I was on call for the past two nights.
It wouldn't of been too bad but both nights I was awoken from sleeping leaving me confused.
Wednesday, I had a huge slate of surgeries-dog spay, two dog neuters, cat neuter, three cat spays, spay/declaw, dental. Maybe one more. The number 10 sticks out in my mind. I was slow getting started due to my need for McDonalds for breakfast. Anyhow, I got scheduled to also do a surgery on a cow afterwards. But as we were finishing, I got a call for a calving. I would have to finish surgery-about an hour-do the calving and then the cow surgery. Maybe the cow surgery could wait till Thursday?
Luckily, the cow had her calf and the other cow didn't require surgery. So I finished up at the office and went home. It was a quiet night until I went to bed. About half an hour after I went to bed, I get a phone call about a horse having a baby. Horses that require assistance to have their babies are not a good thing. I mostly listened on the phone while the people freaked out until they gave me their address. I consulted with CB and drove out to BFE. Once there, the mare had the foal already. It was a massive baby. Her placenta was still there but was okay. I checked her out and she seemed okay for having had a foal that big.
The mare hasn't passed her placenta in the morning and there were a few other mares to be checked so CB went out while I did her Thursday morning appointments. Unfortunately, by the time CB got there the mare had successfully passed her placenta and passed away. CB's guess is that she had a rupture of her uterine artery. It's sad and tearing me up a little.
I thankfully got to go home for a tiny nap before going back to work for evening appointments. Then in the middle of them, I got a call about a horse that sliced its leg. After hurrying through the rest of appointments, I ran out and sewed up a horse. Luckily, I couldn't have asked for a better behaved horse. Then nothing until a 4am wake up call about a foal that was born around midnight but wasn't nursing. I got the owners reasonably calmed down and everyone went to bed. This morning the foal was nursing well. I went out this afternoon after cutting the cow that finally twisted (though I wasn't convinced until I opened her) and pulled IgG levels. They were good and the foal got good immunity from the mare.
I'm glad that things turned out well for that foal. I wish things had gone better for the other pair. I'm glad I'm not an equine vet.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Not How I Had It Planned
Well, I was in call this weekend. It had been an unusually quiet week which while good for my psyche it was not for my pocketbook.
This weekend was no different.
Saturday was a busy as it normally runs. One emergency falling into another with nothing too bad. Except maybe the cat dying in the exam room before I got to them. And killing two cats and a dog at the end of the morning. I ended up hospitalizing a cat for a fever (which I hope goes away and is of unknown origin versus the alternative-cancer). But after that, it sort of got suspiciously quiet. I answered a call about a vomiting cat and didn't get another call all night.
Sunday was looking suspiciously quiet as well. I settled in at 9pm for three hours of my favorite shows-Downton Abbey's season finale and The Walking Dead. I was pumped. And then the phone rang. I had a dog to go see.
Begrudgingly, I went to see the dog and in a matter of minutes, was glad I did. The poor dog was ataxic, tremoring and either had a seizure or was photophobic because when I shined the light into its eyes, he flipped out. He bit and snapped at us. So I pulled blood and gave some Valium. It calmed him down a little bit which was good. Bloodwork was normal and ultimately decided to hospitalize the dog on fluids, steroids, antibiotics and a stomach protectants. The dog actually looked pretty good after all this. I crossed my fingers and went to my next call
My next call was a calving that had come in while dealing with the dog. It was a head back which is one of my most hated problem. Luckily, or not, the cow had chose to lay down which pushes everything up and it's then easier to reach. Unfortunately, it means I have to lay in the gutter. I was in the shit. But I did get the head caught and pulled around. Then we made the cow stand, got a live huge heifer calf out and I went home via the clinic.
Did I mention it was 9 degrees outside? Luckily, it was warm in the barn.
I got to bed about 1:30am and ruined the ending to Downton Abbey for myself.
Today, I got pulled out of appointments to pull a calf in a down cow. It came easily but my cow pulled herself outside in the cold. I checked her again this afternoon. They then tell me that she was a down cow that I dealt with this summer. Ack! I wish I knew that not that it would have changed much. Then I saw a sick cow, did some day patients and then ran to the far reach of the practice to check on a few horses. (Then I saw my calving again. )
This was not my plan. My Sunday was supposed to close with TV, not a calving and sick dog. Today, it was supposed to be warm indoor small animal appointments. Plans change and that's the beauty of my job!
This weekend was no different.
Saturday was a busy as it normally runs. One emergency falling into another with nothing too bad. Except maybe the cat dying in the exam room before I got to them. And killing two cats and a dog at the end of the morning. I ended up hospitalizing a cat for a fever (which I hope goes away and is of unknown origin versus the alternative-cancer). But after that, it sort of got suspiciously quiet. I answered a call about a vomiting cat and didn't get another call all night.
