Ernie's Crazy Days

Ernie's surgery on Tuesday went well, but there were two surprises at pickup. 

First, they put him under general anesthesia. The ladies had been told he wouldn't be. Age is associated with increased risks for equines. Including gastrointestinal ones.

Second, Ernie was supposed to be on 4 weeks of stall rest instead of 2.

That left Carrie on edge. She'd recommended the surgery and there were two curve balls while Laura's father was going through a health crisis.

Carrie really wanted Ernie's recovery to be a bright spot for Laura and the initial momentum bounced when it hit those road bumps.

And then things took a turn for the worse. Ernie started to show signs of discomfort. His poops were smaller and harder. They bounced when they hit the ground instead of splatting. He shifted, spun, and pawed and not in the usual "give me my food" way. He laid down which is a sign of abdominal pain when combined with his antics.

Carrie sprang into action. She called the vet, Laura, got Ernie to his feet, dosed him with meds, and got him walking. Ernie wasn't supposed to move, but colic was the immediate danger. Carrie wanted his gut moving along with his feet and to prevent him from lying down.

She got more worried when she noticed Ernie sweating on his neck and shoulders.

Carrie kept Ernie walking at a clip for the nearly an hour before help arrived. I offered to help, but she only let me do a few laps while she backed up the truck and trailer in case of an emergency load. Carrie's the type that needs to have a task to do when she's worried and she's emotionally invested in Ernie.

Laura, Amy, and the vet, Carly, all arrived at the same time.

Carrie gave Carly the rundown. I'd taken some video, but Carly had all the information she needed. She gloved up, lifted Ernie's tail, and shoved her arm shoulder deep.

I thought it'd be polite not to take pictures.

Carly didn't feel any large obstructions, but the poop in process was hardened. She prescribed a laxative and said an IV would probably help, so Laura made the call.

15 L of fluids is a heavy IV. I helped with the lifting. It would have been 20 L, but Carly suggested the smaller amount to keep it more economical. 

Ernie was due an epic piss in the future.

The laxative was administered through nasogastric intubation (aka - Carly shoved a tube up his nose and down his throat).

While Ernie was still swaying under "the good stuff," Carly offered to help change his bandages. It was supposed to happen every three days and already on the schedule. From what I understood, Carly wanted to take a look at the handiwork of her alma mater.

And the incision looked great. Ernie's life was at risk from constipation, but his feet were healing well!

Laura got to play intern since Carly didn't bring any. Both Laura and Amy usually work on human patients.

Laura's sister happened to be with them. She was among the first wave of family to arrive due to the father's health crisis and she'd gotten swept up into an equine one, too.

Carrie and I pulled Ernie out of his stall at 5:27 PM. I took a picture of cars arrived at 6:25 PM. Carly plied her trade for about an hour before she headed out and the ladies settled in to wait for poop. If Ernie pooped, it would be a sign that the laxatives were working and the immediate danger had passed.

Ernie started to come down from his medically induced haze before long and Laura and Carrie threw a blanket on him to keep him warm. I helped keep his head up to force him to swallow meds.

But Laura was his favorite shoulder to drool on (after all, she is his "mom!").

Ernie broke his seal shortly thereafter.

Poop was a long time in coming, though. The temperature dropped as night settled in deeper and darker.

 

Laura and Amy eventually kicked Carrie out of the barn and told her to rest. It was clear she'd been running on adrenaline too long. Carrie crashed on the couch into a fitful rest not long after. Somehow she seemed to sense whenever I was going to go check on everyone in the barn and mutter "No....don't....give them...some spac....zzzzz."

By 11:30 PM, the boarders were still here and Carrie was deep enough asleep I snuck out. Ernie was pooped, but he hadn't pooped. Laura didn't want to leave until he was sure he was going to be okay.

I started to ask some questions about "When did Carly say he should poop by anyway?" No one knew, so I encouraged Laura to text Carly to clarify. Laura accidentally dialed. She was embarrassed and hung up right away before she texted. 

