Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[farmerjan]

@fuzzi .... looks like some good weed eater line... I got some that was a little heavier, am going to try it out in a couple of days, when I have a little time to work outside again.

Tested this evening, went fine. This farm is looking at putting in robots within the next year... They have talked about it, now it is going to happen. Waiting on some grant to be approved... They already have a barn that will be converted over and added on to.... need to build a big manure storage pit... required by the county/NCRS(NRCS) or one of those groups... I have been doing them since I started testing... Progress ????

DS texted and said he fed hay at snyder's... late this afternoon... they needed it this morning which I texted him last night... but what do I know... at least they got fed. He said he is fed 3 rolls to the cows that are calving there... another new calf today...
I am waiting on the last 2 at snyder's to calve.
Brought the samples in, will pack them to drop off tomorrow on the way to his Dr appt... then we will stop at the stockyard down near there on the way home...

So I am headed in to get a shower and try to get some sleep. This coughing keeps waking me up..

 

[drstratton]

Doesn't

@fuzzi .... looks like some good weed eater line... I got some that was a little heavier, am going to try it out in a couple of days, when I have a little time to work outside again.

Tested this evening, went fine. This farm is looking at putting in robots within the next year... They have talked about it, now it is going to happen. Waiting on some grant to be approved... They already have a barn that will be converted over and added on to.... need to build a big manure storage pit... required by the county/NCRS(NRCS) or one of those groups... I have been doing them since I started testing... Progress ????

DS texted and said he fed hay at snyder's... late this afternoon... they needed it this morning which I texted him last night... but what do I know... at least they got fed. He said he is fed 3 rolls to the cows that are calving there... another new calf today...
I am waiting on the last 2 at snyder's to calve.
Brought the samples in, will pack them to drop off tomorrow on the way to his Dr appt... then we will stop at the stockyard down near there on the way home...

So I am headed in to get a shower and try to get some sleep. This coughing keeps waking me up..

Requirements like that usually come at the recommendation of someone who sits in an office and doesn't know what they're talking about. They just have to come up with stupid, to show that they are relevant and deserve to have a job. Sorry for the rant, but so many thing's make zero sense.

I hope you can get some rest and feel better tomorrow.

 

[fuzzi]

@fuzzi .... looks like some good weed eater line... I got some that was a little heavier, am going to try it out in a couple of days, when I have a little time to work outside again.

Tested this evening, went fine. This farm is looking at putting in robots within the next year... They have talked about it, now it is going to happen. Waiting on some grant to be approved... They already have a barn that will be converted over and added on to.... need to build a big manure storage pit... required by the county/NCRS(NRCS) or one of those groups... I have been doing them since I started testing... Progress ????

DS texted and said he fed hay at snyder's... late this afternoon... they needed it this morning which I texted him last night... but what do I know... at least they got fed. He said he is fed 3 rolls to the cows that are calving there... another new calf today...
I am waiting on the last 2 at snyder's to calve.
Brought the samples in, will pack them to drop off tomorrow on the way to his Dr appt... then we will stop at the stockyard down near there on the way home...

So I am headed in to get a shower and try to get some sleep. This coughing keeps waking me up..

DS has had a horrible cough, sounds as if he's going to expel a lung. Went to doctor. The cough suppressant Rx she gave him isn't doing diddly. I went to Wmart, looked for Vicks 44, couldn't find it, but did find gel pills of pure dextromethorphan. He's going to try those today, will let you know how they work.

 

[Mini Horses]

@fuzzi Dollar Gen has Vicks 44.

 

[farmerjan]

Going to get a shower and to bed... Temps today 60-72... mostly cloudy all day, comfortable...

Drove DS to dr appt... dropped off samples at UPS, on the way; we went to the stockyard on the way home and watched some cattle sell... prices about what they should be, what DS paid friday for some... and a little more....and this is a small "hole in the wall" auction/sale barn with only about 200-300 head at a good sale...

I had gone up to the pasture and "the 12" heifers were on one side of the hill away from the rest of the cows so got to feed them grain by themselves... Did not see 319 closeby and the rest of the cows were all together so didn't even try .

Dr appt in the morning... hoping to get some answers...at the least, I want some blood tests done for a couple of the tick borne diseases...been doing alot of researching and leaning towards 2 different possibilities... not Lyme... we'll see.