Sunday was looking suspiciously quiet as well. I settled in at 9pm for three hours of my favorite shows-Downton Abbey's season finale and The Walking Dead. I was pumped. And then the phone rang. I had a dog to go see.
Begrudgingly, I went to see the dog and in a matter of minutes, was glad I did. The poor dog was ataxic, tremoring and either had a seizure or was photophobic because when I shined the light into its eyes, he flipped out. He bit and snapped at us. So I pulled blood and gave some Valium. It calmed him down a little bit which was good. Bloodwork was normal and ultimately decided to hospitalize the dog on fluids, steroids, antibiotics and a stomach protectants. The dog actually looked pretty good after all this. I crossed my fingers and went to my next call
My next call was a calving that had come in while dealing with the dog. It was a head back which is one of my most hated problem. Luckily, or not, the cow had chose to lay down which pushes everything up and it's then easier to reach. Unfortunately, it means I have to lay in the gutter. I was in the shit. But I did get the head caught and pulled around. Then we made the cow stand, got a live huge heifer calf out and I went home via the clinic.
Did I mention it was 9 degrees outside? Luckily, it was warm in the barn.
I got to bed about 1:30am and ruined the ending to Downton Abbey for myself.
Today, I got pulled out of appointments to pull a calf in a down cow. It came easily but my cow pulled herself outside in the cold. I checked her again this afternoon. They then tell me that she was a down cow that I dealt with this summer. Ack! I wish I knew that not that it would have changed much. Then I saw a sick cow, did some day patients and then ran to the far reach of the practice to check on a few horses. (Then I saw my calving again. )
This was not my plan. My Sunday was supposed to close with TV, not a calving and sick dog. Today, it was supposed to be warm indoor small animal appointments. Plans change and that's the beauty of my job!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Jambalaya
I don't have a real recipe but this one I sort of made up.
Jambalaya
4 chicken thighs
rice
chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
spices
sausage-andouille
onions
celery
I cook chicken thighs which are my preferred cut of chicken all day in the crockpot. I season them with salt, pepper, parsley flake, bay leaves, red pepper flake, thyme and garlic. After a day in the crockpot, I pull them out, let them cool and pick the meat off the bones.
I then cook rice-like 1 1/2 cups dry in 3 cups chicken stock from the crock pot. I add in the canned tomatoes. Keep adding stock as needed to get the rice to cook but the mixture not too dry.
While the rice cooks, saute the onions (one medium) and celery (2-3 stalks) all diced in a small amount of oil. If your andouille is particularly greasy or uncooked, you can cook the celery and onions with that. Otherwise, just dice your sausage up into the rice.
Add your chicken and celery/onion mix to rice mix.
Add spices-I like red pepper flake, pepper, salt, chili powder or red pepper, and leaf marjoram.
Now you eat it.
Its a big meal with really very little prep work.
Jambalaya
4 chicken thighs
rice
chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
spices
sausage-andouille
onions
celery
I cook chicken thighs which are my preferred cut of chicken all day in the crockpot. I season them with salt, pepper, parsley flake, bay leaves, red pepper flake, thyme and garlic. After a day in the crockpot, I pull them out, let them cool and pick the meat off the bones.
I then cook rice-like 1 1/2 cups dry in 3 cups chicken stock from the crock pot. I add in the canned tomatoes. Keep adding stock as needed to get the rice to cook but the mixture not too dry.
While the rice cooks, saute the onions (one medium) and celery (2-3 stalks) all diced in a small amount of oil. If your andouille is particularly greasy or uncooked, you can cook the celery and onions with that. Otherwise, just dice your sausage up into the rice.
Add your chicken and celery/onion mix to rice mix.
Add spices-I like red pepper flake, pepper, salt, chili powder or red pepper, and leaf marjoram.
Now you eat it.
Its a big meal with really very little prep work.
I Hate To Sound Like A Broken Record But...
as a vet, I'm not in it for the money.
In fact, I'm not even sure how you go into something for the money. I mean no one sets out and is like 'I know, I want to be a Wall Street big banker type fellow because I want to earn lots of money'. I know there are people that do but likely its someone that likes business and money already anyway so they can pour their passion into it and thus make plenty of money. Unfortunately, with some exceptions, you can pour all the passion you want into veterinary medicine and for the most part, you're not going to be rich. Especially when you're three years out of school and in general practice. And there's of course the huge discrepency between MDs and DVMs for very similar training and debt.
