Second Guessing

[EAMULE@aol.com]

Kristi wrote,"That was over a year ago, and I still second-guess"


Kristi,

Once you have made a decision that you can live with don't second guess
yourself.  

Five years before my stallion got sick and I put him down I was on a trail
ride in Arkansas.  My 6 y.o. gelding started colicing.  The local vet worked
on him for 3 days.  I got him back to Memphis and then took him to Mississippi
State vet school.  I can say with a clear conscience that I had done
everything possible for that horse.  (The trip to Starkville, MS, included my
trailer breaking down.  It was a bad scene all the way around.)

The vet school people were wonderful and did all they could do, but Critter
was just too far gone.  Critter died on his own, but they made sure he wasn't
in pain. (Colitis X was the necropsy diagnosis.)

From that experience my decision NOT to take the stallion to MS State was
easier.  I was not going to put me or the horse through all of that, plus
since we had worked on him for over 12 hours with no relief I didn't think his
chances were going to be any better at the university.

Another example of what you went through with your horse would be a friend of
mine how had a cat with Feline Leukemia.  The cat was very sick and she wanted
to put him to sleep.  The vet argued with her.  It upset her terribly.  Vets
should say "yes, I will" or "no, I can't do it" and not send the client on an
emotional rollercoaster and guilt trip.  Yes, professional people can have an
"omnipotent" affect on people and make them question their own good sense.

You made the decision that was right for you and forget what the professional
said or other people's opinions.

my 2 cents worth.

Ellen
Memphis