summary since fall

Chris has done a great job keeping this blog updated, thank-you! This is more of a history of events than a fun story so I don't forget it all. so my summary is that although Sereele had been doing very well in regard to her tripping and falling, it was still happening sporadically. she fell on her knees while I was leading her down linden street and for some reason went to her knees while eating under the hickory tree. she fell while I led her down the street in chester but hopped right back up. I decided to try different shoes, found a natural balance farrier who did a nice job and she wore these shoes at the CDR and did AWESOME! I was feeling so happy! but after a couple of weeks she fell while riding with lou and rebecca, not a big deal, down to both knees, little scuttle and back up. tried the shoes again and she fell while I was riding with Jen Verelli and really freaked her out. there was just no reason for it, we were walking on flat dirt and she went down fast and ran on her knees for quite a ways before being able to get back up. that made me finally decide to get this figured out before one or both of us got hurt. had Bret Gaby come out for neuro eval and he was excellent. watched her move on longe and ridden, did some tests and said she was weak on RH, possible "searching" with RF with head elevated. had to ACE her to longe at the canter in the ring, but he got to see the bunny hopping. he suggested a myelogram. brought her to tufts who found her to be weak on the tail pull, did x-rays and saw some narrowing and possible instability at C4-5. they felt she was a wobbler and unsafe to ride. heartbreaking yet good to finally have an answer. I felt confident this was the diagnosis and declined the myelogram, didn't want to put her through it. but over the next couple of months she just looked so good, she really isn't neurological, I started to doubt the diagnosis. so I did bring her back, the neuro exam was totally normal and the myelogram was negative. they did a muscle biopsy for EPSM and blood test for vitamin E deficiency and suggested a couple of other motor neuron diseases. during all of this I have been in contact with a guy named Norman who is looking for a nice young mare as a companion for his mare. he came and met her and really likes her (of course) and will take her this spring I think, assuming she doesn't have some horrible degenerative disease. tufts neglected to start her on abx after the biospy and the incision was hot, oozy and a little puffy. emailed Dr Bedenice and Carmel and started her on SMZ's, things look better. will probably take the stitches out tomorrow. she looks great bucking and rearing and prancing around! this is all so frustrating and depressing.