Party Hopping+Realities of Veterinary Medicine

Date: July 17, 2017

Author: astottler

How was your weekend? Mine was pretty good! A mix of work and fun.

Saturday morning I finally tried the pancakes I’ve been meaning to make forever. I just mixed up my flapjacked apple cinnamon muffin and instead of microwaving it, I cooked it on the stovetop in pancake form. It was pretty good! I needed more maple syrup though.

Plus honeydew balls.

I ended up eating lunch super early—like 11—just because of how my schedule worked out. I had literally no food except veggies in the house so this was definitely one of the weirder lunches I’ve had.

Lots of GF crackers plus a weird salad: lettuce+guacamole+egg whites+American cheese+ketchup. I brought liquid egg whites and cooked them at work, so at least it wasn’t cold. Definitely one of the weirder meals, but honestly not bad! And I’m so glad I packed egg whites at the last minute, because I really needed protein!

It was a surprisingly rough day at work.

My foot/leg got peed on very early, and I can’t exactly change my shoes. It ended up being a pretty busy day, and I got super beat up. I got kicked/scratched really badly by a couple of big dogs (mainly one) and now I have the nastiest bruises. I truly love what I do, but I hope anyone interested in getting into the field knows what it’s really like! You work long hours, you get every bodily fluid imaginable on you, you get beat up. Yes, there are puppies and kittens, but there are also wild feral cats, 100 pound dogs to control, very dirty butts to clean. The “it’s just puppies and kittens” moment always comes to me when I’m holding animals as they vomit up whatever they shouldn’t have eaten. It is a glamorous job I do, folks. But I wouldn’t trade it for a thing.

I ended up staying almost an hour late, and I was DEATHLY hungry by the time I got off. Like, I can’t remember the last time I was this painfully hungry. I raced home for food+multiple baseball games I wanted to watch, and changed all my nasty clothes while my mom helped me get food quickly since 1. dying and 2. I had to go back in half an hour later.

Open faced turkey and havarti sandwich with apple slices, broiled, and zucchini noodles. Plus the crackers I shoved in my face while getting that ready.

I had just enough time to catch most of the part of the games I cared about, and eat a well-deserved cupcake! This is my last one from my Davis announcement. It felt appropriate, because it was my last day of work before vet school!

Sunday was a fairly busy day. It seemed like EVERYONE wanted to see me in a 2 day span, so I did what I could to see as many people as possible!

I started the morning with a casual 3 mile run.

And then I cleaned myself up to go see my sister! She wanted us to taste a few dark beers and ciders to decide which one to have at her wedding.

I actually packed my own lunch because she was making authentic Italian pizza and #gluten. I did try a bite and it was amazing. I think next time it would be worth an actual piece.

My salad was actually delicious, partly because I used scissors to make it a chopped salad. I’m loving guacamole as dressing right now, and the chopped-ness made it much easier to mix the guac on. I used fresh deli turkey, American cheese (I got an organic brand and it’s delicious), lettuce, guac, and a little ketchup for extra flavor. Don’t judge, ketchup is my jam.

I left my sister’s place a little bit early to hop over to a birthday party in a local park. I was told to bring Chloe, and she’s always a handful. Well, today especially. My friend brought her pup, and they were doing super well together at first. They’ve met once before, and did pretty well.

^The above picture is not her trying to bite the puppy, it’s her reaching back to lick my friend’s face.

Chloe was great at first, and then really, really bad. I think I mentioned this before, but she’s been really bad with other dogs lately. We think she may have had an incident while boarding, when we were not around. Even while boarding, in playgroup, she’s been different. She used to be the clique leader and play a ton, and now she’ll walk around a little and then sit on the foot of the person monitoring. She barks like crazy at dogs when she doesn’t see them coming. Well, that happened a few times while we were hanging out at the park. I think it was especially bad because we were sitting down and she felt territorial. Then, she started acting aggressively towards the puppy. I don’t think she would actually hurt the puppy, but she would not stop barking. I’ve truly never seen her like that. Needless to say, she had to be picked up. That is not acceptable behavior. I’m not sure what exactly caused the change, but we 100% are going to work on it.

I snuck out of the birthday party a little early and grabbed a quick dinner at home before the next event.

Teriyaki tacos minus the tortilla+salad with cilantro dressing.

Flax brownie Halo Top sundae.