Only it was meant to be. The next day, Carly said she only woke up and saw the text, because of Laura's botched dial. She reassured everyone and they were about to leave when the magic happend.

I took this picture at 12:19 AM 10/10. 

It wasn't much, but it was enough. I told Laura there was no better time go home and sleep and she agreed.

The next morning, we spent even more time than usual staring at horse butt.

Thankfully, a more productive one.

Ernie was pooping, but his poop was still hard, small, and infrequent. It was less than Carly wanted and she kept checking in. Ernie was put on a colic watch. Carrie went down to the barn every hour on the hour as best she could. Overnight, it was switched to every three hours.

In typically Carrie fashion, she tried to do it all. In typical Mike fashion, I continued to offer to help until she started to wear out and I picked up more and more shifts. It'd have been easier if Carrie had agreed to a rotation earlier, but everyone had hoped it wouldn't take days for a steaming, wet pile.

I took this picture when I went to check on Ernie's water, hay, and production at 4 AM Monday morning.

Everything started to flow more regularly and Ernie was deemed cured. Everyone was tired Tuesday, but worn spirits were a little brighter as the ladies figured out how to change Ernie's bandages without a vet to help.

Laura had the same idea as me to track Ernie's progress.

The incisions were still clean and healing nicely. Carly was due to come back in a week to pull out the stitches.

I've learned a lot owning a barn. Maybe it'll help if I write a book one day.

Have I mentioned lately that this was the perfect time for Shane to visit Nana and Pop? I missed him, but bringing him home during a series of crises would've made things worse. He got to party in happy-fun-cousin-grandparent land and sleep soundly!

Carrie's Trailer Daze

 Monday (10/5) we woke up at dark o'clock.

Carrie and Laura were trailering Ernie to Virginia Tech for surgery. 

Laura decided it was time to de-nerve him in the front. She'd struggled with the decision for weeks if not months. He'd been on pain medications for years and it was a quality of life issue.

With two horse women there wasn't much for me to do except document and provide moral support.

Carrie did have me run up and open the gate.

And I had the joy of doing all the morning horse chores once they left, too!

Their trip was uneventful. The techs came outside to get Ernie. Carrie and Laura had to remain outside as a COVID precaution, so they said their farewells in the parking lot.

Tuesday, Carrie shipped out later. This time, it was Huck. I didn't get many pictures, because I was hands on and helping.

Carrie started Huck's training, but it was time for him to go to a trainer who'd work with him more on riding. We weren't the best fit for that and we needed to make room for Nibs to come home. It was simply the right time for him to go.

This time Loki helped me open the gate.

Huck was a shorter jaunt than Virginia Tech. The new barn was within an hour one way.

What those pictures don't show if that Carrie discovered a nail in the rearmost driver's side tire on the trailer. She was worried about it, but after some pressure tests I convinced her it was fine to drive on for now.

It was, but when Carrie tried to check the other tires after she got back one of the tire stems broke! "This is a trade-in!" she said.

Of course, I was teaching class and unaware as this happened. Carrie took the trailer to the tire place that bought the Volvo and they fixed the tire stem and switched the nail tire with the spare. It was already said and done by the time I heard of it.

And the trailer trips weren't even done! Wednesday, Carrie and Laura were off to Virginia Tech again. The brought Ernie back bandaged up, but frisky.

Really frisky.

I heard them unloading near the end of my Honors Geometry class. The notes and most of the work were done, but I have kids who stay on for help.

"What's that noise?" I said. "Oh, it's my wife and our boarder unloading the horse that had surgery. Wait a minute...where's his lead rope? Did they let him off without..."

"Sorry kids, gotta go! Loose horse!"

I ditched my class and ran outside. Ernie ran straight for the mares' field to greet everyone. The ladies herded him and I sprinted to close the front gate. Ernie foolishly ran into the barn to greet Maddie and was captured quickly. 