For instance, the average debt for a medical student is $161,290. The average debt for a veterinary student is $142,613. (These numbers may be a little old and maybe not from the same years but the point still will be made.) The average salary for a general physician is about $134,500. And for a comparable general practitioner in the veterinary field? $76,400. Starting salaries? $146,500 vs $47,000! It doesn't end there! Human orthopedic surgeon? $450,000 Veterinary orthopedic surgeon? (working in a teaching hospital) $140,000. Yep, we're in it for the money. Now I'll give you that MDs have to do internships and residencies while DVMs can start practicing right away. This is what I did. Are we better or worse for it? *shrugs shoulders*
Anyway, all of this is started after reading a blog article and unfortunately, also getting a lecture on proper receipt of payment from my boss.
Let me hit you with some facts:
1) I'm thirty years old and married. Combined, my husband and I are paying off three student loans. With student loans, other assorted loans, credit card debt, etc, we are greater than a quarter of a million dollars in debt.
2) I have two cars. I outright own one of them. Its a 1998 model. That's right, its 13 years old.
3) I rent my house and plans for the purchase of a house are at least a year away.
4) My husband works a crappy just above minimum wage job on the night shift making car parts for Japanese cars. I'm lucky if I get to see him about 2 hours a day. Two hours a day that we normally spend running past each other and grumpy at the other one.
5) Because I am now 30 and married, my biological clock is ticking. Should we have a kid right now? Can we afford a kid right now? The answer to both is probably no. That's not stopping us. But we're not going to receive any government handout for the successful use of my uterus. At least I don't think we are. I haven't looked into it but I'm pretty sure we're not eligible for food stamps.
6) Veterinary practices with some exceptions (read Banfields) are small businesses. They require payment of services and goods to continue operation. Rent has to be paid. Equipment and supplies purchased. Electricity, water, gas all need paid. Salaries of techs and receptionists and doctors. You get the point.
7) Did you know that Banfield's parent company is Mars, Inc? The same company that makes candy?!?
8) Owning a pet is a privilege, not a right. With privileges comes responsibilies. Responsibilities in this case are heavily reliant on money. You put gas in your car, food in your dog. You repair your car, you get the oil changed. Dogs need veterinary care too. Do mechanics work on credit? I'm not sure but apparently vets are supposed to because we love animals. I also love to eat. And have a warm bed. And have pets of my own that love to eat.
9) I have found two truths in doing emergencies in the capacity in which I do them. 1) that the severity of the emergency is proportional to the amount of people that bring in the animal (this is not always as true as #2) and 2) The amount of people bringing in the animal is inversely proportional to the amount of payment I will receive. More people=less money. Seriously, between the six of you, you couldn't come up with $90? The ideal number of people in almost all situations? TWO. One to help me hold whatever the beast is and one to hand me things if I need them. I'm willing to take a third if the animal is large, unruly and as long as the combined weight of everyone and pet in the room is less than a compact car. This is not always the case.
10) I tend to over discount my services so don't feel like you're getting over charged. I clipped and cleaned your cat's wound for free because she was a cute cat. That took supplies and time. I spent an extra 20 minutes discussing deworming with you for your horses because you were nice to me. That's 20 minutes that I should have charged you $1.50 a minute for. I called to check up on your pet taking time from my lunch and ended up giving you 'free advice'. I don't mind but I do mind when you think you're being overcharged for my generosity.
After the incident where I received a mild scolding about getting payment (which will be repeated tomorrow), I thought about it. We're sending the people a letter requesting payment. Would a letter be better received if it came from the vet that saw the problem originally? Essentially, it would be a letter shaming them into payment. Something like, 'hi, remember me, I'm the vet that came in at night and took care of your dog. Sorry things didn't work out for your pup but I still need paid. You told me you could pay me and now you haven't.'
But people are trash and think everything is entitled to them.
There's no medicare for pets.
I see little old ladies on fixed incomes that will sacrifice lots of things to have their pets cared for but then there are other people that can't go without for their pet. Or people that can't face reality. Tell me you have no money. I'm less likely to judge me if you start out with 'Doc, I'm sorry but I have X number of dollars today' than if you stick me with a bill of any sort. I like people that set me my limitations up front. I can work with that. Also people are liars. House told me that. Sure you'll bring me the money on the 1st. WHERE ARE YOU?! Its the 13th. Granted, you left me that debt card number which unfortunately doesn't work and neither does that phone number. Hmmm...what are the odds that the letter sent to you will be returned? You F-ed it up for everyone else that's well meaning regarding paying me. Some people really do need the extra time to get money together for something that's really an emergency. But now, I've been burned. I'm not cutting you a deal. Give me some money, then we'll talk.
So yeah, I guess I am in it for the money. And maybe a little respect. I'm a DVM damnit, not a CPA. I'm not in charge of your financial woes. I've got enough of my own.
