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I am writing this as a warning to anyone
considering letting their pet go under anesthesia for a non-emergency
procedure. I had my Scottish Terrier Lex since he was born six years ago.
He has never had a medical issue and aside from being neutered had never
had any medical procedures performed.
Last week I received a general notice from
my local veterinarian stating it was dental awareness month and that Lex
had shown signs of dental disease at his last checkup. They recommended
having his teeth cleaned for preventative measures. This entailed having
to put him under anesthesia. I normally would trash random mailings like
this but for some reason I will never know and always regret, I called the
vet and made an appointment for Lex. I took him in at 8:30 last Wednesday
morning. At 10:45 Wednesday morning the vet called me to tell me Lex went
into convulsions 30 seconds after administering the anesthesia and
suffered heart failure and died.
In shock, I went to the vet to see Lex and
find out what happened. The doctor in charge of the procedure could not
speak to me as she was already in another surgery. Fifteen minutes later
someone who was present explained that although during the pre-exam Lex
showed signs of elevated blood levels all seemed fine to continue with the
procedure. I was told that this rarely happens and possibly Lex had a
pre-condition heart problem. There is no real explanation for this.
My warning is that everyone should know
that: “this rarely happens” is not told to you when you schedule a pet
for a procedure requiring anesthesia. Also, you should insist that should
a pre-exam show ANY abnormalities no matter how small, to stop the
procedure and contact you immediately before they continue. I will never
know what really happened to my dog, whether it was a freak accident
beyond anyone’s control, a pre-conditioned heart problem, or an
accidental overdose of anesthesia. All I know for certain is that had I
ignored the random mailing from the vet, Lex would be with me today. Given
the choice of a dog with dental disease or no dog at all I would choose to
do preventative dental measures for the next five years with Lex by my
side. And to add insult to injury, when I went to pick up Lex this week I
was charged $250.00 for the cremation.
Wayne Hodge
I’m the Scholarship Chairman for the
Gamma Mu Foundation—and this year we are seeking qualified candidates to
apply for scholarships through the Foundation.
A quick review of eligibility includes:
• Acceptance at a post-secondary
institution or a vocational program
• Completion of an application, including statements of: Community
involvement/extracurricular involvement; financial need; an
autobiography/personal statement; work history, and academic achievement.
• Statement of being a Gay Man
• Currently living or having come from a rural environment to pursue
educational studies
• A legal resident of the United States
I thought readers of Letters might know of
qualified candidates. It does not necessarily apply to those just entering
college, but also those men seeking graduate degrees or a vocational
certificate/program. If you would like additional information, please
e-mail andy@beachtobayrec.com.
Andy Staton
The ACLU-DE LGBT Rights Project will hold
Lobby Days at Legislative Hall for two weeks in March. This is a great
opportunity to meet your legislators one-on-one and ask or thank them
for their support of the sexual orientation nondiscrimination bill
(SB141) and a bill to extend domestic partner benefits for state employees
(SB10).
Lobby Days will be held March 11,12, and 13
and March 18, 19, and 20. Arrive at Legislative Hall’s basement
cafeteria at 1:30 p.m. in order to meet with the day’s leader(s)—look
for the people in the rainbow ribbons! They will: give an overview of how
to find and talk with your legislators, hand out the talking points and
copies of the bills, and be available to answer questions throughout the
afternoon.
If you would like to sign up for a Lobby
Day, email kim_siegel30 @yahoo.com; RSVPS are not required,
but encouraged so that we have enough materials for everyone on those
days. Electronic copies of most materials can be emailed to advocates on
request; if you can’t make it to a Lobby Day, take a few minutes to
write a personal letter or email your legislator.
Please pass this information along to all
your interested friends! Plenty of lobbying has been done by the ACLU and
other organizations, but there’s nothing
better than for a legislator to hear directly from their
constituents. Hearing from just five people in their district shows many
legislators that there are a lot more who care about a cause. Come to
Lobby Days to let them know that LGBT and allied Delawareans are still
working for equal rights in Delaware!
Kim Siegel
ACLU-DE LGBT Rights Project
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