Sorry for the wait!

WOW, has it ever been a busy summer, and I do not have Internet in the place I am staying in for the summer and although I told myself I could use the Internet at work over my lunch hour, I never seem to get a lunch hour!
I am back in Alberta now and living out by fernvalleys place while working at the local mixed animal veterinary practice. The practice I work at handles everything from horses and cattle (beef and dairy) to pot belly pigs, cats, dogs, ferrets, budgies, goats, llamas, alpacas and so on... It has been a fabulous experience so far, I even got to do my first surgery last week, a cat neuter, but I can't complain! I am currently pulling the graveyard shift on monitoring a group of critical care patients in the clinic that include a scouring calf, a dog with liver disease, a dog that came in at midnight with a huge bite wound, as well as another dog fight wound victim. Liver dog enjoys pulling his IV out every half hour or so and needs constant monitoring. I swear that's one of the hardest things about vet med, your patients don't always realize that what you are trying to do is actually helping!
I have been really enjoying getting to see my horses every day after work, though some days I don't get off work till late and then am too tired to do anything more than pet noses. I have tons of photos but Don't have them here at the clinic unfortunately.
I will try to update again soon!

I have reached the beer at the end of the tunnel!

I am done!! 25% DVM (barring i have passed all my finals which i am sure I have). I am currently inebriated so I will post more tomorrow, but I have learned so much and have had such an awesome time here its kind of sad to leave. But this summer is well deserved and I am so excited to not have to study 8 hours a night!
talk to you later!!
Angela

The end of the tunnel is in sight!!

Tomorrow is our last day of class and it is only a half day with 3 classes! YAY!!! So hard to believe how fast the year has gone. I unfortunately have some huge exams til the 29th so will be digging in deep to get though the next couple of weeks, so sorry, but I will be on a blogger hiatus till the end
Saw some neat immuno suppressed foals in the equine ward at the moment, makes studying immunology easier when the evidence of its importance is right in front of you and its life is hanging in the balance.
Talk to you all soon! Wish me luck!
Ill leave you with some pictures of Louie helping mommy study

HORSESHORSESHORSES

Had an anatomy lab today on horse heads. worked in pairs that each got a horses head that had been sawn saggitly in half down the mid line. It is a 2 week dissection but we did a pretty good job today on it. It was awesome to see some things like the guttural pouch (out pocket of the Eustachian tube) so prone to pathology but that is never seen unless by endoscopy. Really helps with the understanding of the horse in general. Our poor beasty had a nasty upper respiratory infection as when we cut into the nasal concha stinky smelly goopy puss pored out. I <3 it but my hands still reek of puss even though I wore gloves.
After lab I went to the equine clubs year end banquet and watched presentation by some 3rd year students who went on the annual AAEP (American association of equine practitioners) student conference back in august. It is fully funded by the AAEP so 15 3rd year students get to attend for free from our school every year. They toured some of the most amazing clinics and farms in Kentucky. It looked like a blast and I cant wait till it is my turn to go. Some students rented a car and extended their trip to include keeneland, lots of other clinics and farms as well as the horse park where the 2010 equestrian games is going to be held. SO cool.
Afterwards I came home and moped about my lack of horse out here so while looking at pictures of my boys on my laptop I stumbled across this video from a trip home in October. mind the turbulence part way through, forgot I had to keep the camera pointed on the road! Start off at a canter but get up to a pretty good gallop. Completely private road on fernvalleys place so no need to worry about traffic! God I miss my boys so badly! I can't wait to see them again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFXJzuBR704

First C section!

So I traded 24 hrs of studying for a bio chem final that was on Monday for the chance to do my first c-section!!!! I headed out to a rural vet clinic 2 hrs away with 2 3rd year students as well as a second year student with the hopes of getting some calving experience. Groups before us didn't have much luck but we were hopeful! We got there and the wife of the vet(lets call him dr. bob) we were with,who has over 30 years experience, fed us a wonderful dinner. Just as we were finishing tea the first call came in. Big calf small hole scenario so one of the third years was asked to step in and perform the c section. I prepped cows and got to do some epidurals and nerve blocks. The second one came in right after and the other 3rd year got to perform that one. We finally got done around 130 in the morning and headed home to bed. Got another call around 7 in the morning, another difficult calving with a torn uterus so the 2nd year got to help on that one! We went home for lunch and Dr. Bob says to me, Angela, if we get one more its yours! So I was very impatiently waiting for the phone to ring as we ate lunch, had tea, watched a c section video, so on and so forth. Finally the phone rings! I almost wet myself with excitement. A C section is something a lot of 3rd years don't always get a chance to do! Sure enough it was another c section so I scrubbed in and got to perform the surgery! Dr. Bob was amazing. So patient and awesome at instructing what needed to be done. I can not even begin to describe what an awesome feeling it was getting to cut into a live living breathing animal. The calf was long dead, but stitching up was so fun! I was so slow compared to Dr. Bob,goes to show what experience does for one!
Dr. Bob also showed us some really cool "things" he has accumulated over the years and keeps in his freezer at the clinic. I was able to diagnose a huge hydroencephalic foals head that he has us palpate through a plastic bag.
It was an amazing weekend that ended too quickly. Too soon I was back in Saskatoon cramming for biochemistry. The exam went pretty well, but even if I don't do as well as I would like it will have been totally worth it!

