by Amanda McGowan, editor
October 28, 2009
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As I write this, my clock reads 5:19 a.m. I can usually bank on at least another hour of sleep each morning, but today, my dog heard a noise and decided it was time for me to get up to take him outside.
While I was initially annoyed at his persistent attempts to wake me earlier than usual, at least it gives me a chance to write this column before I head into the office. When I brainstorm topics for these pieces, I usually try to relate to a hot-button issue in the surgical industry, or the latest technology available to surgical teams in the OR suite. Rarely, do I find it at all relevant to write about my dog.
However, in yesterday’s newsletter, an article ran about gastroenterologists on military deployment using their endoscopic skills to treat military dogs. These dogs, the article says, fulfill vital roles in security and munitions detection.
Working with on-site veterinarians, surgeons performed endoscopies on a number of military working dogs who are showing signs and symptoms of gastrointestinal complications or disease. While some diagnostic procedures turned up swallowed objects like tacks and rocks that were eventually removed, others revealed more serious issues.
These dogs are not pets. According to the article, military working dogs are highly trained professionals who are designated a rank one level higher than their handlers. What strikes me about the article is the connection with these dogs the doctors and staff had when treating them.
“As gastroenterologists, we are sometimes confronted with challenging anatomies. Our experience takes that to another level,” says Dr. Kundrotas, who presented his experiences in Iraq at the American College of Gastroenterology's 74th Annual Scientific Meeting this year. “For many of us, working with dogs was a break from working with the severely injured on a daily basis. While working dogs are by no means pets, when we did a procedure on a dog the whole staff was concerned and generally involved because of the affinity we feel with these wonderful animals and the memories of our own dogs back home."
Upon reading this, it reminded me that regardless of profession, we all need that “break” from what we do day in and day out. I’ve read about therapy dogs in the past, and research that suggests that owning pets helps make people happier. Animals offer us a pleasant distraction from our day-to-day grind. In the end, this break helps us stay motivated in what we do. I agree that despite dragging me out of bed early mornings, I appreciate my dog and his role in lightening my mood when I’m feeling overwhelmed or stressed about work, or other aspects of my life.
It seems military dogs served this general purpose for the gastroenterologists in Iraq, as well. For the often pressure-filled job of a surgeon, it’s even more crucial to find a way to release some of the tension associated with caring for wounded patients. This is especially true for surgeons on military deployment, who are working amidst a battlefield of chaos and severely wounded soldiers.
These military dogs not only acted as a challenge for deployed surgeons as patients with a different anatomy, but as a common source of affection for the doctors and staff. The dogs reminded them of home. They were the doctors’ break from caring for their regular, severely injured patients, and it kept them motivated to keep doing their day-to-day jobs as well—helping to save the lives of soldiers.
What's serves as your break from the day-to-day grind? Your dog? Something else? E-mail me at amanda.mcgowan@advantagemedia.com
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