Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[Baymule]

We had a warm up in our weather today too, finally. 45 feels wonderful after all those days of windy bitter freezing cold!

Can you tell the doctor that you’re sick and want to be tested for ehrlichiosis? Or did that have to be done shortly after the exposure?

It seems only right that if you are paying for lab tests, they should let you have the ones you want.

I hope you feel better soon.

Beat me to it!
Pitch a hissy fit and get that test!

 

[fuzzi]

Thanks @fuzzi .... Unfortunately I am allergic to penicillin, and this piperacillin is of the same class of beta-lactam penicillins... so a total no go for me... good article... I get The Epoch Times and think I saw that article back awhile ago...

Between being around a couple people that seemed to have some "cold" sypmtoms at the bull sale, and being out in that crappy cold wind on Sunday to move the cows, (and never feeling like I got over the last "bout").... I picked up and made worse a cold/flu bug... and have been really feeling pretty wiped out the last couple days. Terrible sore throat, nose blowing/constant drip which has made my stomach sick... and has made it impossible to lay down without coughing my head off... so have spent the last 2 nights "sitting upright" in the chair to try to sleep. Coughing makes the headache real acute....
Never had these long lasting problems until I got the tick bite last June and the drs really did not take it serious enough, or did enough tests for it...like the blood work I wanted done... they did one but did not do the other associated tick disease... tested for the Tularemia, and Lyme, but did not do Ehrlichiosis and that was one I wanted... tick diseases work on your immune system long term, and cause problems down the road...

So anyway, the last 2-3 days, I have felt like I got run over by a truck and the sore throat is such that everything, including water, hurts going down. Not much fun....

Survived the worst of the cold, chickens are dealing with it... and after the cold on Sunday/Monday... it has warmed up some... only down to 37 last night and in the mid 50's now. Mostly cloudy out... it is "bright" cloudy, but not calling for much sun... clouds all day and then going into tomorrow, more clouds and rain over night Thurs into Friday morning, then more sun and temps still staying in the 20/30's and up to the 40/50's during the day.... Langshan still laying at least every other day, sometimes a couple days in a row...

Cancelled my farm to test this afternoon... just told him I had a flu bug and was not doing anything this week.

Going to make some oatmeal for "brunch" I guess... maybe that will help soothe the throat.

Well, bummer. I get it. I'm allergic to all the -cillins and -mycins, and sulfas. My options are limited.

There's a "flu" cold going around here, too. I hope I can avoid it. I have been more faithful about taking my D and K, and getting enough rest. I hate sore throats. When I would get a bad sore throat as a child my dad would give me a shot of bourbon to gargle with, admonishing me to not swallow. That whisky would burn out most of my sore throats, and would numb me up good for hours.

 

[RR Homestead]

Praying for you to get better soon. There's a "new" strain of the flu going around. It's supposed to be a doozy. Hopefully not what you have. Hard with our lifestyle to get rest but do the best you can. If you have some elderberry syrup or capsules that should help you a lot. Also L-Lysine really helps too.

 

[Baymule]

I talked to a friend in Arkansas yesterday and she has a nasty “something”. Green snot, heavy congestion, aching all over. She’s picking up a prescription this morning.

Jan, you probably should see a doctor on this one. You take darned good care of the cows, give yourself a little of that TLC. Don’t keep getting sicker, take yourself to the doctor or an urgent care.

 

[farmerjan]

Thursday... late evening...

Was 35 overnight, up to 52 today... a peek of sun early, then cloudy... I was supposed to go with DS to the doctor's appt... usually drive. We had talked Wed eve... he has not been feeling great, but had loaded a load of hay, sq bales, to take on the way south, and wanted to go to the other dr offices, on the way, that were supposed to have the printed stuff to take to the lawyer... He asked if I was going to feel up to going, and I said I was hoping to... But about 3 a.m. I texted him and said I was not going to go, was not sleeping well and had the "hot and cold" flu like symptoms... I slept in the LR chair again, as laying down just makes me cough constantly.
Had a cup of hot cocoa well laced with amaretto, and it helped some to get me to sleep but was up and down a couple times after that.

Was up around 6 or so, felt a little better, then dozed a little... up again at 8:30 or so, went in and laid down and actually slept another 2 hours.... Got up and felt a bit better...
Got out a bit later, filled the automatic waterers for the chickens since it is forecast to stay above freezing mostly for the next week or so... Got 2 langshan bantam eggs again... as I didn't even look Wed.... fixed the plastic on the one big pen and used a couple of zip ties to better secure it because they were calling for rain this eve and into tomorrow then WINDS.... 20-40 mph stuff again.... puttered real slow but got it done... I feel better outside with the clearer air to breathe...

