Chance Of Rain? Never

My parents came this past rainy weekend.  We still made it to the game despite the rain and some flooding.

LSU won!
Virginia Tech put up a fight against Duke this weekend in the first ever Lane Stadium 4th overtime! Unfortunately they still lost 43 to 45.

I finally figured out how to attach my "Life As A Vet Student" Pinterest board to this blog! So check it out on the left hand side! Enjoy!

This week: Two cows with respiratory issues; three research pigs; dog with heartworms; two one week old puppies; several birds; horse with Wobbler's; goat with respiratory distress; sudden death is a dog (possible cruelty case); renal failure in a cat; and a chameleon. 

We had our presentation on Wednesday and an exam on Thursday.  This week in the end of the pathology rotation!

Next up Shelter Medicine rotation!

Things I Wish I Knew Before I Became A Veterinarian

Let Go

8 Things To Remember When Everything Is Going Wrong
A friend of mine sent me this article this week as she's going through a difficult time and just needed a little pick me up.  I believe that a lot of these points are forgotten within our hectic every day lives.  We get caught up in the emotions of the moment and forget to take a step back and look at the big picture. I'm a firm believer in this list since I have been there. I especially agree with #7 on this list.  Everything is already planned out for us, so what is meant to be will be. Your path is already planned out for you. Your fate isn't going to change, so why fight or complain about it? You will only be more miserable if you can't accept what has happened.  Learn from it and move on to living your best life. I am not the same person I was when I started veterinary school and I'm incredibly thankful for it.  There is a lot that I wouldn't put up with now that I would have then.  My life is less stressful and care-free because I won't let the things that I cannot change bother me. So let that old grudge from your past go. The more you try to control something, the more it controls you. Free yourself and let things take their own natural course.  Surrender to what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be. You will be able to be that much more boundless and infinite.

This week: several young birds with various clinical signs; baby alligators for herd health maintenance; pony with a history of being attacked; two goats with liver flukes; dog with heartworms; cow fetus; cat with kidney failure; an anemic goat; sudden death of a cat; and sudden death of a lizard

We had our DPC presentations on Thursday.....can you tell how much I'm loving this rotation?

My parents are coming this weekend! So excited to show them life on the bayou, or at least what a LSU football game entails!

T-minus one month until the NAVLE!

Responsibilities

So far this has been an exhausting rotation with not a lot of free time, especially on top of trying to study for the NAVLE. We had group presentations on Wednesday where we present an entire case from clinical signs to necropsy. We will be having two more following this one as well as an exam at the end of this rotation.....so much to do!

This week: Sudden death in a few birds, a goat, dog with sudden death at the groomer's, older dogs with heartworm disease, older dog with hepatocellular carcinoma, dog with DIC, sudden death in a puppy, dog with neoplasia, and respiratory issues in a cow with a potential zoo notice threat.

I need a vacation soon.....

Pathology Rotation

I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Carolina Leaf speak at church this past weekend.  She's a neuroscientist and communication pathologist who has published books on how we process information and the power of the non-conscious mind.  She has developed the tools and processes that help people develop and change their thinking and subsequent behavior. Being in the medical field, I can appreciate her research especially since I have been living a similar approach with my life.
She spoke on Sunday about toxic thoughts and how we cannot grow beautifully when we dwell on these toxic thoughts.  It is the quality of our thoughts, choices, and reactions that determine our brain's growth and our quality of heath. We cannot control our circumstances, but we can control our reactions to those circumstances. Our reactions can be measured by C-reactive proteins which are released by our liver in response to inflammation. Researchers have found that dwelling on a past stressful event causes these C-reactive proteins to increase in our body.  If we react the wrong way, we are damaging our brain and body.  Dr. Leaf emphasized about releasing our burdens, prayers, and thanksgivings to God. By doing this, we are letting Him take our burden and clean our mind, therefore cleaning our bodies.
As I skimmed through her blog, I read articles about being a social media addict, 21-day brain detox that teaches you how to control your thoughts and build healthier replacement thoughts, how to make time for God, understanding male female relationships, and how your mind can change your brain.  I'm interested in reading more of her books and hopefully making a healthy mind change.  Check out the link for more information: Dr Caroline Leaf

New rotation of pathology for the next four weeks.  We have lectures in the morning, and then unfortunately we will be doing necropsies and exploring why these animals died in the afternoons.  We have already seen several birds, dog with heartworms, alligators, cat in disseminated intravascular coagulation, pig with esophageal ulcers, puppy that died suddenly, a neurologic horse, goat with ruptured urethral, cat with renal failure, dog with Addison's, a neurologic dog, and a horse with gastric ulcers.  I will not be treating live animals for an entire month so this will be interesting.

Vet School school on National Geographic has been depicting vet students' every day life, so tune in if you are interested.

Forever

How To Save Your Dogs Life
Ways Pet Owners Make Vet Medicine Hard
Vet School Facts

This week was an emotional one.  I had some tough cases of young sick dogs that unfortunately weren't treatable. It is difficult not only on the owner, but on the veterinarians, students, and staff.  We are all praying and routing for each of these animals. All of this of course it reminds me of mine own little one that passed away one year ago last month. God lends us a small miracle for sometimes 2 months, sometimes 14 years. Our pets teach us more than we could have expected and love us more than we could have hoped.  We are given this beautiful friendship and unconditional love for such a short period of time.  After all, someone needs to be waiting for us at rainbow bridge.  If loved could have saved them, they would have lived forever.

This weekend I am working the emergency shift on Saturday and preparing for my next rotation of pathology!