nothing thrilling

Well, as the title suggests nothing thrilling is happening in this piece of the world. Been studying like mad. Have another final Monday(bio chem) and a midterm in immunology this Thursday. pretty much just trying to hang in till the end. only 36 days till I am finished for the summer. Its hard to believe that in 36 days there will also be green grass. Its been snowing and blowing and raining here but at least the temperature is nice. makes me wish for ponies.....
Went to a really good farrier clinic on Saturday at the school. worked on basic skills such as trimming,pulling shoes, etc. stuff that may come in useful as a vet. brought up a really good point about x rays, useless if there is a bad trim job! all your angles will be off and it will have nothing to do with the pathology of the foot. Also learned ways that a good skilled trained farrier can help an vet get the best treatments for patients such as laminitis or navicular.
Hmmm, what else....... went to a keg party hosted by the winner of the annual "back row boys" scholarship. was a lot of fun! Going to a steak dinner for the bovine club wrap up party tomorrow.
Oh! I was interviewed for a profile in the equine health research fund newsletter for my involvement previously as well as future plans with horses. look for me this summer!
Well, that was a dyslexic post but that's all I've got for now!

finally!

many apologies for the foul mood yesterday. I have had enough of the incessant exams and am excited for the week and a half break from exams.So glad thatparticular course is out of the way. There wererecord numbers of my classmates at the campus watering holefollowing that exam. After a break we had to go back for 3 more classes. All the profs felt so sorry for us they kept them short and sweet. Tonight I am relaxing and enjoying enjoying a night watching some tv.
To top off an allready foul day,i believe i have lost my bus pass and forogot i had a reserve copy of a book signed out of the library and now owe 48$ yikes! 1$ an hour for 2 days.
Snuck home for the weekend to attend my olderbrothers graduation banquet and dance. Partied with all my undergrad friends who i hadnt seen in a while. Also attend the initiation ceremonies for Ceres womens fraternity that I was president of before leaving for vet school as well as our brother fraternity farm house. Lots ofdriving, little studying, and a whole lot of fun left me a lot less prepared for that exam then i hoped, but it was definetly worth it.

Is tired

4 hour exam tomorrow, histology, cant wait for it to be over.
I am sick of exams.

and another one bites the dust!

Wrote an embryology final exam today. Went pretty well! 2 finals down 7 to go plus 2 months classes plus 2 midterms plus 1 project...... its going to be a busy 7 week drive to the finish line! Its so hard to believe that in 7 weeks I will be done my first year. where does the time go!
Been hitting the gym trying to loose some of the weight gained by sitting on my behind all year studying. I have actually been able to run on a treadmill! This is amazing as I haven't been able to run without pain for 3 years. I had torsion of my left tibia (twisted about70 degrees between my knee and foot) growing up that caused me to walk turned out on that side and lead to countless popped kneecaps, dislocated knees, and other ouches. my horse was also not very appreciative of the constant left "leg on" signal. In grade 12 (3 years ago) doctors broke the tibia surgically and but my fut on straight and voila! no knee troubles! but it was quite painful to impact and due to hardware in there still it gets sore in cold weather, tendon rubbing, etc. I found to my delight that I could run without impact pain! the hardware gets sore at night but it does with any sort of activity,i just don't have the time to go get it taken out right now.
So YAY!! Have gotten up to 4 km on the treadmill and enjoy my half hour break after school to release some energy and stress! Gotta fit back into my cruel girl jeans for the summer!
I ambackto the books now..... the exams never end!

more reading week

Spent the rest of reading week at the local vet clinic as well as riding and working with Eurus. Footing was great in in the roundpen so I set up a little free jumping chute. Underestimated my big yearlings stride but it still worked out okay! Just did up to 2'6 but he loved it. Kept going back over it even when I left him alone in the roundpen! Also line drove him for the first time and he did amazing. Perfect halts and turns,I can't wait for my surcingle to come that I ordered for working with him this summer.




Video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfW3iOVlcjw

Rode Digger a fair bit too. This is a picture heading down our hay road after the snowstorm.


