Home again after my fifth ever con.

I attended fewer panels this year, (one less than I'd planned because I was watching a box of books!) but had a crackin good time over all.

Always good to see friends, make new ones and start trends (even if the trend is sitting in Dave's lap!)

I've learned my limit is 2 nights of 3 am bedtimes. I'm getting old, and ended up taking a 2 hour nap once we got home yesterday. :p

My knee held up well. I was very pleased that folks didn't even know there was anything wrong. Means I'm not walking with a limp anymore.

Now for the ZOMG - my boo's name is finally on the COVER of a book! Lookie, lookie:

http://images.wikia.com/memoryalpha/en/images/7/73/Shards.jpg

Just how darn cool is that? It's the final, released to the public Friday night. SO COOL.

My boo and I ran out to the Container Store for organization stuff today. He's tired of having to dig through cardboard boxes for CDs and I'm on a quest to come up with storage solutions for the LEGO collection (for the futon room clean-up). We came home with many exciting bins and tubs.

So, he's in the office sorting CDs, and I take a big bin of LEGO in the office as well, so we can be cozy together in our organizational fit.

The cats join us, of course. Because our cats can't just leave us alone, they must be where we are. And at some point we look up and see this:






I can't tell which I like better - you can barely see Memre in the second photo, but her eyes of hate are sort of disturbing in the first picture. But, that's Memre. :)

They are terribly KYOOT when Ferdinand decides it's time to cuddle with his grumpy tortie sister.

That's all. :D

A meme snurched from infinitydog.

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read six of the Top 100 books they've printed.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read six and force books upon them.

( My list here )

Total: 39 out of 100. Not too shabby.

53% Geek

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

Go me?

Snurched from, well, just about everybody!

Rules: Post 3 things you've done that you believe nobody else on your F-list has done. See if anybody else responds with "I've done that."

1) Represented the US in an international equestrian competition in France. And was the highest placed US rider that year.

2) Went back to college full-time at 26 years old - and was the oldest person living on campus my last year there (including the staff Resident Director) at age 29.

3) Taken lessons with 2 multi-time Olympic Medalists!

OK, I had to really think to come up with the 3rd one - and I bet Steph will be able to say "I've done that" anyway. :p

Is ANYONE surprised?

9 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure) Take the test!

And, the barn luck continues.

Tom and Amanda found out zoning prohibits a boarding farm where they are. That means they need to move. They've found a farm they're moving to on 8/1. In Potomac, MD. Over an hour away.

So, since I can't ride ANYWAY, Allie's going to go with them for a while. This way she's still getting worked, and stays with people I trust to take care of her and work with her.

Once I start riding, however. I'm back in barn search mode. At least Tom has committed to coming back to VA on a regular basis to give lessons, meaning I won't have to find a new instructor. (look on the bright side, right?)

*sigh*

My follow-up with the Orthopedic Surgeon was today. There is good news and bad news. I'll start with the bad news.

First: my ACL is gone. Literally - the physician's assistant pointed to a pretty blank area of my MRI and said, "This is where your ACL should be."

Second: My femur has one HELL of a bone bruise and some micro-cracks, and my tibia has a pretty extensive system of micro-cracks all throughout the inside head.

Third: There is a tear in my meniscus, but it looks pretty minor on the MRI.

The good news is pretty damn good news:

First: my PCL and median ligament are both healthy, although a tiny bit stressed.

Second: If I'd hit the ground ANY harder, I'd be having surgery to pin and plate my tibia back together, as well as repairing my ACL and the meniscus.

Third: I'm healing much faster than most folks they see with this much damage.

So, the distilled info is: 2-3 weeks of physical therapy to regain range of motion and strength and allow the last of the swelling to go down. Then surgery to smooth out the meniscus and reconstruct the ACL. Then 4 to 6 months of rehabilitation and physical therapy.

My particular surgeon uses the hamstring tendon to create a new ACL. Their website has a really cool animation of the surgery here. Note the drilling into the femur and tibia - another reason for the wait. We need to let my tibia heal some so it doesn't break along the micro-fractures when they drill!

Even with a BEST CASE estimate, it'll be 6 months before I'm back in the saddle, and by then the entire season is gone. :p However, I am NOT going to rush this - Dr. Peyton has only had 2 cases where the ACL was re-injured, and I really don't want to be #3, or to go through this again.