SHOW ME THE MONEY!
In fact, I'm not even sure how you go into something for the money. I mean no one sets out and is like 'I know, I want to be a Wall Street big banker type fellow because I want to earn lots of money'. I know there are people that do but likely its someone that likes business and money already anyway so they can pour their passion into it and thus make plenty of money. Unfortunately, with some exceptions, you can pour all the passion you want into veterinary medicine and for the most part, you're not going to be rich. Especially when you're three years out of school and in general practice. And there's of course the huge discrepency between MDs and DVMs for very similar training and debt.
For instance, the average debt for a medical student is $161,290. The average debt for a veterinary student is $142,613. (These numbers may be a little old and maybe not from the same years but the point still will be made.) The average salary for a general physician is about $134,500. And for a comparable general practitioner in the veterinary field? $76,400. Starting salaries? $146,500 vs $47,000! It doesn't end there! Human orthopedic surgeon? $450,000 Veterinary orthopedic surgeon? (working in a teaching hospital) $140,000. Yep, we're in it for the money. Now I'll give you that MDs have to do internships and residencies while DVMs can start practicing right away. This is what I did. Are we better or worse for it? *shrugs shoulders*
Anyway, all of this is started after reading a blog article and unfortunately, also getting a lecture on proper receipt of payment from my boss.
Let me hit you with some facts:
1) I'm thirty years old and married. Combined, my husband and I are paying off three student loans. With student loans, other assorted loans, credit card debt, etc, we are greater than a quarter of a million dollars in debt.
2) I have two cars. I outright own one of them. Its a 1998 model. That's right, its 13 years old.
3) I rent my house and plans for the purchase of a house are at least a year away.
4) My husband works a crappy just above minimum wage job on the night shift making car parts for Japanese cars. I'm lucky if I get to see him about 2 hours a day. Two hours a day that we normally spend running past each other and grumpy at the other one.
5) Because I am now 30 and married, my biological clock is ticking. Should we have a kid right now? Can we afford a kid right now? The answer to both is probably no. That's not stopping us. But we're not going to receive any government handout for the successful use of my uterus. At least I don't think we are. I haven't looked into it but I'm pretty sure we're not eligible for food stamps.
6) Veterinary practices with some exceptions (read Banfields) are small businesses. They require payment of services and goods to continue operation. Rent has to be paid. Equipment and supplies purchased. Electricity, water, gas all need paid. Salaries of techs and receptionists and doctors. You get the point.
7) Did you know that Banfield's parent company is Mars, Inc? The same company that makes candy?!?
8) Owning a pet is a privilege, not a right. With privileges comes responsibilies. Responsibilities in this case are heavily reliant on money. You put gas in your car, food in your dog. You repair your car, you get the oil changed. Dogs need veterinary care too. Do mechanics work on credit? I'm not sure but apparently vets are supposed to because we love animals. I also love to eat. And have a warm bed. And have pets of my own that love to eat.
9) I have found two truths in doing emergencies in the capacity in which I do them. 1) that the severity of the emergency is proportional to the amount of people that bring in the animal (this is not always as true as #2) and 2) The amount of people bringing in the animal is inversely proportional to the amount of payment I will receive. More people=less money. Seriously, between the six of you, you couldn't come up with $90? The ideal number of people in almost all situations? TWO. One to help me hold whatever the beast is and one to hand me things if I need them. I'm willing to take a third if the animal is large, unruly and as long as the combined weight of everyone and pet in the room is less than a compact car. This is not always the case.
10) I tend to over discount my services so don't feel like you're getting over charged. I clipped and cleaned your cat's wound for free because she was a cute cat. That took supplies and time. I spent an extra 20 minutes discussing deworming with you for your horses because you were nice to me. That's 20 minutes that I should have charged you $1.50 a minute for. I called to check up on your pet taking time from my lunch and ended up giving you 'free advice'. I don't mind but I do mind when you think you're being overcharged for my generosity.
After the incident where I received a mild scolding about getting payment (which will be repeated tomorrow), I thought about it. We're sending the people a letter requesting payment. Would a letter be better received if it came from the vet that saw the problem originally? Essentially, it would be a letter shaming them into payment. Something like, 'hi, remember me, I'm the vet that came in at night and took care of your dog. Sorry things didn't work out for your pup but I still need paid. You told me you could pay me and now you haven't.'
But people are trash and think everything is entitled to them.
There's no medicare for pets.
