It's been a while!

I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted! I'm sorry that I've completely neglected the blog. I had to do a quick check back at my last post to try to account for what's happened since then, and I don't even know where to begin! I guess the biggest thing is that I only have three weeks left of actual class time in semester one, before moving onto finals and then a nice winter break. I have had quite a challenging last few weeks, hence my silence here in blog land. I wrote an anatomy theory exam, an anatomy practical exam, and a physiology exam, as well as numerous assignments and projects. I currently have a one week study break, during which I will be desperately working to complete another mass of projects. I will also be studying for biochemistry (I have an exam next Monday) and physiology (I have one more exam in a few weeks). I have to work hard to take things one day at a time, otherwise the sheer amount of work and the relatively short time frame left to do it in gets pretty overwhelming.

In the past several weeks, lots has happened. I made the decision to go home for three weeks in the summer, and I cannot wait. To be able to see family and friends again much sooner than I had anticipated is so incredibly thrilling. My mum was going to come out to visit in the Vancouver summer (Perth winter), but we found it hard to coordinate a time that worked for both of us. In the end, we decided that I would come home, so I am here doing my best not to count down the days! In addition to that amazingly unexpected treat (as if that isn't enough!), I will also be traveling to Bali, Indonesia for about a week and a half at the end of June to work with a group called BAWA (Bali Animal Welfare Association). I will be going with two friends from vet school (one in first year with me, and the other in fifth year), and we will be working with the veterinary team to vaccinate dogs and assist with spaying and neutering. Bali, like so many developing countries, is experiencing huge difficulties keeping a burgeoning rabies outbreak under control. The only viable solution remains the maintenance of a sterilized population of dogs with known health status, and BAWA is a phenomenal group working towards this goal. I am so excited- after a long, stressful term at school, this trip will be an incredible opportunity and an experience to help me keep ahold of my perspective.

In other news, today our best friend Geoff arrived from Canada! A friend of ours graciously drove us to the airport to pick him up, and it was so wonderful to see him. After three months, it felt like we hadn't even been apart. We went down to South beach in Fremantle and swam in the ocean. It was a cooler day today, only about 28 degrees or so (wink), so Geoff was thrilled. It was a gorgeous, sunny day for his arrival in Perth. After taking the day off to spend time with him though, I will once again be immersing myself in study over the rest of the week. He knows that I won't be available much over the next month or so, while I finish school and write my finals. That's the beauty of a best friend- it's ok to "just be" around them. 

Iain is doing really well, and so are the dogs. We are enjoying our life here, especially because we have made some really incredible friends. It feels wonderful to have people to share the crazy with; who understand exactly what it feels like to be at school for 9 hours, work til 3 in the morning at something, and then do it all again the next day. Iain is sort of vicariously going through vet school with me, I suppose. He is so incredibly supportive, patient, and understanding. He also feeds me when I get home after a long and exhausting day, my gratitude for which I can't even begin to describe. The dogs are amazing partners in this whole process, as well. Though the lives of vet student dogs may not be glamorous, they are always willing subjects for some live anatomy palpation and auscultation. I'm pretty sure attention is attention to them- whether they're being tenderly massaged or having their lymph nodes palpated!

It's getting late here, so I'd better sign off for now. I will do my best to write again soon. Lots of love to all of you! xo

Half way to half way!

I am officially half way through my first semester of my first year of vet school! Only six more weeks left of actual class time and then it's winter break. I write my last final on June 8th- just over two months away! Things have been moving steadily along here. I have now completed my first round of intrasemester exams (I wrote anatomy last Monday), and the ones that I know about went well. I think anatomy went pretty well too, despite the fact that I have NEVER been so nervous before an exam in my life. I woke up the morning of feeling physically sick and that feeling did not subside until I opened up my exam paper and went to town. I sure felt good after it was done, though!

