Since I don't have pain all day, every day (just when at work, driving or doing other things like brushing my hair) she is very optimistic that we can work through this. She is also big on teaching me the things I'll need to know to manage this and prevent further damage throughout my life, which I really appreciate. I love her 'go after the root cause' mentality instead of just 'slap a band-aid on it' or just wait and see that I've gotten from other people. So I have some homework to do (stretches, exercises, posture stuff) and I'll go back next week to see how it's going. I finally feel like this is all going to be okay. I was getting really depressed about the whole thing because it felt like I was going to be in pain forever.
I had to take a week off work on injured leave. My last day was Saturday. It was an eight hour shift and by the end of it I was in so much pain I could barely drive. I couldn't turn my head left or right or look down, which all made driving almost dangerous! When I got home I got as far as the front porch and laid down on the couch and didn't move for an hour... after I was finally able to get up I had to have help getting undressed and taking a shower. It was a really, really bad day. So after half a week off things are definitely looking better and with the physical therapy I think it will get even better.
So the scary part is I quit my job... I just can't go back to it because I know it will just make things worse if I do. The good news is I have another job! It's actually the job I wanted back in the beginning when I moved back, but they didn't have any openings at that time. It's a customer service job so I won't be on my feet all day (yay desk job!). I will be working Monday through Friday, 8 to 5, so yay predictable hours and weekends off!! Also it's a three dollar an hour raise right off the bat. The really cool thing is I used to work there ten years ago before I moved away and now that I've moved back I'm going to work there again lol. I'm super excited, but a little... terrified! It's a very fast paced environment with a small margin for errors. So the pressure is on. I can't wait though. So I think everything is working out the best way it can. :)
Now, because I hate posts without pictures I thought I would share pictures of Chrome's sibling that I stole... err borrowed from his sire's website. ;) I have a new reader (thank you for reading Christle!) and she commented that Chrome took after his Arabian dam more than his Friesian sire. He definitely did take after his mom a lot, especially with the lack of hair and gray color, but he took after his sire too. In person I can see it in his face, the set of his neck, his topline, even his rear legs. He definitely didn't get the Arabian croup lol. I think he's a pretty even blend of the two. He got the Friesian personality (with a bit of the Arab to spice things up hehe) so I'm happy.
I got to thinking though about all of the pictures I've seen of Chrome's half siblings and they all look a lot alike! So I figured I would share some pictures with you guys. First up here are some of his sire. You can see my other posts about him here (link) or check out his website here (link).
One of his most recent pictures. I wish that was me riding him! :D
This was years ago when he won his USDF DSHB Reserve Regional Championship I think.
Now on to his half siblings.
Six year old Friesian/Arabian.
Frisian/Arabian mare.
At five years old.
At six years old.
Friesian/Arabian mare. I can't remember how old she is.
Friesian/Arabian.
Another half sibling that I can't find anymore info on.
I really wish I could though because this is what Chrome will look like someday lol.
Friesian/Arabian.
That might be two separate horses... I got my pictures mixed up...
if they are different, they are both still Arab crosses.
Friesian/Arabian.
Friesian/Morgan.
I've shared Knight on the blog before. :)
Friesian/Thoroughbred.
Friesian/Thoroughbred.
Friesian/Quarter Horse.
Friesian/Arabian yearling.
Chrome looked just like this guy at that age!
Friesian/Arabian mare.
She's going gray too!
Friesian/Thoroughbred gelding.
His eye looks just like Chrome's!
Friesian/Arabian mare.
This may be the same mare as the gray above two pictures. I can't remember for sure.
So anyway I can definitely see a family resemblance. Chrome's sire seems to really stamp his offspring with a particular look even when the dam isn't the same breed. Maybe I'm just crazy and seeing things, but with a lot of these I didn't even know which ones were Chrome's half siblings because they were all mixed up on the foals page with other stallion's foals (website has since been changed), but I could guess almost every single one of them without reading the captions. I definitely see their sire in all of them. :)
I hope that was as fun for you guys as it was for me. Sorry it was so long winded. I really didn't want to post an update without pictures lol. Also enjoy some old Chrome pictures just because he's the star of the blog and he was such a cute baby!
Five months.
He had such a nice neck before I gelded him lol.
He actually looked more Friesian before I gelded him... weird.
It might just be because he was darker then.
One of my old favorites!
His two year old birthday!
Anyway I better quit before I break your computer! I get so carried away when I start looking at his old pictures, but my excuse is you needed lots of examples to compare him to his siblings lol.
Oh wait, here is his dam. I really need new pictures of her!
Oh and just because it's still like a dream, here is when I met Chrome's sire!! :D
Okay, that's all I promise hehe.
I'm glad your PT is working out well. Did you ever have that sensation of hot liquid running down the back of your neck? That happened with my last neck injury. I can totally relate to not being able to turn your head while driving. Congrats on the new/old job! I'm glad everything came together so that you didn't have to feel pressured to return to physical labor that could damage your neck more.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I ever had that exact sensation. Mine was sharp pain going from my neck to shoulder blade. A LOT of pain and knots in my shoulder (behind the shoulder blade and on top), pain in the top of my arm and occasional numbness from the elbow to the fingers. The sharp pain I can best describe as a lightning like pain and other times a burning feeling like my shoulder was on fire. The pain has mostly been in my shoulder even though the problem is in my neck. It's so weird!! The really weird stuff is the skin on my back, neck and shoulder over the areas that are affected was painful to the touch, even just my clothes or hair brushing it, and it was even itchy at one point. Nerve damage/pain is very bizarre! It has improved so much just with time off though. I'm so thankful and happy to be returning to a desk job again. I'm too much of a wimp for these hard, physical jobs lol. I'll for sure have to start working out again though. Thank you for the well wishes!!
DeleteGlad you have some solutions! Very cool seeing all these pics of Chrome's half sibs!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :D
DeleteI didn't realize Chrome's sire was *THAT* Jan! I know Jan's owner through the local dressage club and have probably seen many of his offspring in person! Small world!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new job and fingers crossed the PT continues to help!
That is so cool!!! Isn't he gorgeous?? It is indeed a small world lol.
DeleteThank you!
Wow, those are some nice looking horses.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Jan (Chrome's sire) comes from really good bloodlines. His sire is Brandus 345 (http://www.mandersfriesians.co.uk/index.php/brandus). He is an incredible stallion with many, many accomplishments. I don't know why Jan was imported to the US, but I sometimes wonder if he could have gone up for stallion approval. He seems nice enough to have, but I don't know if his dam was registered in the studbook. If she wasn't then he wouldn't be eligible for the stallion testing. Either way I'm glad he wasn't because if he was I wouldn't have Chrome! :)
DeleteSo cool you can see the family resemblance (I think, anyways!)
ReplyDeleteI can for sure! :D
DeleteGreat news on the job! A steady schedule is WONDERFUL. Desk jobs are also great for when the weather isn't the nicest!
ReplyDeleteAnd wow...so many half Friesians! Really neat to see all the photos in one place. I see photos and actual horses from time to time, but it is really interesting to get to see them all in one place like that and compare the similarities and differences.
It was really cool putting the post together because I hadn't really looked at them all together before. :D
DeleteA steady schedule is so important to me, so I'm very happy about the new job.