Activities on a warm day

Another sunny warm calm day.  54 degrees for the high. A gorgeous day.  So much I could do except I have a shoulder stopping me.

Instead, now that the snow is gone from the ditches, I picked up all the garbage in the ditches along the ranch.  I filled two plastic grocery bags.

I fixed a barb wire the deer had broken.  Slow going to use a pliers with my right hand to twist the wire.  I am glad I have a wire stretcher to help me.

I cut up a dozen small branches for firewood.  Slow going using a saw with my right hand.

Pushed the remaining hay from the center to the outer part of the metal feeder.  Tomorrow I need to move another large hay bale out for the cattle.

Riding three different times, I rode a total of 21 miles on my bicycle today.  I only used one arm to ride the bicycle.

It is too hard to sit around doing nothing on such a nice day.

So far my shoulder is holding up this evening.  No more sore than usual in the evenings.  I only have one pain pill left.

What is a group of cows known as?

Recently I saw a trivia question of interest.

What is a group of 12 or more cows known as?

A. Bale
B. Flink
C. Clowder
D. Bed



Answer: Flink.

Flink?!    So... I have a flink of cows.    ...Doesn't sound that impressive.


Looking into it further, flink - while a real word from the 19th century - appears to have originated as 12 or more cows on the internet back in 2002 and is not a real word for 12 or more cattle.
http://www.word-detective.com/2011/03/flink/


The real answer....

Q: What is a group of cattle called?

A group of cattle is called a herd, mob, drift, drove or team. Historically, people who took cattle to market on the open range were known as drovers.


Also... bale is a group of turtles.  Clowder is a group of cats.   Bed is a group of Oysters.

More animal grouping definitions: https://sciencebasedlife.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/what-do-you-call-a-group-of/



Also...

Q: How many teeth do cows have?

A: Adult cows have 8 incisors on the bottom front of the mouth and 6 molars on the top and bottom on each side of the mouth, for a total of 32 teeth. The top front of the cow's mouth has a pad of skin and no teeth.

Calves have 20 deciduous teeth and no deciduous molars. The deciduous teeth of 75 percent of calves have all erupted at birth. The deciduous teeth of calves are replaced by permanent teeth as they grow. By 30 months of age, cows have lost all of their deciduous teeth and have their permanent teeth in place.


Q: Are bulls color blind?

A: Bulls are color blind. Like all cows, bulls have deuteranopia, meaning they cannot discern red and green colors and instead see shades of yellow or blue. When it comes to bullfighting, people are often under the impression that the red color of the matador's cape is what angers the bull in the arena, and, symbolically, red is a color that denotes anger or passion. In reality, the fluttering movement of the cape is what agitates the bull and causes it to charge the matador, not the color. The animals are more incited by white or blue capes, but the red serves a particular purpose in the arena: the color masks any blood that the creature may spray while injured.

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Relaxed cattle in the corral

It was a nice warm relaxing morning this morning.  Half the herd was in the corral when Daisy and I went out to check the water trough.

My little helper

Mama drinking

Buddy the bull, Big Red, Panda, and two bronco-faced cows grooming one another.

Grooming one another

Buddy scratching an itch

Here is a 2:10 minute video of the cattle: https://youtu.be/6HfFVKC_Jzk

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Mountain view

Beautiful warm sunny day today.  Lately it has rained in the Valley and snowed in the mountains.

Collarbone hardware

I saw the doctor today for the first time since my surgery.

The nurse assistant took off the medi-strips over my scar.  Their adhesive was so great the strips stayed on even after all these showers and getting wet.  Even though areas around the scar are still numb I could feel the strips as she pried and pulled them off, pulling my skin as the strips came off.

The doctor was pleased with how my scar looks.

Here is how my scar looks after I cleaned most, but not all, of the adhesive off my skin.  As you can see the scar is fairly long.

Here are before and after views of my collarbone.  Notice: lots of long screws.   Looks to be nine screws.

In the middle of the previous photo you can see the 5th broken bone below the middle of the plate.  This is the bone the doctor left rather than cut around my bone in order to screw it to the other bone.  The doctor said it will grown back together with the main bone.

In the previous photo you can see the gap between the main bones plated together. (Between the third and fourth screws from the left).

My next appointment to see the doctor is in a month.  Until then, don't lift anything with that arm.

He wanted me to keep using the sling.  The only reason to do so was so I don't lift anything with my left arm.  He relented when I said I am left handed and the sling gets in the way of eating, etc.

