Centered

I found out my good friend Susie will be coming to visit me for my birthday! I'm so excited to have another visitor down here!  Luckily, it's my mid-semester break as well, so we will have an extra day in the sun!  The countdown has begun!

We were able to close our donkey's arthrocentesis on Monday, which means that this week and until our next surgery we won't have to SOAP twice a day. The rotation I had was Advanced Clinics where we worked up a dog with a possible case of Hypereosinophilic Sydrome, something that none of us have ever heard of, but was riveting to learn.

I had bovine palpation on Tuesday; I am getting slightly better at identifying structures.....slightly.

Another "rotation" for our Intro to Clinics class, includes a mock client phone call.  We are assigned to a faculty or staff member and given a scenario that we have to act out over the phone.  We still have until March to finish it, but again, I wanted to get it out of the way, so I scheduled mine for Wednesday.

Thursday was our LASx exam.  Luckily I didn't have any labs or surgery that afternoon so I was able to run errands, catch up on LSU paperwork, and contact possible externships.

My spay anesthesia partner and I meet with our anesthesia technician Friday afternoon to discuss our protocol for next week.  This weekend I will be preparing for my epididectomy/castration surgery, anesthesia for spay, as well as my therio exam.

Sarah and I were laughing about how there is so much to remember to do this semester that we have a running "to do" list, however that list never gets shorter, just keeps growing....this is 7th!

The Islands - a fun video that my friend made that spotlights this gorgeous island
On the other hand, here is a view of why not to live here: Reasons Not To Live in Caribean

When you're at peace, you are centered, balanced, and most powerful.

Clinical Placement

I am thrilled to announce that I will be doing my clinical placement at......as if my background didn't already give it away.....

I am enthusiastic and ambitious for a new adventure in a new location, for I have a gypsy soul to blame and I was born for leaving!  I have already been researching apartments (with many thanks to old blue and pink semester friends) and I have received my orientation and start date!  Here is the link where my classmates will be going: Clinical Placement

Busy enthralling week!
As one of the surgeons for our donkey's Arthocenetesis surgery (joint tap) on Tuesday, I had to help anesthetize him, maintain proper aspetic technique, identity the specific landmarks before placing the needle to obtain synovial (joint) fluid, replace the fluid with an antibiotic, ensure safe recovery of the patient from anesthesia, and write up the report and discharge instructions.
My SOAP group also turned in our cost analysis project this week.  Apparently we were the first to do so - we were just relieved to get it out of the way.
On Wednesday, I met my OVH (spay) dog that I will be anesthetizing.  We have a cute 6 month old Pitbull mix that we had to do a physical exam on and ensure that she is a candidate for the surgery.  My anesthesia partner and I figured out which drugs and protocol we want to use for the day of the surgery (Feb 4).
My favorite rotation so far as been ambulatory, which I had on Thursday. We went around with Dr Challenger (the agriculture department vet) on her appointments.  We were able to castrate piglets, drain several abscesses, treat two cases of Dermatophilosis (a huge problem on the island caused by ticks), and treat a pregnant sheep that had an allergic reaction to a tick bite on her vulva.  I enjoyed being outside, driving around to the different farms, and the spontaneity of the day, which all actually reminded me of my South Africa trip.
On Friday, we have more bovine palpation fun and our donkey gets a hoof trim.  I have my first exam of the semester next week, so I will be studying for that as well as SOAPing twice a day all weekend.

Harsh Reality of Vet Med

JFK Airport Build Pet Terminal

I thrive because the fire inside me burns brighter than the fire around me.  Some are lost in the fire; I am built from it.

SOAP

The excitement from last week involving a student in my semester:  In The News: Ross Student Shot At By Officer

I briefly stopped by Mr Ross this past weekend to support my class and friends (Bryan you were amazing); we ended up placing 3rd! However it simply wasn't the same without my pinks there.  Miss you guys!

 

 

 

The 6th semesters put all of the 7th's names on a heart around our seating section. Dr. Shearer is looking pretty fantastic to me!

This time of the year's weather has always been my favorite and this semester is no exception.  It's been pouring rain on and off everyday so it cools everything off.  It feels absolutely magnificent outside.
The rainy Monday started off some actual clinical work with my Clinical Pathology rotation.  I definitely needed to review how to interrupt bloodwork since it has been a few semesters.  Even though our presentation isn't for a few more week, my grand round's group met with one of our professors. Our topic is avian fluid therapy, which is a fairly broad topic, so we asked her to help us find a fun case to on raptors and rehabilitation to liven up the category. Of course I'm thrilled since that's my area of interest!

We dove into some bovine palpation for Theriogenology starting on Tuesday!  The videos that we have to watch beforehand were pretty hysterical.  I felt like I was watching an educational video from the 70's, and the angle they shot at, as if you were in the pelvis looking out, was highly entertaining.  Although I couldn't delineate what structures I was suppose to be palpating, I was entertained by the actual experience of some more hands on time with the animals.  My large animal surgery/SOAP group (Whom I'm pleased to work with - Yay Christine and Amanda!) met to start working on a cost analysis project for anesthesia that is due in a few weeks. There is no such existence of procrastination this semester, although, I did take a study break and go see a movie Tuesday night.

