Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[Mini Horses]

I only fed mine in there the day of....I mean, they came for feed all the time. Heck, I called and they ran ... I put a piece of plywood with a rug over (for slipping) and they followed the corn.
took about 10 mins to convince them, maybe a half gal of corn. Too pigs loaded!

I did have a catch pen area, like a shute, with 2 eight foot fence panels and a closer gate.

Betcha Cowboy will load easily and be ok with the ride. Does the unit have any type of gate inside for a divider? I would think Cowboy would be more settled with a smaller area to be contained.

My pigs didn't have tusks. But friend with huge potbelly had to have tusks cut back about once a year. Vet just clipped them off. Probably sedated as this guy is big.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm hoping they'll load themselves pretty well... they ARE hogs after all...and they do LOVE to eat! Biggest issue will be moving them to the area to load them in. It'll take a little effort, but it's totally do-able.

Yesterday was NOT a great day. I'm at work alone all this week. Both of my co-workers are at different conferences and I'm holding the fort down here. Soooo, yesterday afternoon I get one of "those" calls from DH that I HATE!

He's having ANOTHER eye bleed...left eye this time... bless his heart! He always tries to act so tough when they are happening and I know he's probably just a bit panicked inside. I can't even imagine what it must be like to sit there and watch your vision disappear - literally right in front of (actually right inside) of your eye. He can see the blood building up inside his eyeball and his vision fading away... makes me so sad.

So, I texted my boss and told her I was going to have to shut down the office and leave. She's awesome and said - go! Thankfully, we had notified the students that this week was going to be limited services anyway so it wasn't a huge deal. Drove him into Houston where his ophthalmologist is and sat around for a couple hours so they could work him in to give him the injection to slow/stop the bleeding.

This was the FOURTH bleed that he's had. First the right eye, then the left, then the right and then the left again yesterday. He drove from his place of employment to mine after the bleed started yesterday because he didn't want to leave his car at his workplace. He probably shouldn't have done that! So last night on the way home from the doc's, he thought he should pick up his car from my workplace and drive it home. NOPE! Not happening - he can barely see and by that time it's dark. He stayed home today so I MIGHT bring him back up here at lunch and let him drive it home - but I might not either!

This is the worst one he's had to date. His vision was so bad in that left eye that he couldn't even see the biggest letter on the chart. He couldn't see the nurse holding up her hand six feet away from him....he couldn't see her holding up her hand three feet away from him....and he could barely see her when she waved it right in front of his face. Thankfully, his right eye has gotten a little better from his last bleed so he's not totally sightless.

And, just because it's our lucky week....today he was supposed to get an insulin pump. His new endocrinologist told him that he needs to be on the pump. His body makes zero insulin on his own so he's basically a type I diabetic now. Not good news -but the pump should keep much tighter control on his sugars so hoping that it's a bonus. The DME company was supposed to come to his office TODAY and get him all set up - but guess what - he's not at work. ARGH! He needs this pump. His technician said that she's been on a pump for 7 years now and she hasn't had an eye bleed since she got on it. Hope it works that well for him.

AND - just for an extra added measure of fun - my granddaughter has a broken leg! She and her brother were playing tag Sunday afternoon when she tripped and fell causing him to trip over her and fall on her. He landed on her leg with his elbow right under her knee. My DD said she was walking on it, but limping so she iced it and kept her off of it all night, and took her in to their doc yesterday. Of course Doc orders an x-ray and there's a fracture. Thankfully, not a displaced fracture - but more than a hairline. They called it a "buckle" fracture because basically the bone buckled. Because she's so young (5) it wasn't a complete fracture. However, the bone is "bent" so they're going to an orthopedist today to get his opinion on it. They have the poor girl splinted from ankle to thigh.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Ahhhh no! So sorry for both of them!

 

[baymule]

Eye bleed.....just reading that makes me cringe. I can't imagine. Give your DH a big hug from your friends here on SS.

about the pigs, no I didn't give them a ramp. In fact, the nosy pigs jumped into the trailer BEFORE I even got the feed and water in there. I did use some 2x4 inch horse wire around the tail lights with T-posts, to keep them from chewing the wires. I fed and watered them for almost a week in the trailer before hauling them to slaughter.

 

[Mini Horses]

unlike their full sized counterparts, AGHs are height challenged, short legs (create the hippo look) Unless the trailer is very low, they just look in.

FEM, so sorry about the diabetes issues, ALL of them. My stepdad had a few eye bleeds but, not as severe as you describe. He did loose most vision because of them, seems they were on the retina area...not positive & he was 15 yrs older. The pump would be a good thing. You may need to take him there to get it going. I know you are concerned about his sight & driving with those limitations. In VA doctors must report some situations to DMV, might want to check into TX law.

Praying for you both that this resolves fast and well.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

AGHs are height challenged,

LOL - so true! I have a ramp I can put back there, but it's expanded metal and not sure if they'll walk on it. If not, I'll put a piece of plywood over it or something. I can also roll the front of the trailer up so that the back is lower too. It's gonna take a little 'figgering', but we'll get it done eventually....

Thanks for the prayers!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

DH stayed home again today. Can't say that I blame him. Having only nominal vision in one eye and practically none in the other is really throwing his depth perception off. He was never blessed with much grace before this - but can you say downright clumsly now??!! He tried to pour some milk last night and totally missed the glass... Also, the strain of trying to see with just one eye is giving him a headache. Poor guy! Looks like I'll be toting him back and forth to work for awhile again. Makes for a very early morning for me. If I didn'thave pregnant does I'd cut back to one feeding a day, but not good timing on that. The grass/browse is starting to come in, but I don't feel comfortable cutting out a feeding just to make things easier on me. Hoping this eye will clear quickily - but the reabsorption of the blood only proceeds at about 1% per day. Hoping that within a couple weeks that he'll be able to drive safely.

Took Shadow, the broken-legged, goat to the vet yesterday. I was really hoping she'd be ready to get out of that cast - but still two more weeks. GRRRRRR! I did see the latest x-ray and she's made LOTS of progress since the last visit - two weeks ago. Vet told me I don't even have to bring her back for another x-ray - just cut the cast off when the time has elapsed. I was really glad to see that the leg is starting to straighten out too. She'll always probably have a curve to that leg, but it looked like it was going to be really pronounced. This x-ray shows the bone callous actually starting to pull that leg straighter. Mother Nature is getting kudos on this one - and having an experienced vet helps too!

Granddaughter got her new cast yesterday too. Ankle to hip and it's a straight cast so she can't even use crutches. She has to be totally non-weight bearing, and in a wheelchair, for at least 6 weeks. Poor baby...she's not happy. And, it's gonna screw up her spring break too! That really stinks!

 

[NH Homesteader]

You have such a good attitude about all this but it sucks! All of that, and does ready to kid... You so need to retire, you don't have time to work! I hope your granddaughter finds a way to have fun. Poor kid.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Ahhh, thanks! I get tired of hearing myself whine, lol, and it's not gonna change things anyway. Sometimes ya just gotta put your head down and push through all the 'caca'!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Almost forgot to add that I've got 4 of the remaining 6 piglets spoken for. I don't mind keeping the other two if they don't sell. I'll be, hopefully, getting one of the boars to the butcher next week. I'm ready for some homegrown pork!