We'll look into starting therapy in a month after my next visit.  Right now I move my arm everywhere but up.  I keep the arm below shoulder level as the higher I move my arm the more I feel it in my shoulder.

Otherwise my shoulder is doing fine.  No pain, but at times, usually as the day wears on, my shoulder feels 'annoying'.  'Annoying' means an odd combination of sore, ache and pressure.

Hay bale

The previous two hay bales lasted exactly one week.  This afternoon it was time to put out another large hay bale for the cattle.

Only Beulah was in the corral but Mama saw me and came in the corral before I could close the gate.  While Beulah can be insistent on having the hay now, I was able to carry the 60 lb hay bales with my one good arm to the feeders without dropping them.  I didn't use my broken arm to carry the bales, and therefore no pain, but I could feel the muscles pull across my back from the right side over to the left side.

Once the bales were spread in the feeders I opened the gate and let the cattle, who were now patiently waiting outside the gate, into the corral.

Once the cattle were in the corral I closed the gate so I could now move a large hay bale into the north pasture without interruption.

It is warm and melting and sloppy.  Time to move a metal feeder to a new location.  Using my good arm I used a shovel to push snow away to make a clean circle in which to place a pallet, a bale on the pallet, then a feeder around the bale.

I was unwrapping the twine from the bale, and complaining to the sky when the twine would get wrapped up around one of my feet, when Donna showed up.  I got a disapproving look at me doing all this by myself.  She helped me unwrap the rest of the twine.

Then Donna watched the bale spear and guided me when it came time to flip up the metal feeder and move it over to the bale.  With her help I didn't try to poke the spear through the side of the feeder.

I only put out one bale and not two as I didn't feel like shoveling a spot for another bale to go.  I also didn't feel like switching the spear and bucket to use the tractor to clear an area.  I should be good in three or four days to move another bale out myself.

Chuck Suchy concert

Friday night Donna, her daughter, son-in-law, and I attended a free concert by North Dakotan musician/farmer Chuck Suchy held at the Flathead Valley Community College.

While Chuck has performed in the Flathead Valley over the years I have been here, this is the first time I attended one of his concerts since the mid to late 1990s back in Minnesota.

He is 67 years old now.  He played two hours of his original songs with no break.  Once he started playing a number of his songs I then remembered them from the Minnesota concert.  People here are familiar with his songs as a number of people called out different songs as requests.  A number of people also sang along to some of his songs.

It was a good concert.  It was relaxed and felt like he was some guy with a guitar sitting in a living room singing a few songs to his friends.

http://www.chucksuchy.com/

Here is one of his songs (Cool in the Shade):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFvQu9MJOgU&index=1&list=PLxSEEF5s06AJCuxnT0YyKS-pSJs4MrqB5

Molly's Field:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dkpWvukxH0&index=24&list=PLxSEEF5s06AJCuxnT0YyKS-pSJs4MrqB5

Burma Shave Boogie:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AGXPkpt3PM&index=28&list=PLxSEEF5s06AJCuxnT0YyKS-pSJs4MrqB5

Dancin' in the Kitchen:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5R7_urF5S4&index=57&list=PLxSEEF5s06AJCuxnT0YyKS-pSJs4MrqB5

Collarbone surgery

Sunday I put two large bales of hay out for the cattle.  I had trouble getting the bale spear point under the second feeder and I ended up poking the second (new) feeder and bending out a piece of metal.

Hay here and over there

See her left side vs her right side?  Looks pregnant.

Now that I put enough hay out for almost a week it was time to get up early Monday morning.  I had to be at the hospital at 6:30 am.  I was the first person scheduled for surgery.  Donna took me to the hospital and waited.

The nurse prepared me for surgery.  The anesthesiologist stopped by.  The doctor stopped by.  The nurse shaved hair from my collarbone area.  She put in an IV in preparation for the anesthesia.   My shoulder was more annoying than painful.  The IV needle stuck in my hand was more annoying than my shoulder.

The anesthesia was added.  I waited.  Not getting sleepy.  Then I woke up and the operation was over.  I believe it was between 10 am and 10:30 am when I woke up.  The operation had taken several hours.

The doctor came by.  He had found 5 broken bones once he opened me up.  He removed one small bone.  He screwed three bones together.  The last bone was under the main bone so he left it.  Otherwise he would have had to cut through a bunch more nerves to get to the last bone. The last bone should heal to the bones with a plate holding them together.

I got one pain pill.  It helped with the pain, but...  45 minutes later I got a second pill.  Two pills took care of the pain.  Donna gave me some graham crackers and water as I rested and recovered.

