Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Warming, graphic injury post.

So, it seems 2023 is off to a pretty bad start for me. This morning we were outside getting all the critters taken care of, and then were going to go out for breakfast and to run a few errands. When I left my office building after taking in the eggs laid today, I was walking on the plastic pallets we have out to have an area to walk when it is muddy. It was a little slick from morming dew. As I tried to step from one pallet to the next, my back foot slipped and went between the pallets, and I fell backwards. Which snapped both bones in my right leg, just above the ankle. My foot was dangling and facing the wrong direction.

We managed to get me into the car and to the minor emergence clinic. They had me snort some Fentanyl as the fastest way to start getting some pain relief. (That was a new experience, I am a good girl who has never snorted drugs.) Then they put me under “mild” general anesthesia to be able to remove my clothes, take better X-rays, reduce/manipulate the fractures, and put on a temporary splint. Not sure if it was the Ketamine, or the combination of that with the Fentanyl and then Morphine they gave me to control the pain, but I had a hard time waking up and had horrible nausea and vomiting. When I first started to wake I felt like I was in a science fiction movie, everything looked digital/aliased, and I was having double/triple vision. I felt like Max Headroom (for those old enough to get the reference). And was still in pretty bad pain from them repositioning things.

Finally I stabilized enough to go home. I have been communicating with our family doctor who will get a referral placed first thing tomorrow to a good orthopedic surgeon, because it will definitely require surgery. I can feel things grinding and moving every time I move my leg even just a small amount, even with the splint on. So now I am in my recliner, where I will stay until I can get in to see the doctor. Can’t manage the three steps up to the bathroom/bedroom. Not even with crutches. I am not strong enough and too wobbly. And the Norco (Hydrocodone) I am taking doesn’t help steady me either.

Spoiler: Injury photos

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View attachment 3383482

My foot should be pointed almost straight up in this next one:
View attachment 3383483

Picture of one of the X-rays (kind of hard to see)
View attachment 3383484

Ouch!
Can you get to a surgeon today? That shouldn’t wait.

 

[RoyalChick]

I try to avoid heavy painkillers. But due to interactions wi to my other medications I can’t take NSAIDS or most OTC painkillers.

Breaks like that are the proper use of those heavy duty painkiller drugs. Once the bones aren’t moving the pain will be a whole load more manageable.

 

[RoyalChick]

First off I am sending you HUGS (hugs hugs hugs) (I know exactly the displaced fracture feeling - kick from a horse for me ) I was expecting you to say you were getting chicks - I am flabbergasted - just shocked - more hugs (hugs hugs hugs).

Secondly - I cannot believe they sent you home - OMG - you should be having that reduced and set with plate and screws and bolts (maybe some duct tape...) ASAP. You should have been sent to an Orthopedic surgeon right away, not to make you worried or anything but very serious things can occur from these sort of fractures, if they are not set correctly - fast. Do you have a shortage of Nurses, Doctors, etc there like up here? Oh I feel terrible for you - I wish I could run down there an just hug you and take you to an Orthopedic Surgeon (the one that fixed my arm is a renowned surgeon world wide and is the one who deals with our military - come on up he is awesome and eye candy too, even now as an old gent haha) (ok enough with the man talk).

Pain meds - I know what you mean - I cannot take Demerol at all (not sure if it is even in used), best way to take any of those meds is to take it with an anti-nausea med. I was able to manage my pain level with just Tylenol 3 post surgery, I had a few days of extreme misery with my arm in the cast swelling - I went to Emerg one night and the Dr on duty cut the cast and cracked it open - INSTANT relief. And after that I was down to just using the meds at night to sleep.

And lastly for everyone out there - please DO NOT walk on pallets/skids - this is the reason why they should not be used - unless you put a solid plywood deck on them so your feet do not slip through the cracks. Injury with those skids is very common here in Ontario, as people use them in the winter as walkways over grassy areas, etc. The wet and snow makes they really icy and dangerous.

Here at work they have what they call Access Mats, used for moving equipment on muddy sections - they are 8' x 12' wooden 'skids' we use them as walkways but they put plywood on top AND to make the plywood not slippery they put down a roll of that asphalt roofing material - you know that stuff with the tar paper and gravel/grit on it. I suggest if anyone is using wooden pallets they need to do this - top the skids with 1/4" plywood and then the gravel asphalt roofing for non-slip material.

OK that leg looks terrible - I haven't seen such a bad fracture on a person since I was a Nurse. I really hope you can get a referral tomorrow and get it stabilized.

Oh I could just hug you and take away your pain

I too am astonished they sent you home. That would be surgery in the night territory in my experience.
If you can’t get a referral to see a surgeon this morning could you go to a real hospital ER? The pain alone would justify that.

