Doc: Post-Surgery

Post Surgery and Where's the Water?

Weds. May 28, 2003 - Later in the day
This morning, I could feel the strength of your prayers as I headed off to see Doc. Thank you, friends. I felt lifted up in my spirit even before I saw Doc. He looked so good. He seemed perkier and happier. I took him some special hay, too. He loves his hay from home!

Then, late this afternoon, when the kids and I went to see him again, I wasn't prepared for what we found. It was 100 degrees here today. That, combined with the pain, I guess, resulted in Doc being drenched with sweat. But the worst thing is, this is the third time I have found his water bucket AT THE VET CLINIC(!!!) totally bone dry empty. Not low, but empty. Not just empty, but BONE dry.

Doc went in last week with a sweating problem (potential dehydration and colic related to it) due to his pain...and he will continue to sweat. He looked really miserable. I came unglued and told them I would hate to have had this surgery to give him a life only to have him die from a dehydration issue actually CAUSED by them! I am usually not vocal about this sort of thing, but this is wrong. Plain wrong.

I asked to speak to the vet in charge. It was my favorite vet. She is just so wonderful. She is the one who made the initial diagnosis a week ago Monday. She was truly so sympathetic and extremely apologetic. She also told me that they had tried many things to cool him down. He didn't like being in the barn, as it turns out. No small wonder...he has been outside 24/7... with no barn to speak of. They tried a special stall with special fans on him... he just fretted she told me. He was in a small outside paddock when I got there and seemed calmer, which I am glad for, but he was so drenched and so "tucked in" like he gets when he is in pain that she tried to reassure me that in a few days we won't be seeing that. I hope she is right!

I guess the good news is that I found a wonderful place to board him for two weeks. Just 10 minutes from here in a very clean place with care 24/7. There is NOT a moment when someone isn't around...or so they say. I was pleased to give her a check for the board, as opposed to the lady with the 130 year old barn (with mice and rats living there!). Doc will have an open air but covered stall, 12x24... not too big and not too small. He will not be directly next to anyone, but the other horses will be in eyesight...he won't have to fuss with anyone and still have the connection with other horses from a distance. I hope he is as happy there as I think he will be.

Please pray for the vet clinic to give Doc the proper care, for his pain to subside and fusion to just start happening instantly, for infection not to set in.

If you don't mind praying for me to keep it together during this time...I am at my wits end. Thank you all for your notes of encouragement and your pep talks. They were so encouraging to me. I so appreciate you all for caring the way you do. It baffles me that you would care.

Thursday May 29, 2003
Hi, everyone. Thanks for your prayers. I am seeing a very eager-to-get-home young buck of a horse! Doc is raring to go. He isn't comfortable, certainly, but he is spunky. Fussing over what food he eats... it can't be a bad thing, as he is loving grain and freshly pulled grass (we haven't taken him out to let him graze since his surgery). I figure anything other than lethargy is great!

He had a new water bucket about 5 times the usual size! YAY! So it didn't run out and the weather today was cooler, which was nice. He didn't seem to have any out of the ordinary sweat today. YAY!

However, there was one very unusual thing...one of the vets said she had spoken with the surgeon who said it was highly suspicious, but it appeared to him based on what he saw as he went into Doc's leg during the surgery that someone had attempted a procedure of some sort previously. It can't be proven, but the surgeon suspected that some procedure was attempted before. Maybe an injection, maybe a surgery...possibly it even explains why one hock (leg) is worse than the other. I only hope that it doesn't indicate that fusion won't happen, as we need fusion to happen!!!

Tomorrow we bring him to his new temporary home.

Please pray that the sedative will calm Doc enough for the drive home through a very windy canyon road. (And that the vet will give ME a sedative! LOL!) I am thankful that the last 15 minutes won't be down a gravel drive like it would have been if Doc went back where we have been keeping the horses. Please pray that he will be comfortable and calm in the trailer and not in excessive discomfort. I guess pray, too, please that he acclimates to his new home. It has to be bewildering for him to be shuffled around this much. At least the kids and I are a constant in his life. I hope that brings him comfort.

As always, please pray for fusion to happen and pain not to. Thank you so much for caring. It means so very much to me. Your love, your notes, your words of encouragement when I have needed them the most, your prayers...all just flabbergast me. Truly...I am so touched. And thank you, too, for the touches of humor sent my way as well. It sure helps!