The Story of Baby Hope – Chapter 3
Hi Everybody!
“It’s true that I’m a little slower at many things than most calves my age, but I finally have Chapter 3 of my life story ready to share! In Chapter 2, I told you about my Dynasplints and Silver Whinnys’ Sox. The splints helped my legs to not criss-cross so much and I can walk better. We’ve been doing a lot of PT which helps me learn better balance and coordination.
After my splints came, we did PT everyday but even after a short walk, I’d get tired and want to rest on my knees or lay on my bed. Did I tell you about my bed? I think I did. Well, I still love my bed but it’s getting a bit worn out. It’s comfy and it’s my home base. When we do PT and I walk, someone puts my bed on the ground where I’m supposed to walk to and that’s where I try to go. But at first, on most days, it was so hot – all I really wanted to do was lay on my bed in the grass on the little hill by the barn. But in the evenings, when it was cooler, we did a bit more PT and it wasn’t as bad, but I’d still get tired.
Hope Learns About Betsy Rose
Volunteers and visitors came to visit with me each day and Kitty Cat still hung out with me. Freckles and Jerry told me stories about Betsy Rose almost nightly. Did you know that we have a lot in common? Like the sling – let me tell you about the sling! Freckles said Betsy liked her sling and did you know she lived in it, around the clock, for two months before she was strong enough to walk on her own? Freckles said, sometimes, after Betsy was strong enough to walk on her own, she would walk to her sling and look at mommy Theresa and, somehow, mommy Theresa knew Betsy wanted to get in it. Betsy Rose liked it because she could get good REM sleep, whatever that is, without worrying about falling down. It helped mommy Theresa to worry less – she didn’t want to take any risks with Betsy Rose – she loved her to the moon and back! Sometimes, when Betsy would nap in her sling, she’d go into REM sleep, and her little legs would run like she was running a race and she’d make cute little noises like she was having a blast. I’ll ask mommy Theresa to share a video of it – she tried to show it to me one day when it was raining and we were bored in my suite but I couldn’t see it very well. Anyway, Betsy’s sling was a bit big for me, even though she was a little pony, so I got my own smaller sling, but I still didn’t care for it – it just didn’t fit my body right – I’m shaped a little different than most baby cows. Whenever I was in the sling, my front legs wanted to go straight out in front of me and Jerry said I looked like a cow getting ready to jump over the moon!
Hope’s Walkin’ Wheels
Dr. Julia kept doing acupuncture and Raindrop Therapy on me and sometimes, mommy Theresa used a red light thing on my knees. Humans still helped me up much of the time, and I tried to walk, but I still wasn’t very good at it and I got tired easily. Every now and then, mostly at night, I’d get up on my own and go walking. It would freak mommy Theresa out on mornings when she’d go to the barn and I wasn’t where I was supposed to be!
To help me stay up longer and walk further, and to help my coordination, I got my very own wheelchair! The humans wouldn’t leave me in it very long – when I got tired we’d head towards my bed and I’d get to rest but we tried to increase the amount of time I was in it by a little each day. One day, when I was in my wheelchair, I dozed off and can you guess what happened? The back straps popped off and I ended up sitting on my butt and my front legs were pointing up in the air – they were still kind of strapped in! Jerry said I looked like a cow getting ready to jump over the moon again and that the look on mommy Theresa’s face was priceless! After that, I didn’t get strapped in anymore. Instead, humans put the wheelchair around me, like I was in it but without the support straps, and they nudged me from behind to get me to move forward. It worked ok, but I still didn’t have much energy. We tried to do a little more walking at night and I got a little bit stronger.
And then one day, guess who I met? Uncle Andrew! He’s pretty cool and he gives me hooficures! He says if he took me home, the Mrs. would take me in the house because I’m way too cute! He trimmed all four of my feet a little bit and it didn’t hurt at all. He says its important that my feet stay balanced to help me walk better.
Another Visit with Dr. Sonday
Mommy Theresa was worried about me being tired so much and called Dr. Sonday to come out to see me. I was happy to see Dr. Sonday again – we’re good friends! She listened to my heart and lungs and my tummy and said they were normal and that I was bright and alert. She was glad to see that my legs were a little better. I was laying down when she got here, but then I stood up for her, all on my own, so she could see that I can do it. But I only walked a few feet and got on my knees – it was very hot that day and I was really tired. Dr. Sonday went to her truck to get something, so I laid down. When she got back, she did that “poke me in the neck thing” that Dr. Bullock did to me to do blood tests. She said she’d find out if I needed more vitamins and minerals or if there was something else going on. Just before Dr. Sonday left, she gave me a shot of something which didn’t feel good, but it was something she said I needed, so it was ok. A few days later, Dr. Sonday called mommy Theresa and gave her some instructions which included giving me B12 injections.
Pretty in Pink
Over the next few days, I started to feel better. I felt so much better that mommy Theresa added a challenge to my PT routine. She started putting my meals in a dish that was a little bit high off the ground so that I had to stand up to be able to eat! A couple of weeks later, did you know that I got a pretty pink halter? I didn’t really like to wear it at first, but I got used to it. And then I learned a game called “follow the feed tub” and it seems like the walk to the tub gets longer and longer!
By then it was almost June and one day aunt Becky brought me the coolest gift but I’m going to save that story for the next chapter – I’ve got to get back to PT! I’ll ask mommy Theresa to post some photos and video, ok?
Everyone take care and stay tuned for Chapter 4!”
Love,
Hope
When the world says, “Give up,” Hope whispers “Try it one more time.”