Supposed to rain some more tonight and into tomorrow morning... hope it does...

 

[farmerjan]

Yesterday was cloudy, misty dreary but not cold... Every little bit of moisture helps right now.

Dr appt went okay. She is more "conventional medicine" than I would like... but did listen to what all I was trying to say... and I did have a bunch of blood drawn for tests. I was telling her about the research I had been doing on the tick borne diseases since all these symptoms just started after I had those several tick bites and the bulls eye rash back in June... I don't think she really thinks it is tick borne but "humored me" a little. The one that I am really leaning towards is "Tularemia"... which was known as rabbit fever way back... many hunters would get it from handling rabbits they shot... Not as common now, but has been found in every state...
It USUALLY has a fever and chills, like a flu bug, then settles in with other lesser symptoms that persist and can be very serious... If you read all the different web sites I did, made the list of each of the 11 known tick borne diseases... you find that sometimes the "usual symptoms " do not always show up but that there are many others that some people experience. She was very intent on the fever and chills as a usual symptom... but did not do near the research I had done... and to her credit, there is not enough time to do all that research in the 15-20 minutes alloted for a dr visit....
I have spent HOURS, researching these different ones... some are not relevant to the east... but came up with 4 that could very well be... possible 5. But one that checked about 80% of the boxes is the Tularemia... but NOT the most common 2 boxes of fever and chills... Although, I did have like a 24 hour bout a couple times with a fever, chill, then "got past it".

I have also had a couple real bad bouts with diarrhea... I mean, I need to go to the bathroom and can't get 10 steps... NOT FUN.... and so after the first time, tried to keep track of what I ate... and am very very worried that all the times were within 12 hours of eating red meat. There is a side effect for some people that they get allergic to red meat... has to do with some enzyme that ticks carry, causing a reaction when eating red meat... It is called Alpha-Gal syndrome... has to do with some immune reaction to a type of sugar, and it is known to be present in Lone star ticks...

So, even though she was not convinced that this is tick related... she did agree to several blood tests... We are retesting for Lyme, and then the alpha-gal, Tularemia, I need to get the sheet of what all... but took like 7 tubes of blood. I wanted to test for 2 other tick diseases that check some of the boxes too...but not on the list.
She had me go do chest x-rays, says it sounds like some Bronchitis, wanted to rule out any pneumonia... and now wants an EKG, because of me mentioning the tightness in the chest and exhaustion when doing any prolonged walking. I felt it at the Poultry Swap after we had lunch and went back to get the gunieas I got for my farmer...got very out of breath..... Medicare will pay for it, so going to get that scheduled. Plus, my low back ache that has been very persistant since back in June that is not, has not, gone away at all... muscle and joint aches are very common in several of the tick borne disease symptoms.

But like I told her, these symptoms ALL came about right around the first of June...when I noticed that tick bulls eye and started feeling just blah...and had taken at least 3 attached ticks off me in a probably a 2 week time frame... plus untold ones not attached... The emergicare Dr did put me on antibiotics and told me to go to the PCP.... but he discounted my bullseye rash also....

Also got an inhaler for the wheeze, but I attribute that to the chest congestion and constant coughing... and I am sorry, but they are not very "user friendly" for me... Not getting it done with it very well... The pharmacist that I had the consult with, is a really nice guy... and he talked me through using it... tried to give me some tips... said it takes some practice to inhale and count puffs... WTH.... but we also got talking for a few minutes and I mentioned about the possible allergy to red meat, and that the dr said this and that... and that I was really pushing for these tick disease tests since we farm and I have had several tick bites this spring when all this started... he made the comment that these drs don't want to look for these type of problems and that they are much more common than they want to admit.... said to come back and let him know what the tests showed because he sees many cases where they are obviously tick caused and get advanced before people get any real treatment that helps... I said I was concerned with the joint replacements due to infection and that she did NOT put me on antibiotics as a precaution...mentioned that the initial visit with the emergicare dr had put me on a 2 week course... He asked if I had been on doxycycline and I said yes... he said that it is good but most cases need a longer treatment period...

So I am taking cetrizine, which is like Zyrtec... but she wants me to take it for 90 days; 3 months. And prednisone for a week... like a Z pack...only 4 mg.... all this is to reduce the "allergy reactions" and help get rid of the congestion... plus the inhaler for the wheezing if needed... probably not going to use it much if my initiation is any indication.... god bless those that have asthma and have to use them... I am not very coordinated I guess...

