A Para-docs

For a very short time in my life, I considered becoming a veterinarian. After all, I grew up on a farm. I loved animals and wanted the best for them. It would seem a natural progression to pursue such a dream. So, I did the natural thing. I went to work at a veterinary hospital for Doc Eakin.

Doc was a huge man with a sharp sense of humor. His daughters were school mates of mine; in fact, Janet was my classmate. I can remember spending many weekend nights at the Eakin house where our crowd loved to hang out. One time after Thanksgiving, Doc decided I needed a turkey sandwich. He went to the refrigerator, pulled out the leftovers and made the biggest, fattest turkey sandwich I'd ever seen---complete with cranberries.

Now, back in those days, I really didn't need a big fat turkey sandwich after devouring more than my share of our own Thanksgiving feast at home, but I didn't think a lot about what calories I didn't need at that time of my life. So, with Doc watching, I gobbled the turkey sandwich.

The summer after my freshman year of college, I went to work for Doc. The job lasted only two weeks. He didn't fire me. I fired myself. I learned during that period that I don't have the inner steel it takes to deal with sad times with sweet animals on a daily basis. I'm realistic enough to know that you have to deal with these things from time to time on a farm, but daily----I couldn't take it.

I dreaded the moments when people would come though the door with cats or dogs and ask to have them put to sleep. In some cases, they were old; in others, there was nothing wrong. One time, in particular, a lady brought in two beautiful, healthy cats and asked to have them euthanized because she just didn't want them. I would go home each evening and have difficulty sleeping thinking about the events of each day and what might come through the door tomorrow.

I learned a lot while working for Doc. One time a little cocker spaniel came in with a big soft lump in his ear. It was a hematoma, Doc said, after a quick look. We took the dog to the table, and when he lanced it, profuse amounts of blood came draining from the spot. He sewed it up, and the dog was fine.

I did learn many basics about veterinary medicine but also learned a very important lesson: not to pursue it as a career. After all, when you can't even stand to give something a shot or even watch a needle being inserted into someone's arm on television, you have no business considering a medical profession. I have too many hang-ups about blood, pain and death to be of any use.

Yesterday I thought about Doc and my short tenure in the veterinary profession when Dr. Cherise Neu came to perform some minor surgery on Casey's eye. She brought along one of her assistants, Kate, who's married to Cherise's brother Chris. When she first came to check out Casey's problem, her mom Colleen served as her right hand helper.

I told Cherise I would do whatever was asked but would generally stay out of the way. The last thing I wanted to witness was a scalpal piercing into my horse's eye. I did not have to watch that, but I did stand close by as Cherise gathered three bales of hay and covered them with a large cloth to serve as her operating table. She set out the essentials and had Kate working with her as gofer.

Casey stood sedated with his head resting on the bales of hay as I held his halter and comforted him from the opposite side from where the surgery occurred. Within fifteen minutes, the surgery was completed and Cherise had the tumor with its surrounding tissue in a container which would be sent to WSU for analysis. Within an hour, Casey's sedation had worn off, so I administered painkiller and turned him out into his pasture an hour later.

I made it through that situation because I did not have to watch any cutting or removing. Generally I can treat animals by administering medicine as long as it doesn't involve giving them a shot. I tried to do that once with my mare Tiny. After trying to jab that needle in her behind at least half a dozen times, she started getting grouchy. I could never bring myself to penetrate the skin, just as I couldn't prick my finger in biology class for a blood sample back at the University of Idaho.

We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and I definitely know mine when it comes to medicine. So, I admire and salute all the folks in this world who can perform the many uncomfortable and heart-wrenching tasks needed to keep humans and animals alive and healthy. I thank Doc Eakin for the opportunity to learn for myself that I would never be one of those people, and I thank all the doctors and nurses from all disciplines whose strength and knowledge comes in to play when medical challenges arise.