This Week was Amazing!

By Patty Wilber

Nasty  Chemo Treatment 3 was Nov 3rd and by Nov. 5th I was feeling pretty puny. And whiny. Just ask Jim. I left the blog to the 10th and was too tired by evening to get it together for Nov. 11th! This week I started earlier!

Fortunately, in between finishing off the goldfish crackers, demolishing two boxes of Triscuits, along with a block of mozzarella cheese, starting on a third box of Triscuits and a second block of cheese, and sleeping away half days, I was able to go to work at the college and also get outside and do a thing or two! (And then rest.)

I also think I converted most of the cracker calories into a tire around my middle!

I had a nice evening ride on Penny!

I did a couple hours of tractor work this past Sunday (10 days after Treatment 3). It was not that tiring! Surupa (the bay) is enjoying being out with Lucy and the other horses.

By 11 days post Treatment 3 I actually felt really good!  Better than between Treatments 2 and 3.  It must be that Wim Hof breathing and semi cold showers! Or a placebo effect, but whatever! I will take it! I got to feeling quite normal, just in time for Nasty Chemo Treatment 4, November 17th.  This was the last of the hard ones, they say.  Boy, do I hope they are right!

Lucy got cleared to walk trot lope on Tuesday 11/15, so I rode her.  I was having so much fun I forgot to take any pictures! I rode her again 11/17 after my 4th treatment. I typically feel fine until two days of the treatment, but this time I did feel a bit foggy-headed. It was sunny, no wind and about 42, and I know the fresh air and sun hugely help drive the fog out, so I saddled up Lucy! And I took a couple of photos.

She has a big booty!

She feels really good after her shock wave therapy, and her special shoeing, and months of rest! We have the chiropractor on the schedule, too. Heidi is on her papers with me and is planning on competing locally and at Appaloosa Youth World with her this summer! Exciting!

I was very happy to give a couple lessons to Faith, Jessica and Heidi (on LT) over the last two weeks.  I felt healthier after each one–the fresh air and hanging around people that love horses!  It’s a cure!

Even though I couldn’t go, I got video of Heidi and LT at the Working Ranch Cowboys Championship show last weekend in Amarillo.  I was really proud of them! 6th out of 18! Heidi had her best cow work yet, and she handled quirky LT so well! There is stuff we can fix, too, so room for improvement! Thanks to Darren Miller for helping her prepare on live cows since I could not really do it (not to mention that he is really insightful and a great coach)!

I put Gette (short for Suffragette) in the round pen.  Yep, I think she is going to be dynamite on a cow and also take care of business in the other ranch classes. She will be two in January. She is 14.1. Appaloosa World 2024 in Ranch Riding and maybe cows, too.  We will just see how she comes along!

I should have cropped out that blue sky, but it is so beautiful!

More focus on the horse without the sky, but the NM blue is just the best!

My  grand girls are coming today! I will probably be laying around feeling puny again by tomorrow, as the chemo takes hold, but hey I can lay around and watch a few Disney movies with them!! And I will do lots of breathing to bring up my immune system so we can all head to California for Thanksgiving!

Chemo is not fun, but it could be a whole lot worse! Onward!

Happy Friday!