remain in my head. I was overwhelmed by the amount of blood that
poured out and pooled around the wire, and the rusty, metallic smell of
exposed blood mixed with dog breath made me woozy. Dizziness struck,
my vision blurred, and I began to see dark spots. The bright blue surgery
mat began to streak with the dark, red blood.
Shaking, I excused myself to the restroom to regain my
composure. After several cold-water splashes to the face and controlled
breathing exercises, I began to wonder if they would still hire me as an
assistant if I couldn’t even handle the introduction day. Of course, they
would blame my inexperience on my age, as I had only just turned 18.
But could I really do procedures like this everyday? I didn’t know, but
I had this stabbing desire to be immersed in it. This shining world, of
consistent emergency and time-sensitive panic, scared and intrigued me.
It would be a challenge; yet, I felt ready for it.
By the time I got back to the operating room, the procedure was
mostly finished, and a technician had replaced me. I was relieved to see
that my sudden disappearance had not interrupted the procedure. The
practice manager, a stocky and often tired-looking man covered in salt
and pepper colored hair, Tim Hardy, then found me to schedule my
upcoming workweek. Butterflies wreaked excited havoc on my stomach,
and a wide-set, goofy grin remained glued to my face. Despite my
fluttering nerves, I could not have been prouder to become the newest
veterinary assistant at the Elkins Holistic Animal Clinic.
Clad in my pristine, navy-blue scrubs (purchased in celebration of
getting my new job) and black Nikes, I began to learn and work my new,
long full-time shifts. My education in these types of sciences was mostly
vacant, and I had much to learn. From proper holding and restraining
to various techniques used to draw blood samples, I learned it all. They
started using me for basic work like running diagnostics and maintaining
cleanliness in the exam and operating rooms. Then, I moved on to more
important knowledge like observing spays and neuters and monitoring
during dental procedures. Each day, I learned so much information that
my head was spinning by my lunch break, and my little pocket-sized
notebook soon grew barren of any blank writing space. Each full-time
assistant was required to work five days a week and spend one weekend
each month on emergency call.
During my very first weekend on call, I experienced the horrible
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