tooth in her mouth removed. This took SEVEN hours.
Blah. My feet, and actually my knees now that I think about it, hurt soooo bad
by the end of the day.

Today we are actually taking appointments. I know I can do just fine, but they
are videotaping us so we can then discuss our communication skills, or lack
thereof, and I can't help feeling that my communication would be much better if
I was not so nervous about having every mannerism and word I say taped.

Anyway, it's off to the factory. Have a good day!

Equality March, Mary, fevers, and the interconnectedness of it all

calliope2 — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:08:03 GMT

Last night, Mary came home feeling pretty awful and had a 102 degree fever. She made a fairly miraculous recovery today. Her throat is quite sore, still, but her fever broke, and she claims she is feeling "94% better."

And so, I relented, and allowed her to accompany a group to Washington D.C. on a chartered bus leaving tonight. She really, really wants to march and go to a rally tomorrow to at the National Equality March. I am worried she will feel awful again tonight, and not thrilled she may be exposing other people to her virus, but she is almost 19, and it really is not my decision.

Besides, the aging hippie in me thinks everyone should march on Washington at least once in a lifetime. :)

I have a bit of a fever myself and feel less than super, but I am loading up on vitamin C and determined to be well by Monday.

Keep Mary in your thoughts and hope for a safe trip and fairly uneventful rally. I worry about her safety when the likes of Fred Phelps will be there to counter-march. Yuck. She's a smart girl, though, and will be with a group of local UUs, so I think she should be fine. But still, just think good thoughts for her.

And stand in solidarity with our gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, children and friends tomorrow!

This is why you should talk to your cat about catnip

calliope2 — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:44:32 GMT

While Mary watered the garden today, she took Sasha outside with her. She did not actually EAT any of the catnip, thank goodness. This is what happened when she just SMELLED it for a few minutes. She came inside and snoozed, snoring very loudly. Mary even ran an ice cube over her to be sure she could arouse her, because she was soooo out of it.

And now a post with some actual content, albeit boring.

calliope2 — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:16:00 GMT

I went to the dentist today for my first ever "deep" cleaning. May I say I did not enjoy it at all. I also had a filling replaced that had fallen out last month. My mouth was numb for nearly 5 hours, and I did not enjoy that, either.

The manager of Wal*Mart called me this evening to see how I was feeling. He was probably really trying to be sure I didn't plan to sue Wal*Mart since I fell in their parking lot, but I thanked him just the same. I can't understand under what premise I could sue them for my own clumsiness, but I do know a lot of people would try.

Mary has been enjoying her new job, so that's good. She also finally got the name and number of her room mate and suite mates. I am going to encourage her to call them this weekend.

I hope you all have a nice Friday evening.