Quel dommage...

Well the best laid plans and all that... I should be getting organised to travel to London with Gabbi at the end of the week, then on to Chicago for Chelsea's college graduation. Unfortunately I am virtually on bed rest after spending 12 days in hospital and not going anywhere! The drama all happened two weeks ago when I agreed to help a neighbor with one of her young horses. Long story short but as I got on, the horse bucked and threw me against her side quite violently. I didn't actually fall down - landed on my feet and initially thought I had just been winded. I even got on again and rode for about 10 minutes until the owner agreed it had been enough for the day. When I got off I felt more pain and started to think I may have broken a rib or something. So I made my apologies and drove home - then struggled to get up to the attic to where Paul was - the pain at this stage was very strong and I couldn't sit in any position and be comfortable. We called our friend Kathleen who is a nurse and she said she would come and take me to the emergency department. After getting x-rayed at Gourdon and no broken anything the doctors then called the ambulance to take me to the bigger hospital at Cahor with suspected internal injuries. So it all got very dramatic very quickly - two very large catheters put in for the trip which was in case I started to bleed out on the way which very thankfully didn't happen. Anyway after the 40 min ride and an MRI they told me I had a ruptured spleen and they were going to try and save it by not operating but monitoring the bleeding over the next 48 hrs. It was at this stage they told me if they didn't operate I would have to stay in hospital for 15 days. Well thankfully it turned out it was 3 days in intensive care and 'only' another 9 days in the surgical ward. But I guess I should be happy as I still have a spleen. Although I was very upset when the surgeon told me it would not be advisable to fly any time soon. The only good thing was Chelsea was able to fly out from Chicago and meet Gab in Paris and they both came down on the train together. So I have had the two of them here with me at home since leaving hospital a few days ago. I am still not really able to do much yet and I am trying very hard to do very little but we are all going a little stir crazy from watching too much crappy tv and not being able to get out and about much. Poor Paul has also had an awful couple of weeks too, traveling to and from Cahors most days to visit me - consequently not getting much done to the house! Although we did have the plasterer come and finish off the plastering on the second floor.

Paul has also started doing the big job of constructing a stone door opening from what was the window in the kitchen.

Well I won't be riding anytime soon. My boy is getting fatter by the minute. Hopefully in a week or so I will be able to do some groundwork with him but for now he is enjoying a little holiday. The day before my accident the same neighbor dropped off a yearling to keep Ambre company and settle her when I took Tolsan out riding. So we now have three horses to look after. Lucky Paul likes animals! Although he loves complaining about them equally as much ha. Ambre has filled out nicely from the skinny gangly little thing only a few weeks ago - all our lovely grass has done wonders.

Here is a shot from yesterday of my gorgeous girls in the market at Sarlat. Lovely weather at the moment - not too hot but not cold either.

And here is me and Chels - she is going back to school for her finally exam and then is starting her post grad studies in the summer before her hockey season starts in August. We have postponed our trip until the end of August so it won't be long before we see her again. Gab is due to start her big trip through Europe in a week so we will take her to Bergerac for her flight to London on Friday. Has been lovely to all be together for the first time in over 18 months but it's a shame it had to be under these circumstances!

Ok - hopefully next blog I will have more positive news! With luck I will be back 'en forme' and we will have got further along with the renos..Nearly a year since we got here - still can't comprehend where the time has gone - so fast it's ridiculous!