I just hope that the blood tests show something because I hate feeling like this. I am not a pill popping person... and don't take much stuff...he//, I only take tylenol or something if I am really really aching/hurting; but I really want something to show up so I can then get treated for it and get better...

So that was my day... dr, then x-rays and blood draws.... pharmacy.... went to sharp shopper when I was up that way and got a few things but didn't really need much... walked around Walmart waiting for the prescriptions... the cetrizine they weren't going to fill because it was not covered... but it was only $4... I said, yes, fill it, I have no problem paying for it... I mean really.... and that is one he// of a lot cheaper than buying Zyrtec over the counter...
The medical and pharmaceutical companies are just sooooo..... ridiculous...

So the sun is mostly out... I am going out to see what we got in the little misty sprinkles and stuff yesterday... Things really greened up after getting that 3/4 inch last Sat... after the .4 the middle of last week that sorta like primed the ground... the 3/4 inch was a perfect slow soft rain... wish we had gotten 1-2 inches like that but still grateful for that... I doubt we got more than a tenth yesterday... it was just enough to be wet but not enough to even really need a rain coat.

Temps were down to 56 last night... Tonight is supposed to get down to the 40's... couple days of sun but very cool nights... then moderating by the weekend... It is FALL... got to expect this.

Going up to check the cows and see if I can feed the "12" heifers off by themselves again... Got to go to town and see about getting the tubs for that pasture too. Going to have to take the diesel truck, since DS still hasn't worked on the ranger... he got the coil packs for it...
The guy wants to come and chop the corn in the next few days, so he is cleaning out the concrete bunk storage, and having to move all the vehicles that get parked there when he doesn't have any silage in there... so I know he has been busy with that some. I really have not had the energy to go down and help do any of it. She's there with him all the time... so let her help do it.

Time to go out and head to the pasture... ate some toast and took my first "round" of drugs....

 

[fuzzi]

Yesterday was cloudy, misty dreary but not cold... Every little bit of moisture helps right now.

Dr appt went okay. She is more "conventional medicine" than I would like... but did listen to what all I was trying to say... and I did have a bunch of blood drawn for tests. I was telling her about the research I had been doing on the tick borne diseases since all these symptoms just started after I had those several tick bites and the bulls eye rash back in June... I don't think she really thinks it is tick borne but "humored me" a little. The one that I am really leaning towards is "Tularemia"... which was known as rabbit fever way back... many hunters would get it from handling rabbits they shot... Not as common now, but has been found in every state...
It USUALLY has a fever and chills, like a flu bug, then settles in with other lesser symptoms that persist and can be very serious... If you read all the different web sites I did, made the list of each of the 11 known tick borne diseases... you find that sometimes the "usual symptoms " do not always show up but that there are many others that some people experience. She was very intent on the fever and chills as a usual symptom... but did not do near the research I had done... and to her credit, there is not enough time to do all that research in the 15-20 minutes alloted for a dr visit....
I have spent HOURS, researching these different ones... some are not relevant to the east... but came up with 4 that could very well be... possible 5. But one that checked about 80% of the boxes is the Tularemia... but NOT the most common 2 boxes of fever and chills... Although, I did have like a 24 hour bout a couple times with a fever, chill, then "got past it".

I have also had a couple real bad bouts with diarrhea... I mean, I need to go to the bathroom and can't get 10 steps... NOT FUN.... and so after the first time, tried to keep track of what I ate... and am very very worried that all the times were within 12 hours of eating red meat. There is a side effect for some people that they get allergic to red meat... has to do with some enzyme that ticks carry, causing a reaction when eating red meat... It is called Alpha-Gal syndrome... has to do with some immune reaction to a type of sugar, and it is known to be present in Lone star ticks...