I see little old ladies on fixed incomes that will sacrifice lots of things to have their pets cared for but then there are other people that can't go without for their pet. Or people that can't face reality. Tell me you have no money. I'm less likely to judge me if you start out with 'Doc, I'm sorry but I have X number of dollars today' than if you stick me with a bill of any sort. I like people that set me my limitations up front. I can work with that. Also people are liars. House told me that. Sure you'll bring me the money on the 1st. WHERE ARE YOU?! Its the 13th. Granted, you left me that debt card number which unfortunately doesn't work and neither does that phone number. Hmmm...what are the odds that the letter sent to you will be returned? You F-ed it up for everyone else that's well meaning regarding paying me. Some people really do need the extra time to get money together for something that's really an emergency. But now, I've been burned. I'm not cutting you a deal. Give me some money, then we'll talk.
So yeah, I guess I am in it for the money. And maybe a little respect. I'm a DVM damnit, not a CPA. I'm not in charge of your financial woes. I've got enough of my own.
SHOW ME THE MONEY!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Birthday Party!
Last night was my birthday party.
I turned 30 on Thursday. Thursday, I didn't do a whole lot. I went to work in the morning and didn't do anything-I got flowers and chocolate covered strawberries from Joe. That afternoon, I saw midday appointments. I ended up sedating a cat for an enema and performed a dental on him. An interesting combination. I hate dentals with every fiber of my being but honestly, enemas are one of my favorite things to do. They are rewarding in a weird way. In a poopy, smelly way.
So anyway, Friday I went to the doctor and had the morning off to do so. Apparently, all hell broke loose without me there. The doctor's appointment went well and then I went to the store to finish getting things for my birthday party. Because I did not have to go see cows or shove all my clothes into my bag, I chose to wear a cute little outfit instead-a new pair of pants and shirt. Cue something gross-I had a large abscess that had ruptured on a dog and I had to flush. It definitely got on my pants.
I had a headache that night and didn't do any cleaning.
Saturday, I cleaned the house and cooked. We had so much food! Jambalaya which was a huge hit as were the collard greens-I told people that they were good! We also had red beans and rice, shrimp po boy sandwiches and a crawfish boil. I made a king cake which wasn't as good as I thought it should be. I should have had DE make it. We played Apples to Apples. That was fun. As usual, the party broke up pretty quickly. There was some difficulty getting out of the driveway. But it was okay.
Today, the house was still a wreck.
Despite all of the ice in our driveway, today, I'm intending on moving the horses. I've been unintentionally putting it off. It still may not be the greatest thing. I don't have a source if hay lined up. I figure I can get a few bales from Tractor Supply. As far as getting them to Missouri, I have not arranged that either. I actually put their transport out on the Internet for a bid and have two reasonable ones. I need to do a little research on the companies though. The most important part is going to be getting my mom to agree to take them. I secretly, haven't talked to them since the initial plan to move the ponies. Wish me luck!
I turned 30 on Thursday. Thursday, I didn't do a whole lot. I went to work in the morning and didn't do anything-I got flowers and chocolate covered strawberries from Joe. That afternoon, I saw midday appointments. I ended up sedating a cat for an enema and performed a dental on him. An interesting combination. I hate dentals with every fiber of my being but honestly, enemas are one of my favorite things to do. They are rewarding in a weird way. In a poopy, smelly way.
So anyway, Friday I went to the doctor and had the morning off to do so. Apparently, all hell broke loose without me there. The doctor's appointment went well and then I went to the store to finish getting things for my birthday party. Because I did not have to go see cows or shove all my clothes into my bag, I chose to wear a cute little outfit instead-a new pair of pants and shirt. Cue something gross-I had a large abscess that had ruptured on a dog and I had to flush. It definitely got on my pants.
I had a headache that night and didn't do any cleaning.
Saturday, I cleaned the house and cooked. We had so much food! Jambalaya which was a huge hit as were the collard greens-I told people that they were good! We also had red beans and rice, shrimp po boy sandwiches and a crawfish boil. I made a king cake which wasn't as good as I thought it should be. I should have had DE make it. We played Apples to Apples. That was fun. As usual, the party broke up pretty quickly. There was some difficulty getting out of the driveway. But it was okay.
Today, the house was still a wreck.
Despite all of the ice in our driveway, today, I'm intending on moving the horses. I've been unintentionally putting it off. It still may not be the greatest thing. I don't have a source if hay lined up. I figure I can get a few bales from Tractor Supply. As far as getting them to Missouri, I have not arranged that either. I actually put their transport out on the Internet for a bid and have two reasonable ones. I need to do a little research on the companies though. The most important part is going to be getting my mom to agree to take them. I secretly, haven't talked to them since the initial plan to move the ponies. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Writing
You may not have noticed, but I like to write.
I think I'm a pretty good writer too.
Liking to write is probably directly correlated to my liking to read. Being able to spell is unfortunately something else entirely. I might have a mild speech defect. Or accent. Depending on where you are, they could be considered the same thing.
