Yes we survived the storm! Snow drifts and banks higher than my car, some roads were inaccessible until Friday morning.
Surgeon appointment - He does see bone loss, but its not at the point where he is going to push surgery. He wants to wait 6 months, get me in some new orthotics, re CAT scan and assess at that time. Its nice that hes not rushing into this, and giving me time to get used to the fact that hes going to screw parts of my foot together.
I had a great ride on Chilly today. She was a little fresh on the lungline (she bucked 2 whole times, as in two bucks in total) so D got on her and trotted her around for 2 or 3 minutes. Then I got on. I was much more ready for her this time. I had spent most of my ride on Oscar on Tuesday thinking about sitting back and riding 'behind' the motion a little bit more. That really helped when I got on Chilly I felt like I was sitting in a much more balanced position.
We worked on her jogging, and steering. We had no running into horses issues today, we did get too close to the wall at one point, but we didn't make contact and that's what counts. We jogged both directions, worked on pushing her hips around, jogged some tight figure 8's and had a much more successful ride in our speed control. She still broke a couple of times from a jog to a walk but I was able to keep her going, and then to get her going again much easier.
We stopped a bit before the other horse as we were both tired and our biggest problem was reviled. She doesn't mind resting while the other horse works but she doesn't want to work while the other horse rests. But we struggled though it, and she finally stopped fighting me with her head and jogged half a circle somewhat nicely and then we ended on that note.
Our clinic is next weekend, so I'm hopefully riding her on Tuesday and Thursday and D is going to ride her Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Thankfully its his week that he only works off the farm one day so cross your fingers that were both ready for Saturday!
Showing posts with label Ankle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ankle. Show all posts
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Well we've been hit with some serious winter weather again which has meant that my one barn visit this week consisted of worming Oscar (then giving him an apple), and doing showmanship with Chilly.
I think Chilly was a little disappointed with me, D had ridden her about 2 hours before hand, and she just kind of looked at me like "seriously, again?".
But she was good, her set up's were slow but correct (and if shes anything like her mother, that's her way of silently protesting that she doesn't want to do showmanship). We had some really good trot off's, and her pivots were good, slow, but correct. I only had to poke her shoulder occasionally to remind her to cross her front legs.
Me and the head boss had a talk, he admitted that although he's disappointed (at the time that it happens) that I have to have the time off for the medical appointments, he does understand that I don't have much of a choice in the matter. So the promotion is not yet official, but its looking good.
My Surgeons appointment was canceled until the end of March thanks to the crappy weather this week. So no answers yet but its not the end of the world, I could be still waiting for that first appointment!
I think Chilly was a little disappointed with me, D had ridden her about 2 hours before hand, and she just kind of looked at me like "seriously, again?".
But she was good, her set up's were slow but correct (and if shes anything like her mother, that's her way of silently protesting that she doesn't want to do showmanship). We had some really good trot off's, and her pivots were good, slow, but correct. I only had to poke her shoulder occasionally to remind her to cross her front legs.
Me and the head boss had a talk, he admitted that although he's disappointed (at the time that it happens) that I have to have the time off for the medical appointments, he does understand that I don't have much of a choice in the matter. So the promotion is not yet official, but its looking good.
My Surgeons appointment was canceled until the end of March thanks to the crappy weather this week. So no answers yet but its not the end of the world, I could be still waiting for that first appointment!
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Some days I dont even know I'm sick
And there are weeks like this when it just sucks. Right now I'm up for a possible promotion at work, but due to my sick days/personal days the head boss is hesitant to give it to me. Considering that since Christmas I have had one sick day (the day after I was in a car accident), and missed a total of 2.5 days for Doctor appointments, it sucks. These are not "my kid has the flu" sick days. My surgeon is in a city an hour and 45 min away from work (which means another hour from home). My CAT scan took 20 minutes of appointment time but 3 and 1/2 hours driving. Its not like I can say "sure just let me say no to the surgeon appointment that I've waiting 4 months for because you want me sitting at my desk". Sigh. And no my work is not suffering. My direct team lead wants me in the new position.
I wanted to include this link from Lene Andersen Pluck - and I wanted to quote the following passage
" that's the tricky bit, because traditionally, yes, the public only wants to hear from people who "overcome" the challenges of illness. They don't want to hear about the daily struggle unless it culminates in an achievement, unless you're the plucky kind, preferably pretty enough to qualify for poster child status, the one who can smile through the hardship, remind the great unwashed of how lucky they are to be healthy. And you know what? There is no overcoming of disability. Because a chronic condition doesn't improve, you cannot conquer it, you cannot defeat it. Arthritis doesn't go away. Neither does MS, ALS, spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, many types of blindness and deafness. There is only living with it, coexisting - sometimes uneasily, sometimes not. Having a disability is part of what you are, what you do. Sometimes it's a small part and sometimes, it overwhelms the rest. But what remains is this: you live your life anyway. And to the aforementioned great unwashed, this apparently looks like plucky overcoming and I'm not quite sure what they expect - that people with disabilities should curl up in a fetal position and a whimper the rest of our days? Continually bemoan our wretched state? Off ourselves as living without walking is a fate worse than death (an act which many able-bodied people have told me would be their response to disability)?...And I think that's part of the reason why we blog and write: to remove the patina of Other. To document how, within our different experience, we are not different. And most of all, to take the language back from being filtered through the able-bodied perception of disability and illness and ensure that the voices that tell our stories belong to us."
