Hen23's Journal~Goodbye

[snapshot]

I'm so sorry about Donki!

 

[Henrietta23]

Thanks everyone. I think I feel especially bad because it's been so hard for me to go down and spend anytime with them lately. I miss my goatie snuggles. All three are/were very sweet and friendly. I hadn't had a good Donki hug in a week and now I'll never have another. I will always remember our closeness during the time I got to milk her and be thankful for that. Even if I never milk another goat I'll have that memory. Thanks for the reassurance Free.

 

[Britesea]

so sorry for your loss! I am recovering from losing my bassett hound, Chloe this weekend in the same way, so I know how stunned you feel.

 

[AnnaRaven]

 

[Henrietta23]

I'm sorry too Britesea! It's amazing how much we get to love them!

 

[Henrietta23]

Well, PT was interesting and terrifying. Basically she couldn't figure out how I am still able to walk on my left foot at all. I diagnosed myself correctly with Posterior Tibial Tendonitis but it seems even more complicated. My arch has completely fallen on that foot and I am walking on my navicular bone, which I should not be. She worked on the foot, gave me some exercises to do everyday that may help strengthen a muscle that is no longer doing much to hold the arch up. We will be discussing orthotics soon. She taped up my arch to help ease the pain. And then she looked me in the eye and said, "There is a good chance this is going to require surgery at some point in your life. When that happens do NOT let a general orthopedist operate on this foot. You go to an orthorpedist who specializes in foot surgery, whether it's one in Farmington or Boston, do not let anyone local touch this foot for surgery." I all but had to sign a document in blood to show her that I would not let just anyone do surgery on my foot! She scared the poo out of me.
Then I hobbled to Ocean State Job Lot and shopped for pottery while texting Freemotion who was at another Ocean State Job Lot shopping for the same pottery..... Life is strange.

 

[abifae]

Wow!!! Glad she knew to tell you that, though. There is not much worse than a botched surgery.

 

[Henrietta23]

Wow!!! Glad she knew to tell you that, though. There is not much worse than a botched surgery.

Exactly what I was thinking.

 

[Farmfresh]

Sorry about your goat.

Don't kick yourself about it however. The last 3 horses that we lost all had the same symptoms... old, thin, hard to keep weight on, but basically acting like they felt alright. They all had cancer. Something that you just don't think about an animal having.

All three of ours were diagnosed by the vet with melanoma tumors in their intestines. The cancer basically grows steadily on interfering with nutrient absorption until they either stop up the works or burst into a vital blood vessel and that kills them. Horses with dilute color genes (one was roan, one was buckskin and one was grey) are much more prone to cancer than other horses are.

If something like that was the matter with Donki all of the best care in the world would not make a difference. Still the loss is always hard.

 

[Henrietta23]

Thanks. With all that is going on I have really not dealt with her death emotionally yet. I did not feel up to participating in her burial. I watched a little from the kitchen window, mostly to monitor how DS was dealing, but after finding her I put up a wall and didn't process it. I have been trying to get down to the barn at least once a day to spend time with Thomas and Daisy. Thomas knocked his little regrown horn off again today. Blood everywhere. I'm glad I wasn't there to see it. He usually bleeds like crazy and it might have been too much for me this week! We knew she wouldn't have a long life but the time we had with her was too short. She wasn't even 4 yet.