Well, we made it to Kentucky in good time. I got Dan unloaded and into a stall and didn't get to snuggle much before they kicked me out. I found my hotel and got some Chick-fil-a for dinner and settled in for the night.
I was up early that morning to make sure I didn't miss Dan's exam. I waited in the waiting room and then saw that handsome spotted butt trotting on the pavement for his exam. I went out and met Dr. Ruggles and watched him go. He agreed that he was lame in the right hind, but also saw the front end a litte. But we were focusing on the right hind today. We ended up blocking him. Dr. Ruggles thought it was a positive change. I didn't see a huge difference, but I also have a hard time seeing mild lameness, so... He went in for x-rays and ultrasounds and they let me come back with him. The techs were good and super nice and handled Dan well. They had a chain in his mouth but he was good. Dr. Ruggles was awesome and explained stuff to me. Basically... his x-rays weren't too alarming. He pointed out that the old rads that showed the decrease in the joint space were actaully due to positioning and not a decrease in the joint space. So yay for that. Some mild arthritis but nothing too terrible. The ultrasound was also fairly unremarkable. He agreed that there was some inflammatory debris and moderate effusion. He thought the meniscus actually looked pretty good. So yay for that! So basically he said we had three options. 1: Rest, adequan and legends. 2: inject and 3: arthroscopy to explore. He said he didn't see anything crazy but there was stuff we couldn't see on ultrasound that could show up on arthroscopy. I quickly said surgery because... I've done 1 and 2, repeatedly. And I didn't drive all the way to Kentucky to just inject and go home. And then I panicked and called him back out to talk some more and make sure that it was a good choice. He pretty much said given his history that he felt option 3 was a good one. He said he would do him tomorrow and that he would go first thing in the morning. He had 12 surgeries to do!! Good grief! Glad Dan was first. So... I snuggled with Dan a good bit and then headed to get some lunch and dinner and told him I'd come visit after dinner.
When I came back.. I had to giggle. He had a caution sticker on his stall. "Food aggressive. Hay aggressive". Whooops! I snuck him some grazz and clover I had picked outside and we hung out for a good bit. I was cracking up because Dan was hot and sweaty and kept wanting me to scratch his butt, especially up by his sheath. So I obliged. But then I worried that they had cameras in the stall and it would look weird with my hand in his crotch. Doh! Then I found a tick on the tip of his prepuce, so I think that was why he was so itchy in that area. And... the dingbat wouldn't let me stop scratching and kept spinning to try to get me to his butt, and even knocked me down! He stepped on the edge of my shoe and turned and chunked me. Ouch! Okay.. that's enough butt scratches sir! I told him I loved him and gave him a long goodnight hug and kiss and then I had to leave him.
I was talking to Cindy the whole trip because she was being a super friend and kept checking on us. Plus she was moving Johnny that week so we had lots to chat about. But she was a good friend and kept me sane when I started to panic. She told me that I should message her animal communicator and talk to Dan. And... I'm still torn. Part of me thinks that it's ridiculous and a waste of money. Part of me is afraid it's breaching into a section of "witchcraft" or whatever and that God would frown upon it. But part of me also thinks that it's more about the connection with a horse, who is a good animal, so how bad could it be? And I don't know... part of me just didn't care at the moment. I needed a distraction. I was a worried mom. So I texted her. Turns out, she could chat with him that evening, so I went for it.