.
Sunday mom and littlesis drove me back to Saskatoon. Wrote exam monday and tuesday and now amstudying for a final next monday in embryology. It is plus 5 today and I wish I had a horse to go ride as we have the afternoon off. A walk will have to suffice. Also spent some time customizing my binders. Not always the most organized person but every now and then I get off my butt and get it done

Reading week catch up

What a busy last week! I swear the day I wake up without a busy schedule I know I'll be dead! The last week of school flew by. Had a huge anatomy exam on Tuesday that went pretty well, though missed a few things for sure (how important could the coagulating gland on a chicken be that is has to be on the lab identification portion?) Had a nutrition FINAL on Friday that studying for kept me on my toes. So hard to get in a studying mode when all you can think of is home. It did not go well. Was told to study general concepts but got tested on [icky details.... we'll see how the mark comes in but I have low expectations of that one, and I LOVE nutrition, oh well.
Drove home Friday afternoon after playing hookey from afternoon histology class. Saturday came out to the lake. Spent the day Saturday getting the low down from Aunty Sherry (FernValley01) how was headed to Mexico Sunday who I was going to be farm sitting for! Snuck in a couple rides too, one with my mom and one with a younger girls who boards her cushings affected mare for the winter. The rode out to our hayfield was freshly plowed and so the footing was great and we had a fabulous ride.
Digger, my 9 year old gelding, has always had very sensitive mouth issues and I am a super driving rider so I always had a lot of trouble collecting him up. It been 4 months since Ive really ridden, but in that time I have been doing equilates, a Pilate's form for riders, as well as studying as much as possible on some of older dressage masters tips and techniques. Well, I gently cued digger with the reins to bring his head down, and lightened my seat by lifting my core muscles and shoulders and low and behold Digger picked up the bit and rounded his back up to meet me. Lovely collection, something I have only ever dreamed about with him, but more on that for another time.
Sunday Aunty Sherry left. Did morning chores then went ski dooing with my brother as well as we went for a ride together, since then I've Been Feeding and studying and going into the local vet clinic for some hands on. Got to help IM pin a dogs leg today which was really cool.
Monday it started snowing, and its been snowing and blowing ever since. Over 1ft of fresh powder, which is stunningly beautiful but sure hard to slug through, but onto the pictures!


snow storm

digger and I

my brother and I out for a ride

mom out for her 2nd ride post accident


stallion cactus looking for his share of the grain

The "kids" getting their taste of grain so that the mare in the background with cushings can get her meds in peace.

Andee waiting for her grain

Fix and Arse very excited for their grain

The boys looking pathetic in the snow

Cows waiting to be fed

Filling up the mares stock tank

Feeding the steers

Digger coming up for the fork feeding hay

An overveiw with the geldings in the foregorund and the cows watching me in the background.

Sunday in pictures

As something different I figured I would take you along for a boring Sunday of studying at school, seeing as I do nothing but study on my time "off".
So the room mates cat woke me up at 8 as she had spent the night At friends and he was lonely. Got up and had breakfast then headed off to school at around 930. Got to school



and first went to the anatomy lab for a study session.
This is the anatomy lab all setup for reviewing for our Tuesday exam on GI tract and reproduction.




At about 1130 I was finished going though all the specimens and so decided to go meet my friend venti vanilla americano with milk at Starbucks. Starbucks is a 15 min walk from the vet school and it was -25 out, so it was a nice refreshing walk.
Here is Starbucks and I back in the locker room at school after our walk back.

Stopped to nuke the now chilled coffee in the microwaves before heading up to the library that opened at noon.
This is the atrium of the library and my favorite place to study as it has such nice natural lightfrom the sky lights and I like the smell of all the plants

You can see the checkout desk, computers, and functional part of the library behind the atrium. The vet med library is always super quiet and has 1000's of reference books that make studying all that more interesting.

Here is Starbucks and me studying.

Sat here till 3 when I decided to go hit up the lab again.Lots more people in there this time. This is the anatomy cooler where we keep all the formaldehyded specimens including a complete horse, cow,calf,sheep, and about 45 dogs between my class and the animal science students.


Random hamster in formalin in a box.... looks like he water skiing or something..




Penis's!!! Now that we got that out of the way........




So at about 5pm realized I was exhausted so decided it was time to head home.





This is the agriculture building across the street from vet med, can you tell we're in Saskatchewan where Agriculture is king??

Tomorrow I will be posting pics of all the things about horses you wish to have seen but never have.....



Oh, and I didn't study all weekend, Friday night was our valentines happy hour, had a date auction and someone made a beer bong to auction off.....


But it somehow never made it on the bus for the drink a small town dry pub crawl so being the clever resourceful vet students that we are someone brought clean palpation sleeves to have beer drinking contests out of....



oh dear, gotta have a little fun though right?

