The good news continues (yay!). She drank water this morning. She seems to be handling everything well. The path out of the woods continues to brighten.

She has been pawing whenever she comes back in from being outside — but it is out of boredom/pissiness rather than pain. She wants to go back outside and is tired of being in the stall. Her vet said that she will be able to graze tomorrow morning, and that will help her attitude tremendously. She may also get some grain tomorrow.

Yay! I almost asked him when he thought she might be able to come home. He told me not to ask him that until tomorrow after she has been eating. He didn’t want to jinx it. =)

The only bad thing is that the incision site has a minor infection. Apparently it’s in not topica. He’s going to take her off of the antibiotics to let the infection come to a head and drain. After that she’ll be back on the antibioitics to finish getting it out of her system.

(vast relief)

The bank visit this morning was also good. Hopefully the financial aspects are all settled (unless something else happens, but let’s not go there).

PROGRESS!! Finally! The biggest news: her small intestines have motility! WOOHOO! No signs of the evil “L” word (knock on wood). Some possible signs of very minor infection around the incision sight (not unusual)–she has been started on another round antibiotics just in case. (Can’t say I’d like to get my doses of meds up my derriere… aren’t many other options when she can’t take anything orally. But she’s being good, probably easier to administer the pills that way than to fight her with oral dosing of stuff she is adept at spitting out.)

I went up midafternoon to see Isis, talk to the vet, and do the nasty financial paperwork. She looked so much better! She was vocal every time someone went by her stall, especially if you came in. She nickered to me and has started nickering to the people who are taking care of her there. She has been exemplary with everything until today, apparently. The vet student said that Isis gave her a little trouble with the needle when she needed to draw blood, then Isis wouldn’t have anything to do with it. Talk about a sure sign that she’s feeling better! Isis hates needles. I’ve been warning her caretakers that when she starts feeling better she’ll start copping an attitude. And that happened today. =)

I keep reminding myself that we’re not out of the woods yet. Damn, it felt good to see some progress with her and really feel like she will come home! I even got to take her for her afternon walk. I was so happy to spend some time with her out of the stall. No eating grass or drinking water yet, but maybe tomorrow.

Finances are going to be fun. The bill is several thousand dollars (all praises be to insurance). I just have to figure out how to cover the cost of the bill until I’m reimbursed. I’m going to the bank tomorrow morning to find out what my options might be.

No picture today, unfortunately. I was too busy walking and petting her. She’s my little miracle mare.

Go bay wonder mare, go! Come home soon!

Good news at last! The vet said that the last time Isis was tubed this morning she had about half of the amount of fluid she had the day before. She also passed some manure (very positive). So overall medically today she looks better than she did yesterday. She has some swelling on her incision, which might mean a low-grade infection. She started her on antibioitic, which is administered as a paste through her rectum. (Poor kid.)

Maybe she is finally starting to get some motility back in her small intestines? The vet said he would know more after she is tubed again at 2:00. Here’s hoping!

I want to hope so much. The odds seem stacked against her from everything that she has been through, and yet she is still fighting. She’s depressed, yes, but look at everything she’s been through. She’s also off food and only on IV fluids for nutrition.

I found a good article on colic. It is some hard reading, especially when you get to the mortality rate for horses who had similar cases to Isis (50-75% mortality in the worst cases). The article covers pre-op to post-op care. The good news was that 90% of the horses who survived the surger and fully recovered were able to return to the original occupations/use.

Colic: Pre-op to Post-op

On Monday evening, Isis had looked so much better. She seemed awake and aware and happy to see everyone to came in to visit her. Yesterday she seemed more subdued. Even the vet student commented on how Isis seemed more depressed in the evening.

Isis has lost weight, which is expected. Last night was the first time I could really see how it was effecting her. Her coat is still shiny, but she is starting to have scurf. It looks very similar to when she has a reaction to fly bites: it’s like a layer of her skin just starts coming off. It looks like large dandruff flakes starting in her mane and then going all over her neck, between her legs, on her sides. When the fly bit sensitivity gets bad, she gets large swellings on her abdomen and some very nasty looking scabs.

I stayed with her for three hours last night. Initially, I was going to leave after about an hour. The vet student mentioned that Isis’ gums had little pin-point hemmorages in them. The student did not seemed alarmed by it, but noted that it was something to monitor. However, I wanted to be there when Isis’ gums were checked next and to also ask the evening vet what she thought. Isis’ gums did look redder than normal and she did have a few of those pin-point spots. The student thought she had more of them; the vet thought she was about the same.

So really no major change — except in Isis’ attitude. She was still talking to everyone who came in to her stall. However, after the initial greeting she would put her head down and just keep it there. Her grandmother did the same thing when she didn’t feel well, and this little girl has all of the reason in the world to not feel well.

I left the vet hospital in tears.

I just talked to the vet. He said that the toxins in Isis’ system are gone (yay!). Unfortunately, her small intestines still aren’t showing any motility. It may take several days for motility to return. It’s not unusual for intestines that were as badly damaged as hers to take a few days to recover. The vet said he’s seen this before. Right now, she is static: mobility isn’t present, but at least she isn’t getting worse. There is a possibility that motility won’t return; but it is too early to know.

Poor Isis had the nose tube put back in last night; she won’t be happy about that. He said they are going to start taking her for walks and just let her get out for a while.

On a good financial note… The inrusance company said that they can process partial bills. So if I get an itemized bill for the current charges, the insurance company can start processing (and hopefully have a check to me that I can turn over without having to take out a loan).

The reduced toxins mean less chance of laminitis. Also, the vet said that the digital pulse is something to watch but wasn’t too worrisome. A fluxuating digital pulse could be an indication just of the stress she’s been through. A steady digital pulse could indicate something more serious.

The vet said that she’s a fighter and she’s a very sweet mare. He knows how to get on my good side.

The Bay Wonder Mare is a marvel. The way she was today versus on Saturday is worlds different. She felt so much better. When I went into her stall, she was very talkative. She nickered when I put my hand on her forehead, like she does in the field when I greet her. She nickered again when my hand stroked near the halter clip — a sound she always makes when I take off her grazing muzzle.

She seemed much improved today. I was elated when I saw how much better her attitude was today — until the vet student mentioned that Isis has had digital pulses today. That’s not good. She was also shifting her weight from one foot to the other. It could be from discomfort. It made me leery. She shifted her feet like that last time she had laminitis. The shifting could be discomfort from the surgery or it could be something else. So we’re watching her.

So (finally) some good news. And some caution. Laminitis could be very bad, or mild, or not happen at all. Here’s hoping the “L” word doesn’t enter the picture at all.

The vet was supposed to have called me back this morning. So far, nothing. I suppose that is good because it means no emergency. The waiting is hard, especially when I can’t just be at the hospital with her…