Ever have one of those days that it all goes to heck?
I thought it was going to be a good day after a yucky night, Wednesday. My hands were sore and so were other parts of my body, but I chalked that up to cutting down trees with a hand saw and working mostly bent over for a good part of the afternoon. Rich had a restless night too. Must be an thing for older people right? Wait? I don't feel like an older person.
I should have quit before the day started.
As the sun peeked over the trees tops, Mica the mule was laying down in her paddock and acting as if she were colicing. I went out to feed everyone and grabbed some Banamine the Vet had left me for these situations. I used my stethoscope and listened for gut sounds. They were a bit weak. Mica also has Heaves which makes her cough and fart at the same time. She often has gas and Rich always says that she should be my mule with all that 'power'!
She was terribly uncomfortable. I dosed her with some Banamine orally and put her out next to the goat in a pen against the shed. I knew she'd be pissed to be separated from Fred and would walk the fence-line. That would save me from having to walk her up and down the driveway until she passed gas or pooped. Ahhh, such is the farm life!
Mica, self exercising
Fred, doesn't care
After Rich got up he said he felt like he was struggling for air. For a week or so now his morning 02 levels are sometimes a bit low. He has 02 on his CPAP so I switched the concentrator over to a long hose for him.
Yes he was low.
He started coughing a bit yesterday which alarmed me since he hasn't had a cold or cough since he'd gone through Throat Cancer treatment.
Things seemed to be going okay. He left the 02 hose and walked over to get water and his meds.
Bam. I always use the Oximeter to see how he is doing and when he sat back down I did our morning routine. I read mine 02 and he reads his.
His HR had skyrocketed and his 02 fell like a rock. I gave him the cannula to put on and we watched the numbers begin to balance out. Big sigh.
By lunch time I'd done the cleaning and situated his meds for the rest of the month. I'd ordered the meds that needed replacing and crossed my fingers that the postal service and UPS would come through in a timely fashion. We have not suffered like other areas have in this respect.
Any meds requests are not urgent until after the start of the new year.
I decided to stick close and not do any woods work. Reading seemed to be a good choice. Charlie kept my lap warm and I read.
By supper Rich had a climbing fever and a nasty cough.
"Did you give me the Covid?" Oh, you know that would be the question that he'd ask.
"Not that I know of."
"I am not going to the hospital." Oh the stubborn man.
Of course immediately I thought of my last trip to the store. How long ago was it? Who did I run into? 7 days since my last trip to town.
Friday I hiked with a friend...we distanced. And he'd had a negative Covid test recently.
But...
"I'm not going to the hospital. I'm cold."
His fever spiked to 101.
I stayed up most of the night. Ever try to get a cranky child to drink water?
This morning the fever is gone and he still feels crappy.
We shall see what today brings.
And in this day and age? Is it a cold? Could it be Covid? How on earth did he get sick with all the precautions we took?
I am the only link to the outside.
Soooo...
Yet I've never felt ill.
Let's see what today brings.
PS~Mica recovered quickly from her tummy ache and is back coughing and farting up a storm once in a while. Fred is nagging her and they are bickering this morning as the sun comes up.
Perhaps this is a good sign?
