Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[farmerjan]

I get most of my syringes through Ebay... and get them fairly cheap. Most are "medical surplus" supply places. I have about 6 or 8 boxes of 100 in different sizes for the cattle.... mostly 3, 5 and 10 cc.... getting the needles is more of a crap shoot, sometimes there are lots available and sometimes not.
We reuse the syringe part, just not the needles. No reason to use separate syringes for the same stuff in them. I'd do a little more shopping around. Hamby medical supply seems to stick with me but mostly it is off the wall companies that buy surplus lots and then sell them. They are usually all in sealed plastic/paper packages. Sometimes in individual sealed plastic containers. Needles have all been in boxes of pull apart separate plastic/paper or individual needles with the twist off end so you don't even handle the needle as you put it on the syringe. I use 18's 1/2 or 5/8... and 16's 1/2 or 5/8. Have a few in 1 inch needles; and a few 20's in 1 inch. Also have a few 1 cc syringes for when we are doing tetanus toxoid for the bull calves.
That makes me think I need to see about getting a few more cases to have on hand and see about a few more boxes of needles.

 

[Ridgetop]

I have a box of 5cc syringes for antibiotics, but mainly use the 3cc with a 3/4" 22 needle for vaccinations. I find the smaller needle is better for the young lambs who don't have much muscle for IM or area for a sub Q. I order the all in one disposable syringe and Luer lock needle. If the ewe or ram jumps using the slide on needle I have had the needle pull off and lose the vaccine. I used to buy 1cc for the tetanus antitoxin but now I just use the 3cc. We only use the antitoxin when docking ewe lambs - the ram lambs don't get it. By the time we castrate any ram lambs to grow out for our freezer, they have had 2 doses of CDT which protects them from tetanus. I only vaccinate about 5 ewes with up to 10 lambs at a time and like to use individual syringes so I can count them out and not miss anyone. I am pretty small time compared to the number you work at a time. Eventually, I might look into one of those pistol shot type syringes that you just attach the bottle to and set the measured dose but you would have to replace the needle each time and the single use syringe and needle option is almost the same price as the individual needles. I do have a Slap Shot but prefer to just vaccinate with a regular syringe.

Wednesday
Yesterday the PT person bent my knee for me. OUCH! He said I have good range of motion but is working on extra bending. He also said that eventually they will work on softening the scar tissue. I am already massaging the scar tissue area with lotion since it is somewhat painful. The nerves must be regenerating since occasionally I get a terrible stabbing pain in the new knee area. I understand that nerve regeneration is what causes that sort of pain and eventually it will stop when they are healed.

DS1 is outside removing all the gardening and other stuff we have to move for the installation of the "faux" turf. Sounds better than "fake"! LOL The rolls of grass will be delivered Friday and they will start installing either Friday or Monday. Installation takes 2 days. I wish I could go out and clean off the patio on that side of the house and move everything away. Once the grass is installed I would like to set up the patio and move some of the furniture over to that side of the house. We have a roll of 42" woven wire that we were gong to install here but now I think we will just take it with us to Texas. We also have a few T posts left as well from when we raised the height of the pipe fence.

Thursday
Doctor's appointments
DS1 removed all junk along area where new grass is to go. Last night DS2 helped him pull out the huge raised wooden bed planter. Tomorrow the grass is supposed to arrive. Monday installation?

Friday
PT again. Getting good range of movement but still painful and stiff. DH wants me to lay on my stomach and have him help by tying one of the elastic bands around my ankle so I can pull the foot back and increase the amount of bend in the knee. Have to see how that goes.

I have decided that as soon as the grass is in we will go ahead and put in the quart countertops and the new gas cooktop. The cooktop has been in the storage Connex for 2 years while I put off getting the countertops installed. Maybe I can choose the colors and have it done while we are in TX leaving DDIL2 to deal with it! LOL Probably not. Just have to decide do I want plain white, gray, marble design, or ? I definitely want quartz instead of granite since so much less upkeep.

I have been walking with a cane today but after sitting at the computer for an hour or so I had to go back to the walker. Knee stiffened up too much to support me. I will walk it out.

 

[Baymule]

You will have to post pictures of the new "grass" when it gets installed.

I'm glad your therapy is going good, it's important to get that range of motion, keep up the good work!

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Does the faux lawn come with a warranty? Or at least a repair/replacement plan if the squirrels do attack?

 

[Ridgetop]

2 years on the install, 10 years on the product. We had 2 small places on the existing "lawn" where they tried to burrow out. The did it at an edge and just lifted up a small flap. We cruelly filled the hole with concrete.

Next project here will be the kitchen countertops. DS2 has offered to pay for those since he, his wife, and 14-month-old Robert have been living with us for a couple years. Up to now I have declined but now I will accept the offer.

This knee surgery is very depressing. I go from being pleased that I will have a properly working knee again to depression that I will never be completely 100% well. Probably my goal is too optimistic - considering my age I should probably scale back to 80 or 90% well.


