Friday, December 21, 2012

Hello again,

I'm BACK!

I know I've lost some of you--all of you probably, because of my long absence. I hope you return.

Jackson, who was my main topic last post is no longer with me. I had many fine people come out and look at him, ride him, love on him. But something was happening to Jackson. He was getting more and more unruly. He knocked me over several times, once on the cement in the barn aisle. Even have a 1200 pound horse knock you over on cement?

On a pre-purchase exam, the vet discovered what appeared to be a mass under his eyelid. I had my regular vet check him out and she was afraid it was a melanoma, common in gray horses, but not in his eye. She referred him to Purdue University Large Animal Hospital. A week ago Monday I took him down there.

It was a heart stopper. He had a large Iris Melanoma in his left eye and the beginning of one developing in his right. There were three options. One lazer surgery, which the head of opthomology decided was not a good idea because it was too large to be successful. The second was eye removal and lazer surgery on the right eye. Also not a really good alternative. The third was . . . well, we won't go into that. I didn't and couldn't have him put down. I opted to donate him to Purdue University Large Animal Clinic.

I'm down to one horse now. My Smokey. It wasn't the way I'd wanted it to go. The diagnosis explained a lot of what had been happening to him. I'm glad I didn't sell him. It came close a few times.

So, that is my news for the first time out. This year has been quite a handful.

I'd love to have you all subscribe if I promise to keep up my blog this time.

I'll still have those virtual blueberry muffins and coffee at hand as we discuss, horses, dogs, books and, of course, WRITING.

Tomorrow I want to talk about Newton, Conn. The most heartbreaking thing that I haven't been directly connected to.

Take care and thank you for reading.

Pat

1 comment:

Micki Peluso is the author of "And the Whippoorwill Sang" said...

Welcome back!! I hope they won't use Jackson as a guinea pig and expose him to painful tests and trials. I'm so sorry--you never told me this only that he could go blind.