 

[knoturavggrl]

What breed is the rooster? FBCM? If so, you have 3. First of egg color and breed don't count...so R and Dark Egg (FBCM) each don't count, and I'm decreeing that Cinnamon is a Sage Egger.. (If she is a welsummer, then you have 4)

I think I have the rules correct. I haven't read the post yet...but I AM sure you do NOT have 8 chickens - you better get some more!

Yep I have been corrected I mathed wrong I only have 3 then. Oreo is a FBCM. More chickens it is!!

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Ouch!
Can you get to a surgeon today? That shouldn’t wait.

Breaks like that are the proper use of those heavy duty painkiller drugs. Once the bones aren’t moving the pain will be a whole load more manageable.

I too am astonished they sent you home. That would be surgery in the night territory in my experience.
If you can’t get a referral to see a surgeon this morning could you go to a real hospital ER? The pain alone would justify that.

I am definitely using the pain meds in this situation. The “real hospital” that is close someone we don’t trust, Especially with all the issues I am having after they treated my broken wrist last year. But we have gotten close enough to our family doctor that I have her personal cell phone. We have been texting and Bobby spoke to her shortly yesterday. She has messaged an orthopedic surgeon and they are supposed to be coordinating getting me in to see him, hopefully today.

 

[RoyalChick]

I am definitely using the pain meds in this situation. The “real hospital” that is close someone we don’t trust, Especially with all the issues I am having after they treated my broken wrist last year. But we have gotten close enough to our family doctor that I have her personal cell phone. We have been texting and Bobby spoke to her shortly yesterday. She has messaged an orthopedic surgeon and they are supposed to be coordinating getting me in to see him, hopefully today.

Oh I really hope so! Keep us posted and good luck.

 

[Ponypoor]

I too am astonished they sent you home. That would be surgery in the night territory in my experience.
If you can’t get a referral to see a surgeon this morning could you go to a real hospital ER? The pain alone would justify that.

 

[Ponypoor]

I am definitely using the pain meds in this situation. The “real hospital” that is close someone we don’t trust, Especially with all the issues I am having after they treated my broken wrist last year. But we have gotten close enough to our family doctor that I have her personal cell phone. We have been texting and Bobby spoke to her shortly yesterday. She has messaged an orthopedic surgeon and they are supposed to be coordinating getting me in to see him, hopefully today.

(more hugs first...)

I am glad your Dr is on this. I will definitely check in late to see how your feeling (hugs hugs hugs).

 

[Ponypoor]

They said the fracture was bad enough to need surgery within a few days, but not immediately. I think part of the reason is they will pribabaly have me stop my blood thinners the day before they do it. I probabaly could have gone to BS&W hospital and gotten it done today, but my husband and his family have had extremely bad experiences there. So we wanted to give our primary doctor a chance to send me to a specialist she trusts.

The pallets I am talking about are the plastic type, some work small holes for drainage and some solid top. We have them placed about 8” apart to allow water to drain better. I slipped on a solid top one. Once I get healed up we are going to buy a cement mixer and pour sidewalks instead.

Edit:

Here’s a photo from one of our security cameras that shows a doffeeent section of them. Most are a little rough on top but not the yellow ones, and that is what I slipped on.
View attachment 3383523

Injury tax
At least the girls are sleeping peacefully tonight
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Oh yes I see - super slippery! Oh I am so so sorry you got injured - how miserable

I will be checking in later on to see how you're doing.

That is an awesome photo of your gals sleeping - those two on the end are funny, all on their own...

 

[Ponypoor]

Posted this before I saw Bob say to ignore the naming rule. And I will show my “work”.

No roosters, so nothing to pull out there.

ISA Browns = Goldy, Sassy, Crystal, Buffy, Hazel. That gives a starting number of 5. I remove Goldy as first of breed /first brown egg layer. So that is 4

EE/OE (counting these together as one, since I don’t know for sure if any are a different breed) = Dottie, Scarlett, Ruby, Coco, Jasmine. That gives a starting number of 5. I remove Dottie as first of breed /first green egg layer. Then remove Scarlett as first cream/pearl egg layer. Then remove Jasmine as first pale bluish/green egg layer. That leaves 2.

Welsummer = Speedy. Remove her ad first of breed, so don’t add her in.

Total flock of 11, minus 5 = 6.

And if any of that is incorrect. I blame the events I will disclose in my next post.

SHRA tax for Bob’s revision of the chicken math rules:
View attachment 3383478

As RC said love those wattles

I am amazed that you are able to type and figure out that logic what with your poor leg and the meds - you're amazing!