I called OK fence company in search of 60" or 72"high fence wire and was told that they are not making that height right now. There is such a run on the 48" size that they are concentrating on that and have halted manufacture of the 60". I had decided that 5' would be sufficient since the dogs don't want to leave the exterior of the property. Angel is the only one who will try to get out when closed in a small pen and it is only to rejoin her beloved flock. So I will stay with the 8' posts, put in the 48" wire and run hot wire tape on the top off the posts. The tape is more visible for the dogs and i only need it on the perimeter of the sheep area.

I won't fence in the entire acreage just yet. I hope to fence 15 acres for the sheep and let Cody continue to use the other 30 acres for his cattle. The barn will be within my 15 acres along with the well and I will put in a tank to hold the well water. The pond is far enough in the middle that I can fence around t for Cody to use for his cattle. That will eliminate the risk of liver flukes for the sheep. I have a smaller pond on my side and will fence that off and put ducks and geese in it to clean out liver fluke snails (ducks) and keep the pond clean of invasive weed (geese). DH is still insisting that we take out a loan and spend $80,000+ to have game fence installed around the entire property. I am holding firm on doing the fencing ourselves. The dogs will keep out hogs and deer, and they don't want to leave their flocks to wander. (Thankfully they are not Pyrs! LOL) The properties on either side of us are fields with no homes - 40 acres on the Sulphur Springs side was purchased to be developed into homes, but in view of the economic situation he has changed his mind. The other 200+ acres on the south side is owned by a livestock auction owner who leases it to graze his cattle.

The front of the property does border on a busy highway, but by fencing across the front of the house yard and down the driveway with different taller fencing (wrought iron?) and keeping the dogs mainly to the back I think we should be ok. I figure on using the 8' wrought iron panels and posts you can buy at Lowes. I put the wrought iron pool fence in myself around our old Doughboy and pool deck here and it was pretty easy. That would look nice in front and be easy to instill. If worst comes to worst, I can take those panels with me since they are just bolted onto the posts. LOL

Gas prices are what are now worrying us as the greatest cost of our move. $5+ in Texas and we just saw $7 in Santa Monica! Might have to invest in several wagons and mule teams and come back on foot like real pioneers - only going east!

 

[Mini Horses]

This knee surgery is very depressing. I go from being pleased that I will have a properly working knee again to depression that I will never be completely 100% well. Probably my goal is too optimistic - considering my age I should probably scale back to 80 or 90% well.

Just as a point of discussion ....what was your % of "100% well"  before the surgery? Then. Let's not discount the improvement, or at least coming decline, in overall structure...ankles, hips, back, ability to walk. Your sheep deserve your continued health benefits! of course, there's DH and other family that would prefer your walking, not rolling a wheelchair! That makes 90% look real good in my book!

Hang in there!!! Like I told my mom when she could no longer walk due to knee...you waited too long! Could have been done. As her other knee was.

 

[Ridgetop]

Actually, I am doing well with rehab and walking. DH says I have almost full range of bend in knee and am improving daily. Scar is still very tender not surprisingly. I am massaging it with Vaseline to encourage it not to shrink since bending the knee hurts the scar more than the muscles. I am just having a pity party from not being able to leave the house and do normal stuff. Since I am in bed mostly I do exercises constantly. I am now using a cane and can walk short distances without any support although I like having furniture to hang on to for balance. I can stand on tip toe and am starting an exercise to alternate standing on only one foot. I am just a depressed wuss at the moment.

 

[Mini Horses]

am just a depressed wuss at the moment.

One who is doing GREAT!! Just remind yourself that recovery takes way longer than surgery....keep on keeping on!!

 

[murphysranch]

About 11 years ago, I tripped over our McNab BC dog. He cut me off and flat like a plank I went on the concrete carport.

Next day, at the walk in clinic in Angels Camp CA (tiny town in the Sierra's), they announced I was scheduled for surgery. I had smashed my patella to smithereens. Off to the nearest big city. So after 4 hours of surgery, where the excellent surgeon was able to stitch my patella back together instead of using a cadaver one, I went home. I was in a full cast in a wheelchair for 3 months. I couldn't even get to my knee!! I missed seeing my leg!

After the removal of the 5th cast, I had to do all the things you are doing now. PT, a brace that would be tightened tighter and tighter every month (range of motion), and then a year later, another surgery to take out the pins, bailing wire, carabiner clips, and kitchen faucet. In fact, one pin migrated and is still in there, somewhere.

Eleven years later, I cannot kneel on that knee, its got no strength, so therefore I use my right leg alot more. If I'm on the ground, I look like a giraffe trying to get up.

I'm a candidate for a new knee in about 5 more years. So hang in there. You'll be running in circles in no time with a new lease on life and a whole new thankful feeling that you got it done! That you made a wise decision! That your new days in Texas will be glorious with the ability to walk and do what you used to be able to do!! Hang in there. I understand......

 

[Baymule]

What @Mini Horses said! You were getting to be in real bad shape and getting worse. Now at least you are getting better!