Nothing big has been happening, we're just trying to get by one day at a time. I have been busy at work as my research has picked up and I am back in the lab everyday. For those of you familiar with Manhattan, my lab that I am finally researching in is the Biosecurity Research Institute. I am the first one in their doing research in the lab so I have been a guinea pig with them trying to get all of their training and procedures in place. It has been quite an experience but it has been educating me on biosafety and biosecurity. Who knows this may be a path I choose to follow in the future (at least that is what my boss' wife tells me). I also have had a new co-worker since the middle of August that I have been training. She will be one of my replacements next summer. We'll be hiring the second one in the beginning of the new year, so I'll get to do this all over again. It just serves as a reminder that May will be here before we know it.
Mike is busy with clinics. Since I wrote last, he has completed orthopedic surgery, 6 weeks of food animal and oncology. He is currently on soft tissue surgery, which means lots of long days. Last night I went to bed at midnight because I was trying to wait up so I could see him a little bit and I gave up. I remember hearing him getting dinner sometime in the early morning and the next thing I know he wakes me up at 6:15 to tell me he is leaving to go back to school. Luckily he isn't on call for a few days and hopefully he can recuperate a little bit (not likely since he is still trying to receover from the lack of sleep from freshman year). He has had some awesome experiences with patients and their owners and we have kept in contact with a few of them with one in particular.
The first patient he bonded with was Danny back in his orthopedic surgery rotation. I became attached as well since I was going in each night to bring Mike dinner and to spend some time with him while he had to be with his patients, plus Danny was a flirt. Danny is a 13 year old yellow lab that came in lame with spinal damage and after the surgery and 2 weeks of rest and physical therapy walked out of the hospital on his own. We have kept in contact with Terry, Julie and Taylor over the past few months and have tried to arrange for a visit to see them in Nebraska, however, life keeps throwing them some hard balls. We tried to go 2 weekends ago and we were informed that their daughter, Taylor, had meningitis and ended up back in the hospital. If you could, please say a prayer for the family. Taylor has been in a lot of pain and the family is concerned and worn down. They are believers and have been asking for our prayers so I know they wouldn't mind some more from people that care about Mike and I. Mike and I are excited for the chance to go and visit them and Danny when the time is right. Danny will always have a piece of our hearts, especially as this was the first patient that Mike treated long term and made an unbelievable recovery for being an older dog.
Mike also had a long term patient during his food animal rotation and it was a goat named Wilbur. He came in with copper poisoning from eating pressure treated wood of a barn. His kidneys were failing, he had pneumonia, and all of the side effects from both. Once again, I spent a lot of time with Wilbur as well considering Mike spent a couple of hours a day with him, even on the weekends. It seemed as though Wilbur was getting better, however, after being home for a half a day he took a turn for the worst and passed away. Mike has decided that instead of liking to have a pet goat, now he wants to have a pet goat. It doesn't help either that our friends, Josh and Annie, have three pet goats that we got to see a few weekends ago at their new home. Some day you will all have to come and visit us as we start our own petting zoo, especially at the rate we are going. Mike is going to bring home every animal when he is a vet, I just know it. : )
I thought I would throw in another picture from Mike's 6 week food animal rotation, just to show you the size of animals that he worked with...and also for some amusement. He is sitting on top of Peblo, a 3,000 pound steer. Can you tell that Mike is from the city...sometimes I struggle myself these days? (I'm sure Chris Scott will be laughing when he sees this picture)
Until next time...
