Ups and Downs
In all journeys there are ups and downs, and lately it feels like a bit of a roller coaster.
Lets start with the 'up'. I passed my audition for Level One Parelli! So so excited about it :) It feels like it has taken forever, and it has taken me over a year, but I don't care, we did it! We ended up passing 1++ which I was aiming for. Somethings I even passed at level 2 including technique and savvy, stoked! There then there was responsiveness and exuberance, yeah not really a strong point, yet. Well we can get it but then calm and connected seems to go out the window lol. I feel like we can achieve Level 2 online this summer, hopefully. But there is something really slowing us up, which is the 'down'
Jade has a sarcoid on her udder. When I first got Jade I barely knew what a sarcoid was, now the word makes me shudder. It started out as a very small lump, in fact I noticed it when I went to trial her, her udder was still a little swollen at the time as she had only just weaned her foal and it look like her udder had been rubbed a bit by her legs when she was being ridden. Or thats what I thought. Not long after I bought her I noticed it had grown a bit so I had the vet out and he decided to remove it.
As the wound healed what seemed like proud flesh began to grow on the site. Only it wasn't proud flesh it was the sarcoid, back in fibroblastic form, complete with ulcer. I got a second opinion from another local vet and he recommended removing it again, this time by banding it. This time he also sent away sample for testing, and yes it was confirmed as being a sarcoid, dammit.
Each time it was removed it took at least 2 months for the area to heal due to the ulcerated nature of the sarcoid. And each time it got a little worse.
We sent away pictures to the Liverpool university for them to put together a treatment plan for Jade using the Liverpool cream. Unfortunately due to the position of the sarcoid the cream can't be applied topically as it would burn the surrounding area of skin. So they recommended banding it again, then injecting the liverpool cream into the sarcoid. Which made no sense to me to inject it into an area with no blood flow that was going to die and fall off anyway, however we went ahead.
After 3 weeks I was left with a pink gooey ulcerated wound with that grainy sarcoid growing back again, angrier as ever. 2 days ago I discovered two open wounds on her udder which looked like burst absesses and got the vet out immediately. He seemed unsure as to what they were or how they got there, but cut off the regrowing sarcoid again. I can't help but have a sick feeling in my tummy that that sarcoid could seed onto the new open areas, but I hope I am wrong, how I hope I am wrong.
So in the mean time she is on bute and antibiotics and I'm cleaning the area twice a day with diluted iodine. Where does that leave me on our goal of passing Level Two Online this summer. I don't know. I can't move her too much while she is healing. It will be a matter of thinking outside the box and finding as many things we can do while she is standing still as I can. But I can't deny I am scared, I'm scared this thing is getting worse and I'm scared its going to spread. Jade is the most amazing horse I've ever met, means the world to me, I have so many hopes and dreams for us for the future, and now that future is in serious doubt.
Lets hope there is another 'up' coming!
Lets start with the 'up'. I passed my audition for Level One Parelli! So so excited about it :) It feels like it has taken forever, and it has taken me over a year, but I don't care, we did it! We ended up passing 1++ which I was aiming for. Somethings I even passed at level 2 including technique and savvy, stoked! There then there was responsiveness and exuberance, yeah not really a strong point, yet. Well we can get it but then calm and connected seems to go out the window lol. I feel like we can achieve Level 2 online this summer, hopefully. But there is something really slowing us up, which is the 'down'
Jade has a sarcoid on her udder. When I first got Jade I barely knew what a sarcoid was, now the word makes me shudder. It started out as a very small lump, in fact I noticed it when I went to trial her, her udder was still a little swollen at the time as she had only just weaned her foal and it look like her udder had been rubbed a bit by her legs when she was being ridden. Or thats what I thought. Not long after I bought her I noticed it had grown a bit so I had the vet out and he decided to remove it.
As the wound healed what seemed like proud flesh began to grow on the site. Only it wasn't proud flesh it was the sarcoid, back in fibroblastic form, complete with ulcer. I got a second opinion from another local vet and he recommended removing it again, this time by banding it. This time he also sent away sample for testing, and yes it was confirmed as being a sarcoid, dammit.
Each time it was removed it took at least 2 months for the area to heal due to the ulcerated nature of the sarcoid. And each time it got a little worse.
We sent away pictures to the Liverpool university for them to put together a treatment plan for Jade using the Liverpool cream. Unfortunately due to the position of the sarcoid the cream can't be applied topically as it would burn the surrounding area of skin. So they recommended banding it again, then injecting the liverpool cream into the sarcoid. Which made no sense to me to inject it into an area with no blood flow that was going to die and fall off anyway, however we went ahead.
After 3 weeks I was left with a pink gooey ulcerated wound with that grainy sarcoid growing back again, angrier as ever. 2 days ago I discovered two open wounds on her udder which looked like burst absesses and got the vet out immediately. He seemed unsure as to what they were or how they got there, but cut off the regrowing sarcoid again. I can't help but have a sick feeling in my tummy that that sarcoid could seed onto the new open areas, but I hope I am wrong, how I hope I am wrong.
So in the mean time she is on bute and antibiotics and I'm cleaning the area twice a day with diluted iodine. Where does that leave me on our goal of passing Level Two Online this summer. I don't know. I can't move her too much while she is healing. It will be a matter of thinking outside the box and finding as many things we can do while she is standing still as I can. But I can't deny I am scared, I'm scared this thing is getting worse and I'm scared its going to spread. Jade is the most amazing horse I've ever met, means the world to me, I have so many hopes and dreams for us for the future, and now that future is in serious doubt.
Lets hope there is another 'up' coming!
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