Trail Ride DISASTER! (Part Three)

You can read Part One, and Part Two, by following those links.

After seeing the Orthopedic Doctor, and consulting with a Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr.T, we decided to go with the "Closed Reduction" that Dr.T stated he could do. It seemed the best option as it was non invasive and would not leave any hardware behind to taunt Miranda's Immune System.
No, let me make one thing clear, Miranda is not sick. She has not had any symptoms of HSP for over a year, and has not been treated for any symptoms for several years. We don't think she will have any more issues, but when making decisions regarding medical intervention we certainly have to take her medical history into account. Miranda is healthy, and we expect her to stay that way. :)
Here are some pics of her ankle that was taken in the ER:

Inside of right ankle taken from above

Right Ankle, foot is at bottom



Scratches on arm from Briers

Miranda was in A LOT of pain waiting for Wednesday when Dr.T would do the procedure to line up the fracture, the Closed Reduction, and put a cast on it. She took her meds, but was warned they would do little to really touch the pain, and she became sick to her stomach. She is one tough cookie, and held out really well. The pain was edged on her face, eyes huge from lack of sleep, and just a bone weary look about her.

Wednesday finally dawned, and we were at the clinic with time to spare. If only the other patients would have been as motivated....... But no! One guy was ONE HOUR late to his procedure, and so now we were all waiting. And waiting and waiting. They took Miranda back, and got her all set, and we waited some more. Two and a half hours late, and more than12 hours after Miranda had to stop taking pain med to prepare for Anesthesia, they were finally ready for her. Dr.T put a check mark on her toe, her splint, and signed her knee. As though the splint was not indication enough of which leg they were to work on.

They rolled her back, and I went to the waiting room. I had my Kindle, and spent the wait time reading "The $80 Champion." Dr.T came and spoke with me about 45 minutes later. He had done the procedure and stated it went "well, not perfect, but well." He asked about Miranda's skin grafts on her ankle, and I explained more about that. After another 20 minutes I was taken to see Miranda, who was already wide awake. She had been given some Morphine for the pain, and seemed to be ready to go home. Her cast is bright purple, and reaches above the knee.

Pic she took in the back of my car

So then we went home.

And now we wait. She has an appointment on March 27th, where they will take some Xrays and potentially change out the cast for a better fitting one since the swelling is going down. Hopefully a below the knee contraption.
Miranda is holding tough. She is understandably depressed, and a bit down in the dumps. She read online that breaks such as hers can take as much as 6 months to heal. That is most of this years competition season, not to mention most of the summer. We have not been told anything by the Docs regarding a timeline, something I remind her of often, but regardless we must make the best of it.

She keeps asking when she can go to the barn, and I have promised that after Tuesday's appointment, after we hear that all is well and she gets a new cast, we will go. I will wrap her leg in saran wrap, and off we will go.
Pippi is doing fine. With all the happenings, did I mention we are also dealing with a whole house electric rewiring right now?, she is being fed, groomed, has a clean stall, but that's about it. I need to buck up and get on the beast, but no time as yet. This weekend for sure. I am a bit nervous to do that without Miranda doing the obligatory warm up, get the kinks out, riding, but Pippi needs to be ridden. So I will cowgirl up, and get to it. I did cut her feed and hay back some, with the loss of exercise, she does not need as much, and I do not want her getting fat. She is shedding a lot due to the great weather, and Kevin was kind enough to groom her Sunday. He stated he removed at least one Mini horse worth of fur. Donna stripped the stall for me Sunday; did I ever mention how fantastic these friends of ours are?