Quick update..caution, gross pictures!

Got my physiology midterm back,89%!!!! 2nd highest mark, (first was 89.5) Feels good to be the youngest in the class and still kick butt! Went to a few lunch hours talks this week, the first one conditioning the equine athlete. This talk was given by a professor who rides endurance and runs marathons, and shes over50! She and her horse had qualified for the last world equestrian games but being in Dubai during the school year was out of the option. Has her sights set on Kentucky 2010! Awesome presentation and some really cool gadgets such as an on board heart rate monitor etc showed how to apply and modify ideas across disciplines too. 2nd was by the top equine surgeon in the school who presented on equine emergency care. Was really cool and learned a lot.
Anatomy midterm Tuesday on repro and GI as we have Monday off for the family day long weekend. Have a nutrition final Friday. Tomorrow is my classes happy hour follow by a pub crawl and I am so excited to go out and let loose for a bit!
Give you the details Saturday!
Angela


Here are some pics from our equine digestion lab. This old mare was donated to the school by her owners when they decided to euthanize her due to old age, poor condition, and she was very lame. She was euthanized and then we got the awesome privilege of using her to further our knowledge.
First one of the equine internal medicine specialist came in and did a mock laparotomy, like they would for exploratory colic surgery and I got to be his assistant. Was super cool for a horse vet wanna be. We then spent 3 hours dissecting every inch, as its not very often you get the chance to do something like this.

Poor old thing was also pregnant, 90 day old fetus

What a horses gastro intestinal tract looks like spreadout

Every body pretending to be a surgeon!


Note: Horse was euthanized before any of this occured! Was allready set on the surgical denno board when we arrived

Party planning as the social life goes down the toilet??

It is my classes turn to host a happy hour this Friday, and although I am not on the committee it has somehow turned into my project. Have a lot of experience from planning big dances and parties in undergrad at the U of A and i guess word leaked out. I really enjoy this kind of thing, when it is me who is supposed to be doing it. needless to say I will be spending tomorrow afternoon out shopping for all the supplies and alcohol. Organizers hadn't even thought of getting plates and cups!!!! I want to make sure we do Good job on this as it really reflects on our classes capabilities to the rest of the school. After the happy hour we will be going on a "drink a small town dry" pub crawl, where we take school buses to a small town, undisclosed location, bar and attempt to drink the bar dry. Did this a lot in undergrad with the agriculture students and its always a blast as everyone in the bar is from your group and I LOVE country music.
Unfortunately after this weekend we have major exams every week till the end of the school year. I guess this year over reading week I will actually being doing a lot of reading!!!!

Just for fun here some more artwork from my highschool years.

THIS IS WHY I Am IN VET SCHOOL!!!

What a fabulous night!!! It is lambing time and all the first year vet students along with agriculture students have the joy of night lambing watch. Each person is assigner a 4 hour shift, mine being from 8p-12a. I was partnered with friend Taryn from class and 4 wonderful ag students. The group before us had 0 births so we were expecting a slow night when 2nd check out there was a lamb!! Brought it into the indoor pens with mom to give them some one on one time to cement the maternal bond. There are about 50 pens, almost all full! We continued our outdoor checks and made sure all the indoor lambs were nursing when we noticed around 9p that a ewe had a fluid bag indicating birth approaching. we gave her an hour but still no lamb and she was pretty agitated so we brought her indoors to get a closer look. So I glove up to explore her uterus(thank god for smallish hands, those ladies are narrow!) and to my dismay find back legs, lots of back legs, too many for 1 lamb. Everyone took a turn exploring and then we two vet students set to work! we got the first lamb extracted breech, as Taryn resuscitated it I went in and pulled out a second! As that one was being resuscitated I explore once more and pull out a third! They were pretty cold and shaky so we put them under a heat lamp but their awesome mom quickly set to work drying them. we then took them and weighed them, they were all hefty 5kg boys. dipped their umbilicus in iodine to prevent infection and put them back with mom. The next rotation would be arriving soon by this point so we helped all 3 suckle to make sure they got that necessary colostrum vital for their immunity and when we left all 3 babies were doing awesome!
This was such an awesome experience as for the first time we were completely in charge. We vet students were the highest authority around and were to make all the calls. There has always been a relative, vet,or older/senior student around and I am used to being relegated to watching. It was awesome to get hands on and my little ego swelled just a little when the agriculture kids asked " if there is problem can you deal with it?" and I could say YES!! I may be young, but I know my stuff and loved the opportunity to prove that to myself.
It was an awesome night that ended way too soon, but it just makes all those ours of class and the long road to get here that much more worth it!
Pictures



getting nursing started

triplets

the delivery team

lamb mom surfing

cute!