Some highlights of this semester: My first blood draw on a sheep, my first experience performing rectal palpation/pregnancy testing on cows and feeling a calf's beating heart under my hand, learning to visualize a corpus luteum on an ultrasound of a horse's ovary. I've rediscovered my childhood obsession with horses, gotten some marks that have made me proud, and can fondly explain in intimate detail exactly what is occurring when Chester breathes at a slightly higher pitch due to his newly-diagnosed unilateral laryngeal paresis. There's no part of me that would try to pretend to be anything but the freshest of newbies with this whole veterinary thing. Still, I know a heck of a lot more than I did one year ago, and the amount of knowledge that I've been compelled to cram into my brain is fairly staggering. The thing that tells me that everything's going to be ok? The fact that I LOVE it.
It's been difficult being away from home this semester. Mum has faced continued health issues, but is finally on the upswing, which makes me so happy I could sing (and nobody wants that!). Just in the midst of everything going on with her, both dogs developed acute medical issues back-to-back. Chester had to have a procedure done with the Medicine department, and it was an interesting experience being the client of one of my (very amazing, very brilliant) instructors. Incidentally, it was a tracheobronchoscopy- exactly the same procedure that mum had recently had. Unsurprisingly perhaps, I had a lot of fear about Chester having cancer. It turned out to be (very manageable) bronchitis, likely due to the wild and wacky air here in Perth.
Just as the dust was clearing from Chester's experience, Dixie took a spill that left her immobile and maxing out her pain control quota. There was a short period of a couple of weeks where euthanasia had to become a very real consideration. She is a 10 year old Great Dane- we know that we're on bonus time with her now as it is. We were so grateful to have yet another Murdoch veterinarian do a couple of acupuncture home visits, prescribe some TCM, and then bam- Dixie improved, put some muscle back on, and is a pretty spry (albeit ancient) girl again! As a side note, I felt proud of my university and proud of my vet program when I took both dogs into Murdoch for their care. Dealing with the fabulous clinicians, as well as the amazing and very competent 5th year vet students was very exciting and inspiring. Someday I'll be there, and it will come much quicker than I can imagine.
When I was finally starting to get excited about being done with first year and coming home, I took a tumble off of a futon which sent my knee straight through our glass front window. I know, it sounds weird and unlikely and is most definitely embarrassing. Ironically, I was studying nociception at the time, which is involved in the perception of pain. I actually saw my patella (knee cap) before Maren and Iain made me lie back while they called an ambulance. I was in hospital for a few days after having emergency surgery to clean out all the glass, inject antibiotics into the joint, and check that the patellar tendon hadn't sustained any major damage. I was very lucky- apart from some minor damage to my medial collateral ligament, I am fine and have been walking without crutches for a few days now.
An unfortunate result of this experience is that I had to defer three finals- two of the biggies (my anatomy and physiology theory exams), and an animal handling prac exam, which I can make up next year. I suppose hauling sheep and pigs up onto my knees, bending, kneeling, and otherwise running around the farm with cattle and horses are not conducive to having a 30-staple surgical incision. I found myself really depressed after the accident. I have such a new humble appreciation for what it might be like to adjust to living permanently with mobility issues. Not having my autonomy for that week and a half or so (and even now) was quite difficult. I was so fortunate to have Iain and some great friends who helped me through. I hated asking for help, however. Loneliness is an insidious creature; it creeps up and tenderly wraps you in its folds and whispers promises of things being better as long as you don't bother others with your pain. Still, I am so, so much better now. I have written the exams that I could and I will write the other two in January, in Vancouver, when I am capable of doing myself justice.
So in two days, I head home, with Iain just a day behind me! He is coming for 3 weeks, and to say that we are excited would be the understatement of the year. We have big plans for some actual proper time spent together, and with our families and friends. I have two weeks fully off (!!!), and then I start a full time job with Dr. Rob Spooner and his phenomenal staff at Yaletown Pet Hospital in Vancouver. Rob is a friend of mine from CAAT with fantastic politics and the wonderfully morbid sense of humor shared almost universally among the veterinary crowd. I am so looking forward to working at a progressive hospital which practices excellent medicine and quality of care. I'm so lucky to continue to have opportunities to learn from the very best of the best. I can't wait!
Well, off I go back to packing, cleaning, and sorting. All the best to everyone and for the Vancouver contingent...I'll see you all SOON, SOON, SOON!!! xoxo