Anyway, starting from the time I was a small child, I'm talking like 3rd grade, I've liked to write. I remember in thrid grade writing a story about a fish and turtle having a swimming race. The turtle ends up winning after the fish dies. YES, he dies in the race. I was apparently a morbid 3rd grader. Anyhow, the teacher stopped class and read this story. I also remember being in 6th or 7th grade and having a small poem to submit for our school newspaper. I gave my poem to the teacher and she told me that I had to write one not copy it from a book. I had written it! It was apparently that good.
Here's the deal though. I have tons of ideas for stories. There isn't much that doesn't incite an idea for a story or poem in my mind. Unfortunately, as you may already have noticed, I have lots of interests-veterinary medicine, animals, sewing, anything from Pinterest, crafts, cats, movies, TV, especially TV, sleeping, reading, cooking, baking, planning amazing birthday parties for myself...the list goes on. So I don't get much writing done except for this blog. I have a dozen or two stories half way started. Some shorter one finished.
But then the real problem is, that 1) I have no idea how to get published, 2) how do I know if my book is good enough when there are millions of books out there? and 3) I don't have time to write-I am a veterinarian after all. From there, I have a specific issue regarding one book idea that I am particularly proud of. If a novel is a historical fiction novel-based on an actual event and an actual person, how acturate should it be? What if I want to encompass more than just the main event? Say, I want to discuss childhood or events 20+ years before the main story? How accurate does that have to be?
Accuracy aside, how do I even go about doing research? What were the Olympics like in the 1920s anyhow?
I think I'm a pretty good writer too.
Liking to write is probably directly correlated to my liking to read. Being able to spell is unfortunately something else entirely. I might have a mild speech defect. Or accent. Depending on where you are, they could be considered the same thing.
Anyway, starting from the time I was a small child, I'm talking like 3rd grade, I've liked to write. I remember in thrid grade writing a story about a fish and turtle having a swimming race. The turtle ends up winning after the fish dies. YES, he dies in the race. I was apparently a morbid 3rd grader. Anyhow, the teacher stopped class and read this story. I also remember being in 6th or 7th grade and having a small poem to submit for our school newspaper. I gave my poem to the teacher and she told me that I had to write one not copy it from a book. I had written it! It was apparently that good.
Here's the deal though. I have tons of ideas for stories. There isn't much that doesn't incite an idea for a story or poem in my mind. Unfortunately, as you may already have noticed, I have lots of interests-veterinary medicine, animals, sewing, anything from Pinterest, crafts, cats, movies, TV, especially TV, sleeping, reading, cooking, baking, planning amazing birthday parties for myself...the list goes on. So I don't get much writing done except for this blog. I have a dozen or two stories half way started. Some shorter one finished.
But then the real problem is, that 1) I have no idea how to get published, 2) how do I know if my book is good enough when there are millions of books out there? and 3) I don't have time to write-I am a veterinarian after all. From there, I have a specific issue regarding one book idea that I am particularly proud of. If a novel is a historical fiction novel-based on an actual event and an actual person, how acturate should it be? What if I want to encompass more than just the main event? Say, I want to discuss childhood or events 20+ years before the main story? How accurate does that have to be?
Accuracy aside, how do I even go about doing research? What were the Olympics like in the 1920s anyhow?
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Ethical Issues
I have one ethical issue that I'd like to discuss. I have a second thing going on but its not really resolved so I'm going to hold off on discussing that one. It happened today and really stressed me out. I remained calm throughout it and with cooler heads, hopefully everything turns out well.
Okay, my ethical issue. Its not really an ethical issue but I guess in some ways it could be.
A couple months ago, Joe and I talked about moving the ponies back to Missouri. I simply didn't have the time to spend with them because I'm on call a lot more and work a lot more here than I did at FVA. Also, even though I liked where they were boarded in terms of the care they were receiving, I didn't enjoy going out there. They didn't have an arena. AND everytime I went out there, the people that ran the place always came out and annoyed me. And a final reason for moving them was that every bit of board we paid was money that was going away from paying bills, paying my student loan and saving for a house. (Unfortunately, all of the New Year's resolutions to save money have yet to be started. Same with losing weight. BUT I do have an appointment to go to the doctor Friday! Small steps.) Anyway, we knew my mom wouldn't go for it so it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I brought it up with her. It didn't go well.
So with winter and the early nights, I was only going out to see the ponies maybe five times a month if even that. I was only out there long enough to make sure they were alive and to give them some cookies. The ponies being ponies, could have cared less.
