andrew went to the social security office this morning while i was at work and changed my name legally to Emily Welch Korhonen. i was so excited when i heard it that i almost didn't mind it being korhonen! to celebrate, we went out to eat dinner at shiki sushi in durham. they've opened the other half of the restaurant, and it's much bigger with faster service now, but i'd recommend getting a booth seat because those chairs are HARD!
on an unrelated note, i'll be working at the vet friday and saturday of this week, and i've been thinking about it a lot. i was incredibly excited until i went to visit on halloween night and the vibe was less than great. i have been dreading it since then, and i think because of that i had this thought this morning on the way to work. i was remembering one of the most traumatic experiences i had. [warning: this is a pretty graphic story] there was a golden who came in that i helped take x-rays on even though it wasn't my client. we had to be careful because she was having trouble breathing. after x-raying her chests, the films showed her entire thorax was riddled with tumors. she turned white just by taking the films, and we took her back to the room for dr. gordon to tell the owners the bad news. her prognosis was beyond poor. for some reason i will not understand, this man chose to take her home, think on it and bring her back a few days (even though there was nothing we could really do). he brought her back and against every doctor recommendation, chose to "begin chemo". he left the office, but didn't get 10 mins down the road before he called and was rushing back because the dog collapsed in the car. julie was worried she wouldn't be able to pick up the dog (since it was about an 85-95lb golden, so i ran out there. i grabbed her all by myself, and ran her into the exam room.
i could feel blood running down my arms and legs, and i could hear the fluid from her head splashing onto the floor. i laid her down, but she was beyond help. she had bled out and died in the back of the suv. the man came in, crying that he thought she was gone, and she was. he went to get his wife to let her say goodbye, and i picked her up and laid her on the table. she was HEAVY now that my adrenaline was gone. we took our peroxide and cleaned her off as best we could so the wife could say goodbye in a peaceful way. i cried over her as i was cleaning her face. her big brown eyes looked into mine, and i felt like it was lillie lying there. it was one of the saddest moments i've felt. so... that's what was running through my head on the way to work.tonight though, on the way to shiki sushi, we stopped in to the oberlin office to make sure i was in the computer system, and everyone was so nice and happy to see me, i couldn't help but feel that i really am called to continue to have this job as a part of my life. i'm actually excited to be working this weekend instead of dreading it like i was just 12 hours ago.
sorry that was such a manic-depressive post! but at least it started and ended well! and there's only one more day of school this week!
3 comments:
Congrats Mrs. Korhonen:-)!!
that's a sad story - but that dog died while she was surrounded by caring people. when she looked at you, she saw a person with a kind face who was trying to help her. i'm sure that made it all the more peaceful for her when she passed.
Wow, that account of such an intense experience leaves me grasping for words. How dramatic and heart-wrenching! Your love and your lack of hesitation to translate that love into action without thought for yourself is just another of your many qualities that make me proud to know you and call you my daughter, Mrs. Korhonen!
Post a Comment