Then, I drove down to Palo Alto for birthday party #2 with my college friends. My friend’s new place is in the weirdest location. I had to park at the bottom of a hill and then hike 5-10 minutes straight up in the middle of nowhere. I think it was like 400-500 feet elevation gain, which was kind of crazy.

Oh, and here’s a bruise update. This picture does not do it justice, from the knee up I am about half black and blue on both legs.

It was really nice to see these people; it had been a few months! Plus, someone brought gluten free cookies. I was super dehydrated by the end of the night though. I sat outside in the park all day in 100 degree temperatures, and I was too busy dealing with my little brat to drink much water. I ended up getting to bed at a reasonable hour, which is a priority right now because the next week actually is going to kill me. All good things though. More on that tomorrow!

Vet Stuff

Date: October 11, 2015

Author: astottler

Categories: Uncategorized

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! I spent the weekend in Davis at a pre-health conference, although I stayed on the pre-vet side!

Overall, the conference was awesome. I learned some, but was also reassured about how much I’ve learned about this kind of thing in the past year. Let’s back up, shall we?

Friday, I worked at the vet, as per usual with my schedule this quarter. It was a bit of a rough one, but my amazing mother surprised me with gluten free pumpkin bread with pumpkin cream cheese! Um, yes! AMAZING. I haven’t had real pumpkin bread this year-only banana pumpkin and it’s not exactly the same.

From there I headed to the local mall to pick up some things for my trip. The attire was professional/business casual, so I wanted to pick up some nicer jeans. I had a bit of a clothing dilemma-I needed business casual/sheep appropriate attire. #prevetlife On the way back from the mall, I stopped at Whole Foods for dinner and items for my trip.

Apple butternut squash soup-so good-plus avocado kale salad with feta.

Saturday morning, I was up bright and early (4:30) to make the drive over. The drive was…interesting. It was SO dark and foggy. I couldn’t see more than 10 feet in front of me in some places, which was surreal. It was dark, and in some places the only lights were my own cutting through the fog. Not the most relaxing drive to say the least! I arrived in Davis at the perfect time-just before the crowds to check in.

I went to the keynote addresses, and then to various workshops on vet school applications, livestock reproduction, animal nutrition, and mixed animal practices. Overall, they were very helpful. I was surprised by how much I’ve learned about the veterinary field, animal physiology, and the vet school process in the past year. I wish I had gone last year when I knew nothing!

After a full day of conferencing, I went in search of dinner and ended up at the downtown Davis Whole Foods. I actually ran into someone from high school there! Dinner was fantastic-I actually managed to make a good salad bar salad. In the salad was lettuce, grapes, bleu cheese, and balsamic. Sometimes it is best to keep things simple. Plus, I got some rice and roasted carrots and the star of the meal-a black bean and cheese tamale. YUM.

The conference was nice enough to provide housing for just $14 to attendees, so I had the chance to talk with some other people there that I roomed with that night. After some homework, I turned in for an early night.

I was up bright and early the next morning. I wanted a cappuccino and knew the Stackbucks on campus would be packed, so I Googled mapped one on the way. Right before I turned onto the street, I spotted another awesome looking coffeeshop and decided to give it a try instead-SUCH a good decision. Check this out!

Sidenote-downtown Davis is adorable. I also saw a pub that during “puppy hour” gives you discounted drinks if you bring your dog-how awesome is that?

Also-I nailed it with the Starbucks prediction on campus-check out this insane line:

My main event today was a sheep handling workshop. As you probably know by now, I’m obsessed with ruminants. In the workshop, we got to learn how to give sheep a basic exam, trimmed their hooves, and practiced moving them. Experiences like this make me think I might like to go into large animal medicine-everything about ruminant physiology is just so fascinating to me!

After the workshop, I made the trek back to campus. Overall, it was a good (albeit tiring) weekend!

Flashback: The Summer That May Have Changed My Life

Date: September 9, 2015

Author: astottler

Categories: Uncategorized

Hello! As you read this, I’m probably on my way to Maui! I wanted to get some posts up scheduled to keep the ol’ blog running. One post I’ve been meaning to do was life as a pre-vet/my summer job experience. I dug up this old post that I wrote 2 years ago-as a little foreshadowing. Because I would go back and forth many times and ultimately decide on my career path…only to change it this past winter, and since then I haven’t looked back. Enjoy!

Ok, to be fair, this title is a little overly dramatic. But let’s just get right into it, shall we?

It’s no secret I like cats. I feel like every survey I’ve done somehow ends up with every other answer being how much I love my kitty.