I have an anatomy practical exam in a week and a half, as well as another physiology/histology exam the following week. I also have a couple of group projects coming up, and several smaller bits of homework to complete. Still, I am generally enjoying my school work and learning so much. Last week, during our cardiology practical, a group of us were gathered around the school horses in the barn, in our lab coats and stethoscopes. We took notes, and answered questions posed by the lecturer about ECGs and heart murmurs. At that moment I could have cried...I really and truly am a vet student. Sometimes it really just hits me in a very tangible way! During that prac, we auscultated horses (including one with a murmur than sounded like "lub WHOOSH dup), goats, sheep, and dogs. We did an ECG on a horse and on Leo the greyhound. I LOVED it.

Speaking of hounds, this week we got our two to the beach for the very first time one evening. A lovely vet school friend offered to pick all of us up at our place with her two dogs, and go down to North Freo to a beach that is always completely deserted at night. We went at about 9:30, and her dogs were safely tethered in the back of the truck while our two crowded in the back seat with me. Our friend has a beautiful three-legged pit bull, and a lovely black and white mix. Chester loved the other two dogs, and was thrilled to be able to tear around in the sand and surf. Dixie did so well with the other two dogs (she was on leash of course, and obviously didn't meet either of them face-to-face). We did the slow approach, and in no time she was happily parallel walking with one of the dogs on leash just 5 or 6 feet away from her. The "look at the dog" game has done wonders for her reactivity to other dogs. Both of them *loved* the beach, and we walked from 9:30 until midnight! On the human end, we had great conversation and a wonderful time. So I got home and worked on my biochem lab report until 2:30 in the morning...a small price to pay!

Yesterday, some friends and I went to the beach during the day, which is something that we had resolved to do for ages now before the weather turns. It feels difficult to take a whole afternoon off of doing/worrying about schoolwork, but I think it's very important to do sometimes! We went to Freo, did some fruit and veggie shopping at the markets, and then went to South Beach. We lay around on the sand a little, but mostly swam in the turquoise water. There were a lot of little puffer fish, and they seemed to really like following us around. It was a little disconcerting, especially when they would brush against you unexpectedly (as you were gazing at the shark-spotting helicopter in the sky above)! After the beach, we went to a little dining area called Old Shanghai, which is sort of a food court with lots of different types of food. Best of all, it's nice and cheap- I had delicious veggie pizza and fresh pineapple/orange juice. Yum! It was such a gorgeous day, all in all.

It's been a nice, long summer here. Though technically we're now well into autumn (which doesn't make sense and kind of blows my little Northern Hemisphere mind), it has been unseasonably warm. Apparently the weather changes very quickly though- one day you are lying on the beach and swimming for hours in the ocean (like yesterday!), and the next day, you're wearing your long-sleeved hoodie and mittens and shivering in your non-insulated house. I cannot imagine the day when I might experience feelings of being *too cold* here...it seems impossible!

I am heading off to uni today (Sunday) to get a bunch of work done. I need to study for anatomy and physiology, do some research on the pathophysiology of acute canine pancreatitis, and do a little biochemistry reading. Wish me luck!

A few more pics

Since I'm going cross-eyed staring at picture after picture of dog muscles at the moment, I thought I'd take a break and add a few more pictures to the blog. Without further adieu...

This was taken in our shared house, in the first week of school. You can tell this because I look way too excited to be studying anatomy. Clearly, I was still in my (unfortunately shortlived) "I'm in vet school! Everything is cool and new and exciting and not stressful at all!" stage. Ah, distant memories.

Holding hands with a grey kangaroo at Caversham Wildlife Park, during a free day trip for international students. The photo is a little dark, but if you look closely, you can see a couple of goofy looking diprotodont joey feet sticking out of mum's pouch in the top left. The toes on their powerful hind limbs give the appearance that roos are perpetually flipping someone the bird- hilarious!

This is Chili the kelpie, AKA Neighbor-Dog from our old place. She is a young, neglected yard dog and I'm pretty sure this was the first time she'd ever been in a bed. She loved clicker training and I had a quasi-joking discussion with Iain about asking the neighbor if they would let her go to a better home (*cough* ours). I still miss her.

