Feeling Better

I'm finally feeling somewhat better after days of running a fever, two doctor calls and a trip to the emergency room for IV antibiotics the other night. In addition to my fever was a very tender and swollen lymph gland and a 3x5" rash around a bug bite. I don't recall having a tick there, I was thinking it was monster mosquito bite that itched like crazy (there were two big bites, but just one had the rash). Now I'm thinking they may have been spider bites, but I'm not sure. We fenced off two acres of deer territory in May and I had a couple ticks attached then.

Anyway, I was feeling just awful on Monday morning with a temp of 101. Had to cancel the vet visit so I could see the doctor. He started me on an antibiotic to treat cellulitis and/or Lyme Disease. But the rash got bigger and I was shivering and shaking like people with mylaria in the movies by supper time. My skin just hurt all over. I took my temp around 10 p.m. and it was 103.8 degrees. By the time we got to the emergency room my temp was over 104! They did some bloodwork and started IV fluids, analgesics, and the antibiotic. The analgesic helped me feel better, but I was so HOT while antibiotic was going in (which took over an hour). We left the ER around 1:30 a.m. and my temp was down to 98.6 -- amazing!

I'm taking lots of pills right now and the temp is staying at 98 or even less. The rash hasn't gotten bigger and looks to be fading a little this morning. I'm still feeling weak and fatiqued, but hopefully that will improve as the days go by.

As for farm news, we got our big bales delivered and stacked in the barn. We'll probably have to buy some more later this year, unless we keep getting lots of rain and maybe a second crop this year.

The weaning didn't go well at all. After a night of constant crying, I found only three lambs who hadn't gotten back with their moms. Apparently one of the horizontal wires broke off one of the panels we used...Oh well, I'll do like I always do and just remove the ram lambs. The ewes can wean the ewe lambs themselves.

So happy to have the vet come out yesterday and look over the flock. It's so nice to have someone closeby who will do farm visits.

If you've gotten this far, you deserve a photo. My camera isn't functional nowdays, so I'll post this one I took at Littledale farm in Wisconsin. It's Graham Phillipson with his flock of North Country Cheviot and Scottish Blackface ewes and mules with their lambs.