Talked to DS and it seems that his DR appt today got cancelled. He said that the dr texted him overnight, said he had not felt good Wed, had flu symptoms, and to check with the office in the morning before leaving to make sure... He and that doc have a real good relationship... they went salmon fishing on my brother's boat up on Lake Ontario a year/or two ago... so not just DS's doctor..... So this morning he got the text from the dr office, that all the dr appts were cancelled for the day due to his being out from a flu bug...
So, DS went and took the hay, did not have to rush or push time-wise... he had set a "schedule/time line" he needed to meet in order to be all the way down at the dr office in Blacksburg by 11:15... so he took the hay, got it unloaded, went 25 miles further to the other drs office and got his paperwork they were supposed to have done... (his dr appt today would have been another 40+ miles south of that) and was back here before he would have gotten done at the cancelled dr appt.

Not that i want anyone else to be sick, but "glad" that I am not the only one with "the crud".....

DS had gone to get some hay from one place... and said the DA%# bear had torn one bale completely apart and strew it all over in a 30-40 ft radius... he tried to put another bale up against the bigger part of the pile and squeeze it up on the truck with the bale arms but couldn't... he was really ticked off... so took a large tarp up to try to cover it with some big rocks he said, it is real nice 2nd cutting hay... and with the rain they were calling for, did not want it to get totally ruined... I hope the tarp holds if we get the extreme wind they are calling for... The rain started about 4... I did put the rain gauges back out... forecast was for 1/2 inch... now is a lull, and then another "wave" to come through with the winds pushing behind it...

It is 51 out there.. weather report says it was going to actually stay the same or get warmer overnight... then temps to drop some with the wind... may get down to 30's for Friday night, then Sat and Sun to be sunny and real nice.... and Christmas eve and Christmas day are supposed to hit 60....... that's okay. We had our "winter weather" and frozen arctic temps within the last couple weeks... and the UP and DOWN has been part of what I think is not helping with this bug. I heard that it has made the rounds in the schools, and come back again....

My jeans are getting rain water rinsed... I had gotten the 2 loads hung and decided that I was not going to bring them in damp to try to dry inside. Been cloudy the last 2 days..... It won't hurt them as long as the wind is not too bad...and they don't wind up strewn all over the place... If so, I will just pick them up and re-hang. They will dry on Sat if not before... got a bunch of stuff to wash once I get feeling a little better... get all the sheets and stuff off the bed so I can have clean and "germless" bedding... But it looks like it will be good clothes drying all week next week...

I have started the ivermectin and see if it helps any... Also taking Elderberry capsules and that seems to be finally kicking in... plus Echinacea/Goldenseal which I really thinks helps me... try to space the different things out so I do not get an upset stomach on top of it... Zinc does not go down well for me... HAVE to take anything with zinc in it with food and do much better at night.... guess because my stomach does not empty as fast????

The test for Ehrlichiosis probably will not do any good at this point. I was taking the doxycycline for several weeks to try to negate the tick diseases and hopefully it killed it all off... I also am looking for another dr since I am not happy that they did not want to take my thoughts on the tick diseases any more serious, although they did give in and test for the Tularemia and Lyme.... I did find out that it was "inconclusive" for the Tularemia.... but from what I have read that is hard to diagnose and often takes weeks ..... and if you are on antibiotics, it can mask the symptoms.... not going to fight with them on it anymore... I believe that I had one or the other... or both..... The more I looked into it, the pictures I've seen, make my 2 pictures of the bulls eye rash look especially serious.... Plus some drs feel that it takes months to get traces of the different tick diseases out of your blood stream.... so you have delayed and continuing reactions even after the actual infection/bacterias are "killed".... and it lowers your immune system.... so then are more susceptible to pick up other stuff...


Since I have gone to allfamilypharmacy, I do not need the dr office to fight with.... I will quietly do what I believe is right if they cannot/will not look beyond all the "conventional diagnosis" to things that people in the farming profession are exposed to and deal with......

Milk has not agreed with me the last 3 days, makes me queasy... so drinking some cranberry juice, water, and MT DEW... not the best but it quenches my thrist and does not make me so "mucusy". I had bought a 24 can pack on sale 2-3 weeks ago... it would last me many months at least, normally... don't often keep soda around.... but will occasionally buy the cans since they are a better deal ... because the bottles will get opened and then partly wasted... the 12 ounce cans will get mostly drunk down in one sitting then that's it.... glad now I got it...Hadn't opened the case until 3 days ago.... not going to feel guilty about it even if it is mostly "junk"....

