Freezing in Indiana!

It's been a very long 2 weeks, with no time to eat, sleep, or do anything but patient care. School, school, school. It's been good, though...I am learning a lot. Last week, I had 3 surgeries: Dash was a little sheltie that had broken his leg and the owners didn't restrict his activity, his radius rotated away from the plate, so we had to go in a replate his radius and add a plate to a fracture in his ulna. Hawkeye (a FEMALE yellow lab...yeah, I know Hawkeye should be a male name) had to have a surgery to stabilize her stifle (knee) for a ruptured cruciate ligament. Nipper was a little f*** who lived up to his name, he had been hit by a car and his pelvis was fractured in 3 places, so we plated his pelvic fracture. He tried to eat me and anyone who was even trying to help me muzzle him. 20 pounds of pure land shark, why the owner spends $2,000 on such a little shit, I'll never know....

My valentine from my sweetheart was a star named for me!!! His card was the sweetest card, too. Jimmy is one of those hard fellas who isn't much on sappy and lovey stuff (hell, he's Army/FF guy), but when he does, he is very cute and it makes me smile lots. I was surprised to see when it had arrived. The postal carrier had left it in my door, where another package with some graduation stuff I ordered was waiting, also.
Cygnus was my stars' name, and it is located at RA21h59min37.86sec. D48degrees, 27'17.40"
Hopefully on night I will be able to see it. My paperwork says that the brightness is 11.6 magnitude...I still need to determine what I need that will enable me to see that.

I sent him a fleece with Purdue Veterinary Medicine and the caduceus on it. It looked really warm and fuzzy. Most everyone wears them here: students, techs, and doctors. He got a little tin of goodies, to keep him from getting that girlish figure.

April 17 at 1:15pm is the court date that has been set for my name change hearing. I am glad I am doing this for many reasons, most of them too hard to explain. I think it will be a good thing, too, when the day comes that I get married again I can feel better and start fresh and new with something great.

I received my evaluation for my first half of the Small Animal Surgery block. They score a sheet on certain parameters and then typed a paragraph to me on the back, here is what it says:

Paula,
Thanks for your hard work during this half-block. We recognize that it is difficult to be beginning your clinical rotation with students of different experience levels. Continue to try to organize yourself and learn how to accomplish all of the tasks that are needed for your patients. Completing discharges and proof-reading reports in a timely fashion is extremely important. You show a genuine interest in good patient care. As you learned in this rotation it is very important to know your cases inside and out in order to anticipate their needs. Do not hesitate to ask for clarification and always strive to expand your knowledge base. Often, the more you read about a specific topic when you have a case that it directly relates to, the better you will retain what you have learned.
Signed by the 3 doctors over me

I am happy and unhappy with this at the same time. But, I shall always continue to doggy-paddle, keep my head above water, and make this dream come true.

Right now, I think the couch is calling my name...and I really hate to neglect him when he calls *wink*
Much love to everyone. I miss you terribly!