The take home lesson? TAKE YOUR CALCIUM PILLS! If my bones weren't as strong as they seem to be, I'd be in really sorry shape!

I'm still in a brace, and I still have no idea exactly what I've done to myself. I got my MRI done yesterday (and thankfully, my shoulders and head were not in the machine, or I don't think I'd have survived - seems the claustrophobia I've been developing has hit the point of no return) and my follow up with the Orthopaedic Surgeon is tomorrow. At that point, I hope they can tell me exactly what's going on, other than the general "internal derangement" diagnosis I'm currently carrying about.

Yes, yes. I'm officially deranged. Thank you. Stop sniggering!

In the meantime, Dr. Johns from Virginia Equine Imaging was kind enough to pay a house call on Ms. Mare today! Tom was worried that the bucking and jump refusing were pain related. Generally, my reactions when things aren't perfect in the saddle are 1) what am I doing wrong? 2) what pain could be causing this? before I hit 3) stupid horse! Since we'd ruled out stifles, saddle fit, and Allie is sound as a dollar generally, I figured we were at #1, and some of #3.

Not so!

Amanda jogged Allie, who was nice and sound, then Dr. Johns palpated Allie's back. When she hit the tuber sacrale, Allie almost sat down. When she palpated again, she got the same reaction. I was shocked, she's never given any indication that she was sore there. Amanda then lunged Allie for Dr. Johns while I gave her the basic history: occasional bucking, refusing and cross-cantering were the big three issues, and Tom said that the refusing was not due to anything I'm doing in the saddle. (go me!) Allie was kind enough to demonstrate the cross-canter on the lunge. Dr. Johns then did flexion tests on all four legs, and Allie trotted off COMPLETELY sound from them. Dr. Johns said that Allie is AMAZINGLY sound and clean on her distal limbs. It's not stifles, hocks, knees or feet.

Dr. Johns said with that she could make a preliminary diagnosis of some sacroiliac joint soreness (most likely from arthritis). If I wanted to spring for a Nuclear Scintigraphy, we could confirm it, but just from the history (which is textbook S-I) and palpation Dr. Johns was 99.99% sure that's what's going on, and the recommended treatment would be the same either way.

So - we injected Allie's S-I today! Dr. Johns used an ultrasound to guide the 10-inch long needles (4 of them!) to the proper points, and Allie was a (highly sedated) superstar and stood perfectly still for the whole procedure. She's in today and tonight, then can start light, unmounted work for about a week. Amanda is going to pony her off her old man for me. :D

So, if all the stars align, I'll just have some minor stretching of the ligaments that only require some time and Physical Therapy, and Allie and I will be back BETTER THAN EVER this fall.

Hey, a girl can hope!

Sorta. :p

Went to the ortho today. I've done something to the ACL, and most likely have micro-stress fractures in my knee. Until I get my MRI, we won't know how much damage has been done. So I'm in a holding pattern until my insurance company pre-approves the MRI.

HOWEVER! I'm now in a robo-brace of neoprene with metal hinges on the sides that allows me to bend my knee. I'm to move it (carefully) and as long as it's comfortable, I can bear weight on it (carefully). I'm still using one crutch, because my knee is very unsteady under my full weight, but overall I'm WAY more mobile!

That alone makes me feel SO MUCH better. :D

Woke up this morning with a massive crick in my neck. I mean "can't turn my head more than an inch to the right" massive. I know it's because I'm sleeping in odd positions due to this stupid brace on my leg.

So, here I sit on our sofa, with braced left leg in front of me (with a tortie pressed up against it in a little ball) and a heating pad on my right shoulder in an attempt to release the crick.

*sigh*

The good news is I have an appointment with the ortho tomorrow morning at 9:15. I hope they'll be able to put me in a slightly more manageable brace. I'd like to be able to go to work, but my inability to sit in a normal chair is very limiting!

Being on crutches with a leg in a brace keeping me from bending it has me massively limited. I can't even get my own drink, because I haven't figured out how to carry something and use the crutches.

He's been my feet for a day and a half now. He's fed the cats, made dinner, breakfast, lunch, dinner and breakfast again, even made my coffee!

