The Monday scramble … continues
By Gina Spadafori
December 22, 2008
Unlike PetConnection BFF Dr. Khuly, who blogs seven days a week all by herself, we have three core bloggers here — me, Christie and Kim — and some others who jump in as well from time to time. That means it’s rare we don’t have something fresh on site every morning. In fact, we usually coordinate so there’s not a day without posting.
This morning, though, I was just getting ready to write something — I don’t even remember what — when my mom called to ask me to take my dad to the doctor, for his long-awaited appointment with the specialist. Apparently he’d planned to drive himself, and they decided this morning that wasn’t such a great idea. (He has been pretty sick lately.) Fortunately, it wasn’t an “in the office” day for me, so I could take him. But he was already late, so … I just grabbed the coat and ran.
Going through a serious illness with a parent is a strange situation when you have a lot of baseline medical knowledge, even if it is of the veterinary sort. For one thing, you have to be very careful about saying things like, “Yes, well I know that in dogs …” or “In cats that usually means …” lest your parents think you’re a) giving medical advice, not just making conversation; or b) comparing them to a dog or cat. Neither of which is much appreciated, although considering how much I love my pets you’d think that b) wouldn’t be so bad.
In any case, the news was good and not-so, but he’s still with us and still has a lot of fight in him, so that’s good. The man’s not a quitter, even better.
Still … I gotta ask my veterinarian friends: When people talk about their medical conditions, do you struggle to bite your tongue sometimes? Or do you get handed a MYOB card in vet school?
As for Christie, I’m sure she would have jumped in this morning if she weren’t busy causing a blogospheric firestorm on the Daily Kos site. Yes, well, you did know we more than occasionally write about other things, right?
With my dad, who passed away in August from Parkinson’s complications, there was no veterinary equivalent. But I’d do online research about the disease itself, then have to bite my tongue around my mom, whose coping mechanisms included a fair bit of denial.
Comment by Susan — December 22, 2008 @ 4:20 pm
My son is a cardio-physiologist. I’m sure his tongue is shorter!
Comment by Cathy — December 22, 2008 @ 8:29 pm
When my very elderly neighbour had pneumonia and nearly died, my vet (who also treated her animals) made the classic comment, “If she’d been a rabbit I’d have given her antibiotics a lot sooner.”
Comment by Rosemary Rodd — December 23, 2008 @ 5:39 am
I wasn’t upset that there wasn’t a post yesterday, just worried based on what you and Christie had said you were dealing with.
It sounds like your Dadd has the right attitude to fight through whatever comes his way. I wish him and your family all the best.
Not so much with illness as with training. I live with a family that has a 2 year old and I was surprised how much from the Puppy class I could be applied to the baby. :O)
Comment by Lori — December 23, 2008 @ 7:38 am
Oh, that, too!
How many times have I thought about or, (to be bluntly honest) been asked to “catch someone doing something right” … and reward it!
:)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — December 23, 2008 @ 7:51 am