Life Sends a Real Low Point

Gypsy in the Isolation Ward last Friday

     I have mentioned my extraordinary mare Gypsy on a number of occasions and talked about my dual life long passions of horses and art.  Those of you who are regular readers of my blog have been aware that I am once again missing in action.  This time it is not because I am travelling or too busy out painting to sit down and talk about it.  This time I am occupied with helping Gypsy fight for her life. 
      Last Wednesday she was taken to the Marion Du Pont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg Virginia for emergency colic surgery.  It was a complicated one.  She survived it.  That was exciting news.  Unfortunately the first day's elation soon evaporated when we realized the recovery was not going to be an easy one.  My surgeon has been wonderful, the techs and all the support staff have been as well.  It is a balancing act and a waiting game.  We are leaving no stone unturned, running every test, making adjustments to medications, trying new ones anything to give her body a chance to recover.  Tomorrow it will be a week post surgery.  She took a downward turn today.  She is baffling us all.  I am there everyday and sit for hours outside the glass doors through which I took this photo.  I cannot touch her.  She knows I am there and every so often comes over and presses against the window.  I know that if she does not improve soon there will be further complications and her body will just crash.  The next couple of days will be crucial. 
     It is after midnight and I cannot sleep.  I know you come here to read about my painting but I can't write about it right now.  I can't pick up a brush.  I had no intention of writing about this here but I find I need to.  This has all happened so quickly and I didn't see it coming.  I keep wondering what I missed, how could this happen.....

Where I want to be!