Here is Vickie's info on Judy's status:
Judy was transferred by ambulance on Monday night from Opelousas General to Baton Rouge General Hospital Bluebonnet. The two places are as different as night and day. Vickie talked with the Orthopedist who appears to be directing this show, Neils Linschoten, MD (Website linschotenorthopaedics.com).
Judy is on pain meds for her leg and is getting drugs which are keeping her a bit woozy and incoherent. The doctor said that Judy's infection would continue to be a chronic issue and would keep coming back because of the large prosthesis in her femur. Because it moves around inside her bone, it would continue to irritate the healthy bone, increasing the occurrences of pain and infection. He said that the plan is to remove the prosthesis and replace it for several months with two halo rings on the outside of her leg until the interior of her leg heals. Then once the leg is no longer septic and the tissue is healthy, he can replace the halos with a new, better fitting prosthesis that will allow her to walk IF Judy is willing to spend several months in rehab.
Judy was transferred by ambulance on Monday night from Opelousas General to Baton Rouge General Hospital Bluebonnet. The two places are as different as night and day. Vickie talked with the Orthopedist who appears to be directing this show, Neils Linschoten, MD (Website linschotenorthopaedics.com).
Judy is on pain meds for her leg and is getting drugs which are keeping her a bit woozy and incoherent. The doctor said that Judy's infection would continue to be a chronic issue and would keep coming back because of the large prosthesis in her femur. Because it moves around inside her bone, it would continue to irritate the healthy bone, increasing the occurrences of pain and infection. He said that the plan is to remove the prosthesis and replace it for several months with two halo rings on the outside of her leg until the interior of her leg heals. Then once the leg is no longer septic and the tissue is healthy, he can replace the halos with a new, better fitting prosthesis that will allow her to walk IF Judy is willing to spend several months in rehab.
In the meantime, she can go home or to a rehab center in Opelousas while she is wearing the halo rings and again once she has had the prosthesis replaced. He said that she WILL be able to walk, both with the halo rings and after the prosthesis is replaced.
A worst case scenario would be to amputate her leg. That would end the infection and shorten the rehab time but she would probably be too upset if she were to lose her leg (I guess SO!). The doctor is concerned right now with the hardening of her heart muscle, so he will be bringing in a cardiac consultant.
Her leg surgery won’t happen until Friday. In the meantime, Dr. Linschoten will be doing a battery of tests to baseline Judy’s condition.
Vickie met another doctor yesterday, Dr. Ausef, a hospital doctor who took Judy’s history from her since Judy was pretty out of it. That wasn’t easy for her since she wasn’t familiar with all the details and dates he wanted but she filled him in as well as she could.
Dr. Patrick Nijoku is Judy’s infectious Disease doctor who will take blood cultures to make sure that she is receiving the appropriate antibiotics to knock out the entire infection before and after the surgery.
Dr. Nakia Newsome is her cardiologist. He is concerned about the infection in her blood stream and her heart. He plans to do a test where they look inside the heart through a scope -- fact-finding before the surgery can be done.
A worst case scenario would be to amputate her leg. That would end the infection and shorten the rehab time but she would probably be too upset if she were to lose her leg (I guess SO!). The doctor is concerned right now with the hardening of her heart muscle, so he will be bringing in a cardiac consultant.
Her leg surgery won’t happen until Friday. In the meantime, Dr. Linschoten will be doing a battery of tests to baseline Judy’s condition.
Vickie met another doctor yesterday, Dr. Ausef, a hospital doctor who took Judy’s history from her since Judy was pretty out of it. That wasn’t easy for her since she wasn’t familiar with all the details and dates he wanted but she filled him in as well as she could.
Dr. Patrick Nijoku is Judy’s infectious Disease doctor who will take blood cultures to make sure that she is receiving the appropriate antibiotics to knock out the entire infection before and after the surgery.
Dr. Nakia Newsome is her cardiologist. He is concerned about the infection in her blood stream and her heart. He plans to do a test where they look inside the heart through a scope -- fact-finding before the surgery can be done.
So she has plenty of good doctors at the moment, and she is here close by where Vickie and Mark can come and go as they wish. Vickie will be staying there at the hospital most of the time and will keep us all posted.
So things are at least a bit better for Judy today. Or at least she’s got better help now.
As for me, things are going pretty well, actually.
Not long ago I saw this post on one of the Yahoo mule groups, "DonkeyMuleInfo," by Vickiladywife:
Well, I had taken off Arthur’s halter after we got him because it wasn't a break-away one, but when I tried to put another one on him he squealed and ran every time I got near him with it. I thought he was just being a pain in the -- well, NOT behaving. But when I read that post, I decided to go ahead and get him a new one. What the heck - that MIGHT apply to mules as well as donkeys.
So this morning I decided to make a first try at getting it on him. I let him sniff it for a couple minutes, then reached out to put it on him (getting ready to move away if he kicked) . . . and he LET me put it on! It turned out to be too big, so I got another (smaller cob size) one that I had ordered at the same time and put THAT one on him instead. NO PROBLEM!
That woman was absolutely right! (The halter I kept trying to put on him before had belonged to Ladybug - a “boss mare” I lost last winter.)
Wow! Live and learn. Mules are SO unlike horses in so many ways. Good boy, Arthur!
“It is important for each donkey to have his own halter that is for his own use only. Can you imagine how frightening it would be for a donkey if you tried to put a halter on him that smelled like the pushy, crabby, herd boss? Right there you cranked up his anxiety level by 3 notches. He can't relax and enjoy his time with you because the scent he smells with every breath is a constant reminder of an unpleasant pasture mate.”
Well, I had taken off Arthur’s halter after we got him because it wasn't a break-away one, but when I tried to put another one on him he squealed and ran every time I got near him with it. I thought he was just being a pain in the -- well, NOT behaving. But when I read that post, I decided to go ahead and get him a new one. What the heck - that MIGHT apply to mules as well as donkeys.
So this morning I decided to make a first try at getting it on him. I let him sniff it for a couple minutes, then reached out to put it on him (getting ready to move away if he kicked) . . . and he LET me put it on! It turned out to be too big, so I got another (smaller cob size) one that I had ordered at the same time and put THAT one on him instead. NO PROBLEM!
That woman was absolutely right! (The halter I kept trying to put on him before had belonged to Ladybug - a “boss mare” I lost last winter.)
Wow! Live and learn. Mules are SO unlike horses in so many ways. Good boy, Arthur!
Oh - and Mark talked to his boss and explained about Judy and his boss said “no problem” with him staying home this hitch. So he won’t be going back to work until I get back from Ohio - May 15. I have to say, it’s been great to have him home all this time. Can’t WAIT ‘til he retires.
Mark's blood sugar, blood pressure, etc. etc. have all been PERFECT this week. And he saw the doctor who put in all those stents today and got a clean bill of health! Life is good.
Mark's blood sugar, blood pressure, etc. etc. have all been PERFECT this week. And he saw the doctor who put in all those stents today and got a clean bill of health! Life is good.
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