Thoughts on the debate

Clearly Senator McCain is well versed and experienced in foreign policy. He exhibited a comfort level with distant locales and heads of state that was admirable. I have no doubt that he is qualified from day one to deal intelligently and thoughtfully with world crises. However it also struck me that despite the fact that Senator Obama is at least 20 years McCain's junior and far less traveled, he is no dummie. Senator Obama is every bit as prepared to guide foreign policy as former Presidents Clinton, Reagan, Carter, and Kennedy were prior to their first terms.

Given the outcome of world affairs in the past 8 years, haven't we had enough of "cowboy" diplomacy? Who do we trust to provide the American people with intelligence on foreign regimes... the party who brought us weapons of mass destruction, or the man who believes that repairing damaged relationships with allies and enemies alike will ultimately bring about an end to the current climate of terrorism? I think we stand to gain more by keeping our friends close and our enemies closer.

It's pretty obvious that sending American troops to invade parts of the world where we aren't welcome is a deadly, costly, and an inefficient strategy to stop terrorist organizations. If Senator Obama is successful at restoring America's image, and brings about diplomatic solutions to foreign conflicts, then we might be able to count on these countries to stamp out terrorism within their own sovereign borders.

Senator McCain has been in Washington for 25 years. His campaign staff and advisors are all Washington insiders. Is this who we can count on to clean up the mess in Washington? I believe Senator McCain when he says that he will rein in earmarks and cut wasteful domestic spending. But what is he going to do about health care reform, the solvency of Social Security, and this obscene financial bail-out? His answer, as it has been for the last three Republican Presidents, is trickle down economics.

Senator McCain wants to continue to give the wealthiest 5% of Americans and large corporations tax breaks so that the working class will have jobs (thus fueling the economy). The problem is that under this system the rich get richer while millions of children have no health insurance; veterans with disabilities cannot get benefits; and the working class face the prospect of Social Security insolvency.

I also believe that Senator McCain will not hesitate to spend lavishly on defense and overseas wars... meanwhile our schools, our energy policies, and our transportation infrastructure will suffer as he cuts domestic spending to fund more "cowboy" diplomacy. I'm ready for Senator Obama to bring the policy focus back to within our borders to solve the problems we should've already fixed in the last decade.

Senator McCain is an affluent man who comes from an influential and wealthy family. His wife is even more affluent! There's no way he can truly understand what it means to live paycheck to paycheck. The McCain's don't fret about the cost of filling the family car with gas, buying groceries, or sending their kids to college. When faced with difficult domestic policy decisions, who do you think Senator McCain is going to fight for? The blue collar worker who just got laid off, or the corporation who outsourced her job overseas to increase its share price? The student in the inner city who joined a gang because his public school sports program was cut, or the executive who wants education vouchers to offset the cost of private school education? The disabled solider back from Iraq seeking long-term benefits, or the defense contractor who oversees security for propped up foreign heads of state?

Both candidates acknowledged that cuts in spending were going to be necessary to help pay for this insipid $700B bail-out, but only Senator Obama promised to take care of domestic issues that have been desperately neglected. Senator McCain promised more status quo.

Let's not forget my biggest issue in this election... the choices of running mates. While I was not terribly inspired by Senator Obama's choice of Senator Biden, I am deeply, deeply troubled by Senator McCain's choice of Governor Palin. Her credentials are even more "smoke-and-mirrors" than the debacle of Senator Quayle's candidacy. Senator McCain will be the oldest president ever inaugurated for a first term, plus he has been successfully treated for cancer more than once. So this maverick, this reformer, this elder statesman chooses a running mate with ZERO foreign policy experience, limited leadership credentials, and a record that is summed up by ideological jargon and barbed retorts.

Governor Palin did recite a spirited speech at the GOP convention, but I sincerely doubt that she wrote that speech. Moreover, we have yet to hear any of her positions on key issues. How do you think she would have sounded going up against Senator McCain this evening? I know Governor Palin is pro-life, believes in family values and the right to bear arms, and can articulate a well-written GOP diatribe. But when she ducked the opportunity to speak to the media following tonight's debate, that spoke volumes to me about her preparedness to lead our country. She couldn't even be trusted to deliver an atta-boy for her future boss. You can bet I'll be watching next Thursday night when she debates Senator Biden. I don't think the GOP will be able to send former Mayor Giuliani in her place.

I just can't believe that as voters in the most powerful nation in the free world we are actually drinking the GOP Kool-Aid. The current administration screwed things up for arguably the last 6 years (I'll give President Bush a pass pre-9/11), and now we are going to trust Republicans to lead us for 4 more? No thank you! I'm voting for change.