I felt a little woozy so I laid there for a while while the pain pills took effect.  I fell asleep for a while.

I went home Monday afternoon once I found out the hospital charges by the minute for time spent in the recovery room.   Even though the health insurance was covering the cost, no sense wasting money.  I also no longer felt woozy by that time.

Donna drove me home.  Halfway home, all of a sudden, I was nauseous.   Before I could get her car door completely open and me unbuckled from the seat-belt I threw up all over the inside of her car door.   The only good thing was that it was just liquid.

Even though it has been many, many years since dad died, Mark the pharmacist, remembered dad and that he passed away in the store's parking lot while I was refilling dad's prescription.

The hospital sent me home with a sandwich, chips and cookie.  So I didn't have to cook since I wasn't spending the night recovering in the hospital.   The sandwich was good.

I didn't have much of an appetite.  Sandwich was for a late lunch.  Chips for supper.  Cookie for evening snack.

I find that if I eat too much food I will get a little woozy and lightly nauseous.  The effects are less with each meal.  Donna brought me extra food.  Patti stopped by with extra food.  I have plenty of food as I don't have much of an appetite yet.

I mainly slept for 24 hrs after the surgery.  Since then I sleep very late and sleep more often than not.

Tuesday was sunny and warm.  Late afternoon I sat outside in the warm sunshine until sundown.

Wednesday was not so sunny.  Having been 48 hours since my surgery it was time for a shower and to change the bandage.  With only one arm it takes longer to do everything, including taking a shower.

I haven't used my recliner as I am comfortable laying flat and sleeping in my bed.  No real pain.  Mainly I feel pressure when the pain pills are wearing off.  Sometimes it feels like pressure downwards against my shoulder as I lay.  Or sometimes it feels like someone has wrapped their hand around my shoulder bone and is squeezing the bone tight.  Not comfortable to sleep on my side yet.

Bandage from the hospital.

Under the bandage.  I left that on for now.  So I haven't seen the incision yet.

 
The stitches will dissolve on their own. The skin around the bandage feels numb. Time will tell how large of a numb area I will have.  Next week I have my followup visit to the surgeon.

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Five miles

I haven't ridden my bicycle for a week now.  I know... a long time!

So this afternoon, after I went uptown to run a few errands, I got my bicycle out and rode five miles.  I can ride with one hand.  I can ride with no hands.  The wind was really strong today so no hands was not possible.  But riding with one hand was.

Five miles is my limit for now.  I was ready to be done riding once I got back home.  Still, it was nice to get out on my bicycle after so long.

And, yes, I still do have a broken collarbone.  I figured riding wouldn't damage the bone any more  ...unless I would fall on that side again.  Which I did not.


My neighbor Curtis came over this morning and helped me carry my recliner back into the house.  Tammy had banished it from the house years ago as it didn't match her furniture.  The pre-op nurse suggested I sleep in a recliner for a few days after my operation.  I'll see.  At least the recliner is in the house in case I do need it.

Collarbone xrays

Early this morning I had two more x-rays of my shoulder done and spoke with the doctor.  The break is large and complex enough that surgery was recommended and a plate installed.

My friend Ted had a collarbone break in the past from a bicycle accident and he said his break was fixed with a pin which was removed after four weeks.  A pin would not work on my break.  My break has three bones and the alignment of the break also would not allow a single pin to work.

The Kalispell hospital is busy. I was willing to go to the Whitefish hospital so the doctor can do the surgery first thing Monday morning.  The sooner the better.

Early Monday morning.   36 years ago when I had a plate installed to fix a broken arm I went in to the hospital the night before and stayed for two or three days afterwards.  Not these days.  I get to the hospital at 6:30 am.  Surgery is about an hour later.  I should be released to go home by late morning / early afternoon.

I most likely will have some meds - mainly for pain.  I tried to get a prescription today so I don't have to go to a pharmacy to get the meds after the operation but that is not possible.

There are plates made for collarbones.  Curved and different sizes.  My arm plate has six screws through my bone.  I asked how many screws for the collarbone plate.  Eight.  Maybe ten.  Great.  Just great.  The most pain I have ever experienced was six screws screwed through my bone.  I'm not looking forward to eight to ten screws.

I had to stop at the hospital for "pre-op".  This mainly was getting registered, answering a few questions, and get the correct soap in which to shower the night and morning before.   I also had to tell them what kind of sandwich and what I wanted on the sandwich.  They will send me home after the operation with a sandwich so I don't have to cook that night.

