hold on to your hats people...

i usually work 3 sundays out of 4 in a month. on those 3 sundays, i always wake up about an hour and a half before work. i lie in bed, and i think to myself how - at that moment, in that time - i don't hate my job, i don't hate myself, i don't hate people and the universe at large. i lie there and revel in that feeling - there in the pre-sunday calm.

sundays are unabashedly nighmare-ish at our clinic. we are the only ER clinic in this area, and we see a massive influx of animals in dire need of medical attention on sundays. i HATE sundays. i dread going to work on sundays and sundays alone.

today was .... hang on to your hats people ... NOT BAD.

i had a good day at work, despite 2 euthanasias. i was chipper, upbeat, and relaxed - in spite of having to go to surgery on a 120 pound dog with 4 liters (or more) of hemorrhage in his abdomen and despite putting down a small miniature pinscher that was out for his nightly walk and was mauled by a stray dog.

all that said - i still had a good day.

my last patient of the day was a bit of a mystery at first. a 7 lb mixed breed dog that presented for vomiting, lethargy, and "bruising." when i rolled his lip up, i was astounded to see that his gums were paper (and i'm talking PAPER) white. i went to get a blood sample with the tiniest needle imaginable, hit the vein on the first flawless stick, and watched in amazement as the vein began to blow and a huge hematoma spread under my needle. i took another look at the "bruising" and went to find my owners.

"any chance he got into rat poison?" i asked innocently.

the owner looked at me and with a straight face said, "oh no! absolutely not. well...now that you say it...we caught his brother with a mouth full of rat poison about a week ago and we made him throw it up...but his little guy...no, not possible."

so little puppy is getting himself a plasma transfusion (probably finishing it up as we speak), as well as some vitamin k to help him start clotting again. i hope he will do well, but we shall see. he was pretty anemic, too. thankfully, the owners gave their dog aspirin today because they thought he was painful. YES, i said ASPIRIN - as in the medication that causes "blood thinning" i.e. decreased clotting.

gotta love self-medicating owners!