Problems

[Heather]

HI everyone,

I am so sorry that I haven't been able to post lately. My ex husband Norman, to whom I am still close, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and only has a fwe weeks, and my Father with whom I live has also to undergo tests shortly. It has been a terrible time, and we will not know about my Father yet as the specialist is on holiday, and even going privately, he cannot see anyone for three weeks.

My new horse Fantasia arrived from Portugal and turned into a near wild animal with having a fwe mares around- over there the stallions are all kept together as riding horses, mare are only driven or bred from, so most stallions never set eyes on a mare.

He was so calm over there in Portugal, but a danger to himself and us since arriving here. I have had to have him gelded, which produced a few complications initially and he ended up the following day with recurring colic. Another nightmare. He thankfully is now healing well and is settling better than before, but it is going to be a while befoer he gets into a routine. It must be a hell of a culture shock moving to a very different country and way of management.

At least now, Fanta will be able ultimately to socialise normally with the other horses, but it will be a while before his hormone levels drop, especially as it is still the breeding season.

I have to go away to Yorkshire next week to take a clinic, and then will have to fly over to Northern Ireland the following week to see Norman.

Will get back to posting as soon as I can-


Heather

[Murphs]

my thoughts are with you through what must be a very stressful time. Remember to take care of yourself!

[Silvia]

Dear Heather!
My thoughts are with you during this difficult time. I'll keep you and your family in my prayers. Take care!

[Sonia]

Heather
I hope all turns out ok - my father has also been diagnosed with cancer, but we think it's been caught in time and can be operated on. He sees the surgeon this morning to find out when etc - so I know first hand exactly how worrying this all is.

Where abouts in Yorkshire are you? Is it a "public" venue? if so i may be able to come long...

Sonia

[Maci]

It's okay if you're not posting that much! Right now, it's a tough time for you and your family should come first! That's too bad about your ex-husband finding cancer.........make the most of it and try to have fun! I hope Fantasia settles in and calms down soon, so it'll take something off your "To Do" list! I hope nothing serious is wrong with your dad.

Light Is At The End Of This Dark Tunnel You Are Facing!
Will Be Thinking Of You!
Maci :)

[horselover]

Heather- what a difficult time you are having! I am sorry to hear about your ex-husband, but it is wonderful that you are still close, and he has someone there with him in this difficult time.

I hope everything works out with your father as well. It must be difficult to wait to find out about something like this.

I do hope everything works out with Fantasia- what a mess!

You will be in my prayers

[Sarah]

Heather,

I am very sorry to hear about all the problems you are undergoing at the moment.

Please don't worry about NewRider at the moment, other people and horses much closer to you need you now. Luckily we have Sue to help us and all the people you trained up at the EETT course.

One of my friends has justhad her 4yo cut as he suddenly hit puberty big time this summer and his personality totally changed despite her excellent management. He was cut about 3 weeks ago, and it sounds like he is already much calmer around the ladies and her other geldings. Hopefully there will be a quick change in Fanta too to make everything a bit calmer around your yard!

All the best.

Sarah

[katyptaty]

Dear Heather

what a terrible thing to have to deal with! you have all my sympathy. I think that all of us have been touched by cancer at some point in our lives and it is dreadful thing to deal with! i am sure that everyone on the New Rider site wishes you well! I wouldn't be concerned about not writing as we know what is important in life....

i hope the trip to Yorkshire isn't too draining on you. Good luck with Fantasia, i am sure that with your careful handling he will revert to the good behaviour in Portugal. i have friends with Lusitano stallions who behave impeccably towards the mares now despite doing a few cat calls whenever they walk past - builders' syndrome!

Many thanks for all the advice you have given in the past and good luck!

kate

[Gwenllian]

Never mind the board, just concentrate on what you have to do.Thinking of you lots.

[Wally]

With all the help and advice you have freely given over the months it's not going to bother any one if you take time for yourself, you need to at a time like this. It is a huge worry, take care of yourself while taking care of others, you owe it to yourself, don't go getting pneumonia again!

[Kerry's Partner!!]

I can only repeat what I said before Heather. We can manage - we've got each other's help. You need to take all the time out required without any extra worry as everyone else has said too. Sometimes, just sometimes, things can turn out differently. My father had a stroke recently and to my enormous surprise is better because of the treatment started than he was before. He had become fairly senile and had been regarded as having Altzheimers but since the simple remedy of Aspirin for his stroke he has been remarkably lucid (at 80+++) so they think now his problems were arising from tiny blood clots blocking oxygenated blood supply to his brain. I hope for your father and your family things turn out as well, I really do.

