THE WHO:
I am what people in the industry call a "lifer". I knew what I wanted to be from the time I could think, maybe from the womb. Basically I knew all my life I was going to be a veterinarian. Some people might say it is a calling (a strong urge to follow a career often accompanied by a divine devotion). I only know that from a very small child I wanted to be with animals as much as possible. I had the typical childhood thoughts of being random things but, they never lasted more than a month. Wanting to be a veterinarian and becoming a veterinarian are to very different things. Starting at 15 years of age, I became a kennel girl (after school helper in a veterinary clinic) I continued doing that and being a veterinary assistant until I went to college (Washington State University) where I then worked on my bachelors degree in Wildlife Biology. I worked in a variety of jobs for the university and at the College of Veterinary Medicine during my undergraduate degree to gain the important experience and references (oh, yeah and those good grades too). Finally in 2000, I went Washington State University Veterinary College to eventually graduated with my doctorate of veterinary medicine. Ready to conquer the world! Or so I thought.
I was lucky and got a great job out of veterinary school, at a mixed animal practice in the Skagit Valley. Here under the great mentor-ship of four other more experienced veterinaries my real education began. Working both in the clinic and on the farm doing both day practice and 24 hour emergency for 3 1/2 years taught me a wide variety of medicine, surgery and life experiences.They say that your first job as a veterinarian will help define you as a veterinarian and I do feel that this is true. Many graduates are now going to clinics that do not have emergencies, or they are specializing from the start. I feel that it was this well rounded 'James Herriot' type learning experience that made me love being a veterinarian. As well as made me a better veterinarian. I also learned to appreciate a good nights sleep.
The Why:Eventually other aspects of my life started to require more attention. Knowing that my husband and I wanted to start a family. I made a career decision to move to small animal only clinic, where my hours were more standard and I would not be seeing off hour emergencies anymore. With this change, and two years later. We welcomed our first daughter into the world. Two and a half more years we are anxiously waiting the birth of another daughter.
I wish that I could say it was that easy, but it wasn't. Our first daughter was born unexpectedly at 25 weeks gestation (typical pregnancy is 37-40 weeks). She was 1 lb and 14 oz at birth. To make matters worse, we were traveling at the time and both daughter and I were trapped across the state during a 3 month hospital stay. Her development and growth has been a long journey which I have documented in my first blog (Tails from the Edge). And with my second pregnancy, I have been on bed rest since 23 weeks and have had what we term 'high-risk' pregnancy with many complications.
The past four years have been one of those little curves in life that leave you not knowing exactly where you stand. My conquer the world attitude has been replaced with a bit more of a resilient mature, lets handle it one day at a time the best we can attitude. But, as the saying goes when one door closes, typically a window opens.
My window has been blogging. I used my blog originally to keep family updated while our daughter was in intensive care for 90 plus days. It was a great way to post pictures, and get information out to a lot of people in a quick way. Then after I got home, I kept up the blog again thinking that I was just updating others on my daughter. As time went on though I realized a few things, I really enjoyed to write and I was helping others.
From my blogging I have made some wonderful friends and helped other parents and families deal with extreme premature birth. In my second pregnancy I have given others hope to those who are on bed-rest, or dealing with other medical problems.
The What:Now it has lead us to this point. And the idea seemed only natural that I combine two passions into one. Blogging and veterinary medicine and create a veterinary medicine blog. A place that I could go a write about a profession that I love. Provide owners, friends and even strangers with some education on the animals that have inspired me.
I look forward to trying to make complicated medicine in terms we can all understand. I hope to work together to improve animals and their owners lives with better health and preventative medicine. Of course I want us to also be entertained along the way.