But the last couple of time I was out there (after an admittedly long gap), I noticed that the gelding, Cody, was looking really skinny. Now Cody is not an easy keeper. He easily gets bullied out of his own food and has bad teeth. I also noticed that Nell and some of the other horses out there were skinny too. I didn't think much of it other than I wanted CB to come out and float Cody's teeth. I think this probably prompted me to call my mom and see if it was possible for them to go back to Missouri.
Then I went out one Saturday morning when it was cold and the ponies were in their stall happily eating hay. However, they had no bedding in their stall and their bucket had been kicked around. The bucket was filled with ice and no water. So I went and got water at the clinic and the ponies drank happily. Sunday, I repeated the act but they luckily had water. So now I was really determined to get the ponies back to Missouri but my mom shot me down.
Fast forward to this week...
Tuesday afternoon, we get a call at the office about a down horse that was colicking out where the ponies are boarded. The horse was down and rolling but had passed manure and eating. Didn't sound like a colic to me but whatever, I'd go out there once I finished my ice cream (yum!). When I got there, there was indeed a down horse, eating. The horse was very skinny and old. I checked him out and in doing so, I thought that his stifle didn't look normal and then concluded that his femur was broken. I called CB to see if she could come out and confirm my findings. She did and indeed the femur was broken. We euthanized the horse. It didn't go great.
At this point, I decided I really needed to push my mom about moving the ponies. Sure freak accidents happen. Horses fall and get pinned in the stall and break their legs. This was unfortunate but I still wanted the ponies gone.
The next day, in the late afternoon, I'm hanging out at the clinic finishing up for the day when my work cell phone rings. Most of the time its a wrong number if I'm not on call or not out in the field. It was the people where I board the ponies. Why she called me directly, I don't know. Same thing-down horse that was eating and had passed manure. Did they want me to come out? Sure. So get in Margie and drive out there. The horse is down and very skinny. I don't find much wrong with her other than her eyes are slightly yellow (icterus can happen for a variety of reasons including not eating in herbivores) and her heart has an arrhythmia. So I pull some blood, offer to run fluids while I'm gone (declined), give a HUGE dose of steroids, give a poor prognosis (horses no matter how big or small are not designed to go down) and then run back to the office to run the bloodwork. It takes way too long to run the blood. Its sort of all over the place with a calcium so low its should be incompatible with life. I relay this back, go back and run 10 liters of fluids spiked with calcium to the horse. About half way through the first bag, she starts perking up and the arrhythmia disappears. Maybe the calcium was really that low. Anyway, I finish but leave the catheter in. I'm expecting to have to euthanize the horse in the morning anyway. I tell them to call me at the office in the morning and let me know how the horse is doing. I go home taking Margie, the vet truck, with me. I call my mom and tell her that I have to move the ponies now. I talk to TC and plan to move the ponies into the barn at the clinic.
Thursday, I'm on my way to work when my phone rings-first my work cell and then my personal Missouri cell. Both times its the people from where the ponies are boarded. I didn't answer. I told her to call the office. I get to the office and she tries my personal phone again. Obviously, she's trying to avoid the clinic and the associated charges. I eventually call them back and left a message. As I'm on the way out the door for an emergency, she calls me back on my work cell. The horse died overnight. I offer rabies testing and a necropsy. I tell them to call the office and the message can be relayed to me. They call me back on my work cell looking for someone to haul off the dead horse. CALL THE OFFICE!!!
Anyway, we're moving the ponies ASAP. Unfortunately, I wanted ASAP to be today but the 2-4" of snow that we got prevented that. Hopefully, next weekend. Or maybe before that depending on if we get enough time. I'm not asking for my board check back. I know that those horses need the $300 more than I do. In fact, I had asked about feed changes and they said they had about the time my check would have got there. I hadn't seen any signs of grain the days before that.
So my dilemma which really isn't a dilemma, is I noticed the horses losing weight but turned a blind eye. As a boarder, it was none of my business as long as I felt my horses were getting taken care of well enough. But as a vet, I should have said something. But I wasn't out there in the capacity of a vet. Then when I was running all those fluids to the horse, I asked what was going on and was fed some line about old hay. Whatever. These people aren't telling me the full story. How can I continue to trust my ponies to their care?
Okay, my ethical issue. Its not really an ethical issue but I guess in some ways it could be.
A couple months ago, Joe and I talked about moving the ponies back to Missouri. I simply didn't have the time to spend with them because I'm on call a lot more and work a lot more here than I did at FVA. Also, even though I liked where they were boarded in terms of the care they were receiving, I didn't enjoy going out there. They didn't have an arena. AND everytime I went out there, the people that ran the place always came out and annoyed me. And a final reason for moving them was that every bit of board we paid was money that was going away from paying bills, paying my student loan and saving for a house. (Unfortunately, all of the New Year's resolutions to save money have yet to be started. Same with losing weight. BUT I do have an appointment to go to the doctor Friday! Small steps.) Anyway, we knew my mom wouldn't go for it so it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I brought it up with her. It didn't go well.