Our first wild grey kangaroos out near Byford (where the dogs were quarantined). These beautiful creatures were hanging out in the shade during one mercilessly hot day.

My favorite smell in the entire world...frangipani. I am still looking for a perfume that catches the smell perfectly, but have had no luck thus far. Walking down the street and catching a whiff of these delicate little blooms makes my entire day!

Sunset in the suburbs. Need I say more?

Outside at our new place! As you can see, the dogs live an existence fraught with toil and suffering. They now prefer to lie directly in the sand (to the right in this photo), and I'm pretty sure it's because they take pleasure in watching us sweep the floors multiple times a day after they track a beach's worth inside with them after their snoozes. In all seriousness, they love it here.

Thanks for looking!

A kiss for my loved ones

Because I can't be there to do it in person! Straight from a sunset in Freo, with love. xoxo

Iain's photoblog!

OOOH! And one more thing! Iain has created his own blog, which will consist mostly of photos. He thought it would be pretty funny to call it "Beaver Eats Kangaroo", so BEK it remains. The url is www.beavereatsroo.blogspot.com.

I am going to start loading some photos onto my blog as well, but Iain will be posting the lion's share on his. We have this huge backlog of photos and I know that many of you are eager to see some pictures of our adventures so far. Enjoy!

She emerges...

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been a while since my last blog post. I just finished a week of midterms (biochemistry and physiology/histology), and have another one a week tomorrow (anatomy). Thankfully, it's also our study break. I don't think I've ever been so grateful for a week off of classes! I will be using this time to camp out in the anatomy museum and rote memorize every little tuberosity and notch in every single bone, all of the appendicular and axial muscles plus all of their origins and insertions, and try at the same time to put it all together to form some kind of workable model in my brain of how animal bodies move. I cannot believe we have only had 5 weeks of classes!

My midterms, I think, went fairly well. I did already get my results back for biochem, and was really pleased. The physiology and histology exam was harder, but seemed to go reasonably well. The evening of our second exam, Iain and I had a bunch of friends over for a celebratory spaghetti dinner. The dogs love having company over because they get utterly spoiled and fussed over! Our friends presented us with newly-purchased cutlery and a plate/bowl set as a housewarming gift. We were so touched at their generosity! I really feel as if I already have friends for life in this program- it's still a bit surreal to think that we will be studying/working/playing together for the next 5 years, but I'm grateful for that fact!

I took Friday night and Saturday completely off from studying of any kind. Friday afternoon after classes, a few of my friends and I walked the three hospital greyhounds. It's a bit of a weekly event now, and it feels really good to get the dogs outside for a run and then, because they are greyhounds, a lazy snuggle in the grass. The current dogs' names are Leo, Suzie, and George. Leo is my most favorite color of brindle- dark stripes on very pale, almost caramel color. I will have to take some pictures next week! In contrast to the dogs we walked the first time, these three love people and actively seek out affection from humans. I have come to the conclusion that greyhounds have the most lovely kissable faces- I think it's something to do with their little pinheads that are so easy to cup in my hands! Friday evening, Iain and I packed some sandwiches and a blanket and walked to the local park, where our suburb was hosting a family movie night. They were playing a Japanese animated movie called "My Neighbor Totoro" on a giant projector, so we snuggled up and watched it surrounded by lots of families. It was so peaceful. It even got a tiny bit chilly as the evening progressed, which was a first! I went to bed pretty early on Friday, as I think I still needed to catch up on sleep from the week's events.

Yesterday (Saturday), Iain and I went to a marriage equality rally in downtown Perth. We went with two other vet school friends, Maren and Cassie. We had a really great time and it was so nice to see so many people joining together to speak out against legislated discrimination. After the rally, we had some lunch and did a bit of shopping. Perth city is like being in a whole different world from "south of the river", which is where we live. My normal day-to-day life takes place in the suburbs, and I rarely go anywhere besides school and home, and sometimes Freo. It was really nice to be out and about and not have to worry about getting home to study! Saturday was also wonderful because I got to Skype with family members for the very first time. Now that we've just had unlimited wireless internet installed in our house, we are able to do things like Skype which normally take up a lot of bandwidth. I shed a few tears, but it made me feel so much closer to my family members to be able to speak to them face-to-face!

