THR Horsey Girl's Recovery

[Horsey girl]

Yes they are Dorothy.
It is so nice to be with such honest animals. I am lucky to have had both of my horses since they are young. Especially Cody, my mustang, who was caught in the Owyhee desert just before I adopted him. So, I was the first human he had the first real contact with.
The weather is so beautiful here right now. Will do some raking and see how that works out.
Bea

 

[Josephine]

Is that the horse in your avatar?

 

[Horsey girl]

Josehine, Yes that is Cody. On his neck he has the freeze mark they gave him when he was captured. It shows his number and the year and place of capture. He will be 12 years old this year and he is 16 hands tall. He just kept growing, guess it's the good food I gave him. He is tall but a good boy.
A few more weeks and I can sit on him again. :yes 4:
Been trying out the saddle on a stand in the house. All ok so far.
Bea

 

[Dee205]

Bea,
He's a beauty! I love that you adopted him. Besides the love we have for all our animals, its always extra special when they are adopted! How exciting that you'll be "back in the saddle" soon! Best wishes and good luck!
Dee

 

[tashia]

Horsey girl, Thank you for sharing this horse with me. I love them so much and a kid I rode one every chance I could. Riding them is so cool. You bring back such good memories. Please take care and remember every day brings us one day closer to full recovery. :doggieshmooze:Tashia

 

[tashia]

Horsey Girl. I just came by to say Hi and boy you lost lots of posts. Don't feel bad so did I. How are you doing with those horses? I hope this finds you with good weather and being able to get out. I was going to post on your post but I couldn't remember what you have been doing because you lost so many post. so please get me up to if you would. Remember every day you are closer to full recover. :doggieshmooze:Tashia

 

[tashia]

Horsey Girl, Just came over to say Hi and hope that all is well. :doggieshmooze:Tashia

 

[Horsey girl]

Hi Tashia
Thanks for asking how I am doing. I have not been on the forum for a couple of days. I guess life is getting slowly back to normal again.
I am doing pretty good. Still take a couple of Advils per day before I am doing my exercises. I am able to walk two to three miles a day now. Trying to increase my speed and distance so I can start to join my hiking friends again. Am not quite there yet.
My thigh muscles still argue with me almost every day. Also still have stiffness on the side by my scar. I ice after walking and use heat otherwise which seems to help. Still using the cane when I walk longer distances, otherwise I limp.
My daughter will come to visit on the 30th of March for a couple of days. She will ride my horses for me, so when I get ready they have been ridden. I have not been on them since last October. It is still very muddy at my place and snow on the hill behind my house. The sun was out for a bit today, but kind of chilly wind.

I hope you are doing well, Tashia. Are you pretty much unpacked now? I don't envy your moving. I hope that I never have to move again. Are you looking at cars? or have you gotten a new one already?
Just take it easy and enjoy life.
Bea

 

[tashia]

Horsey girl, I'm still looking at cars. I have narred it down to three cars. But it so confusing at times. In April I will make the final decision. Hope I make the right one. Glad you are doing so good. Do take care. :doggieshmooze:Tasia

 

[Josephine]

I have not been on the forum for a couple of days.

You missed nothing - the site was down since Thursday! :wink1:

 

[rider1960]

Hi Bea, just checking in to see how you are doing. Have you tried riding or sitting in your saddle. Is your weather improving. How is your right hip feeling.

Dorothy

 

[tashia]

Horsey girl, Sounds like you are doing great. I know what you mean getting back to normal. It feels so good. Last night had to do house work. As you know its never done. Well I got a few more minutes and I have to get back to putting this apartment back together. Take care and have a wonderful weekend. :doggieshmooze:Tashia

 

[Horsey girl]

Hi everyone.
Tashia, yes things are getting slowly back to normal. My side is still stiff but less every week. I do take a couple of ibuprofin still before I go walking or other longer workouts. I went to a horse convention yesterday. Was on my feet most of the day and helped out. I was ok in the evening, not sore, just a bit more limping. That was good.
Have not been on my horse yet, Dorothy. I have one of my saddles on a stand in my house and sit on it most days. Yes, it's my right hip which has to cooperate to get onto it. I am doing exercises including the right hip. Hope it will help. When I exercise a lot the right hip does hurt. Once I start to ride will see when I need a shot in it. My daughter will be here on Friday and she promised to ride both of my horses to get their Spring fever out of them before I get on them. That should help me and my mind.
The sun is out today. Will brush my horses and go for a hike. Have been going up to three miles now. That includes approx 1,000 feet incline.
I bought a pick-up camper just before my surgery. Was the right price and kind so bought it. I will take the tarp off it today and start to clean it out. I am planning a longer trip in June (Alaska) and need to get it ready.

This is my last week to work befor retiring. So, will be busy getting everything done.

