Life and Veterinary Adventures

Cookie got sick this past weekend, and we spent a great deal of time taking care of her, cleaning up after her, bathing her, and figuring out a way to get her to and from my work. I was concerned that she ate too much of her rope toy, but after taking some x-rays of her, everything looked fine. I gave her some fluids, got her on a couple meds, and fed her a bland diet for a few days. I'm happy to say that she's fully recovered today. Phew. She's been super cuddly lately, which is more of Honey's thing, but I'm enjoying the extra love. Maybe she's trying to say, "Thanks, Mom!"

This wonderful little ice cream shop called Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams just opened up in Chicago last weekend and on the eve of their opening day, they held a free ice cream night! Tristan, Megan, Veronica, and I had to go get some of this ice cream that we've heard such wonderful things about. We waited outside in line for well over an hour, but it was so worth it. It was some of the creamiest, most flavorful ice cream I've ever had. Amazingly enough, Veronica and I got to have more of this ice cream just a couple days later at Riot Fest when we spotted the Jeni's truck! We thought it was a pretty good excuse to have dessert before dinner. Seeing some of my favorite bands from my teenage years just a few steps from home afterwards was another special treat. Brand New AFI If Jeni's or Riot Fest are in your city, check 'em out!

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...

Since my last post, I spent about a month searching for a job. After a few interviews (and job offers) I settled on what happens to be my favorite practice in Chicago. It's a new non-appointment practice in the West Loop. I've shadowed at this practice while still in school, and I knew I really wanted to work here. They weren't hiring until I stumbled upon a Craigslist ad they had posted. I obviously applied right away! I've been working here for about 3 weeks now. At first, it was really stressful learning the ropes and being efficient at the same time. Everything is paperless, so if we do anything, we have to make sure to log it into the computer and put in the charges. I'm also responsible for calculating and prescribing out medications (usually for parasites) which is something I haven't had much practice at since Pharmacology class. I'm also new to digital x-ray, ultrasound, and laser therapy. I've thankfully had some practice with Cornerstone ...

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...

Recently, our friends Anton and Megan and their Beagle, Koopa, made the move from Atlanta to Chicago. Megan is attending grad school here, so these newlyweds packed their bags a couple weeks ago and made the long drive to the Windy City.  The three of them stayed with us for two weeks while they searched for an apartment. They wanted something affordable, close to the school, and in a decent neighborhood. After some tough luck, they settled on a cute apartment just across the park from our place.  We had so much fun showing Anton and Megan some of our favorite spots in the city, and even trying out some new spots with them. We also enjoyed exploring more of the park we live so close to. (Something we should do more often.) We spent most evenings on the couch watching Bob's Burgers, and we were more than okay with that.  Our puppies became good buddies. When they saw each other again the other night, after a week of not being roomies, they ...