Gone fishin'

I took my four-year-old, Tommy, fishing for the first time last week. Since I have Tuesday mornings off we have plenty of time to go to the lake when he wakes up in the morning. In NC, children can fish on their parent's fishing license until they reach 16 years of age. So last Tuesday we headed down to Lake Wylie with his Superman fishing pole, "Cars" tackle box, and a carton of nightcrawlers.

Tommy loves the idea of fishing but I was really interested to see how he liked the actual activity. He really seemed to enjoy himself! A few things I took away from our first fishing trip: he enjoys it for about an hour --- actually his interest waned noticeably in the latter 30 minutes; he LOVES to talk and he can't quite grasp that fish don't enjoy his conversation as much as daddy & mommy do; worms don't really bother him much but he'd rather I bait the hook (which is fine with me because we haven't had to deal with self-inflicted injuries yet); and casting the line is almost as much fun as reeling in a fish.

Nature is a remarkable thing. We had no bites for the first 15 minutes our lines were in the water, then in only 5 minutes we caught the only two fish of the morning. While I was trying to free a young bass from my line (the fish swallowed the hook --- more on that in a second), Tommy caught a large bluegill on his line. Tommy laughed and seemed really pleased with himself as he posed with his first fish. We shared a true male bonding moment. Then he was hot, hungry, and itchy from the grass so it was time to go home.

I realized, as I failed to save my fish from a hook-induced death, that I am not cut out to be a sportsman. I guess that makes me a good veterinarian, but I really regretted the death of my fish. I actually felt a twinge of guilt and sadness at the fish's passing though I don't think Tommy noticed anything. I remember fishing with my dad when I was little. While I recall the sound and trauma associated with yanking a hook from the belly of a fish, it didn't affect me then the way it does now. I suppose that's what happens when you take an oath to protect animals from harm. Even the smallest creatures work their way into your psyche (for the record, I also try to avoid stepping on bugs and hitting squirrels with the car).

I know that I will continue to fish with Tommy. We have a special connection when we head down to the lake and he is going to be my tender hearted animal lover. There's definitely something therapeutic between father and son when you sit quietly with a fishing pole.

Keeping up with my blog

Wow!

I didn't think it would be so difficult to post to my blog. I find that I often have things to say, but I don't find the time to write them down in the blog. I just took a few minutes to review the bookmarked web pages in my web browser, and I found the link for my long neglected blog. So here I am...

The image attached to this post is the big reason for my extended absence. Judy (my wife) reminds me every day that these two little guys are my first priority (after her). She works full-time for a telecommunications company and we are very fortunate to have Judy's mother's help to care for our boys. Nevertheless, we find that we schedule work, play, and rest around the boys' schedules. Besides my marriage, having kids is the greatest joy and responsibility in my life.

More soon...

Kittens

Every year from March to July we see an upturn in the number of calls about stray and unwanted kittens. There is nothing cuter in this world than a stumbling, bumbling, curious 6-week-old kitten. That's one reason why we get so many calls and why it's so hard for us to turn stray kittens away. Nevertheless small animal practices can lead themselves to the philanthropic poorhouse if they provide free health care to every stray that comes along.

Sadly, caring for strays is a balance between economics and herd health. There several viral diseases in kittens that are either lifelong, fatal, or both. Most people are familiar with feline leukemia (FeLV) and FIV (feline AIDS). However, just as troublesome are other viruses like herpesvirus (FVR), calicivirus, FIP, and panleukopenia. There is a very accurate test for FeLV and FIV but the other viruses are diagnosed primarily based on clinical signs. All of these diseases can present similarly and carry prognoses from fair to grave. All of these diseases are contagious, making hospitalization and nursing care challenging for the hospital staff and the Good Samaritan who finds the kitten. Often, I'm faced with the choice for which kitten can be saved and which should be euthanized. For me, it's never an easy decision.

The Good Samaritan is almost always a cat lover who already owns several pet cats. Many of these well-intentioned folks either lack the resources to pay for a stray kitten's care or they don't feel ethically responsible beyond dropping the kitten off at a vet. An anonymous caller to my cell phone yesterday morning before office hours offers a typical example:

Me: Hello?

Caller: Is this the vet?

Me: Yes it is, how can I help you?

Caller: I'm not a client of yours, but I have this stray kitten who's come up on my porch...

Me: Yes.

Caller: She has an eye that's hurt really bad and it looks like it's gonna pop out of the socket...

Me: Ooh, o.k. If you'd like to bring it into the office this morning between 8 and 8:30 I'll be happy to take a look at it.

Caller: Well, I don't have any money. You see, I'm on disability and my check doesn't come in until the end of the month.

Me: I see. Well, it certainly sounds like this kitten needs to be seen. Like I said, please come on down between 8 and 8:30 and I'll see what I can do.

Caller: Where are y'all located?

You get the idea... Unfortunately this new client never showed up at the hospital. I hope the kitten ended up getting veterinary care somewhere. The caller did show admirable compassion for the kitten's poor health.

