Tomorrow I perform my first surgery for our junior surgery and anesthesia laboratory. So far I've managed anesthesia and assisted with the castration, but now it's my turn to be in charge of the castration. I don't really know how I feel about this. I'm not overly nervous per say, but I'm not super excited like a lot of my classmates are. Probably a good thing - keep the circulating catecholamines low and my brain will perform better.
I've been working on my suturing skills the last couple of days. I feel pretty confident that I can perform them well, but will I be able to perform them flawlessly? My patient's life depends on it. Hopefully I don't make any slip knots. I've been working on those for awhile now. At least I'm aware that I have a tendency to make them. Incising through layers of tissue is more complicated than it may sound. It's not a simple as making a single cut. It's all about applying the right amount of pressure, slipping delicately through one layer at a time, trying to be as atraumatic as possible. You want to be as efficient as possible knowing that time under anesthesia is increased risk for the patient as well. So many things to think about with a live patient!
I completed my 30th dive this morning! That's 30 dives in just over 6 months (March 16-September 25). I'm pretty excited! I've completed certifications in Open Water for recreational diving, Advanced Open Water, and Underwater Photography, and am in the process of completing a Nitrox course. What's next after this? I'm not sure! I've started to realize that this is something that is really important to me and that I really want to find a way to combine my professional veterinary goals with my diving goals. Perhaps some day I will teach people to dive? Who knows where diving will take me, but I plan to keep it in my life as much as possible. I never expected to like it this much!
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