Finally Mostly Recovered

I imagine some people out there are wondering why the heck I haven't updated since December. Long story but will try to make it short.

A few weeks before Christmas, DH and I took our horses for a ride in the woods. It was a great ride, but I had what we thought was a minor accident.

We were heading to the local riding school on unfamiliar paths. We ended up on a path that went up between two pastures of small to medium sized ponies. DH rode ahead on Quintas but something startled her. Her fear set off Ria and for some reason Ria reverted to some old very bad habits. It had probably been close to two years since the last time she did it.

My theory is that her breeder--the person we got her from--tried to lure her through scary situations with sugar cubes. While rewarding good behavior with treats can be effective, the timing must have been off. Instead of learning to cope well with these situations, she learned that by exaggerating her fear reaction she could earn more goodies!

So when startled, she didn't just have a simple reaction. She started out by spinning around. I managed to somewhat control it and stay sat, but she spun twice then reared a little and bolted. Somewhere in all that, the saddle slid sideways (hadn't gotten the CorrecTOR for her saddle yet). When she bolted, I was aware of hanging on the saddle well down on her side and deciding to let go. My weak joints made it impossible for me to right the saddle.

So I let go and fell to the ground. No stones around--just a grassy path. But I hit my head. My helmet was knocked out of place, but I didn't think much of it. I was back on my feet right away--I'd kept a hold of the one rein and Ria was standing next to me with a very apologetic look on her face. I really don't think it is her intention to unseat me. She just reverted to a bad habit in a stressful situation.

So anyway, we led the horses until we were away from the ponies and found something I could use as a mounting block. I was only aware at that time of a sore spot on one leg. The rest of the ride went fine, but after a while I became aware that my head was hurting a good bit and I'd gotten a good bit of nausea.

DH quickly suspected a minor concussion, but I wasn't even throwing up so he just kept tabs on me and we took it easy for the evening. I woke up feeling much better Sunday morning, so we went on the drive we had planned. But at some point in the afternoon I got feeling quite sick again and my head was throbbing. Still nothing that seemed serious, but we got me home and settled. I felt sick but wasn't throwing up or anything.

That was Sunday. Monday I slept pretty much all day. Tuesday morning I woke up feeling pretty good so went to work on a leather project. But by afternoon I had a dreadful pain in my head and nausea. The pain just getting worse and worse--a very localized pressure on the left side. So DH called the emergency doctor and pushed for him to come here and check me over--he didn't want to drive me anywhere as sick as I was.

Before the doctor had gotten here, I had started throwing up. This was 3 days AFTER the fall! The doctor checked me over and found no signs of an internal bleed. Diagnosis, severe concussion and DH had to stay home and keep an eye on me.

Even after a few weeks, I was still VERY sick with the localized pain in my head and nausea. I called the doctor, who said it wasn't unusual and that it could easily take months for me to recover.

It is not until the past few weeks that I have finally gotten beyond the nausea and the pain and been able to think again. I couldn't read for ages and had finally resorted to reading out of desperation despite ending up practically in tears from the pain in my head as a result.

Now I am able to read and think like relatively normally (for me). The reason it has taken me this long to get updating is that much of my ability to function as been dedicated to DH's new company and helping get the web site made and brochures and catalogs put together.

So that is why I've been AWOL since well before Christmas. I hope to get back to relatively routine updates in the near future. There is certainly plenty to fill everyone in on...