So, even though she was not convinced that this is tick related... she did agree to several blood tests... We are retesting for Lyme, and then the alpha-gal, Tularemia, I need to get the sheet of what all... but took like 7 tubes of blood. I wanted to test for 2 other tick diseases that check some of the boxes too...but not on the list.
She had me go do chest x-rays, says it sounds like some Bronchitis, wanted to rule out any pneumonia... and now wants an EKG, because of me mentioning the tightness in the chest and exhaustion when doing any prolonged walking. I felt it at the Poultry Swap after we had lunch and went back to get the gunieas I got for my farmer...got very out of breath..... Medicare will pay for it, so going to get that scheduled. Plus, my low back ache that has been very persistant since back in June that is not, has not, gone away at all... muscle and joint aches are very common in several of the tick borne disease symptoms.

But like I told her, these symptoms ALL came about right around the first of June...when I noticed that tick bulls eye and started feeling just blah...and had taken at least 3 attached ticks off me in a probably a 2 week time frame... plus untold ones not attached... The emergicare Dr did put me on antibiotics and told me to go to the PCP.... but he discounted my bullseye rash also....

Also got an inhaler for the wheeze, but I attribute that to the chest congestion and constant coughing... and I am sorry, but they are not very "user friendly" for me... Not getting it done with it very well... The pharmacist that I had the consult with, is a really nice guy... and he talked me through using it... tried to give me some tips... said it takes some practice to inhale and count puffs... WTH.... but we also got talking for a few minutes and I mentioned about the possible allergy to red meat, and that the dr said this and that... and that I was really pushing for these tick disease tests since we farm and I have had several tick bites this spring when all this started... he made the comment that these drs don't want to look for these type of problems and that they are much more common than they want to admit.... said to come back and let him know what the tests showed because he sees many cases where they are obviously tick caused and get advanced before people get any real treatment that helps... I said I was concerned with the joint replacements due to infection and that she did NOT put me on antibiotics as a precaution...mentioned that the initial visit with the emergicare dr had put me on a 2 week course... He asked if I had been on doxycycline and I said yes... he said that it is good but most cases need a longer treatment period...

So I am taking cetrizine, which is like Zyrtec... but she wants me to take it for 90 days; 3 months. And prednisone for a week... like a Z pack...only 4 mg.... all this is to reduce the "allergy reactions" and help get rid of the congestion... plus the inhaler for the wheezing if needed... probably not going to use it much if my initiation is any indication.... god bless those that have asthma and have to use them... I am not very coordinated I guess...

I just hope that the blood tests show something because I hate feeling like this. I am not a pill popping person... and don't take much stuff...he//, I only take tylenol or something if I am really really aching/hurting; but I really want something to show up so I can then get treated for it and get better...

So that was my day... dr, then x-rays and blood draws.... pharmacy.... went to sharp shopper when I was up that way and got a few things but didn't really need much... walked around Walmart waiting for the prescriptions... the cetrizine they weren't going to fill because it was not covered... but it was only $4... I said, yes, fill it, I have no problem paying for it... I mean really.... and that is one he// of a lot cheaper than buying Zyrtec over the counter...
The medical and pharmaceutical companies are just sooooo..... ridiculous...

So the sun is mostly out... I am going out to see what we got in the little misty sprinkles and stuff yesterday... Things really greened up after getting that 3/4 inch last Sat... after the .4 the middle of last week that sorta like primed the ground... the 3/4 inch was a perfect slow soft rain... wish we had gotten 1-2 inches like that but still grateful for that... I doubt we got more than a tenth yesterday... it was just enough to be wet but not enough to even really need a rain coat.

Temps were down to 56 last night... Tonight is supposed to get down to the 40's... couple days of sun but very cool nights... then moderating by the weekend... It is FALL... got to expect this.

Going up to check the cows and see if I can feed the "12" heifers off by themselves again... Got to go to town and see about getting the tubs for that pasture too. Going to have to take the diesel truck, since DS still hasn't worked on the ranger... he got the coil packs for it...
The guy wants to come and chop the corn in the next few days, so he is cleaning out the concrete bunk storage, and having to move all the vehicles that get parked there when he doesn't have any silage in there... so I know he has been busy with that some. I really have not had the energy to go down and help do any of it. She's there with him all the time... so let her help do it.

Time to go out and head to the pasture... ate some toast and took my first "round" of drugs....

I hope they can diagnose what is causing your issues. For me, not knowing is worse.

 

[SageHill]

Glad that the doc is at least running some of the tick disease tests. Geeze - making one allergic to red meat? OH NOO.

 

[farmerjan]

Wed eve.... It was sunny but cooler today. I "plum fergot" to look at the rain gauge... Will look tomorrow...