So with winter and the early nights, I was only going out to see the ponies maybe five times a month if even that. I was only out there long enough to make sure they were alive and to give them some cookies. The ponies being ponies, could have cared less.
But the last couple of time I was out there (after an admittedly long gap), I noticed that the gelding, Cody, was looking really skinny. Now Cody is not an easy keeper. He easily gets bullied out of his own food and has bad teeth. I also noticed that Nell and some of the other horses out there were skinny too. I didn't think much of it other than I wanted CB to come out and float Cody's teeth. I think this probably prompted me to call my mom and see if it was possible for them to go back to Missouri.
Then I went out one Saturday morning when it was cold and the ponies were in their stall happily eating hay. However, they had no bedding in their stall and their bucket had been kicked around. The bucket was filled with ice and no water. So I went and got water at the clinic and the ponies drank happily. Sunday, I repeated the act but they luckily had water. So now I was really determined to get the ponies back to Missouri but my mom shot me down.
Fast forward to this week...
Tuesday afternoon, we get a call at the office about a down horse that was colicking out where the ponies are boarded. The horse was down and rolling but had passed manure and eating. Didn't sound like a colic to me but whatever, I'd go out there once I finished my ice cream (yum!). When I got there, there was indeed a down horse, eating. The horse was very skinny and old. I checked him out and in doing so, I thought that his stifle didn't look normal and then concluded that his femur was broken. I called CB to see if she could come out and confirm my findings. She did and indeed the femur was broken. We euthanized the horse. It didn't go great.
At this point, I decided I really needed to push my mom about moving the ponies. Sure freak accidents happen. Horses fall and get pinned in the stall and break their legs. This was unfortunate but I still wanted the ponies gone.
The next day, in the late afternoon, I'm hanging out at the clinic finishing up for the day when my work cell phone rings. Most of the time its a wrong number if I'm not on call or not out in the field. It was the people where I board the ponies. Why she called me directly, I don't know. Same thing-down horse that was eating and had passed manure. Did they want me to come out? Sure. So get in Margie and drive out there. The horse is down and very skinny. I don't find much wrong with her other than her eyes are slightly yellow (icterus can happen for a variety of reasons including not eating in herbivores) and her heart has an arrhythmia. So I pull some blood, offer to run fluids while I'm gone (declined), give a HUGE dose of steroids, give a poor prognosis (horses no matter how big or small are not designed to go down) and then run back to the office to run the bloodwork. It takes way too long to run the blood. Its sort of all over the place with a calcium so low its should be incompatible with life. I relay this back, go back and run 10 liters of fluids spiked with calcium to the horse. About half way through the first bag, she starts perking up and the arrhythmia disappears. Maybe the calcium was really that low. Anyway, I finish but leave the catheter in. I'm expecting to have to euthanize the horse in the morning anyway. I tell them to call me at the office in the morning and let me know how the horse is doing. I go home taking Margie, the vet truck, with me. I call my mom and tell her that I have to move the ponies now. I talk to TC and plan to move the ponies into the barn at the clinic.
Thursday, I'm on my way to work when my phone rings-first my work cell and then my personal Missouri cell. Both times its the people from where the ponies are boarded. I didn't answer. I told her to call the office. I get to the office and she tries my personal phone again. Obviously, she's trying to avoid the clinic and the associated charges. I eventually call them back and left a message. As I'm on the way out the door for an emergency, she calls me back on my work cell. The horse died overnight. I offer rabies testing and a necropsy. I tell them to call the office and the message can be relayed to me. They call me back on my work cell looking for someone to haul off the dead horse. CALL THE OFFICE!!!
Anyway, we're moving the ponies ASAP. Unfortunately, I wanted ASAP to be today but the 2-4" of snow that we got prevented that. Hopefully, next weekend. Or maybe before that depending on if we get enough time. I'm not asking for my board check back. I know that those horses need the $300 more than I do. In fact, I had asked about feed changes and they said they had about the time my check would have got there. I hadn't seen any signs of grain the days before that.
So my dilemma which really isn't a dilemma, is I noticed the horses losing weight but turned a blind eye. As a boarder, it was none of my business as long as I felt my horses were getting taken care of well enough. But as a vet, I should have said something. But I wasn't out there in the capacity of a vet. Then when I was running all those fluids to the horse, I asked what was going on and was fed some line about old hay. Whatever. These people aren't telling me the full story. How can I continue to trust my ponies to their care?
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