We have a lot of frustration these days. A lot of negativity. It’s understandable; we work in a stressful environment, and finding ways to vent or express ourselves is a healthy part of coping. On the other hand, there is much to be said for seeking out the positive and the good in everyone around us, and boy could we use some of that in this world! We here at the DrAndyRoark.com website are happy to introduce a new feature this week, Humans of the Clinic. Our goal is to feature a person you know through your work who inspires you in any way great or small; it can be anyone- a co-worker, a client, a teacher, a mentor, an employee, some guy you see out in the parking lot. Today, our Editorial Director is kicking off the column with one of her favorite people she’s ever worked with, Ramona.
When I first began at this clinic, I was introduced to Ramona as our lab technician. “Give her all your blood samples and your labwork,” my boss said. “She’s great.” Less directly stated but heavily implied was, don’t put her in a room with clients.
It wasn’t that Ramona was bad with clients- or with pets, for that matter- but she didn’t put a whole lot of stock in being, shall we say, diplomatic. If a dog was fat, she told the owner the dog was fat. If a cat had dirty ears, she’d say that too. She was direct, let’s put it that way. Rather than try and mitigate her straightforward approach, our boss just assigned her to treatment area duties and everyone was happy.
I also learned very quickly that Ramona was a cat lady, through and through. She was the first person to teach me about fear-free practice back when that descriptor didn’t even exist. Every morning, when the surgery patients were dropped off for the day, she would hover up and down the row of cages, moving this cat to the left, away from the barking terrier, then hang towels over the front of the cages. She dragged boxes out of recycling to make hiding spaces for the more fearful felines. Often, I’d see her sprinkling catnip inside cages or rubbing Feliway in a cat’s blanket.
Ramona was the first person we’d call over if we needed a blood draw on a fractious cat. Back when everyone was still using the “scruff and stretch” approach as our first line approach, she was the master of low-stress handling. She burritoed, she wrapped in blankets, she tapped noses, she covered faces. She did all of the things we now know we should be doing but no one ever did back then. She was sometimes met with exasperated sighs but, being the blunt and direct person she was, she told us to just deal because this was what the cat needed. She was right, too.
When we had a cat with a chronic illness, Ramona was our go-to for client education, an area in which she excelled. She would patiently explain to nervous owners how to give an insulin injection, or how to manage the environment when a cat was urinating outside the litterbox. In all the time I worked with her, I never once had to have a declaw discussion with a cat owner because she talked them all out of it before I had to say a word. She had a collection of about seven cats in her house with various neuroses and afflictions, all cats that she rescued from euthanasia when an owner couldn’t deal with their problems. She and her husband had an amazing supply of patience and willingness to build ramps, manage multiple diets, and show love to those who had been discarded.
I learned so much from Ramona about cats. She was one of the most intuitive handlers I have ever known. Even more than that, I learned from her how important it was to approach our work from our patient’s point of view, what was comfortable and convenient for them, instead of what was easiest for us. She reminded me every day of how important it is to respect the dignity of our patients, who are stressed, sick, and scared, and how to stand up for what you know is right even when everyone else thinks it’s over the top. And now, patient-centered medicine is quickly gaining momentum as the future of the profession.
Ramona was the best cat lady I’ve ever known, and I mean that as the best sort of compliment. Although I’ve moved on from that clinic, I know she is still there improving the lives of many, many pets. I hope she knows how much I learned from her. Would that we could all be so comfortable owning who we are and what gifts we bring to the world.
Help us get the word out about all the amazing people in our world! Do you have a person you want to recognize for having an impact? Send us a photo and their story at editor@drandyroark.com with “HOTC Submission” in the subject line.
