Stephanie Lange-Cook - Veterinary Surgeon

19/11/2022

Vet Thumping.
I've spent over thirty years in and amongst the veterinary profession. That means that alongside the great joy and pride our work can bring, sadly I have also known loss.
The veterinary profession has a distressingly high rate of su***de within our ranks. Such that just about every vet will know of someone - a colleague, a friend, a neighbouring practitioner; the author of an article, a social media commenter, an esteemed representative, a college compatriot who tragically is no longer here. Someone, somebody - for many of us, quite a few somebodies - who found in one moment that they simply could not carry on. Someone who's passing invariably leaves not just their many close loved ones and colleagues distraught, but their whole profession bereft.
They are always a son, or a sister, a mother, a mate, a friend, a father, a daughter, a doting grandparent, a brother or a best pal. We're a small, tight, caring profession and their loss wounds us all, however close or distant we may have been.
Sometimes, perhaps often, a part of their suffering has included complaints and unkindness. Official, informal, a biting aside, a social media pile-on, a twisted assumption of affluence, profiteering, lack of care, ignorance or contempt.
Generally, we are a resilient, determined, hard-working bunch. We chose a career path caring for animals. We spent a long time learning how to do it. Mostly, we do it bloody well, and sometimes exceptionally well. Sometimes, though, and amongst adversity, we are exposed to intolerance, unkindness, sadly I have to say sneakiness and deceit, far too often anger and harm that can be hard to bear, especially is it relates to a case where a clinician is already hurting inside themselves.
Sometimes we all get knocked down by these situations.
Most times we know to share and call upon our friends to rally round with experience, perspective and advice.
But sadly, not always, and that's when knocking your vet down can mean, tragically, they just don't get back up again.

And any colleagues reading this, for whom this resonates especially, please know that everyone in this profession is here for you and will always lend an ear - through VetLife, through a text, through an invite on a dog walk, through a late night message or a midnight phone call. We need to be better at helping each other, and that is a goal we all share.
Take care, and Best Wishes.

15/08/2022

https://www.facebook.com/TheRapturedSpleen/photos/a.801161283616323/1471559663243145/

We're a veterinary profession under pressure, just now. Same the world over - waiting times, caseloads, ops lists, visits, rotas, shifts... there are many patients who need our care, and just us to provide it. Its been a long slog, with evolving worries and concerns. At one stage, fears that practices wouldn't survive economically... ironic now as caseload continues to climb and we feel pressure to staff and stay open.
Summer is often a period of pressure, peaks of caseload, staff holidays, which are way overdue for so many colleagues. This is different: a long journey through Covid restrictions has a heavy effect; pings and isolations even more. Veterinary staff who've shouldered so much for so long may feel left behind as the world reopens but their burden remains; awkward working practices, new puppy owners, breeding, documents - a whole bundle of clinical straws for an already bent camel's back. Much of that, though awkward and heavy, still feels like our responsibility to carry. We fix the fractures, we stop the vomiting, we cure the itches, and hell, we'll even grit our teeth and fill in the fricking forms if we have to.
What feels unfair, though - deeply, hotly and fiercely unfair - is the rude or demanding behaviour of our clients that, for many, sadly seems to be rising. We understand delays and inefficiencies are frustrating; we feel it too. But none of this - NONE of this - is the fault of those who have turned up for work, to shoulder the burden, to safeguard the patients, and to provide the care.
When there's an extra burden, when the pressure builds, that's when the long shift, the difficult case, the adverse outcome, delayed union, disputed bill can hit us extra hard, and seem just too much.
That's when our colleague's can go quiet, or distant.
And that's when we are in need of care; though we may not voice it, or ask for it.
And that's also when we can help - with a call or a message; phoning for a pizza; sharing a funny; checking in, arranging a dogwalk, sharing a dinnertime, buying some popcorn or bubble bath... and just having a chat.
The Splenic Masses extend around the world, in our tens of thousands; all one wider veterinary profession - nurses, vets, reception, managers, all the many roles - we're all facing the same challenges.; lets all take care of each other.

21/05/2022

10/03/2021

Request your free face mask

28/10/2020

It went so quick - so proud of our fantastic dedicated team 😊

We're sad to say that it's the last episode of ITV's Inside Animal A&E series tonight! 😥 Big thank you to our incredible team of vets, nurses and volunteers who even after the cameras stop rolling, continue to go to extraordinary lengths to treat four-legged friends everywhere. 💙 Your donations and endless support help us help pets - thank you!

23/10/2020

Last episode Monday at 8 pm!

07/09/2020

03/09/2020

Long time coming - but we are finally on national tv ❤️ please support the Bluecross ❤️

Inside Animal A&E on ITV features Grimsby staff at The Blue Cross Animal Hospital and the heartbreaking cases they deal with each day

18/03/2019

John is raising money to help Blue Cross