Many Happy Returns

I'm baaaAAAaaack.  Sorry for the long delay in returning to blogging regularly.  (And blogging well--last week was barely good enough, people!)  Doing the show was super fun but super stressful and super busy, and it's taken me most of the week to recover, both physically and mentally.  Now, some updates on what you've missed:

Indiana is doing really well.  Her hematoma on her back burst last about two weeks ago, creating a mess but unfortunately not a smaller lump.  She had to go on 10 days of antibiotics, which always make her feel crummy.  So she was picky-pants about eating for several days and even stopped taking pills again for a while.  But now that the antibiotics are done, she's returning back to normal, eating well (actually, eating really well) and taking her pills like a champ. 

I've been struggling a bit with how to give her the pills.  Ages ago, we started using cream cheese, but that eventually dried up as an option.  Then peanut butter. Then liver sausage.  All are persona non grata in Indy's eyes now.  What a turd. 

We moved on to lunchmeat, which has been working pretty well.  The problem?  Just about every lunchmeat out there contains added nitrites.  I'm not a big fan, so I've been searching our local grocery store high and low for something that doesn't contain them.  I've found one.  One, people.  I can't explain why.  It's not one brand.  It's one type within an entire product line.  Go figure.  And wouldn't you know it, it's hard to come by.  Apparently everyone else in Kankakee wants to buy nitrite-free Hillshire Farms ultra-thin sliced Roast Beef.  Who knew?

Two days ago, our store was out of this particular product, so I had to buy a different product containing nitrites.  Wouldn't you know it, Indy loves it.  So now my dilemma is, do I continue to switch up different products, keeping her happy with the variety, or do I go back to the one product that doesn't contain nitrites, but risk letting her get bored with it?  It's the never-ending question for us purity-seeking parents. 

In other news, I am incapable of owning a healthy animal.  My horse, Cimba, came to me with a large lump on his neck, just behind his ears.  I knew about it when I "adopted" him, and I had every intention from the get-go of investigating it and healing it the best I could.  So I suppose I have no real room to complain.  But I will anyway, so hah. 

I had a vet I know, Dr. Dan King, come out and take a look at Cimba's neck last week.  He's had the lump for about a year, and while the local horse vet did an ultrasound (which indicated simply soft tissue), I wasn't convinced that was all that was going on with it.  For one, it was hard.  For two, it was giving off a small amount of heat.  Plus, you know, that whole Mom instinct thing.  I got it goin' on.

The vet did a needle aspirate (which the horse vet, though competent, didn't do--maybe that's the dog owner in me?).  When he stuck the needle in, a yellow, sticky substance came oozing out.  I didn't know what the heck it was, but apparently, it's joint fluid.  Not what I expected at all.  The vet sent the sample away for cytology, though he was fairly confident that it wasn't cancer.  And as it turns out, it's not.  It's actually a chronic inflammation of the bursa (the joint capsule) at the back of his head, just behind his left ear.  It's not infected, but the lump is pretty large, and, according to Dr. King, probably pretty uncomfortable, which I already suspected. 

Cimba got a shot of Traumeel, which is a homeopathic drug, to decrease the swelling.  I'm also giving him homeopathic Arnica montana twice a day, as well as putting a poultice of wet clay on it, to draw out the inflammation.  I haven't seen a big improvement yet, but considering the swelling has been there for about a year, I don't expect it to go away quickly.  Luckily, I'm a hands-on Mom who doesn't mind the challenge.  And my friend and mentor, Nikki, who boards Cimba for me, is helping every step of the way with her expertise in horses. 

If Cimba's lump isn't improved in 3-4 weeks, he'll be evaluated again, and we might change treatment.  But if our treatments appear to be working, he'll get another shot of Traumeel, and I'll continue with the homeopathics and the clay.  I'm crossing my fingers that he gets some relief soon.

Nikki, my aforementioned friend with the horses, also has an injured horse at her barn.  This horse has my heart and always has.  It's hard seeing her struggle and be in pain, and it kills me that Nikki, the best horse owner I could ever imagine, has to struggle along with her.  We wondered yesterday why things like this happen.  But as a cancer Mom who deals with other cancer parents all the time, I know why: because we are special parents, and we'll fight for animals when others would not.  I believe that our sick and injured animals are sent to us because they need us.  While others would ignore the problem, or put their animals down, we fight for them and care for them, and go above and beyond to make things right.  And usually, we can. 

It's occasionally frustrating, dealing with sick animals all the time.  But there are rewards.  Knowing that we have done what others could not, or would not.  Knowing that we sacrificed to make the life of another better.  Knowing, at the end of the day, that we have given of ourselves, but have gotten back much, more more.