Countdown

2 more days until Janie's surgery. I am nervous as heck.

HAPPY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS YOUR WAY!

Thanks Kelly!
I'm a nervous wreck. I don't know how my boss expects me to get any work done this week...

Same here! I feel your pain brother

Argh, let's just leave work and go to a bar!

WAY ahead of you.. I have Bar Bingo tonight! You're welcome to come, no boys allowed

LOL, wish I could! But...even if you were close enough, I have to go out and ride JT and make sure his eye is OK after the whole DMSO episode.

Bar Bingo... wow they should make that into a sport

Anyway, prayers that the surgery goes well. It'll be ok, just relax.

Well, JTs eye is none the worse for wear after he rubbed it onto his DMSO covered fetlock Sunday night. It swelled up so bad that the skin is peeling off his eyelids but his eye is perfectly fine. Big dummy.

SHE"LL DO FINE!

GOOD LUCK... We are all thinking of you and saying a prayer..

I'm so nervous that I'm having...stomach issues, if you know what I mean.
She hates her new smaller stall, she kept trying to pull me back into her old big stall last night when I was putting her away. I don't know if she actually misses the stall or the Paint gelding who was next to her.

I will think good thoughts for you and Janie...

Well, tomorrow is the big day.
I had washed her sheet so she could wear it in the trailer on the way there (she is wearing a heavy blanket in the barn now). Got up this morning and one of the freakin' cats had puked on it. So I had to rewash it and hang it in the basement in front of a fan. Hopefully it will be dry in time.

We are getting ready to leave here shortly. If everything goes well, she will be back home in her stall by dinner time. Thank God Joe is driving, I got NO sleep last night.

She will be fine and you will sleep tonight..

Well, I just got home from taking Janie back to the barn, and things did not go at all as I had planned or hoped. Basically the verdict is that I'd better buy myself one hell of a showmanship outfit because that is most likely the only thing I will be doing.

I dropped her off at the surgeon's at 8:00, he called me at 9:00 and said he had re-floroscoped her and decided not to do the surgery because of the size and postition of the OCD. So he blocked her fetlock and said yes, that is definitely the site of the pain. He drove her films to the University of IL and got a second opinion. They wanted digital radiographs so we went there (it was on our way home anyway) and had them done. The U of I dr said that due to the size and placement of the OCD, she did not feel that removal is an option, it would compromise the integrity/stability of the joint. Insertion of a screw is not an option because of the shape of the OCD piece. She also did not feel that the shockwave therapy would be beneficial at all.

They are sending her films to Rood & Riddle for Dr. Bramlage to look at, just in case he has some new idea. They said to take her home, limit her exercise and they will reevaluate her in 6 months. They are hoping that (to my understanding) a sort of fibrous material will form around the OCD, helping to "reattach" it.

I point blank asked the dr "what do you think the chances are of this horse ever being able to be ridden?". She said "trail ridden, the chances are pretty good. shown, the chances are pretty poor".

So I guess you'll see me in NA sms at the Congress next year.

I'm trying not to let this get me down, some of the best vets in the country are caring for Janie. She is a once in a lifetime horse, and we are keeping her no matter what. On our budget, we can only afford one horse, so if showmanship is the only thing she can do, then that's what we'll do.

I'm sorry that the result isn't the one you wanted

Dr Bramlage is a very renowned vet!! maybe he'll find something

good luck with the sms! maybe she'll grow some pretty little fibers and will re attach the OCD!!

keep being positive!

Hang in there, because you're right, Janie is a once in a lifetime horse and has brought a lot of happiness to you and your family. Just think, if things don't work out exactly as you hoped in the future, she will end up being the best showmanship horse in the world... But remember, every year brings new advancements in equine medicine, just give it time and know that we are all here for you, rooting for both of you. Give Janie hugs for me, but I'm really sorry that things did not go as planned...

OCDs CAN resolve themselves...
Glad the x-rays are going places though!!!! The best vets are looking at them so that will be helpful!!!

I have sort of a plan for her. If this has not resolved itself by next winter, it probably never will. So if she is not able to go back into training by next winter, I will send her out east for driving training. Not AQHA driving, she is not tall enough for that. But the REAL thing, she would pull a Meadowbrook cart in American Driving Assn Pleasure Driving classes. I would still do my showmanship at the AQHA shows, and then there are a handful of driving shows around here that I could go to. I had planned to break her to drive later in her life anyway, the schedule will just be moved up a little bit.

This is true about OCD. Many do resolve themselves and this one might as well. Keep your chim up and things may just work themselve out..

It's just so hard, because all along everyone just kept telling me that everything was going to be OK. It's not OK, it's not ever going to be OK and I just need to face that. I just can't keep having hope that it will resolve itself, because the chances of that happening are extremely low.

I am so sorry about the news. I am glad that you love her so much because no matter what she will have a great life. The best thing about wonderful mares is they make amazing babies...maybe she will be your outstanding sms horse and eventually her offspring will bring you your riding horse.

oh my word! i am so sorry. my PC was down so i had no idea anything was wrong! what happened? and you do have some of the best vets looking after her. and i personally think she would be the cutest driver ever! my prayers are with you and janie!