We got our SOAPing/surgery donkey and sheep on Wednesday! Let me clarify that SOAPing is a verb to describe a physical exam on these animals; I won't actually be giving them a bath. It is an acronym for the report write up for the physical exam findings in the patient's medical record.

         S = Subjective

                    (Patient is BAR/QAR - bright, alert, responsive or quiet, alert,
                     responsive)

         O = Objective

                    (Heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, and the number
                     of rumen contractions)

         A = Assessment

                   (Interpret findings.  Come up with list of differential diagnoses.)

         P = Plan

                   (What you will do next, such as "continue to monitor overall
                     health daily" if there are no open problems)  

We have to SOAP these animals every morning for the entire semester before classes.  When we start doing our surgeries on these animals, then we might have to SOAP twice a day. My SOAP group came up with a schedule so that someone can have the morning/weekend off since not all of us need to be there.  Every semester I would walk past the paddocks, where the donkeys are located, with the 7th semesters working on them, and just dream of the day when I would finally be in their shoes.  It is an incredibly grateful feeling being on the other side of that fence.

There was a scuba club meeting Thursday at lunch that I attended in hopes that I can get at least two dives in this semester. I still remember when I first signed up for my scuba certification, petrified but excited adrenaline coursing through me.  Now, I eagerly paid my membership dues wondering when my next dive will be after I leave this island.
This weekend I should know where I am going for clinics! I will also be preparing for my busy upcoming week, especially for my first surgery!  It still sounds so unbelievable saying/writing that.

I took this picture (and yes, it is me) to portray the emotion when the veil is lifted and your eyes are reopened.  Remember to follow the light of your one true nature.

7th Semester

I have anxiously awaited the day when I could title this blog post 7th semester; it is finally here. Working hard becomes a habit, a serious kind of fun. You get self-satisfaction from pushing your self to the limit, knowing that all the effort is going to pay off.  It's finally paying off.  I didn't think I would ever say this, but I'm actually grateful for my struggle because without it I wouldn't have stumbled across my strength.  This is the year, especially the semester, to plan, to soar, to live in the moment, to embrace my values, to take chances, to create, to be thankful, to believe, to shine. This is going to be an excellent semester.
Life As A Vet Student

I received my schedule and I got all the rotations I was hoping for: Ambulatory, Advanced Clinics, Dentistry, Diagnostic Imaging, and Acupuncture.  It's exhilarating to see all of the clinical applications I will be involved with.  My schedule varies most days, so I'm really going to have to stay on top of what I'm doing.  Day by day.

On Monday, I was up early to get into the routine for some much needed gym time.  Then my classes consisted of Large Animal Medicine II, Surgery Lab Intro, Large Animal Surgery, and Special Species.  We had two lunch meeting, one for clinical selections (fingers crossed for LSU!), and the other an orientation for Intro To Clinics.  I spent the afternoon running around in town to renew my license, then stopped by the beach to mediate before starting on studying and placing my clinical choices!  By next Friday, I should know where I am going in the next 4 months for my clinical year!

 

Tuesday: It's only the second day and I'm already exhausted.  LAM II; Theriogenology (Repro); Surgery Lab II; Intro to Clinics DI quiz; Surgery Lab II orientation (Intro to surgeries and cystotomy/inverting suture patterns).  I wasn't out into 4pm, so when I went home I started studying.

Wednesday: LAM II; Theriogenology; Surgery Lab II; Special Species; town for bank and wheel tax where a fun over 10 min argument amongst the locals broke out about a man skipping the line.

Thursday: LAM II; Surgery Lab II; Large Animal Surgery.  Yay a nice short day, so time for a nap and to research some externship opportunities!  We have been receiving numerous emails a day about different schedules and protocols that we need to follow with surgeries and at the teaching hospital.

Friday - LAM II; Theriogenology; Surgery Lab II; Rabies titer; Clinics - Knot tying bovine.

Now is the time to start posting all of my items I will be selling, including my car!  It's getting real!  It's been a beautiful fight....still is.....3 1/2 months!

Christmas Break

During this Christmas season, I was blessed yet again to have spent the holiday surrounded by so many people I love and have missed.  The season was filled with blessings of peace, the beauty of hope, the spirit of love, and the comfort of faith.

My dad's birthday was on the 15th, so some of the family came down to celebrate with us.  We spent time at the lake house, as well as touring Charlotte and a winery, as well as lots of eating,

 

Mom's birthday was on the 18th and we took her to dinner at 131 Main.

We actually spent Christmas day in Charlotte, something we haven't done in 17 years.

 

We flew up to Chicago for the weekend to visit family, friends, and the city.

 

New Years!
Isn't it crazy how we can look back a year and realize how much we have changed? The amount of people that have left, entered, and stayed. The memories you won't forget and the moments you wish you could. Everything. One year ago, you might not have pictured the way your life is now.  I hope you remember that whatever it is that happened, be thankful for where it brought you. Where you are is where you're meant to be. I dare you to believe in yourself because you deserve all things magic. Always remember that something wonderful is about to happen. This will be your year.

This week, I anxiously travel back to the island for my final semester. I will find out my schedule on Friday as well as the rotations I will have. A new adventure awaits.