Well, it is late... I am not real tired because my sleeping has been in fits and starts with this... Going to take a hot shower, make another cup of cocoa and amaretto and see if I can sleep through a few hours... been coughing so expect I will opt for the chair again,,, although not as much coughing as it was.... and not quite as much nose blowing, as the last few days... so I think it is succumbing slowly.... No hot/cold chills or anything either... hope to get outside for a bit tomorrow unless the wind is too bad... but should be able to get outside more, once this front clears through Friday.....

 

[Baymule]

I'm glad that you are at least feeling a little better. I hate being sick and even more being down and real sick. I guess that is forced rest, you go like a haystack on fire all the time. speaking of hay, I know it is a major aggravation. but the idea of a bear playing bowling ball with a round bale strikes me as hilarious. But as a rancher, I understand the loss, plus more if he keeps coming back. Are there any traps that would release a sudden spray or loud noise that might make him run off? Or maybe sit up at night waiting for him and shoot bottle rockets at him?

 

[RR Homestead]

I'm so sorry you really got the crud bad @farmerjan. Sounds like you have that new strain of the flu. Supposed to really be a doozy. Looks like you are getting a handle on it. Going to have to look into that pharmacy. Take it as easy as you can and give your body a chance to heal up. Will be praying for you.

 

[Finnie]

Hope you got a chance to get some rest last night.

 

[fuzzi]

Thursday... late evening...

Was 35 overnight, up to 52 today... a peek of sun early, then cloudy... I was supposed to go with DS to the doctor's appt... usually drive. We had talked Wed eve... he has not been feeling great, but had loaded a load of hay, sq bales, to take on the way south, and wanted to go to the other dr offices, on the way, that were supposed to have the printed stuff to take to the lawyer... He asked if I was going to feel up to going, and I said I was hoping to... But about 3 a.m. I texted him and said I was not going to go, was not sleeping well and had the "hot and cold" flu like symptoms... I slept in the LR chair again, as laying down just makes me cough constantly.
Had a cup of hot cocoa well laced with amaretto, and it helped some to get me to sleep but was up and down a couple times after that.

Was up around 6 or so, felt a little better, then dozed a little... up again at 8:30 or so, went in and laid down and actually slept another 2 hours.... Got up and felt a bit better...
Got out a bit later, filled the automatic waterers for the chickens since it is forecast to stay above freezing mostly for the next week or so... Got 2 langshan bantam eggs again... as I didn't even look Wed.... fixed the plastic on the one big pen and used a couple of zip ties to better secure it because they were calling for rain this eve and into tomorrow then WINDS.... 20-40 mph stuff again.... puttered real slow but got it done... I feel better outside with the clearer air to breathe...

Talked to DS and it seems that his DR appt today got cancelled. He said that the dr texted him overnight, said he had not felt good Wed, had flu symptoms, and to check with the office in the morning before leaving to make sure... He and that doc have a real good relationship... they went salmon fishing on my brother's boat up on Lake Ontario a year/or two ago... so not just DS's doctor..... So this morning he got the text from the dr office, that all the dr appts were cancelled for the day due to his being out from a flu bug...
So, DS went and took the hay, did not have to rush or push time-wise... he had set a "schedule/time line" he needed to meet in order to be all the way down at the dr office in Blacksburg by 11:15... so he took the hay, got it unloaded, went 25 miles further to the other drs office and got his paperwork they were supposed to have done... (his dr appt today would have been another 40+ miles south of that) and was back here before he would have gotten done at the cancelled dr appt.

Not that i want anyone else to be sick, but "glad" that I am not the only one with "the crud".....

DS had gone to get some hay from one place... and said the DA%# bear had torn one bale completely apart and strew it all over in a 30-40 ft radius... he tried to put another bale up against the bigger part of the pile and squeeze it up on the truck with the bale arms but couldn't... he was really ticked off... so took a large tarp up to try to cover it with some big rocks he said, it is real nice 2nd cutting hay... and with the rain they were calling for, did not want it to get totally ruined... I hope the tarp holds if we get the extreme wind they are calling for... The rain started about 4... I did put the rain gauges back out... forecast was for 1/2 inch... now is a lull, and then another "wave" to come through with the winds pushing behind it...

