Tumbling Down

Well, here we are again. Square one. Let me explain:

Today I spent (too much) time online looking up rehabilitation from OCD surgery and pretty much everything says the same - one day they're just magically better. Frustrated, I called Dr. John after work. He instructed me to call the clinic to make sure we weren't missing any pieces of the puzzle before he said "I'm on my way".

Called the clinic and talked to JC's surgeon - Dr. Jacob Goodin. I told him what's going on: Jimmy is wonderfully sound and beautiful on the lunge line, but gimping, head-bobbing and falling over under saddle at the trot. He did the worst thing ever: "....Hmm..."

GASP! DON'T "HMMM" ME!!! I DON'T WANT "HMM!!" I WANT TO HEAR "YES, JESS, THAT'S EXTREMELY NORMAL AND ONCE I USE TELEPATHIC POWERS HE WILL MAGICALLY BE BETTER AND TODAY YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO START HIM OVER FENCES!!!" (okay, not really, but seriously...Hmm?!)

Once I was done panicking while I drove from his "Hmm" I tuned back in mentally and tried to catch up to the part where he said "He should be better in a few days" but that didn't happen. It was just silent. I did what I always do when I panic - I started to ramble off what I thought maybe we could possibly do to see if there was any chance it would help him....and he politely listened the finally (it was really only a few seconds) said have Dr. John out because it's very likely it's still those fetlocks bothering him, since it's the identical lameness he showed before surgery *Queue disappointed sigh* but he can't say for sure without an examination, so John should come out ASAP to check on Jimmy. That's what I love about surgeons, they always suggest to have everything done "as soon as possible". He's been lame since Christmas, you really think I'm paying for an emergency call for tonight? You're dreaming, babe. ASAP = Thursday for us. That's the great thing about John, we speak the same language.

So John will be coming out Thursday night, pending the day goes well for him, to do another lameness examination on Jimmy. He will flex him and see what's going on, if it's still in the fetlock, or where the heck he thinks the lameness is stemming from. You know what I wish? I wish he took one look at Jimmy's trot under saddle and said "Oh, his fetlocks look fine, the problem is in his back. Do some chiro once a month and he'll be good as new tomorrow." But, I am realistic, and I am aware that money doesn't grow on trees, so I will listen to what he says, whatever it is, and take it with a grain of salt.

If after the exam it's still a mystery, Jimmy will just live outside for the next full calendar year (daytime only, I'm not that mean) and next summer I'll pull him out again and tack him up, and hope all is well. Maybe two more years. Who knows. I might be popping out babies by then anyway.

Maybe last year was all we got, and now it's all come tumbling down for a reason. Maybe God has a different plan. Maybe this is just a test.....I'm hoping in hindsight this is all 20/20, but really, no one ever knows.