Now I should mention that my hospital's voicemail lists my personal cell phone number, but instructs callers with emergencies (like this obvious case) to call the local emergency clinic right away. The voicemail goes on to say that clients can call my cell phone for urgent matters, but I cannot render medical advice over the phone for animals I have not yet examined. Occasionally strangers call me directly to ask about their sick animals, and there's little I can do but politely listen then ask them to bring the pet into the hospital when we're open.

I'll leave you with the bible parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). In this story, Jesus tells of a man who is robbed, beaten, and left for dead on the side of the road. Several passers by do not stop to help. But a Samaritan sees the man and immediately decides to help him even though Samaritan and Jewish people did not get along. The Samaritan takes the injured man to a safe place and takes care of him. Then he pays the inn keeper to care for the injured man in his absence and offers to reimburse him for any additional expenses when he returns. After telling this parable, Jesus says to his disciples, "'Go and do likewise'."

Sick Again

Those of you who know me know that I suffer from allergies every spring. I'm also a huge wimp when it comes to being sick. I discovered with our first son Tommy that illness is a way of life with a child in daycare. Now that Huston is also going to daycare I somehow thought I had earned a reprieve. Good theory...

I've never had as many (for the lack of a more descriptive term) boogers as I've had since becoming a dad. I mean, my nose is stuffy pretty much all the time! I've already had one cold this spring (on top of hay fever) and now I'm starting another one. I'm sure Judy can't wait to deal with me this week.

It's interesting that at a time when I am healthier than I've been in two years (I'm lifting weights with a trainer at the Y, taking Yoga twice a week, taking daily vitamins and fish oil, and eating healthier), I'm still getting sick. Almost makes one wonder, "What's the point?" Who knows, maybe I'll kick this thing before it kicks my butt.

***

Wine is becoming my passion. There's a wine shop in Gastonia that's wonderful. The owner and the sommelier are great at finding wines that appeal to my palate. I also love to cook and pair wines with the food. I'll talk more about this in future postings. Particularly when I find good pairings and/or phenomenal wines I've tried.

***

I saw a friend of mine on Saturday who looked like he'd been punched in the face. Before I could stop myself I blurted (yes, literally blurted), "What did you have done to your face???" Apparently he had fat removed from under his eyes and Lasik surgery. I can tell you... immediately post-op he had a sunken, gaunt, bruised appearance. Hopefully over the next few weeks the healing will result in a more youthful visage, but I can't help but wonder if he just had bad plastic surgery. I'll try to remember to update you on this the next time I see him.

***

That's about it. My throat is sore, my body is achy, and I'm basically feeling really sorry for myself. I think I'll head to bed now and try to get a good night's sleep. There's pretty good odds that we'll be up with Huston several times tonight. If we're up then maybe I'll think of more interesting things to write about.

This is my family. They are the most important people in the world to me. As you can imagine, it is sometimes a struggle to balance my personal and professional lives. I am very thankful that most of my clients understand my desire to maintain a balanced life. I feel a great deal of professional and ethical responsibility to my clients and patients. But I also know that my wife and my two little boys need me.

Posts may be hard to come by...

Over the past few days, I've sat at my office computer only to be interrupted by the daily goings on. The hospital is busier than I ever dreamed it would be at this point in its existence. We've only been open for two years!

***

I performed euthanasia for a very sick, older dog on Sunday evening. The family was understandably distraught because this dog was a big part of their household for many years. This family is new to our practice and I never knew this dog in his younger, healthier days. Nevertheless their bond with this dog was easily apparent.

I find it very difficult to answer the question, "What would you do if this was your dog?" Who am I to attach my values to a family I only just met? But this question is exactly what they asked me on Friday night as we discussed the dog's treatment options.

The best analysis I've heard about euthanasia was by my mentor who quoted Emily Dickinson:

"Pain Has An Element Of Blank

Pain has an element of blank;
It cannot recollect
When it began, or if there were
A day when it was not.

It has no future but itself,
Its infinite realms contain
Its past, enlightened to perceive
New periods of pain."

My mentor went on to say that animals have no real sense of time. The pain that they endure is endless until it ends, then there is little memory of what the pain was like. So if a pet's pain cannot be treated and it is seemingly never-ending, for whom are we keeping the pet alive? The fact is that often we are keeping the pet alive for ourselves.

As a veterinarian, I feel that it is my responsibility to act as an advisor to clients (pet owners) as well as an advocate for my patients. Euthanasia literally means "good death." To me, that means dying in peace, pain-free, and with dignity. I respect the wishes of pet owners to treat or not to treat a medical problem, but when I feel a pet is suffering I think I owe it to the animal to tell its family that euthanasia is an acceptable alternative. In the final analysis it is most important for the pet to be comfortable and for the family to be at ease with their choice to perform euthanasia.