Swerving toward the ditch

I was watching our oldest daughter, Emili, handle the wheel as she steered the car for the first time.

Ten years old means I've had her more than half the time I am going to,and she is starting to grow up.

My wife, Kerri, and I have always made driving look so easy I guess shejust figured it was a snap. I had to move the wheel several times to keepus from hitting mailboxes and swerving into the ditch. After a few practiceruns and some nervous moments, I'm sure she'll do just fine. In fact, ina few years she'll be able to drive while talking on the phone, drinkinga Coke and changing the radio station all at the same time. The evolutionof confidence brought my mind back to my first C-section on a cow.

Showtime

I was in the thriving metropolis of Clarendon, Texas, and surroundedby cowboys who had seen many more C-sections than I. In fact, at three weekspost graduation, I had never even seen or done one. This meant that thefirst one I was ever going to see was going to be done by me. Think aboutthat and get nervous with me.

These weren't just any cowboys; they were the cowboys from a ranch southof town that had a reputation of being the best ranch around. I was irkedat Texas A&M for never once in four years affording me the opportunityto see or do this procedure. Oh, I had seen a film on it once, but thatis about like watching a TV commercial for Dr. Pepper and knowing what ittastes like.

The cowboys were sizing up the young Dr. Brock. They watched my everymove and seemed to be looking through my artificial external confidence.I was already exhausted from having tried to deliver the calf. Oh, yes,I had already pulled, poked, strained, twisted, lubricated, sweated andgroaned. In fact, I had done this to the tune of about two hours. All theother veterinarians were gone and there was no one to turn to but about15 guys who all looked like the Marlboro Man. And to make matters worse,they all thought I knew what I was doing!

The film at vet school had shown the baby being delivered from the undersidewith the cow laying on her back. I had gathered from the conversation amongthe cowboys that another veterinarian, Dr. Deyhle, did them standing throughthe left flank. What was I going to do? I had never even seen a cow cutopen in the flank much less delivered a calf through that area. And besides,if they had never seen one taken through the belly, they wouldn't know ifI was messing up or not.

With that path of logic, I proceeded to tell them that recent researchhad shown that the calf and cow did much better if the baby was taken throughthe belly. I added to this that there would be no visible scar and the cowsusually sold better because of this. This brought about a few moments oflow rumbling between them as they pondered something new. If there is onething I had learned about people who live on a ranch that is 50 miles fromthe closest town, it is that something new must be studied for awhile beforeit is accepted.

After a few minutes of high level discussion between the eldest of thecowboys, they decided the belly approach would be okay. We all knew thatthe calf was already dead, it was dead when they brought her in. I guess they figured they didn't have too much to lose.

Stage is set

We let this cow out of the chute and they jumped on her like fleas ona dog.

In no time at all they had her tied and laying back. The stage was nowmine. With trembling hands I went to work. We put a local block in her bellyand went to cutting. As sheer dumb luck would have it, the surgery wentperfectly. I was in and out of that cow in 20 minutes. She got up and loadedin the trailer like nothing had ever happened. These guys thought they hadjust witnessed the newest thing in cow C-sections. I could hear them commentamong themselves about how easy it was and how there was no scar that wouldkeep her from selling.

They all piled into a four-door pickup, and as they drove off, they werestill discussing the benefits of the "belly" C-section. As forme, I was never so glad to be finished with anything in my life. I couldfeel the stomach juices churning away at the ulcer I felt sure had to bedeveloping. How many more of these "first-time-I-ever-saw-it-I-was-doing-it"things was I going to have to endure?

I grew up a little that day. I never did another C-section through thebelly of a cow for anyone else but that ranch. In fact, I know the guy thatdoes their vet work now and they insist that every C-section be done throughthe belly.

As for me, I hate doing them through the belly. If I can help it, I'llnever do another one. I finally got to watch Dr. Deyhle do one standing,and boy, is it easier. I guess we all have to almost hit the mailbox andswerve toward the ditch a few times before we can gain confidence. I'vedone hundreds of C-sections on cows over the years. In fact, I can do themnow while talking on the phone, drinking a Coke and changing the radio station.