Got a call, and the cardiac dept wanted to set up the appt for the EKG..... they had an appt for tomorrow and one for oct 14.... so I said let's do it tomorrow.... so I have an appt for tomorrow at noon..... don't know how long it will take... but I am going early so I make sure where I am going... and go from there...
Looked up and a couple of the blood tests that she ordered were for detection of antibodies in the blood that indicate autoimmune response.... and another for showing how much inflamation is in the blood... and one to measure how the heart is functioning by the number of peptides that are in the blood... so they all were in response to showing if there is some sort of infection/inflamation/antibodies and such that will help to determine if there is something showing in the blood....

Went to the pasture and both of the heifers are showing some udder... The one is getting close, she is getting "puffy"... the other is supposed to be about a month behind her... be glad when they are done... Everyone else looks okay.... The "12" were near the barn, DS came in with a roll of hay and most all the beef cows went down over the hill following the truck.... so I had put some feed in the bunk in the barn, the longhorn's steer went in, and a couple of the wf heifers.... and fed 9 or 10 outside after the cows had gone for the new roll of hay. It works.... They have learned to follow the car and that I will be feeding them some grain...

Didn't do alot outside even though it was nice and sunny.... but I did feel a little better outside.

DS said the plans are to chop corn for silage on Monday... I will be needed to drive the tractor packing it as they dump it and DS spreads it out in the bunk.... He said he got it cleaned out yesterday and got the little bit of spoiled leftover stuff, and the barn manure from in the barn, cleaned out and spread with the manure spreader. There are about 14-15 in the barn lot.... a couple from the pasture where we brought home the old cows and calves, then sold the cows last friday... plus the 10 DS bought.... and I think he had a couple calves there... DS said the new ones are coming in, following the steer he didn't sell that comes in to eat... so that is good. He moved the bull back out to the bull lot that he also bought back. Got to work the calves through the chute this weekend I think... there are 2 that are bulls, and they need vaccinaions.

I'm tired... going in to see if I can sleep through the night.

 

[drstratton]

Wed eve.... It was sunny but cooler today. I "plum fergot" to look at the rain gauge... Will look tomorrow...

Got a call, and the cardiac dept wanted to set up the appt for the EKG..... they had an appt for tomorrow and one for oct 14.... so I said let's do it tomorrow.... so I have an appt for tomorrow at noon..... don't know how long it will take... but I am going early so I make sure where I am going... and go from there...
Looked up and a couple of the blood tests that she ordered were for detection of antibodies in the blood that indicate autoimmune response.... and another for showing how much inflamation is in the blood... and one to measure how the heart is functioning by the number of peptides that are in the blood... so they all were in response to showing if there is some sort of infection/inflamation/antibodies and such that will help to determine if there is something showing in the blood....

Went to the pasture and both of the heifers are showing some udder... The one is getting close, she is getting "puffy"... the other is supposed to be about a month behind her... be glad when they are done... Everyone else looks okay.... The "12" were near the barn, DS came in with a roll of hay and most all the beef cows went down over the hill following the truck.... so I had put some feed in the bunk in the barn, the longhorn's steer went in, and a couple of the wf heifers.... and fed 9 or 10 outside after the cows had gone for the new roll of hay. It works.... They have learned to follow the car and that I will be feeding them some grain...

Didn't do alot outside even though it was nice and sunny.... but I did feel a little better outside.

DS said the plans are to chop corn for silage on Monday... I will be needed to drive the tractor packing it as they dump it and DS spreads it out in the bunk.... He said he got it cleaned out yesterday and got the little bit of spoiled leftover stuff, and the barn manure from in the barn, cleaned out and spread with the manure spreader. There are about 14-15 in the barn lot.... a couple from the pasture where we brought home the old cows and calves, then sold the cows last friday... plus the 10 DS bought.... and I think he had a couple calves there... DS said the new ones are coming in, following the steer he didn't sell that comes in to eat... so that is good. He moved the bull back out to the bull lot that he also bought back. Got to work the calves through the chute this weekend I think... there are 2 that are bulls, and they need vaccinaions.

I'm tired... going in to see if I can sleep through the night.

I hope you can get some good sleep. I also hope they can figure out what's going on and then can do something to help you. Chronic illness is brutal.