She was super cool and in the end, I'm glad I did it. I think it made me feel better and while I'll take it with a grain of salt, she did nail him pretty well. She first asked me what I wanted to ask him and I told her that I wanted to know what was bothering him but since he had stifle surgery scheduled in the morning, perhaps I shouldn't ask! Can you imagine if he said "it's not my stifle, it's my hock" and then I had to decide whether to cancel his surgery and tell the surgeon why. Ha ha! She laughed with me and told me that it was very much his stifle. (And I know... I totally gave her that... so maybe it is rubbish). She said that he felt like it was more soft tissue type pain, radiating up into his pelvis and not really the joint itself. Which, sort of fits with cartilage issues or ligament issues vs arthritis. She also said that he was glad we were fixing it because he felt like this was going to be a career ending issue. Like he felt that it needed to be taken care of because otherwise, he wasn't going to be able to do what he wanted to do. Okay buddy, I'm on it! I told her to tell him good and to remember that, because.... he was going to have to stall rest. She said he asked how long and when I said 2 months she cracked up and said his response was "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!". ha ha... Right Dan??!!! I told her to tell him that I was going to do my best to make it as minimally miserable for him as possible but that I needed him to do his best to behave. I'm not sure he ever said okay. Ha! We talked a little bit more and she said stuff that pretty much proved he was just like me. She said that he was bored with groundwork and that it was "beneath him". ha ha. It's good for you though Buddy. She said that he wanted to do things. And now. He had a bucket list essentially and hoped that as soon as he was cleared, we would go and do all the things! Before he couldn't. Which broke my heart a little. She even suggested that I start a Danny bucket list. So I did. I told her on that list was beach trip (which, I also told her to tell him that Fleck was subbing in but that it was going to be a boring beach trip and him and Indy would have a fun adventure one soon, which he was totally okay with), fox hunting (this time with a coyote or some creature to actually chase), cow chasing, training level eventing, and our bronze medal. And I may have added some other things to it after the fact. Like bareback and bridleless. So then she added that he was jealous of a mare.... and that he felt like she was his replacement but that she wasn't spicy enough to be his replacement and I would be disappointed. Ha ha! I'm not so sure about that little buddy, but... thanks for your concern. :) Oh, and she did say that I'm pretty much his life. Same buddy... same. So... anyways.... rubbish or not.. what I wanted to hear vs reality... whatever.. it comforted me. She also mentioned that perhaps I should be there when he got out of surgery if at all possible. Planning on it lady, planning on it!
So I slept pretty decent and got there before 8 am. Unfortunately I wasn't early enough so I didn't get to see him before surgery. Darn! I sat in my trailer in the parking lot and cleaned tack while keeping an eye out for him and praying hard. Every time I heard footsteps I'd look out. And finally!! There he was. He must have just gotten up and moving because I got to him as they were putting him in his stall and he was still super drunk and shaking. Post anesthesia shakes. They didn't say anything and I sat in the stall with him and talked to him while he settled. He was a little razzed at first but quickly calmed down. I think he was grateful I was there. After he settled a bit more, I sat on the backside of his stall (they have cool full wire doors to the outside too) and hung out with him while he ate some hay and just chilled. That way I could sit down and not get stepped on but he knew I was there. I also had to giggle because his caution sticker had been replaced with a larger Caution sign! And they added "techs only for feeding". Whoops. After an hour or so I went to go get food and let him rest. Dr. Ruggles called and said that basically surgery went well. They found a small thin non-adhered flap of cartilage on the medial condyle that he removed and micropicced. Then there was some fraying on one ligament. And his meniscus looked "healed". And I think he said the big joints looked good. So... phew! He did say "time will tell" as far as healing/prognosis, which is a little more alarming than "oh he should do great!". And I never got to ask him for more info as far as if he expected him to return to full work, keep jumping, etc. His discharge instructions did say "favorable" on the prognosis part, but... again, favorable as far as pasture sound or favorable as far as return to work? But... I am just going to put my faith in God and pray that He heals him and we can go back to work and checking off items on Dan's bucket list!
Ha ha.. Caution!! D-Rex in the house!
Post op Dan
Ha ha.. Drunk Dan is funny!
Letting him rest in peace, but still letting him know I'm there.
I ended up going back that evening to hang with Dan some more and we did more butt scratches. I got him handfuls of clover and grass and had bought him some carrots and apples. We shared with the mare down the barn aisle who's nice owner and I were chatting earlier. She had shared her carrots with us yesterday, so we shared today. Then it was back to the hotel. Dr. Ruggles said that unless Dan was having issues (fever, diarrhea, not eating) he could go home tomorrow. Which... part of me wanted to wait so he didn't have to haul 7 hours the day after surgery, but also part of me wanted to get him home and let him have the comfort of his own stall and his friends and maybe some grass!
Luckily Dan did well and was good to go the next morning so I hooked up the rig and we got him loaded up and we headed home! He hauled great and looked good. Now... we just start the rest and healing process... then the rehab process... then the strengthening process.. and then back to training! God willing. (Please please please please God!)
heading home!
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