[Dizzy]

I'll also remember you and yours in my prayers. As already said don't forget to look after yourself, or wear yourself out trying to be in too many places at one time.

Lesley

[Yvonne M]

heather, our thoughts are with you at this very trying time.
As everyone has said, do not worry about the board. Everyone understands & I am sure we will survive without you.

Take care & hope things get a bit better soon

Yvonne

[Miriam]

Heather,

My thoughts are with you at this time. A friend of mine has recently been diagnosed as having cancer and my father went through the scare at the beginning of the year thankfully for him it was not. So I know how you must feel.


Miriam

[Gill]

Poor you, take care. This board can hold together with lots of caring people looking after each other.

[Heather]

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts. I do hope to get back to posting soon- I had a few problems to deal with too on my own egroup, which had to be answered and sorted out in depth- my thanks to Mike who has also been a great help in achieving this.

Unfortunately, my Norman my ex-husband lives in Northern Ireland, so I am not going to be able to spend much time with him- I am flying over the weekend after next, and I am dreading it, to be honest.

I have to go to Yorkshire next week to take a clinic and lecture demo, which couldn't be cancelled as my frined who has organised it has put so much work into it, and to have to send all the money back for pre paid tickets would be a nightmare for her, so I am going ahead with it, so won't be around for most of next week, and then with going over to NI the following, it will be a week or two before I get back to posting regularly. Doubtless Sue will help out and probably Maria, whose replies I can rely on to be more or less what I would have advised anyway.

So thank you once again- you truly are a great bunch-


Heather

[fionahogg]

Oh Heather...there's nothing left to say, other than repeat what has already been said. Please do not worry about not posting, I suspect it is the last thing on your mind and who can blame you.

Fiona

[Heather]

I went to visit my ex husband in Northern Ireland, the weekend before last- nothing could have prepared me for the shock of seeing him so terribly ill. I have seen cancer all too many times before, having lost my stepmother with it and four of my closest friends between the ages of 29-39, but to see Norman so stricken it was very distressing.

I am going back over to Ulster for four days, the weekend after next- which I am dreading, in the meantime, I am going to try to post more here on NR which I have missed.

Hope to catch up with my old friend Lesley ( InTouch) when I am over- will email you privately-



Heather

[Katie_85]

Sorry to hear that the cancer has done so much damage...it's a cruel thing. Hope things improve.

[Kerry's Partner!!]

This will be very hard for you. Keeping in touch with the site is a good idea as long as you use it for you this time rather than us. There is very little anyone else can do but if you need someone to sound off to I'm a good listener.

Sandra

[Wally]

I feel so very humble now. Having recently gone into hosp. for what I and surgeons were convinced was cancer, I have escaped lightly.

My Aunt had ovarian cancer, My cousin died at the same age I am now and my grandmother had it. I got away with a cyst!

It is a terrible desease, I feel for you, It's a cruel world.

Don't try to burn the candle at both ends. New Rider is the last of your worries. Let the world revolve around you and those close to you for a while, for goodness sake take care of yourself so you can take care of others.

[LindaAd]

I'm really sorry you're having such a distressing time, Heather. "When sorrows come, they come not single spies, But in battalions." But we are thinking of you, and you know someone is always here if you need to talk, or whatever.

[Heather]

Thanks Wally and Linda, and so very pleased to hear that your worries turned out to be unfounded, Jo (Wally).

Linda, Sue thought you were coming down last Monday for a session with her- don't know what happened- you obviously both got your wires crossed somewhere! Email her again if you still want to come down for an assessment day-


Heather

[Maci]

No one is ever prepared to see their loved ones battle a cruel fight against a terminal disease! :( I know what you're going through- my grandfather died of cancer a while ago, my great aunt just died last year (who was like a third grandmother to me) and we've had a few scares with other diseases in our family!

I pray for you, your family and your husband that you can see some light in this situation! Don't worry too much on falling behind on NR- we all understand and respect what you're going through!

Maci :)

[claireh]

Heather,

Sorry to hear your sad news. It was very brave of you to tell us all what's going on for you- I hope knowing we are all out here thinking of you is helping, even if only in a small way.

As the others have said, look after yourself and your loved ones and don't worry about N.R.- we can and will cope without you- we have your book, video, pages on N.R. and seatbone savers to fall back on don't forget!

In all seriousness, take great care of you,