(Who just so happens to be sleeping purrily next to me as we speak.)

My phone pictures? Cats and food. And the food is a branch out from what my phone was like a year ago. I even made a calendar of my cats.

(Sidenote-apparently my Resident Fellows for my dorm have 3 cats! SO pumped!)

So volunteering in the kitten nursery this summer was an easy decision. Even if it was the early morning shift!

I mean, I knew they’d be freaking cute.

But I wasn’t prepared for the impact they would have on me.

I loved every minute of the kitten nursery- playing with the kitties, cleaning litter boxes, getting meowed at constantly, hand feeding them, leaving COVERED in cat food.

I learned how to syringe feed a kitten. I learned how frustrating kittens can be when they don’t feel like eating. I learned the impact one person can have on a kitten’s life.

I took this little guy under my wing.

I could tell he was kind of falling by the wayside, which really upset me. Black cats are usually the last to be adopted. This guy was underweight and not particularly receptive to being syringe fed. I could tell by his charts that the previous volunteers had just given up-he was not given anywhere near as much as he should have. He wasn’t that receptive to syringe feeding (a lot of kittens aren’t), but I spent an entire hour with just this one little kitten. His paper said he was “antisocial” but I think it was more of shy, because he eventually purred for me. This kitty ended up being fine, and a ball of energy a week later once his weight was back on track.

I also experienced the heartbreak of losing a kitten.

I fell in love with this little kitten the first week she came in. Her litter was so energetic and full of energy. 2 weeks later, she was so sick she couldn’t stand. She had lost a ton of weight-her whole litter was sick (and one of her sisters didn’t make it either) but she was the worst. I felt so helpless that day. This kitten had been a ball of energy 2 weeks before, and now was clearly suffering and not going to make it. I wanted so much to help them, but there was nothing I could do for them.

I’ve always loved animals, but believed I could never be a vet because it would be “too sad.” I even avoid books I know will have sad endings (Nicholas Sparks, anyone?). But you know what? Sometimes the hardest things are the most worthwhile.

My experience at the kitten nursery has me rethinking my whole career. I always thought I’d do nutritional research. But now, I’m seriously considering becoming a veterinarian. Because yes, when that little kitten died, it was sad. But you know what? They don’t all die. Most of them make it. What if I had an opportunity to save the life of an animal?

Wouldn’t that be worth the wave of emotions that came with losing one? Shouldn’t I put aside my OWN issues for somebody else? Sure, losing that kitten was unbelievably sad. But there are others out there that need help-that one loss shouldn’t stop me from saving the rest.

Have you ever completely rethought your career? Have you had an experience that changed your life?

Day in the Life: Summer 2015

Date: July 10, 2015

Author: astottler

Categories: Uncategorized

Hello! I don’t have work today since I’m working Sunday, so I went to a 5:45am spin class this morning. I’m running on about 4.5 hours of sleep and am definitely going to take a nap soon! I wanted to do another day in the life post for while I work my summer job.

6:05am alarm goes off (with a day in the life post reminder)

Then I get ready for Crossfit and packed everything up for the day!

Then, I come downstairs to be greeted by a crazy puppy. Full disclosure-we’re having some behavioral issues right now.

Pre-Crossfit snack/breakfast: a little baking experiment-carrot oatmeal raisin granola bars!

6:45am: leave for Crossfit.

7-8am Crossfit

Workout:

Warmup/accessory:

3 rounds- 20 double unders, 8 bent over rows, 100m farmer’s carry with 2 25# plates

WOD:

7-14-21-28

pulls ups

wall balls

kettle bell swings

The original workout called for burpees instead of wall balls but my hip isn’t that great so I subbed wall balls with a shallow squat

We then finished with some ab work.

8am: Clean up and change into scrubs. I’ve never actually gone straight from Crossfit to work before so this part was new for me.

8:15am: Hang out in car, eat, browse blogs.

9am: Start work. It’s a fairly slow day at the vet today.

1-2pm: Lunch break! I don’t normally work 9-6, but it’s one of my favorite schedules because it’s pretty normal. When I start later or earlier, I eat at either 11 or 2/3!

Leftovers: BBQ chicken, coleslaw, mashed sweet potatoes.

I eat lunch in the break room with coworkers and also enjoy a few break room snacks. One of the vets brought in Jamba Juice for us!

6pm: Done with work! I get out right on time today. It’s a pretty dark sky.

I was planning on going to the track, but I get a text from a friend wanting to hang out, so I spend time eating a snack and debating my options.

