I love veal,  particularly veal parmagiana. However, several years ago I began hearing about how veal calves are raised. My conscience began to trouble me. How can I, a self-described animal lover, eat babies that have spent their entire lives penned in a small space? I resolved not to eat veal parmagiana anymore. I thought it obscene to put onto the calf, in its death, a product that had been made from its mother's milk, which was meant for the calf's life and which had been denied the baby while it lived. It was only a small step for me to decide further not to eat veal at all. I don't even ask if it's "range fed."

Recently I reached the time in my life when I began to think of my changing hormone levels and the need to replace what was missing. I asked my doctor to prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Then I learned that the estrogen is extracted from the urine of pregnant mares. All right, I thought, horses who "happen" to be pregnant have the hormone in their bloodstreams, and it is harvested from their urine. Now, how did I believe the urine was collected? Did I think the horses conveniently voided into a bowl? And did I think that entrpreneurs wouldn't devise a way to maximize their yield, by deliberately keeping their horses pregnant?

I learned that HRT is controversial for reasons of conscience. I began to read about the treatment of the horses, and I was saddened and dismayed by what I discovered. The horses are confined to a very small space. Additional details I will not provide here, as anyone who wants to know them can find them, as I did. The unwanted foals are often killed. I just cannot accept the creation of babies whose sole purpose is to make their mothers manufacture a hormone. I believe in neutering companion animals so that unwanted kittens and puppies won't be born only to be euthanized. How can I stand the thought of foals' being deliberately conceived only to be slaughtered soon after birth?

So I have resolved that, if I am to be faithful to my conscience, I must ask my doctor to prescribe alternatives. Before I go to see her, I will learn all I can about what is available, so that I can ask specifically about this or that medication.  I will tell her exactly why I am asking her to prescribe something else.