I love this, I put a brave face on all the time, people call me courageous. I'm not. I'm just living my 'life'. It does suck sometimes. And yes I do curl up in a ball and cry some days. But I don't have much of a choice. This is my life I have to live it the best I can. Just some days I really want people to understand that there are challenges that I need a hand with or understanding from, without having to tell them EVERYTHING. I shouldn't have to tell my boss that my bones in my feet are fusing together to have him understand that I need a couple of days to meet with a surgeon. We live in Canada, if I got in to see a surgeon this quickly something must be seriously wrong.
Anyways back to the horses!
My ride on Tuesday was ok, (but it was cold) my ride on Thursday sucked, my back and hips were locking up when I tried to lope. Poor Oscar was trying but he was getting frustrated with me bouncing around on his back... So we gave up, and just walked and jogged.
Today I was going to have a lesson but my right foot was killing me, so we called off the lesson (and D went and tacked up Chilly so I could finally watch her go). And I rode Oscar around on my own for 20 minutes. Oscar is such a good boy. I kicked him by accident when I was trying to get him to lope off, couldn't get a easy squeeze, but my leg did move! Poor boy just grunted and loped off.
So I did get to watch Chilly! And D loped her both ways, and rode her in the bit for the walk/trot portion. She looks so grown up now, she's really looking like a grown mare and not a baby any more. He's also got her standing still at the mounting block so he can get on her, getting her used to doing it now, which will be a big help for me. Shes loping good, her head is up, (of course) but willing to go where D points her, and her legs are SOOO good!
I wanted to include this link from Lene Andersen Pluck - and I wanted to quote the following passage
" that's the tricky bit, because traditionally, yes, the public only wants to hear from people who "overcome" the challenges of illness. They don't want to hear about the daily struggle unless it culminates in an achievement, unless you're the plucky kind, preferably pretty enough to qualify for poster child status, the one who can smile through the hardship, remind the great unwashed of how lucky they are to be healthy. And you know what? There is no overcoming of disability. Because a chronic condition doesn't improve, you cannot conquer it, you cannot defeat it. Arthritis doesn't go away. Neither does MS, ALS, spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, many types of blindness and deafness. There is only living with it, coexisting - sometimes uneasily, sometimes not. Having a disability is part of what you are, what you do. Sometimes it's a small part and sometimes, it overwhelms the rest. But what remains is this: you live your life anyway. And to the aforementioned great unwashed, this apparently looks like plucky overcoming and I'm not quite sure what they expect - that people with disabilities should curl up in a fetal position and a whimper the rest of our days? Continually bemoan our wretched state? Off ourselves as living without walking is a fate worse than death (an act which many able-bodied people have told me would be their response to disability)?...And I think that's part of the reason why we blog and write: to remove the patina of Other. To document how, within our different experience, we are not different. And most of all, to take the language back from being filtered through the able-bodied perception of disability and illness and ensure that the voices that tell our stories belong to us."
I love this, I put a brave face on all the time, people call me courageous. I'm not. I'm just living my 'life'. It does suck sometimes. And yes I do curl up in a ball and cry some days. But I don't have much of a choice. This is my life I have to live it the best I can. Just some days I really want people to understand that there are challenges that I need a hand with or understanding from, without having to tell them EVERYTHING. I shouldn't have to tell my boss that my bones in my feet are fusing together to have him understand that I need a couple of days to meet with a surgeon. We live in Canada, if I got in to see a surgeon this quickly something must be seriously wrong.
Anyways back to the horses!
My ride on Tuesday was ok, (but it was cold) my ride on Thursday sucked, my back and hips were locking up when I tried to lope. Poor Oscar was trying but he was getting frustrated with me bouncing around on his back... So we gave up, and just walked and jogged.
Today I was going to have a lesson but my right foot was killing me, so we called off the lesson (and D went and tacked up Chilly so I could finally watch her go). And I rode Oscar around on my own for 20 minutes. Oscar is such a good boy. I kicked him by accident when I was trying to get him to lope off, couldn't get a easy squeeze, but my leg did move! Poor boy just grunted and loped off.