Plus 2 squares of dark chocolate

6:20 Decide to do a slightly shorter track workout. Regret eating dark chocolate because 2 squares of 72% is a lot of caffeine for me right now!

Track workout was originally 8x400m, but I end up with 5x400m. Given I’ve done 0 speed work lately, that’s good enough for me.

7:10pm: Arrive home, and make myself a quick and easy dinner. I’m not super hungry since I just had a snack, so I make some frozen veggie/potato snacks. One flavor is sweet potato, the other is broccoli. With ketchup. Yes, they are Spongebob shaped.

Plus s small slice of my granola bar with sun butter.

Then, I shower off all the animals and get ready to go.

8pm: Leave to make the 25 min drive to school where my friends are living for the summer. I arrive around 8:30.

After debating what to do, since I have a car we go to get boba. They realize how small my car actually is. It’s actually kind of ridiculous.

I ended up getting Rose-Aloe tea. I think it was rose tea with chunks of gelatinous aloe? I would have preferred pearls, but I actually had no clue what I was ordering-all I cared was that it was decaf, and my friend got this and knew it was decaf!

Around 10, we head back to campus and meet up with my other 2 friends. I stay there until around midnight, and am in bed by about 12:30! If I had work the next day, I definitely would not have been out so late!

What is your typical day like?

Wiped

Date: July 7, 2015

Author: astottler

Categories: Uncategorized

Hello! I’m finally blogging on a week night. I finished my day, and am now awaiting a visit from my friend’s 2 new kittens! I only met them last week briefly at the vet, so I cannot wait!

So, what are my days looking like? I started my morning with a really hilly 3 mile run. Workouts before work are pretty essential for me because I’m allergic to everything at home (i.e. Charlie, Lilly, and Chloe), and I’m allergic to everything at work (i.e. every animal there), so a little workout and fresh air helps keep things under control. Side note: my hip has really been bothering my lately when I squat for some reason. Not the motion of equating, but being down in a low squat position. I went to a yoga class yesterday, but I also played a softball game yesterday which stiffened it up. Anyways, I’m trying to avoid squats for a little while.

Sidenote: Guess what? I’m going to IDEA World Fitness Conference next week! Is anybody else going to be there? I’m pretty pumped! I’m going as part of the college program, so hopefully I’ll get to meet other students! Additionally, I’m signed up for all kinds of spin workshops!

Anyways, post-run I was running a bit late so I had a super quick breakfast of an Oatmeal Raisin Luna bar and mango. For some reason I have so much trouble finding the oatmeal raisin flavor…

Today, I worked 8-4, which was a fairly ideal schedule in my mind. Evenings are usually pretty slow. At 12:30, I broke for lunch.

Lunch was Trader Joe’s chicken strips, brown rice, and leftover green beans. I haven’t been a fan of TJ’s chicken lately. There have been a lot of tendons or something in it lately and the texture has been kind of gross.

During my lunch break, I stopped in to the nearby froyo place for a small container of chocolate sorbet with blueberries and a couple of raisins.

Tonight was my spin teaching night, so I sprinted out the door at 4 to make the traffic-filled drive across the bay. Maybe it was the holiday weekend, but traffic wasn’t awful. I had a pre-workout granola bar in the car while driving.

I have to get to spin pretty early to avoid even worse traffic, so I’ve gotten in the habit of taking power naps in my car when I arrive. It makes a difference!

The class went pretty well. It was a smaller class than usual, but I think everyone got a solid workout in!

I came home and unleashed the ~~beast~~ puppy. She was a little crazy, but now she’s asleep.

The first week of work, I came home totally wiped, and after dealing with animals all day, I had little patience for my little puppy. Now that I’m getting more into the routine though, it’s getting a lot better! That being said, I’m looking forward to my pillow tonight!

Dinner was a Trader Joe’s salad with leftover cheesy polenta.

On Sunday night, my family made our annual 4th of July cake. Normally, we do a big sheet with a berry flag pattern, but we simplified since the holiday had already passed. This year, we used a gluten free chocolate cake mix.

For dessert tonight, I had a small slice of this. Unfortunately, my stomach doesn’t like something in this cake and I honestly have no idea what it could be, but I had my reoccurring illness issues on Sunday after having this, and I’m feeling kind of off now. My stomach is 99% healed, but there are some random things that are still iffy!

So that was my day! Also-I updated my Races page FINALLY!

What is your favorite granola/protein bar?