This afternoon, my goal is to do some anatomy, some physiology reading, and one VPL (vet professional life) write up to feel good about my day's work. I'd better get on that now! Lots of love to everyone back home- I miss you all everyday, and I will try to write another update later in the week.

It's my life

This is going to be a much shorter post, because time is at a premium right now. I have now completed my first three weeks of school, and I can’t believe how quickly time flies. Iain and I have also been in Australia for just over 5 weeks! We are settling into our place, though we are still lacking furniture. At least now we have a fridge and a washing machine (which is incidentally still sitting in our driveway…it’s too heavy for the two of us to move inside on our own). The dogs have settled in beautifully, and it’s nice because this past week the temperature has cooled noticeably. I would guess that most days it has hovered between the high twenties/low thirties, so it’s much more bearable. The dogs have been enjoying the little park that is just metres from our house, and all the new smells must be pretty exciting!

I have a ton of review to do this weekend, on everything, but particularly on Physiology. We had an utterly mind-melting four-hour lab on Thursday, and a group of us headed to the campus pub afterwards. It was great to just chill out and decompress with a group of great people, all of whom are in the same boat!

Yesterday (Friday), I went to the vet hospital with a couple of other girls to walk greyhounds. We ended up walking Wacky and Chrysler, two dogs who are fresh off the track. The dogs were quite flat in demeanor, and had absolutely no interest in us at all. They seemed excited to go outside, but once we were out there, they did very little- mostly just stood there, or trotted a little, or stared at bushes or at leaves blowing in the wind. I figured out why the experience bothered me so much, and realized that it is because these dogs expect nothing from people. They’ve likely never had a reason to before, and whether it’s animals in shelters or these two beautiful boys, it makes me sad. I gave my two extra hugs when I got home last night.

Yesterday afternoon, I also attended a lecture by raw pet food guru Ian Billinghurst. He is the Australian veterinarian behind the unfortunately-named B.A.R.F diet, which stands for Biologically-Appropriate Raw Food, or Bones And Raw Food. First off, I will say that I do believe strongly that raw feeding is an excellent option for most dogs, and almost all cats (our dogs have been raw fed for many, many years!). I was, however, a little disappointed by the presentation. Dr. B is a lovely man, and I did have the opportunity to chat with him post-lecture. I told him that I had worked at True Carnivores, a raw pet food store in Vancouver, and that he had many fans there (he lectured there many years ago!). It was also great that the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) was offering continuing education points for veterinarians who attended- that is a huge step for a veterinary organization surrounding such a controversial issue! I suppose, given all this, that my expectations were very high going into it.

The biggest issue, and it is an issue when it comes to raw feeding, is the lack of sound science supporting it. Making sweeping statements that cannot be supported sends up the red flags, especially when speaking to a room full of skeptical scientists! I think that it is important to acknowledge the lack of science behind it. This doesn’t mean that the idea behind it is wrong, or that it is not an excellent option for many animals. There should be nothing to hide. If in your practice you have 1000 animals on a raw diet, and 1000 animals on commercial food, even if you yourself can see a huge difference, it is still anecdotal evidence until proper, peer-reviewed studies are published. Calling it anything but diminishes the potential for changing minds, in my opinion. At any rate, I was so glad I went and it feels good to be able to put on my critical thinking hat, even (especially!) surrounding issues that I support.

On a different note (I can almost hear the collective sigh of relief!), there may be an opportunity for me to go down south in the winter (June) for a week or so. A friend is going to helping with lambing on a sheep station, so I may be able to tag along. I know next to nothing about sheep, so this would be a great opportunity. We’ll see what happens!

Take care everyone!