Life and Veterinary Adventures

Surprise, surprise... I've been ignoring my blog again. I think I'm going to cue up a few posts to prevent any more cobwebs from forming over here. So I last left you with a post about Cookie having some GI upset. It actually continued for about a month, while I experimented with different medications and continued to use some, until a vet I worked with suggested to change her diet. I had not thought about that because she had been eating the same puppy food for months with no issues. I gradually transitioned her to a new food with a different major protein, and sure enough, I saw an improvement. (I'll spare you the details.) I discontinued her meds, and she's been back to her old self ever since. Cookie just turned 1 year old this past month! Her big sister, Honey also had a birthday and turned 3. They grow up so fast...

I've been at my job for one year now. I've learned so much in that year that I didn't learn in school. I've become much more confident in my technical skills as well. Everything really just takes time, patience, and practice. I'm not afraid to try to place a catheter in a dehydrated kitten anymore. I'm not too much of a wimp to place a muzzle on an aggressive dog (within reason, of course) and surgery isn't nearly as scary as it once was. I've been lucky enough to work with some really amazing vets, techs, and kennel staff, who have made the transition from school to work not so bad. Don't get me wrong, there are days that are really difficult and make me question my career choice. Sometimes I just have too much on my plate and get overwhelmed. Sometimes I feel like I just don't make enough money for the things I have to put up with. At the end of the day, I just have to remind myself that it's not always about the money and that I...

This blog has taken quite the hiatus (and I can't promise I'll get better at updating it). Here's what I've been up to since I last posted: I passed the VTNE last December! Preparing for that test was one of the most stressful things I've had to do, but all my hard work paid off and I got my little certificate in the mail a couple months later. Since my college is so small, they only hold graduation ceremonies for 3 cohorts at a time. So, even though I graduated last August, my ceremony was in the spring. My mom and my Nana Toni traveled from WI to see me walk across the stage and get my diploma. We also went out to eat at one of my favorite local spots, Bite Cafe, after we got back to the city. I'm so thankful to have such strong ladies to look up to. I couldn't have done it without their support. My mom and I took a little vacation in the Florida Keys to celebrate. It was so fun and relaxing and it was nice to spend some quality time with my m...

Howie and Giani at my externship I finally did it! I'm done with school and my externship and it feels great. I'm proud of myself for working hard and finishing this demanding program. I can now say I have my Associates degree in applied sciences. The next step is for me to get a job. I was offered a position where I completed my externship, but the pay they offered was less than I was making nannying before I decided to go back to school, so I couldn't justify working there. It's too bad, because I think it would have been a great hospital to start out in, and it was so close to my apartment. I have an interview at another hospital tomorrow, and I'm hoping they will be able to offer me something closer to what I'd like to make. Once I start making some money, I can actually register to take my VTNE (the board exam to become certified). And once I get a job, I think I'll be able to stop stressing about finances, and start stressing about studying and...

I recently spent a week up north with some of my family at my great aunt Mayme's house in northern Wisconsin. It's a summer tradition in my family that has been known as "Ladies Camp," even though my little brother Austin has been a part of it since he was a baby. (He is now sixteen.) My uncle JJ even joined us this year. I drove to my mom's so I could carpool with her, Austin, and our dog, Molly. We rode in my mom's work vehicle, which is an HHR covered in a Jelly Belly wrap. Oh, the looks we get. After about 4 more hours of driving, we saw this sign and knew we'd be out of the Jelly Belly mobile very shortly! On one of the first days there, a family of deer wandered into my aunt's yard. I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped away at their faces. I was amazed by how they let me get so close to them before they ran away. We spent a great deal of time on the lake. We read and sunbathed on the d...

I was just on my porch taking some photos of myself for modeling with a local hair salon I work with from time to time. Honey came to hang out with me, so I wanted to post a few of the photos I took. (I know this one is out of focus, but I just can't get enough of that puppy love!) Hope you're all enjoying the sun!

Tristan and I went to Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon to go spend some time with our puppy and my family and to see our friends Dre and Joel before they move. First, we walked Honey and Molly around at the park with my mom. Honey was so sleepy that she took a nap under a bench for a while. Then we grabbed lunch in Cedarburg before heading back to my dad's with Honey. Once we got there, we met the new neighbors and their three huskies. One of them was just a puppy and he was so cute! Max It was so adorable watching him try to play with Honey. Buddies! I almost had tears in my eyes when it was time to say goodbye to Honey again. She was yelping as we got in the car without her. She'll be staying with us for a week soon, though, and then she'll be all ours in about 3 months. Next, we headed to Dre and Joel's in Milwaukee and were greeted with big hugs. Life has been so busy and we haven't been able to hang out nearly as much as we...