Here are the two x-rays taken today.  One is straight on. The other x-ray was taken low and angled up.

As you can see, not a pretty break.

Collarbone and bruising

I was feeling decent today so this afternoon I shoveled snow from the driveway for an hour.  I pushed the shovel with my one good arm.  Later I fell asleep on the couch.  When I awoke my collarbone felt painful.  I don't know if this was because of the earlier snow shoveling, falling asleep sitting up with my head slumped over, or the position I sat on the couch and how my back pressed against the couch.

I felt better after a shower.  The doctor moved up my next appointment from 3:45 pm Friday to 8:30 am Friday.

Here are today's photos of my injuries.  My ribs feel fine so I was surprised to see the bruise.

Moving hay with a broken collarbone

Late this afternoon the cattle finished eating their big bale of hay.  Usually when the hay is done they congregate in the corral and wait for me to bring them a few small bales of hay.  Today they lounged under several large pine trees in the north pasture and chewed their cud.

I closed the corral gate and decided to see if I could carry a bale of hay to their feeder.  I was able to carry a 55-60 lb bale with my good arm.  I carried another bale to the feeder next to the barn.  I thought perhaps since the muscles interconnect in my back the weight would aggravate my injury.  But it didn't to my surprise.  But then today is a better day than yesterday pain-wise.  The most annoying thing with my shoulder today is all the typing.  The typing and mouse work is aggravating my shoulder.


By now Beulah saw me and stood outside the gate.  She called the others over and I opened the gate and let them in to eat the hay.  I closed the corral gate again. Then I went work with the tractor.

First I had to use the bucket to clear away snow for the new feeder location.  Past practice makes perfect as I now can hook the bucket onto the tractor using just the tractor.  The snow did cause a little problem as some snow got compacted between the bucket and one tractor arm.  This prevented me from latching one pin.   I had to tilt the bucket and with  a screwdriver scrape the snow away.

Once I was done clearing snow I switched to the bale spear.  Usually I lift the spear onto the tractor hooks.  Can't do that now.  After a few attempts I was able to hook the spear onto the tractor then latch it with pins.  The spear is lighter than the bucket and moves away more easily when bumping the tractor arms against it when trying to get the arms hooked.


So nice I have a tractor to move the hay bales!!!

Once I got the hay bale's twine unwrapped and the bale set on the wooden pallet I used the tractor to lift and move the metal feeder.

Usually I tip the feeder over the bale by lifting the bottom end.  However I need two arms to do that.  Below is what happened when I used only one arm.

So I had to use the bale spear to push the feeder so the far end would drop over the hay bale.  Did I mention how much I like my tractor?

I think I cleared enough space in the pasture for another bale later so I left the bale spear on the tractor. I just need to remember the spear is there when I get firewood and not trip over the spear sticking out of the pole shed.

Orthopedic surgeon visit

Today I saw the orthopedic surgeon.  First time visit, lots of paperwork to fill out.  I am left handed with left collarbone break.  Worst than usual handwriting.

The shoulder today is more swollen.  This morning cleaning the wood stove then a shower was more activity than usual. I found than even though I only used my right arm the shoulder muscles are somewhat connected to the left side too and I felt pulling on the left side sometimes when using my right arm.  Therefore more pain.  I took two ibuprofen.

Break and swollen area

While waiting for the doctor the nurse had put up one x-ray image of the break. One bone looked to under the other bone by several inches.  The doctor told me no, it just looks that way due to the view of the bone.  The bone barely overlaps.

We discussed surgury vs letting it heal on its own.  He thought the bone could heal on its own without loss of shoulder function.

Surgery and installing a plate will not speed healing.  With or without a plate I won't be able to lift objects for the same amount of time.

Surgery and a plate will ensure the bone is straight and aligned.

I am concerned the bone will move before it completely heals.  That is why my arm was re-broken by the doctor and a plate was installed 36 years ago.  I was set back six weeks of healing time.

Plates are still fastened by screws.  I had hoped a glue had been invented in the 36 years since my last plate.  Those 6 screws caused me the worst pain for two days that I ever felt - by far.

A plate will make the bone more rigid and does not allow for flex.

The plate will not break in another fall but there is a chance the bone at the end of the plate will break, especially if the bone does not flex.

I would have a scar and the plate may be noticeable as the skin is thin in that area.


In the end we decided to wait till Friday.  He'll take another x-ray and then I'll decide if I want surgery.


Here is an interesting article on the pros and cons of surgery vs no surgery.
http://www.darmage.com/clavicle_fracture_001.html