So I did get to watch Chilly! And D loped her both ways, and rode her in the bit for the walk/trot portion. She looks so grown up now, she's really looking like a grown mare and not a baby any more. He's also got her standing still at the mounting block so he can get on her, getting her used to doing it now, which will be a big help for me. Shes loping good, her head is up, (of course) but willing to go where D points her, and her legs are SOOO good!
Saturday, February 8, 2014
First lesson of 2014
And oh boy it was a work out. D is funny, you think he isn't watching you when you ride on your own but then you go in for a lesson and 15 minutes in, he's found each and every hole in your training that you've glossed over for the past 3 months!
So he has me lifting and pushing Oscars shoulders around, working on loping transitions (jog a sharp turn lope, jog a sharp turn, lope all around the arena off the rail). All with a loose rein, only picking up to turn, which is hard for me, I like contact! We were loping circles at one point and D goes "loose rein" And I go "I know its just so hard to let go!" he just about fell off the mounting block laughing at me. Anyways it was good to get back in the swing of things and Oscar wasn't nearly as grumpy after our lesson as he was when I ride him alone, even though he was sweaty. I think I'm picking on him too much, and the constant reminders from D to "let go" prove that.
Chilly is going really great, I'm hoping to watch D ride her tomorrow. Hes been riding her at the walk/jog a bit at the end of each ride with the bit in her mouth, but doing the warm up/canter work with a side pull. She's doing much better and is apparently really coming along.
In the foot news, I've taken to putting my orthotics in everything but my riding boots (normally they live in my sneakers that I wear for work/driving). I've also dug out some big old spurs, not so much for more spur but because they are kicked in and bend toward the horse which means I don't need to move my foot/ankle very much to use it. With those two modifications my foot was much better today when I came home from the barn. (Although my hips and legs are sore from riding).
I also go for my CAT scan on Monday, not the 3 months that I thought it would take to get an appointment! And I go back to the surgeon the next Wednesday after that!
So he has me lifting and pushing Oscars shoulders around, working on loping transitions (jog a sharp turn lope, jog a sharp turn, lope all around the arena off the rail). All with a loose rein, only picking up to turn, which is hard for me, I like contact! We were loping circles at one point and D goes "loose rein" And I go "I know its just so hard to let go!" he just about fell off the mounting block laughing at me. Anyways it was good to get back in the swing of things and Oscar wasn't nearly as grumpy after our lesson as he was when I ride him alone, even though he was sweaty. I think I'm picking on him too much, and the constant reminders from D to "let go" prove that.
Chilly is going really great, I'm hoping to watch D ride her tomorrow. Hes been riding her at the walk/jog a bit at the end of each ride with the bit in her mouth, but doing the warm up/canter work with a side pull. She's doing much better and is apparently really coming along.
In the foot news, I've taken to putting my orthotics in everything but my riding boots (normally they live in my sneakers that I wear for work/driving). I've also dug out some big old spurs, not so much for more spur but because they are kicked in and bend toward the horse which means I don't need to move my foot/ankle very much to use it. With those two modifications my foot was much better today when I came home from the barn. (Although my hips and legs are sore from riding).
I also go for my CAT scan on Monday, not the 3 months that I thought it would take to get an appointment! And I go back to the surgeon the next Wednesday after that!
Monday, February 3, 2014
My equine dignosis..... I have navicular
So for now the plan is that we get a CAT scan done of both feet in the next couple of months, then Dr. M will figure out how much bone wear there is in that area, and figure out if this is a 5-10 year plan (slow bone wear) or a 2 year plan (quicker bone wear) for surgery. He's also going to get a new set of orthotics done up that will support and protect the worn area of my foot, and help me walk better. (sounds a lot like navicular in a horse doesn't it!)
I'm a little less worried now that I've met the surgeon. .Hes a couple of years older than me (long enough out of school that he most likely won't make a rookie mistake but young enough to know the new technology.) But very nice and willing to explain everything very well and asked us questions to make sure we understood what he was talking about. His wife also rides at my old boss's place so we had a laugh about horse people when I told him I rode on my broken foot. (When I originally broke it in 2003 I got x-rays, but was told it was a bad sprain. I went back to work, taped up my foot and started flatting my afternoon horses. I couldn't put any weight on the stirrups, so I didn't do more than walk/trot. Next day they called me and told me I broke it but even then I didn't realize how bad it was until the vet got there and I told him what happened and he flipped out on me that I was walking on it. An hour later and I was in a 1/2 cast for 6 weeks.)
So I'm kind of disappointed that it wont be an easy (well relatively) joint replacement surgery and done, its going to be more difficult than that unfortunately.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Scary but good news
On Wednesday night I came home to a phone call from an orthopedic surgeon located about 2 hours away. (only 20 minutes from the old boss's place) Thinking I would now get an appointment 2-5 months away, when I called on Thursday morning I was surprised by the receptionist asking if I could come THIS Monday. Even the receptionist at my RA specialist was surprised when I told her when my appointment was.
