The Call No Pet Owner Wants

Yesterday, toward the end of my workday, I received a frantic call from my husband.

Julia’s right eye had popped out and was bleeding.

Aaron had rushed her to Oasis Animal Hospital, an emergency veterinary hospital. Our daughters were with him, Julia was in pain, and everyone was scared.

Meanwhile, I was still at the office with patients depending on me.

There are moments when being the doctor and being the pet owner collide.

Every part of me wanted to stop what I was doing and immediately go to Julia. Instead, I swallowed the emotions rising inside me, steadied myself, and finished caring for the patients who were already there.

Aaron continued updating me from the hospital.

The veterinary team determined that Julia’s eye could not be saved and would need to be removed.

Before her surgery, Aaron insisted that Julia be adjusted.

The veterinary team seemed to think the request was a little strange, but Aaron understood why it mattered to us. He has watched me care for animals for years. He knows that chiropractic is part of how we support our animals, especially when their bodies are experiencing significant stress.

In the middle of an emergency, he advocated for Julia in the way he knew I would have if I had been standing beside him.

Then she went into surgery.

By the time Julia came home, I was hosting Masterminds.

Life did not pause neatly around the emergency. My roles continued overlapping—the chiropractor finishing her patients, the wife receiving updates, the mother worrying about her children, the pet owner waiting for news, and the leader showing up for a commitment while her little dog recovered nearby.

Sometimes people assume that working with animals makes emergencies like this easier for me.

It doesn’t.

Knowledge may help me understand what is happening, but it does not make me love my own animals any less. It does not remove the fear, helplessness, or heartbreak of knowing that one of them is hurting.

What it does give me is a deeper appreciation for everyone involved.

I am grateful Aaron acted quickly.

I am grateful he advocated for Julia while carrying the stress of the emergency and caring for our daughters.

I am grateful the veterinary team was there when she needed urgent surgical care.

And I am grateful Julia came home.

She came home looking different, but she was still our Julia.

Animals are remarkably resilient. They do not measure their worth by whether their bodies look exactly as they did before. They adjust to what has changed and continue seeking safety, comfort, and the people they love.

Yesterday was frightening, emotional, and messy.

But at the end of it, Julia was home with her family.

Sometimes that is the only outcome that truly matters.