Josephine, if you read this. I forgot completely, but this may interest you but also may make you laugh. On February13th 1997 my favorite dog, Buddy, had a total hip replacement. I will try to add a picture of him. He had hip displacier and started to have trouble walking when he was four years old. He was a Border Collie mix. He had cancer at age seven and then the new hip at age nine. Unluckily 1/2 year after his TLHR he was diagnosed with another cancer. He did live until November 13, 1999. I still have a big picture hanging on my bedroom wall. He was a very smart and awesome dog. He was this once in a lifetime dog one is lucky to have known and lived with.
Buddy was a week in the hospital at WSU (Washington State University) in Pullman WA. A month or a bit later I took him every day swimming. Waited of course for the OS to release him to it. The second picture is a couple month after surgery. It did not take him very long to be his old self again. He was able to leap like he done when he was a younger boy.
I put a circle around the area of incision on the first picture.
OK, I better go outside now while the sun is out. It's supposed to rain for the rest of the week starting this pm.
Bea

 

[tashia]

Horsey girl I to had a dog name Buddie, I also miss him but he lived to the ripe age of 18. When he passed away , he had a little bit of score joints. I wish i had such a body. Glad to see that you too went to a fair. Yesterday I went to a quilt show. Doesn't it feel good to be out there in the world again. Now how long do you have before you retire. I do have a short memory for now with still needed the pain meds. I will start cutting this week if all go well. My sewing room is taking form and almost all the boxes are gone. I still am looking at cars. The first of April I will get serious in looking at them and getting one. Thats why I need to get off the pain meds. Because I will not drive while they are in my body. Pet your horses for me. They are such wounderful animals. :doggieshmooze:Tashia

 

[dianemarie]

Bea,

Buddy looks the sweetest...And congratulations on your retirement, that is awesome. You will now have time to take care of your horses, enjoy life with your new hip and just enjoy in general. All the best to you!

 

[Josephine]

Oh, he's a sweetheart! So no 90m degree restrictions for him then!

 

[rider1960]

Wow, Bea! You are doing amazing things! I could never walk 3 miles a day now! Good for you!!!!!!

That trip you have planned sounds wonderful. You are such an adventurer; are you doing it with others or a solo trip? Also let me know how your daughter's rides go this weekend. I hope well, so you can feel confident getting back in the saddle.

I'd also look into getting an injection done right away if you are still having pain when you finally do get on the horse. That way you won't lose any more saddle time.

It sounds like that hip needs just a little tweaking to be functional for the season---an injection or two might just do the trick for the rest of 2012. Then maybe think about getting that hip replaced over the winter so everything is perfect for 2013 riding season?????

My right hip injection I had March 19th has probably helped a little--maybe about a third better ... not enough to feel good, but every bit helps until I can get the right hip replaced. Right now, that hip is holding me back from doing things. The new hip is feeling really good and quite strong.

That Buddie--what a guy!!!

And, HAPPY RETIREMENT!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!

Dorothy

 

[tashia]

Horsey girl, I came over to say Hi. How was your visit with your daughter? Hope she got to ride all the horses. More than that I hope you enjoyed her being there. My daughters husband is coming and I think we are going car hunting but He and I sometimes have difference ideas on what needs to be done. We have been having lots of rain also and cold. Looking forward to Spring. Got a trip coming up in May. Looking very forward to it. In the meantime I need to finish my place and do some sewing. do take care and be careful. :doggieshmooze:Tashia

 

[Horsey girl]

Hi everyone
It has now been three months since my operation. Am doing pretty good. I know I have to be careful not to overdo it for a few more months.
I can lie on my operated side now and also am ok without a pillow between my legs when sleeping on the other side. I only take a pain pill when I know I really will do a lot. It is mainly my thigh that argues with me sometimes yet. I am putting on my own socks for quite a while already. A little harder to do yet than my right foot but it works. I can drive my tractor again which has a very heavy clutch. I have been raking and have no problems picking up branches or whatever off the gound, which did hurt before the operation. Am mostly only stiff and have to watch not to limp after I sat for a while.

Otherwise I have a little stiffness on my incision side but that is it. I am still walking three miles including up about 700 to 1,000 feet in elevation. Am going to increase that now since I really want to do the Bloomsday race in May. It is a 12 K race but I will only walk. Have done it 28 times now and hate to miss it. Will see.

Dorothy and Tashia, yes, my daughter was here last weekend and she rode my mustang, Cody. It was raining, so we had to rush between light and heavy rain. I ended up riding him also for a little bit. The first time I went on him I had just a slight pain in the crutch area, otherwise no problem getting on and off and sitting on him. I went on and off a couple of times to see how it went. All ok :biggrin:

We ended up not riding my arab because of the weather, but he has never giving me any problems in the Spring. It is supposed to be nice this weekend (it is snowing right now) so maybe I have my grandson hold my arab while I get on him. He is a bit fidgety. Well, he is an arab.
My right hip is bothering me some when I do exercises. Have not ridden long enough yet. Will probably get a shot end of April before the Bloomsday race in Spokane in May. I hope my right hip will hold up for a couple of years yet, but who knows.
I bought myself a new to me pick up this Sunday while my daughter was here. Cleaned last week my camper that I bought last fall. Now I am ready for my trip to Alaska in June. A friend and her son are planning on coming with me. We want to drive up past Fairbanks on the haul road (Dalton Highway) to the Arctic ocean.
I will attach a picture of me on Cody taken on March 31, 2012. He is still looking very rough with his winter coat. The horses are shedding quite a bit now. Spring is close someone said.

As of last Friday I am RETIRED. My boss said, she will try for me to stay retired this time. I told them not to call me before winter if they do need help.
It is a bit weird to not have to go to work. I worked for 52 years and have never taken even vacation to work on my place. At my last employment I was for 34 years. A very big change in lifestyle.

Bea

 

[Jen]

Bea, congrats on your retirement and being "back in the saddle." It's so great to see everyone getting back to what they love doing.