So now we go on Monday morning to get a ton of x-rays done before I see him. He sounds like he runs a good office as his receptionist was very understanding of the distance we were traveling and told me that I would have lots of time to ask him questions, and not to worry if we got held up in x-ray before my appointment.
I'm scared but hopeful.
On the horse front Chilly is doing excellent with D. Hes ridden her about 3 times this week and is really pushing her to jog and use her body. Hes getting her tired, but shes staying sweet and happy at the end of the rides which is what we all want. I went out on Thursday night and did some showmanship with her and she was excited to see me and get some cuddles while we practiced setting up, turns and trotting.
I got some pictures of her on my cell phone that I will try to add later. She looks so grown up now! And so much like her mother!
I got to ride Oscar Monday and Tuesday. Took Wednesday off to do some laundry (and googling the new doctor) and did showmanship with him on Thursday as well. He also got some free time in the arena and rolled a bunch and then spent the rest of his time pretending to be scared of the cow. Shes been in that location for over 3 months, you think he would get over it already!
So now we go on Monday morning to get a ton of x-rays done before I see him. He sounds like he runs a good office as his receptionist was very understanding of the distance we were traveling and told me that I would have lots of time to ask him questions, and not to worry if we got held up in x-ray before my appointment.
I'm scared but hopeful.
On the horse front Chilly is doing excellent with D. Hes ridden her about 3 times this week and is really pushing her to jog and use her body. Hes getting her tired, but shes staying sweet and happy at the end of the rides which is what we all want. I went out on Thursday night and did some showmanship with her and she was excited to see me and get some cuddles while we practiced setting up, turns and trotting.
I got some pictures of her on my cell phone that I will try to add later. She looks so grown up now! And so much like her mother!
I got to ride Oscar Monday and Tuesday. Took Wednesday off to do some laundry (and googling the new doctor) and did showmanship with him on Thursday as well. He also got some free time in the arena and rolled a bunch and then spent the rest of his time pretending to be scared of the cow. Shes been in that location for over 3 months, you think he would get over it already!
Friday, November 8, 2013
Things are moving faster... at least for Canada
So with the health care system in Canada things can move slowly or quickly, but either way its free!
So we went from a possible 5 year wait time, to less than 2 years in the past week. I have referrals in to 3 surgeons but the one who will actually do the surgery will most likely see me after another surgeon has passed me on again. Good news is that my family doctor went to school with the ankle surgeon, and thinks that with my history it should be 2 years or less. (And will be sending an email to the surgeon personal email)
So I still have a long process in front of me, but its a much shorter wait that I thought it was.
The weight loss is going good, down the 3 pounds I gained in September and October, and back on track again. (Tonight was treat night and I got a burger from Wendy's!)
I did end up doing showmanship with Chilly last weekend, she was very smart and remembered her 'lessons' from when she was a yearling on setting up and standing still. Also got her to trot in hand and we tried a pivot or two just to ease her into it.
Monday I lunged Oscar and did showmanship and on Tuesday I rode for about 20 min, just to get back into it. On Monday we got a new sale horse into the barn and I got to ride him on Thursday night! Hes so much smoother than Oscar! But was a little 'lookie' and I am glad that Oscar is so solid and non spooky.
It was fun to get on a new horse and learn and adapt to him quickly. I'm hoping to start riding Rusty soon, to get more horsey experience under my bum before it comes time to ride Chilly.
Oh and I tried to get pictures of me in my chaps, by myself, but that didn't work. I need practice with my selfies!
So we went from a possible 5 year wait time, to less than 2 years in the past week. I have referrals in to 3 surgeons but the one who will actually do the surgery will most likely see me after another surgeon has passed me on again. Good news is that my family doctor went to school with the ankle surgeon, and thinks that with my history it should be 2 years or less. (And will be sending an email to the surgeon personal email)
So I still have a long process in front of me, but its a much shorter wait that I thought it was.
The weight loss is going good, down the 3 pounds I gained in September and October, and back on track again. (Tonight was treat night and I got a burger from Wendy's!)
I did end up doing showmanship with Chilly last weekend, she was very smart and remembered her 'lessons' from when she was a yearling on setting up and standing still. Also got her to trot in hand and we tried a pivot or two just to ease her into it.
Monday I lunged Oscar and did showmanship and on Tuesday I rode for about 20 min, just to get back into it. On Monday we got a new sale horse into the barn and I got to ride him on Thursday night! Hes so much smoother than Oscar! But was a little 'lookie' and I am glad that Oscar is so solid and non spooky.
It was fun to get on a new horse and learn and adapt to him quickly. I'm hoping to start riding Rusty soon, to get more horsey experience under my bum before it comes time to ride Chilly.
Oh and I tried to get pictures of me in my chaps, by myself, but that didn't work. I need practice with my selfies!
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