Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Update on my horse/Thanks for your thoughts
I posted this on Pets last night and thought I'd update you ladies as well. Thanks to LinkBride for posting my post-surgery update on Friday!
My post from last night:
We just got home about a half hour ago after with visiting with Leroy. They took the tube out of Leroy's neck, and now there is just a gaping hole. It is completely amazing and completely disgusting at the same time. I didn't want to look at it, but I couldn't take my eyes away. When Leroy tries to take a big sniff of something, you can hear the rush of air going in through his neck instead of his nose. Crazy.
Anyhow, the surgery was on Friday. We saw him Friday and it was horrible. He looked so pathetic. He wouldn't raise his head and was slowly eating these pitifully small mouthfulls of hay. His head and neck area were covered with blood and sweat. There was blood all over the walls from where he was brushing his nose along them. He was only about an hour out of surgery and it was just so raw, and they don't clean them up/hide the blood, etc. for "visitors" like they do for people.
Yesterday we saw him again. They had replaced his tube with a smaller one and he was much more cleaned up - but still, his eyes were so dull, lifeless. He was eating a little better, but still was bleeding a bit from his nose and from his neck.
Finally, today my boy was back. His eyes were clear and he was very alert when we saw him. Like I said, they took out his tube, and the hole should close up on its own within 3 or so days. He was moving around and the vet and everyone in the barn said that his personality was back - and I have to agree. I left there today feeling soooo much better about things after having seen him.
Things are day-to-day right now, but right now we're planning to bring him home on Saturday. Thanks to everyone for your t&p.
And links to pictures - SOME ARE GRAPHIC!!
OK, so I can't find our camera transfer cable, so the pictures from
my phone will have to suffice for now. They aren't quite as graphic -
probably a good thing - but some are still disturbing. I posted them as
links instead of PIPs so that you can change your mind if you don't
really want to look!
http://i37.tinypic.com/20udbfs.jpg This is on Friday, the day of surgery.
http://i33.tinypic.com/3304g38.jpg A close up of the tracheotomy, day 1. (Graphic)
http://i35.tinypic.com/2m3ld6r.jpg Day 2 - I could cry looking at his eyes.
http://i33.tinypic.com/2ag156q.jpg Day 2 - much more cleaned up.
http://i34.tinypic.com/2wcl8c1.jpg Today (Sunday), no tube! (graphic)
Re: Update on my horse/Thanks for your thoughts
I am glad he is doing well. I didn?t look at the pictures because I get upset just seeing a scratch on one of my horses so I knew seeing Leroy like that would break my heart even though I know it is in his best interest. Hope he recovers quickly.
If you don?t mind my asking what did they say about a long term prognosis? Will you be able to ride him, will he have a full recovery?
Thanks again everyone!
To answer your question - he will fully recover from the tracheotomy. It will close up and heal on its own. The guttural pouch mycosis is uncertain. Basically, he'll either have a full recovery or he'll die from it - there really isn't any in-between. His surgeon at Penn *thinks* that we can beat it by surgery (this one and possibly a second) and oral anti-fungal meds, but nothing is guaranteed - this fungal infection is a B*TCH to get rid of. Fungus goes away = full recovery. Fungus stays = death.
Poor Leroy! He does look much better than he did on the first day, though.
Hang in there, both of you!