2Bar
RIGHT FRONT PASTERN LACERATION - June 2018
On June 10, 2018 my phone rang, it was my mom, "Honey, your horse has been in an accident... he got his foot caught up in the barbed wire fence." I immediately got in my car and drove to the acreage to assess the damages. His right front pastern sustained a deep laceration and off to the vet clinic we went!
IT'S GOING TO BE OK
Advised that no serious damage had been sustained, we were prescribed some antibiotics and a natural remedy of Manuka honey. And so it began... stall rest, cold hosing, bandaging, medications... Keeping the wound clean was our utmost priority and one that proved to be incredibly challenging.
SOMETHING'S WRONG...
It had been almost a week and 2Bar's condition was deteriorating, fast. We sought out a second opinion and additional diagnostics revealed a possible tear in the deep digital flexor tendon and we were sent to get an MRI to confirm.
The Dr. quietly performed her analysis and concluded that most of the DDFT was no longer intact and the only treatment she could advise was euthanasia. I wasn't ready to hear it and every cell in my body screamed for me to take him home, so I loaded him up. I need to take a moment and thank a very special person, my uncle. He didn't question my decision for a second - I'm not sure if it was the intense crying or the determination in my voice, but we were off as fast as we had arrived. As my heart was breaking into a million pieces beside him, he told me stories of miracles he'd witnessed and losses he'd endured... but what he really gave me was hope to try and courage to accept the outcome. I spent the next three days researching everything I could to try to save this life. I went as far as prosthetics... and then I prayed.
IN NEED OF A MIRACLE
"God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference"
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My prayers were answered and we were sent the people we needed to do the impossible. Friends and family rallied together with support, everything from Reiki and healing water to an amazing veterinarian team that worked around the clock to get the infection under control. I spent every spare minute at the clinic taking over as many tasks as needed - ice therapy, meds, wraps, hand walking and just being there with him so that he knew he wasn't alone. Day by day he kept showing up with gratitude and a willingness to keep going and so did I.
ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
After almost a month in the clinic, we received the best news... Time to go home! 2Bar was now weight bearing thanks to everyones efforts, multiple shockwave and laser therapies, massage and the skillful hand of a very talented farrier. This is the moment that I truly understood the value of a team. My family and friends who have never stopped supporting me; farriers, therapists, veterinarians and staff who's passion and determination still drives the "try" that we all need a little more of sometimes.
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SUCCESS
Two years later and 2Bar and I are riding off into the sunsets yet again! This experience has taught me so much more than I could have ever realized and for that I am forever grateful. Life can get pretty rough and it will scare the crap out of you at times, but learning to see the opportunity in every situation changes the game completely.
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Thanks for reading our story!
With injuries, we treat the most life threatening issues first.
With rehab, we restore the whole interconnected system of body, mind and soul.
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How has the body been compensating and how will it continue to do so? With the use of many different modalities such as acupressure, massage, proper stretching techniques and an exercise program designed to target specific areas, we can alleviate a lot of these stresses to restore the body and mind to wellness.
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It doesn't happen overnight but with hope and patience, and the help of your dedicated health care team, miracles can happen.