abigail414's diaryland diary
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Somewhere Between Life and Death
Above is me (on the right) playing veterinarian at about age 10. A week ago Saturday it was suggested by a colleague that I write a book about a �day in the life� of a vet. People probably have no idea how much we juggle at once. Problem is, after I�ve survived such a day, I don�t want to relive it by writing about it.
On that particular Saturday, almost half of my patients were vomiting cats. I had just been thinking that I had not seen many cats lately, then had 5 sick ones back to back . They are frustratingly consistent - stop eating, drinking, go hide under the bed, perhaps vomit, or urinate outside the box. You have to be a bit of a sleuth, or a psychic, and it helps to have clients willing to pay for tests. After a physical exam and taking a history, blood, urine, feces, and x-rays (which, btw, is no small fete with a cat) you can usually get close to a diagnosis. One cat had Giardia (aka 'beaver fever' - in the feces), another had a urinary tract infection, another was in kidney failure, one just stopped eating (because the owner went on vacation), and one had swallowed a dime a few months ago. Yep, you read that last one right. He was an absolute hellion and needed to be anesthetized to even look at him, so the owners brought him back during the morning of the following week. X-rays showed a coin in his belly, and thanks to surgery he went home that night with a withdrawal of tarnished funds � his owners report that he is now as cranky as always, ravenous, and no longer vomiting. Appropriately, his name was �Spike�.
Unfortunately, last week also had a lot of death, including 5 �drop off� euthanasias � meaning the owners couldn�t stay with them. They were all sick animals and it was their time, but I think the animal is more relaxed with the owner present, and I like it when they are the last person the animal sees. Many vets prefer the owner leaves, but it feels like a greater psychic burden (for me) without them - but then, perhaps that is what they're paying us for. Plus, I know a dog would stay by your side as you died (but suspect a cat would prefer to die alone under a bush). As an 8th house Sun (astrological gibberish), I�m good at death, and yet it is a really hard part of the job.
The heat here in Palm Springs doesn�t help. Yesterday hit 123 degrees with 30% humidity. Last week I managed to stay a couple nights in Idyllwild (an hour up the mountain), and was struck with the amazing silence and breathable air. No roaring sound of air-conditioning, just a gentle breeze coming in the open window while I slept, and the distant sound of a babbling brook. The cottage was cheap, a far cry from my digs in Sonoma, but a needed respite with their high temperature in the low 80�s. Problem is, I came back and it just got hotter here. Nelly (my dog) refused to get out of the car when we arrived in the morning � she loved it up there and, like me, is feeling cooped up in this heat. I marvel that my cats have done this journey with little overt rebellion � they had the run of 4 acres and are now in an 1,100 sq feet condo with 2 big dogs.
En route to and from Idyllwild, I listened to �The Flowering of Human Consciousness� on CD by Eckert Tolle. I highly recommend his work, focusing on being present in the now as the only reality there is. It took me a year to read his �Power of Now� book a couple years ago � I was in such denial as to the reality I was in. Now it makes pefect sense, especially his definition of stress as �being in conflict with the present�. I find myself chafing at the heat, the fast pace of the clinic I work at, the temporary feel to my current existence, and the overall vacuousness of many people around here. All of that leads to unnecessary dissatisfaction.
So, I�m going to go soak in the hot tub outside tonight and un-chafe myself � 104 degree water with 105 degree air is surprisingly comfortable. Tomorrow is another day.
9:27 p.m. - 2006-07-23
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
other diaries: |
