Again a lot has happened the last few weeks. Mary has been suffering from her left leg since early December. Starting off as a common sports injury the trajectory of muscle relaxants, followed by physiotherapy, didn’t result in any improvement, it was just getting worse. The next step was a suspected slipped disk or hernia, and she was sent to the hospital for an MRI scan. The result was unambiguous: a little bulge between two of her lower vertebrae. The only solution was surgery, but for every step you have to wait, and wait again. By this time Mary had been struggling for 3 months, stopped horse riding; and the last few weeks sleeping poorly due to the pain and shuffling around the house like a 90-year old. Fortunately through a waiting list consultant of our health insurance Mary managed to speed up the process significantly, and she was offered a place in a clinic near Arnhem, on the other side of the country. This was eagerly accepted and she has been in surgery this week. She went down there by train, stayed overnight after a successful operation and was picked up by Piet, using our car as a converted ambulance. Now the pain is gone, but a boring and long road of recovery has started. The first 2 weeks she has to lay down most of the day, with only minimal walking, and certainly no sitting. She is going to be sick and tired of daytime television! An additional complication is that Piet is in charge of the household now, and has been promoted to master chef…
The second patient is Smook, our timeshare horse. He has been diagnosed with an inflamed tendon injury, and has been put on a 6-week rehabilitation program. No riding, and just 3 short walks in the park every day, shared between the owner’s family, Paula and Dorien. The obvious nurse is recovering herself… The rest of the day Smook is confined to his stable. His diet has been adjusted as well; he now has to survive on wet straw (!), because his regular food is too rich when he isn’t doing anything.
Paula’s continued presence in the stable and good riding and calm handling skills of horses resulted in another family addition. One of the ladies has asked her to become the additional rider for her horse Zidane. This is a truly giant horse, the largest of the stable, and a bit intimidating at first sight. However, he is very gentle, and Paula has been riding him during lessons and doing lounging exercises. For laymen: lounging is letting the horse run around in circles on a long rope, and teaching him to listen to commands of walk, trot and canter. It is an ideal way to practice obedience, and to keep horses fit. As Zidane is one of Smook’s friends the ultimate goal is a race on the beach between them (with Mary and Paula as jockey’s), but that is still months away, also because the beach will be closed for horses imminently (and Mary will not be allowed near a horse the next 6 weeks!).
Mary is recovering after her surgery
Paula and Smook on a rehabilitation walk in the park
Paula and Zidane, "the big friendly giant"
