Doctor Curmudgeon® And Now for Some Happier News!
By Diane Batshaw Eisman, M.D. FAAP Doctor Eisman is in Family Practice in Aventura, Florida with her partner, Dr. Eugene Eisman, an internist/cardiologist
Hearing a loud snort from the living room, I ambled in.
Waving a newspaper clipping, my cousin Galahad was smiling. He is of Siberian Husky descent and I had recognized his snort as one of happiness.
In addition to his position on several prominent think tanks, Galahad frequently spends time in his greatest passion: that of being a teacher. He has post graduate degrees that were awarded in Antiquities, Ancient History and International Relations.
Seating myself next to him on the sofa, I pointed to the article in his paw.
“Ah,” said I. “I assume that is good news or you would have grunted rather than given way to a happy snort.”
He was teaching Current Events this term. The news they had been analyzing had engendered much discussion but was depressingly bleak.
But one student had become enthralled when her search of current news events had found an article about a hero.
What a joy to discuss positive news. News of a hero. News where all had survived.
Galahad handed me the clip and I read that Koda, a canine lived in Brookfield, Wisconsin. He is of mixed parentage, part Great Pyrenees and part Labrador. It has long been known that Labradors love being part of their human families and are very intelligent.
Recognition has been given to a remarkable breed of canines known as the Great Pyrenees.
The American Kennel Club describes these canines as “mellow companions and vigilant guardians of home and family.”
The website further states that “These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat…companionable housemates who bond with the whole family.”
As reported by Bill Holton in Woman’s World, Koda “grew to 90 pounds — true gentle giant.” He lives with his adoptive parents, Steve Mehnert and Jen Vaughn.
Koda and his family were relaxing at a barbecue in their backyard.
After dinner, the family cleaned up, and carefully emptied the ashes into a metal bucket. Koda fell asleep on a sofa downstairs as his parents went upstairs to their bedroom.
Somewhere in the early morning, Koda awoke and began to bark furiously. Koda’s father went downstairs and Koda alerted him to a weird glow coming from the back yard.
It was a fire that had ignited the rear of the house. Evidently a few embers from their barbecue still glowed and a strong wind had blown them into the rear of the house.
Koda’s mother ran downstairs and called 911 and the couple raced outside. But they became frantic when they couldn’t find their hero, Koda.
J.P. Kronschnabel and Brandon Rachwal, two brave firefighters/paramedics searched for Koda. Finding him unconscious on the kitchen floor, they quickly carried him outside.
Fortunately, this fire station had pet-sized oxygen masks enabling the paramedics to cover the dog’s snout. Performing chest compressions, they were also able to oxygenate him.
Koda regained consciousness. He was then transported to a pet emergency room where he received further treatment for smoke inhalation.
The family is now reunited.
In Bill Holton’s article, he quotes Koda’s adoptive mother, Jen, “Koda saved our lives, but we would surely have lost our best buddy without those masks. Koda saved us, and they saved him. We’ll be forever grateful.”
Dr. Curmudgeon suggests “Bitter Medicine”, Dr. Eugene Eisman’s story of his experiences–from the humorous to the intense—as a young army doctor serving in the Vietnam War.
Bitter Medicine by Eugene H. Eisman, M.D. –on Amazon
Doctor Curmudgeon® is Diane Batshaw Eisman, M.D., a physician-satirist. This column originally appeared on SERMO, the leading global social network for doctors.
SERMO www.sermo.com
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