Highly restrained dancing and whoops of joy

["Maryanne Stroud Gabbani" <gabbani@starnet.com.eg>]

It took me a week but I finally got my MRI in to see one of the two
orthopedic surgeons that I know are really good here.  He looked at it,
messed about with my knee, and told me to bury the MRI in my closet because
most surgeons would look at it and say that I need arthroscopy. After
examining me, however, he said that the things that are wrong with my knee
on the MRI don't seem to bother me and the thing that is bothering me, an
inflammation of the patella, doesn't show on the MRI....so ditch the MRI.
Yes!! I have to get a knee brace to keep the patella from twisting and do
some lovely leg lift physio, but no needles or anything.  And he said that
as he knew absolutely nothing about riding and I seemed to have a fairly
good idea of what I was doing, he'd just caution moderation and leave it to
me. So we are now doing long slow distance because the rider needs it.
I promptly went out to the stable, grabbed one of the trainers who broke his
wrist with a rambunctious filly New Year's Day, and the two of us went for
an orthopedically sound walk in the desert. And Radar (aka Bunduq) keeps
shining on through it all. He's much more comfortable in our desert, is
getting used to the deep sand and has more energy, and most importantly now
knows when he's pointed home <G>, but the sweetie still will stick to a walk
when told to even though he'd be delighted to go for a fast canter. I was
really proud of him. It was Friday morning (our weekend) and there were
horse people all over enjoying the clear air after a rotten, cloudy week. I
could tell he was dying to race off with them but I only got the barest
jigs. With an inflamed knee and an almost healed sprained ankle, I really
appreciated it. What a crip I am these days. Yuck.

Maryanne Stroud Gabbani
Cairo, Egypt
gabbani@starnet.com.eg


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