He's taken care of me much better than I ever would. :p

I am truely married to the most wonderful man on the planet, and I'm immensely lucky.

I had the beginnings of a lovely jumping lesson last night. We had some really nice work - we were working on a six stride line, and it was just flowing nicely. She was even listening enough to let me add a stride easily.

Then we moved on to the "interesting" fences. Our first try was a black culvert pipe. Ms. Mare decided it was teh EBIL and refused to jump it. And refused, and refused and finally REFUSED. It was one of those refusals where she gave every indication she was finally going to go, and at the last second ducked out to the right. I flipped over and landed on my feet, but unfortunately in doing so, my left knee went about 45 degrees to my right.

It hurt. LOTS. I don't think I've ever had anything hurt that much, honestly.

When the pain subsided enough for me to stand, it did the same move to the right and I sat down right quick. Tom ran and got the ATV, and he got me back to the barn while Amanda took care of little Ms. Refusal. We got some ice on the knee, and eventually got me to the truck so I could drive home (automatics don't need a LEFT leg to drive!) Once there, my boo took me to the ER, where we spent 3 hours for them to tell me what I already knew: it's not broken, but the extensive lateral laxity indicates some kind of ligament damange. I'll need to go to an orthopedic surgeon to know for sure what's going on, but that'll be a few days - the initial inflamation needs to subside before they'll be able to do a full exam.

In the meantime, I'm in a brace and on crutches. No show for us next weekend, and odds are I'll be asking Amanda to keep Ms. Mare in work while I'm out of service. And we're probably talking a few weeks.

So, as I said. Crap, crap, crap and various other swear words.

It hurts like a sonovabitch, and living on the third floor has reduced me to bumping up and down stairs on my bum.

My boo got formal word that his story "Clyde Cross'd Romance" will be in the upcoming Cup of Comfort for Horse Lovers anthology. Well, he'd gotten word some time ago, but he got word that it's coming out a month earlier than originally planned. Generally, Cup of Comfort books are full of sappy little stories, and the story my boo wrote about him, me and Artie is no different.

I'll be all embarrassed knowing ya'll are reading it, cause it's about us, and it's sappy, and it made me cry. And thinking about it, it'll always make me cry, because Art is gone now, but he did a really good thing simply by being himself and allowing me to love him, and that's actually the subject of the story.

Regardless of how embarrassed I'm going to be, I want y'all to go buy it, and read it. Artie deserves to be remembered, and my boo deserves to have his stories read.



(if ya'll are on ineti's friends list, the announcement of the book & story is duplicate info! The berkanna crying part, not so duplicate, he didn't say anything about that.)

So, this morning I had an urgent question for my sister.

I shot her an AIM.

She was out, so didn't get back to me right away.

I did some work, discussed futon/sofa bed options with my boo via AIM (just enough of a tax refund to finally get the extra room set up!) and then my sister got back to me.

But I can't remember what urgent thing I had to ask her.

*sigh*

Scattery! Can't keep a thought in my head.

Bunny hugs!!!


Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

I just got a phone call from Mel. She just heard through the grapevine that Artie colicked and died over the weekend. She wanted to make sure I heard from a friend, rather than over one of the various horse bulletin boards we both frequent.

( Life with a goofy gelding )

Without Artie in my life, there's no way in hell I'd have had the guts to get back onto a TB mare like Allie.

I feel like I've been kicked in the gut. I have a massive hole in my heart, and I haven't even seen him since May of last year.

Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored.

*sigh*

George is one of the barn keetooms. He is very cute and VERY friendly. Today I rode Allie at the walk & trot in the ring (too frozen to do too much) and he was skittering around the arena and neighboring field. At some point, we came to a halt, and George was right next to us. I looked down at him and sang out "Hi George!" and he JUMPED up onto Allie's side!

o.O

Allie was NOT PLEASED to have keetoom claws in her side. Thankfully, she is a very good girl and all she did was scoot sideways and give a bit of a shake. George hung on for a little bit, then gave up and dropped back to the ground. And then gave that little kitty-butt wiggle so we had to move fast to get away from him before he did it again. He then proceeded to follow us around the ring for a bit.

I guess he REALLY wanted a ride! All I could do was laugh, it was so silly!