Baggy Body seems to have turned a corner. Not just a physical one but an emotional one as well. Last night, although she still had to get up three times, she wasn't in agony when she tried to get out of bed. Cutting out the laxative also meant that it wasn't such a mad (risky) rush to get to the bathroom. But fortunately, she also hadn't reverted to be a wind-filled Blimp. This lack of excruciating wind-caused pain, also meant that she could finally sleep on her side (her preferred position), so she slept reasonably well and comfortably, but because her brain is still protecting her wound and not letting her move in her sleep, she didn't wake up stiff or "frozen" in position.
Because Baggy was feeling pretty good, Clever Bird decided that she deserved an outing to her "Fat Club". Back in May Grotty Groom had been told by Wesley's physiotherapist that Baggy had got too heavy to ride him. Sadly Wesley has a condition called "kissing spine" which means that he can get serious pain in his back. It was diagnosed when he was five years old and is a degenerative disease; he's now fourteen. Due to this condition and a badly fitting saddle, three years ago Wesley had rodeoed Grotty into hospital, three times in the space of six months. One of these trips being courtesy of an air ambulance! On this occasion the local gamekeeper had ridden his quad-bike, at speed, through a gap in the hedge straight at Calum who was riding Joey. We were out with a friend on his horse and Grotty was following behind the other two on Wesley in a little world of her own. All was well with the world and Grotty was very relaxed, even when Clever Bird pointed out that she could hear a tractor or something on the other side of the hedge; so relaxed in fact that she ignored this warning sound and put Wesley into a trot to catch up with the horse in front. Grotty remembers registering that the horse in front had just gone from a walk, to a gallop to the left as Wesley spun sideways. The badly fitting saddle slipped dramatically to the right and Grotty was thrown right. The next few seconds were spent with Grotty trying to figure out which way was up, so that she could stay on. Clever Bird began to think that this might not be possible. Then Baggy hit the ground, hard. First with her face then with her pelvis. Grotty found out later that the sequence of events was as follows.
The quad bike came through the gap, Joey spun and bolted towards the horse behind him. That horse took off from the track we were on across the open field on our left. Wesley followed suit, but he's so fast that he was in front of the other horse in a couple of strides which allowed his rider to register that Grotty was being thrown around in the saddle like a little rag doll. Apparently she sat eight rodeo-style bucking episodes in a flat-out gallop, before being thrown in a somersault onto a rock-solid plough furrow. The moment that Wesley was no longer in pain and realised that Grotty was not with him, he spun round to get back to her. The air-ambulance Doctor suspected a broken neck and pelvis. Thankfully, in the end it was "only" severe bruising to the pelvis, which resulted in over two months of Baggy barely being able to walk, let alone ride. The reason for relating this episode in detail, is because Clever Bird is wondering whether it was this unscheduled-dismount, that caused Lawrence the durmoid cyst to go from being a relatively small unnoticeable lump, to the large very painful one that he became. A trauma can on rare occasions cause growth apparently, so Clever Bird must remember to ask the Consultant about this in a couple of days when Baggy goes to be checked. Anyway Clara digresses.
After the physiotherapist's comment, Clever Bird pointed out to Grotty, that if she didn't want Baggy to end up back in A&E or worse, she'd better do something about her weight. Baggy had tried on her own (half-heartedly) and failed, so this time she joined a local Slimming World group. In four months, Baggy stuck to the plan and had already lost two stone. In fact the removal of so much fat was one of the reasons that it had been easier to feel Lawrence. Ironically of course, having lost the weight, but then discovered Lawrence, Grotty could not ride Wesley anyway because Baggy was in too much pain.
It was lovely to go to the meeting. The group were very sweet to Baggy and she was grateful for their support. It spurred her on to take Grotty to see Wesley on the way home. She literally did just see him as he was happily munching in his paddock, which is a five-minute walk down a muddy track. As Baggy couldn't get down it, Grotty just had to gaze at Wesley lovingly. He did hear her voice and looked up from his munching, but when he realised that she wasn't coming over, he went back to his grass. Joey didn't even stop munching. A Groom could feel a little put out! But the likelihood is that that was Wesley's way of demonstrating how he felt about Grotty ignoring him. But just seeing him gave Baggy another positive emotional nudge. Clever Bird felt that a Panini, cappuccino and cake were in order at a little café on the way home. Sorry Slimming World.
Focussing on getting Baggy fit and well enough for Grotty to be able to take up her duties again is a main aim. In fact Clever Bird has decided that setting the gang a few goals might be a good idea. Having things for the gang to aim for should help Baggy's recovery. So Clever Bird has set the following goals:
For Creative Clara: go to Beginner's Tribal Dance Class on 13th January 2016.
For Grotty Groom: select a dressage competition in June 2016 and start a training plan to get Wesley and Baggy fit enough to enter it. Aim to start riding again in late February 2016.
For Furry Mama: build up walks so that she can start walking Minty Mutt again. Aim to be able to do thirty-minute walks by January 2016.
For Hairy Biker Hen: build up Baggy's core strength and her arm strength (if that op. is happening in December) to be back on the Kawasaki 650ERn by April 2016.
Although these dates seem forever away to Baggy, Clever Bird has told Baggy to be realistic and stop pushing herself too much. Freda Fretter feels that Baggy may have over done it today, but if the gang have targets to reach they can take little steps to get there........
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