I had great expectations for the 2012 horse showing season but then I had diagnosed with something I never thought would happen to me. It had all started when I tried to lead break a goat for my 4-H county fair. Yes, a goat. This goat wasn’t mine. It was my aunts. She bought it for me to show in the fair and it was hardly lead broke when I first came over to train it.
How did the goat injury me? It jerked on the lead when I least expected it. My right arm got most of the strain and who could forget the time it almost dragged me back to its pen! OUCH! My arm had taken a good beating by the end of the session! I wasn’t ready to give up training the goat after that horrible first encounter but I never got the chance.
Of course my arm was sore the next morning! I also noticed it was stiff. It was a tough day at school on April 29th, 2012. To make things even better, it was Monday, oh boy. I also practiced archery every day after school which could have injured it more because the next day my arm was red! Then is started to swell and it turned purple after I took a shower! My mom and dad knew something was wrong. On Friday my dad took me to the Chiropractor to see what he could do about it. He thought maybe I sprained my shoulder. He told me to keep it elevated and come back on Monday after doing therapy on it.
On Monday, my arm didn’t improve and was almost purple. I needed to see a doctor, mainly because I wanted to get out of school. My grandma took me to one and I don’t think he knew what to think of my arm! He admitted he has never seen anything like it before! It’s pretty scary when a doctor says they don’t know what’s wrong with you. They’re supposed to know, right? He thought it could be cellulitis, a bacterial infection. He had us go get an ultrasound at our local hospital to check for blood clots. I was shocked then and after we got out of the office I started quizzing my grandma on what they would do if they found one! She said I would just take medicine and it would go away. I was somewhat relieved after that.
The wait at the hospital felt like forever. I had to answer a million questions at registration and my nerves had come back. When I was finally called back, I had to change into a gown. The ultrasound gel wasn’t cold but it felt warm and gross. The ultrasound guy had to put the gel all over my right arm. He had to sometimes push on my arm to get a picture which hurt. My grandma asked “Wouldn’t her arm had been white by now if she had a clot?†“Not necessarily.†He replied. I just laid there quietly and looked over at my grandma every once in a while, who made funny faces at me. So I just stared at the wall. How’s that for a first ultrasound?
After the ultrasound was done, getting the gel off was a challenge. Some of it had got in my hair and it made me feel icky. When I changed back into my clothes, we were told to go back to the doctor’s office to discuss the results. I had a feeling this wouldn’t be good. My dad took me back to the doctor’s instead of my grandma because he wanted to hear the results. We were taken back after more waiting and had to wait for the doctor some more back there in the exam room! So far, it was a very slow day and I think I wanted to see my friends at school.
The doctor walked in and immediately said “You have a blood clot.â€
This is a story about what I experienced and its a very long story that I'm trying to keep as simple as I can because their is a lot of confusing medical terms out there. There's more to come next month.
Lizzy1 & Cool Mr Robin
2012-06-22 13:49:32
Road to Recovery: Chapter 1
By: Shiloh101
“This foal’s chances of surviving are very slim.†The vet had said ten years ago, after the birth of a colt, which we had named Copper. Though I was only three at the time, this was one of the memories I had of being a toddler. And I vowed to myself that I would prove that vet wrong, which was the other memory, and happened only a few seconds after the first one.
The thoroughbred had been born three months premature, and the mare had had colic only a few days earlier, which severely worried my parents and the vets.
Copper didn’t stand up until he was almost four hours old, and even then, I knew that that wasn’t good. So my parents and I were the yellow lines on his road to recovery, and we made sure that he stayed within the yellow lines. When I was eight, my parents had decided that Copper could be my horse, and I was overjoyed then. For five years we had fun, doing shows, going to camps together. But today, June 26th, 2012, his road to recovery, came to a dead end. We found him dead in his stall, but we didn’t know what caused it, and neither did his vets.
I quickly snapped out of my memory, and back into the present day, wiping tears from my face
“This foal’s chances of surviving are very slim.†The vet said, standing up from the birthing stall of Kelisya, a mare whose foal would be my horse.
I peeked in to look at it. The foal that was to be mine was a beautiful brown pinto filly, that looked perfect, except for the skinny body. She was half the size she should be, and I knew this was Copper all over again.
“I suggest putting her down. I think it would be best for her.†Said the vet.
“I bet I know someone who wouldn’t want that to happen,†said my mom, with hinting clearly in her voice. She smiled at me. “and I bet that someone would want to help her back on the road to recovery.â€
I felt a tear drip down my face for the third time today. “No. Dr. Rivers is right. Otherwise she’ll end up like Copper!†I cried, running out of the barn.
“Sweetie, wait!†My mom yelled, chasing after me. She caught up and grabbed my arm, turning me towards her.
“I know that it’s hard to let go of Copper. But he had a good run. Don’t you think?†She said, smiling at me.
“Easy for you to say, you’ve never lost your best friend.†I pouted.
“Did I ever tell you the story of Delilah?†She asked. I shook my head no.
“Well, when I was your age, I had a horse named Delilah. I loved her with all of my heart. But one day, Delilah got out of the pasture. She got herself tangled in the barb wire fence. The more she struggled the more she hurt herself. Your grandpa had to shoot her to put her out of her misery. I watched him. Delilah was only four at the time, so she never lived her life. But Copper here, he had a good life, and you didn’t have to watch him die, did you?â€
I shook my head no again.
“Good. And where’s my little girl who can’t bear to see any animal put down?†Mom asked, ruffling my hair.
“Right here.†I said, smiling. “And I’m going to make sure that Delilah doesn’t end up like Delilah!â€
My mom gave me a confuzzled look.
“I’m naming her Delilah. After your horse.†I said, proudly. My mom smiled at me
I strode back in and over to the foal, my mom following. “Hi little Delilah. Let’s get you on the road to recovery!†I whispered to her, petting her gently. Within fifteen minutes, little Delilah was standing.
This is Club Pony Pals, the official Pony Pals game and virtual horse world. Here you can adopt, ride and care for the pony you always wanted. Our site is based on the Scholastic books about three girls by Jeanne Betancourt.
