Turning Points

There have been many moments on this long path that will never be forgotten.

The day I received my acceptance letter, when I told my family that I was going to vet school, that first night on the island, euthanizing the teachers who taught me so much (Shy Girl, Ethan, and Scratches), the last night on the island, all the learning in between, and my first card addressed especially to me with a bag of gourmet chocolates.

Roxey was a sweet chocolate lab that came in dying. She had been hit by a truck and her chest kept filling with air, making breathing very difficult for her. She got hit last Tuesday, she saw the vet closest to the house where it happened, then to the emergency room, then to her regular vet. Her chest had been tapped to relieve the air at each hospital...yet it kept coming back. We got her last Wednesday. We immediately tapped her chest and got 2 liters of air. Since she had so many needles stuck in her chest, we decided to put in a chest tube. That helped a lot, but we couldn't get her abnormal heart rhythm under control (for all by buddies....she had CONTINUOUS VPCs for 5 days). We tried all sorts or drugs on her, none of which really worked. (Keep this in mind guys, traumatic myocarditis usually doesn't respond to drugs...Lidocaine to keep at a normal rate is about it. We tried Lidoacine over and over, Procainamide over and over, both with CRIs, and finally Sotalol). I had her on a continuous ECG, fluids, you name it...

Anywayyyyy....we finally got her heart converted back to a normal rhythm on Monday so she could go back to radiology under anesthesia and have her fractured (or dislocated) jaw evaluated. Thank goodness she had neither, it appears it had been luxated, but with the anti-inflammatories it had reduced itself. The amount of air I was pulling off by Tuesday was almost none, so I was able to pull her chest tube and monitor her for 24 hours and send her home last Wednesday.

I spent so much time with her; days, nights, and weekends. Working with her, getting her treatments, doing her ICU orders, worrying about her, and even falling asleep in her cage with her. That day I awoke to the ICU techs standing over us saying 'awwww'. Too bad they didn't have a camera, that would have been a sight to see. Me and a chocolate lab sleeping, I was sitting up against the wall and she had her head draped over my leg. Yeah, that day was a long one!

I reviewed all of her discharge orders with the owner (who was super-sweet) and told him everything he needed to do for her at home. I saw he had a plastic bag with him and I remarked "yay, she'll be happy to see the treats and toys you brought for her!" He said, "no, this is something for you." I almost started to cry, but I didn't. As I was walking down the hall towards my locker, I couldn't hold back my smile....as much as I tired. Then I read the card and got just a smidge weepy (shhh, don't tell anyone)!

I will call again on Monday to see how her recheck went at her regular veterinarian, but MAN was I glad to see her walk out of here. I almost didn't want her to go, but I am glad she COULD go.

It's been said by Dr. D that this is something I will remember throughout my career. I know docs get lots of stuff ALL year from lots of people, but THIS one...my FIRST one...*I* will never forget.

Doc P