I got back to my class half out of breath. "So that...was exciting...Where...were we?"

It was an opportune week for Carrie's new truck tags to arrive.

It'd be nice if the trailer and truck worked to help pay themselves off. Carrie almost had a paid gig trailering a horse to Lexington recently, but it fell through. Everything this week was pro-bono (though I think Laura paid for gas). 

While Carrie was done hauling the trailer for the week, she had a different driving project on Thursday. That crop duster dusted our arena with seeds. And they were growing.

Rather than weed the whole arena by hand, Carrie raked it with the gator. I took a peek at her progress in a lull between my afternoon classes!

I would have had Shane solo and been trying to teach the first three days of the week, so it was great that he was at Nana and Pop's! Nana had a funny story to tell about how well he paid attention, but that's a different post.

Happy Bday, Love!

Carrie wasn't pro-Birthday this year. She said something about "I've never really liked my birthday."

So I went right to the blog to say, "Look! We did this! And this! And...ok, that year was basic, but what about this!"

The day of Carrie's birthday this year was a rainy, muddy mess. She had been scheduled to attend a riding clinic, but they pushed back the start time. To Carrie's amazement, they didn't cancel. She and Micayla opted not to go. That led to a lost deposit and lots of grumbles.

Sunday made up for it. It was a downright party at the barn!

Laura and Amy came to do morning chores, but they brought cupcakes! Barbara and Heidi came too and it was a horse lover's party.

Shane and I came down after an hour of adult time. He brought his normal level of energy.

He revved Loki up to wild levels and got a bruise from the roughhousing. I wish I could say I was surprised.

However, I want to give Shane a quick shout out for discovering a new kitten game. He calls it "Sonar."

The game is simple: Shane takes a small rock and gently throws it. The kittens hear the sound and pounce! 

They're showing good hunting skills. I missed a fantastic video of Aria doing a mid-air take-down of a locust. I hope they move on to mice soon....

It didn't take long for Shane to notice Mommy's cupcakes.

Or Tsuki!

Amy was really kind to make them and she was even kinder to listen to Shane talk about "tick worms." That's a leech in Shane-speak. He watched a video with Carrie on YouTube and was a fountain of facts.

Amy pulled the video up on her phone and they watched it together! Shane and Laura have both worked with leeches and maggots at the hospital. 

Amy entertained Shane while Laura focused on Ernie. He lost a rear shoe.

He got a duct tape temporary one (Is there anything duct tape can't do!?).

Heidi and Laura went for a walk with Eddie and Ernie and Barbara took Maddie for a short spin while everyone talked. It was just a fun time.

Ellie arrived as people were leaving to take care of Magic. He showed up lame for breakfast on Friday. The ladies think it's an abscess that needs to work itself out. He's got some love and Epsom salt baths. 

He was, also, the recipient of a duct tape shoe (but pink!).

Magic pulled a trick on me later in the afternoon. Carrie and Ellie had him on stall rest. I went down to refill his hay and check water. I closed the stall door, but I didn't clip it. I honestly held the clip in my hand and thought, "Nah. This will take a second and he's resting."

A second was all Magic needed.

I heard the door and he was in the aisle as I turned.

He got an opportunity to sniff around as I called Carrie for backup (Flip flops and an unwilling horse aren't a great combo).

Magic's tour of the grounds was brief. He was back in his stall with new hay with only a minor fuss.

For him, it was a bit of fun.

For me, it was a good humbling moment and reminder that little things are important!

For Carrie, it made it added a little more excitement to make the birthday weekend less routine.

For Shane.....well, the kid had no clue at first. When he did see Magic on the security camera and thought to tell Carrie! I was already on the phone with her, but it was a good reaction.

Happy Birthday to Carrie! Sorry we couldn't go to Busch Gardens or do something fancy, but maybe next year!