After my second week of consulting, I’m starting to feel a lot more confident in what I can tackle. As I talk to the other vets about cases, the information they give me slots back into place, like the memory it is. It feels good, like pulling on an old familiar cardigan. Indeed, as I watched one of the other vets working with an animal that had been hit by a car and was struggling to breathe, some very specific memories began to surface.

From 2001 to 2004 (and occasionally after that) I worked as an emergency vet. We saw a whole lot of traumatized animals and dealt with a lot in respiratory distress and I got very good at it. At one time, on my computer, I wrote a flow chart about how to diagnose those cases. It requires minimal handling and movement, because they can be very fragile and you can tell a lot, simply by comparing different areas of the chest to see where there is silence instead of breathing sounds. For example, liquid in the chest (think blood) is likely only on one side and it flows to the bottom, whereas escaped gas may be higher up. I’ll need to see if I can find it.

There’s also a recent graduate and I feel very honoured because she sees me as competent enough to ask questions. That may sound daft, but only a few weeks ago, in Glasgow, I felt I could barely tackle anything. Now I take anything from the waiting list and cope, as I once did. Vets get very used to dealing with things, even when they’re not sure what’s going to crop up next. Anyway, in return, I ask the newish graduate things, because she has lovely, up-to-date knowledge. Working with new graduates is enjoyable and rewarding.

I have been swithering over what to do next, jobs wise. A long time ago, I thought I would enjoy locumming, but then I had a family and we moved to Norway. It never came to pass. Now I discover that I do, indeed, love it, yet at 57 and with a mortgage (and memories of health issues that would have required considerable time off) it feels risky. Returning to APHA with its pension and sick pay is obviously the safer option, and yet…

For now, I can put that decision off. Middlesbrough PDSA want to extend my four weeks until the end of the year and I’m inclined to accept. I’m also going to Norway, two weeks today, for two weeks with my lovely friend Shirley. There will be time away from it all and someone to talk to about the whole thing. And goodness knows, I’m lucky, at 57, to actually have options. I know many are not so fortunate.

I’m back at Mum and Dad’s now for the weekend and went to Skipton yesterday in a hunt for some new winter boots. I didn’t find any (not much call for proper winter boots in the UK) but we did get coffee and a cake in Café Capo. Mine was the mini Victoria sponge at the top of the page. It was delicious and I spent every bite trying to work out whether the cream was butter icing (I don’t think so, it was too smooth and light) or whipped cream with something added. Again, I think not, because it was too dense. It may have been some kind of meringue buttercream, but I didn’t ask, so will never know! I would highly recommend it though, as I would their latte. Very creamy indeed!

We walked back to the car via Craven Court shopping centre. I love it there. It feels a bit like walking through a Harry Potter set and I saw a couple of things in windows that I might go back and buy as Christmas presents, if I get the chance.

On Monday, I will return to Middlesbrough, but for now, I’m going to relax and maybe do some cooking. Being at Mum and Dad’s is always a good opportunity for a Sunday roast. Last Sunday, I took Triar for a walk after we discovered the gorgeous, Albert Park in Middlesbrough. There was a large pond and beautiful autumn trees, so I’ll leve you with some photos as usual. Thank you for reading and have a good week!