Ok. I've been told lately I need bubble wrap. It might be true. The above pic is one of MANY bruises I obtained while attempting to be a poptart (to be explained later in this post.) Don't try this at home.
The past two months have been the most difficult physically since my horse accident in 2001 that put me in a wheelchair. It started with strep throat. This led to a sinus infection. Not long after that, at a clinic with Jean Luc Cornille in Pennsylvania and while training with my coaches Missy and Jessica Ransehousen, I started having excruciating pain in my abdomen and fevers of 102-103. I figured it was all related to the sinus infections, was pretty sure it wasn't strep again and kept going. When I got home, my temp was still 102 - 103 and it WAS strep. Despite antibiotics for strep, fevers continued, so I was referred to an infectious disease doctor. My spleen was enlarged, my liver was enlarged, my platelets were 30 (very low), my liver enzymes were elevated, I had a virus that was diagnosed with lab work, as well as mono. I have even less energy than usual, which is pretty low.
ANDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD that's not all. Fast forward a couple of weeks - still tired at the slightest activity, but pushing forward with riding and training. My wheelchair decided that the above stuff was not enough. It has a mind of it's own sometimes. Sooooooooo, I am attempting to go over a ledge of a horse's stall. My wheels get stuck and then decide to rotate backwards instead of forward. I fell backwards and got a pretty little goose egg and a nice little concussion to go with all the above.
Next, one of the horses I've been riding decided it would be cool to kick his stall (a lovely habit of his when he gets frustrated) and break his splint bone in 3 places (we THINK this is what might have caused it). I had just tracked down his passport, after it being lost for 11 years, had it reinstated for possibly competing him, and discovered that I've been riding a ex-Grand Prix jumper for the last two years. He is now on stall rest and is being retired from competition. I will do a whole post dedicated to him soon.
If that is not enough, let me tell you how I've now been dubbed "Poptart". I'm at another barn, different than the above 2 barns, lol. I am watching the leadrope of attached horse pretty well, I think. But no, I get distracted by all the other beautiful horses and look away for an instant. Somehow, in that brief moment of inattention, the lead rope gets wrapped around my wheelchair somewhere, said horse raises his head suddenly and forcefully -----------> my wheelchair and myself go flying upwards. Somehow, in the air, I become airborne while my wheelchair falls to the ground. The people who witnessed it said I looked like a poptart coming out of the toaster - complete with a ping noise. Thus, the nickname, Poptart.
The above pic is one of many bruises, bone bruises, and one possible very small fx in my elbow.
I think I need to invest in bubble wrap. :(
