Emotional Roller Coaster
This post will be a bit out of character for me. I'm always afraid that when I post good news, it will instantly change to bad news.
This summer has been a huge emotional roller coaster. Between declining horse health, my own doctor's appointments (nothing's wrong with me, btw), stress at work, and a stream of car repairs, I haven't been in the best of moods.
A month ago, I thought I would go to Siggraph for work. Two weeks ago, my horse took another decline in health (losing weight, worse walking). We ordered another Lyme test on her. While the vet was out, on a hunch, I asked him to test her for Cushings. We knew that treating Lyme would probably kill her. The Doxy was really hard on her system last time and this time she didn't have the weight to lose in treatment.
Her Lyme test came back as bad as ever (and the highest my vet has ever seen). But the good/bad/good news was she came back positive for Cushings. Bad because it's a lifelong ailment. Cushings means she has a tumor that's causing her pituitary gland to malfunction. Good news, this is a common problem in old horses and there are several medications on the market that treat the symptoms.
The vet said to treat the Cushings first. Cushings can interfere with a horse's ability to metabolize sugar and maintain weight. If we could get the Cushings under control, she stands a better chance of surviving the month of doxy to combat the Lyme. (Also, Cushings can interfere with their immune system).
She's been on her meds for 3 days now and already she seems so much happier. Of course, it's also been 3 relatively nice days temperature wise. So we'll see how she fares when the next heat wave hits, as she has always taken poorly to the heat. But I am finally, cautiously optimistic that she might be with us another year.
I won't kid myself. She's old. Her teeth are failing. She has horrible arthritis. But she's happy. And more importantly, she's functional again.
This morning was the first morning I'd ever cried happy tears in my life. But watching her finally walk in a straight line for the first time since she got Lyme disease 2 years ago was apparently enough to do it. Even if it's only a fleeting moment as everything in her life conspires to give her one good day. She damn well earned one day of feeling good.
Here's hoping it lasts.
This summer has been a huge emotional roller coaster. Between declining horse health, my own doctor's appointments (nothing's wrong with me, btw), stress at work, and a stream of car repairs, I haven't been in the best of moods.
A month ago, I thought I would go to Siggraph for work. Two weeks ago, my horse took another decline in health (losing weight, worse walking). We ordered another Lyme test on her. While the vet was out, on a hunch, I asked him to test her for Cushings. We knew that treating Lyme would probably kill her. The Doxy was really hard on her system last time and this time she didn't have the weight to lose in treatment.
Her Lyme test came back as bad as ever (and the highest my vet has ever seen). But the good/bad/good news was she came back positive for Cushings. Bad because it's a lifelong ailment. Cushings means she has a tumor that's causing her pituitary gland to malfunction. Good news, this is a common problem in old horses and there are several medications on the market that treat the symptoms.
The vet said to treat the Cushings first. Cushings can interfere with a horse's ability to metabolize sugar and maintain weight. If we could get the Cushings under control, she stands a better chance of surviving the month of doxy to combat the Lyme. (Also, Cushings can interfere with their immune system).
She's been on her meds for 3 days now and already she seems so much happier. Of course, it's also been 3 relatively nice days temperature wise. So we'll see how she fares when the next heat wave hits, as she has always taken poorly to the heat. But I am finally, cautiously optimistic that she might be with us another year.
I won't kid myself. She's old. Her teeth are failing. She has horrible arthritis. But she's happy. And more importantly, she's functional again.
This morning was the first morning I'd ever cried happy tears in my life. But watching her finally walk in a straight line for the first time since she got Lyme disease 2 years ago was apparently enough to do it. Even if it's only a fleeting moment as everything in her life conspires to give her one good day. She damn well earned one day of feeling good.
Here's hoping it lasts.