It is 51 out there.. weather report says it was going to actually stay the same or get warmer overnight... then temps to drop some with the wind... may get down to 30's for Friday night, then Sat and Sun to be sunny and real nice.... and Christmas eve and Christmas day are supposed to hit 60....... that's okay. We had our "winter weather" and frozen arctic temps within the last couple weeks... and the UP and DOWN has been part of what I think is not helping with this bug. I heard that it has made the rounds in the schools, and come back again....

My jeans are getting rain water rinsed... I had gotten the 2 loads hung and decided that I was not going to bring them in damp to try to dry inside. Been cloudy the last 2 days..... It won't hurt them as long as the wind is not too bad...and they don't wind up strewn all over the place... If so, I will just pick them up and re-hang. They will dry on Sat if not before... got a bunch of stuff to wash once I get feeling a little better... get all the sheets and stuff off the bed so I can have clean and "germless" bedding... But it looks like it will be good clothes drying all week next week...

I have started the ivermectin and see if it helps any... Also taking Elderberry capsules and that seems to be finally kicking in... plus Echinacea/Goldenseal which I really thinks helps me... try to space the different things out so I do not get an upset stomach on top of it... Zinc does not go down well for me... HAVE to take anything with zinc in it with food and do much better at night.... guess because my stomach does not empty as fast????

The test for Ehrlichiosis probably will not do any good at this point. I was taking the doxycycline for several weeks to try to negate the tick diseases and hopefully it killed it all off... I also am looking for another dr since I am not happy that they did not want to take my thoughts on the tick diseases any more serious, although they did give in and test for the Tularemia and Lyme.... I did find out that it was "inconclusive" for the Tularemia.... but from what I have read that is hard to diagnose and often takes weeks ..... and if you are on antibiotics, it can mask the symptoms.... not going to fight with them on it anymore... I believe that I had one or the other... or both..... The more I looked into it, the pictures I've seen, make my 2 pictures of the bulls eye rash look especially serious.... Plus some drs feel that it takes months to get traces of the different tick diseases out of your blood stream.... so you have delayed and continuing reactions even after the actual infection/bacterias are "killed".... and it lowers your immune system.... so then are more susceptible to pick up other stuff...


Since I have gone to allfamilypharmacy, I do not need the dr office to fight with.... I will quietly do what I believe is right if they cannot/will not look beyond all the "conventional diagnosis" to things that people in the farming profession are exposed to and deal with......

Milk has not agreed with me the last 3 days, makes me queasy... so drinking some cranberry juice, water, and MT DEW... not the best but it quenches my thrist and does not make me so "mucusy". I had bought a 24 can pack on sale 2-3 weeks ago... it would last me many months at least, normally... don't often keep soda around.... but will occasionally buy the cans since they are a better deal ... because the bottles will get opened and then partly wasted... the 12 ounce cans will get mostly drunk down in one sitting then that's it.... glad now I got it...Hadn't opened the case until 3 days ago.... not going to feel guilty about it even if it is mostly "junk"....

Well, it is late... I am not real tired because my sleeping has been in fits and starts with this... Going to take a hot shower, make another cup of cocoa and amaretto and see if I can sleep through a few hours... been coughing so expect I will opt for the chair again,,, although not as much coughing as it was.... and not quite as much nose blowing, as the last few days... so I think it is succumbing slowly.... No hot/cold chills or anything either... hope to get outside for a bit tomorrow unless the wind is too bad... but should be able to get outside more, once this front clears through Friday.....

Thanks for keeping us updated. The physicians have been boxed in with "protocols", and it's a struggle to find one willing to think beyond their rules, or "cheat sheets". Maybe you could find a DO, they're more into natural healing.

Let us know if there's anything we can do to help. I'm making a fresh batch of bone broth for the lady who fostered my dog, Caleb. She's been really sick with the cough crud, too. Too bad I can't mail some broth to you.

 

[SageHill]

Since I have gone to allfamilypharmacy, I do not need the dr office to fight with.... I will quietly do what I believe is right if they cannot/will not look beyond all the "conventional diagnosis" to things that people in the farming profession are exposed to and deal with...

Glad you're trying the iver. It has really helped me. I heard someone (I think on a Mike Rowe podcast) mention that they take it before they do anything big - i.e. plane, trip, etc. The last time I picked up the crud I'd been to the dentist -- started on it for a bit and kicked it. Now I am starting to use it preventatively -- like this morning heading to dr to get the stitches out (YAY). I'll probably take it 2 or 3 more days.
Allfamilypharmacy is great.