Keeping Chickens When You Have Arthritis.

[pennyJo1960]

With my laundry list of issues the powers that be paid my medical and gave me a caregiver 3 days a week all was well until new caregiver on board said I can only be here two days a week actually most just cleaned keeping hair and dust at bay my allergies are frighting and violent with my spinal column closing in my neck that is could cripple me good I am out of the program now because I function to well ... I do not lay down and die needing help to go to the bathroom

 

[microchick]

@penny1960, you freakin amaze me, girl!

 

[pennyJo1960]

@penny1960, you freakin amaze me, girl!

look up medicaid spend down now that is where my medical is my nickel now

 

[Latestarter]

OK... rant time! (Micro started it!) I threw my back out and couldn't move/straighten/get up. Had to call an ambulance for trip to hospital and drugs to release the spasm and get moving again. That was when I was introduced to the magic that is Fentanyl. Knocked me out and except for a brief painful shock when the rolling carriage was slammed down in the back of the ambulance, I don't remember anything until the nurse was yelling at me to get up off the ER bed and stand up.

The hospital was no more than 3 miles from where I was picked up. I was charged $1,400 for that short trip. This was back in ~2003. When my daughter did her last concrete path face plant (2015), she had to take an ambulance to the hospital, located less than 1/2 mile from her location, and was charged almost $2,000 for the privilege of that ride.

Now, I know the folks doing the work in those vehicles don't set the prices/charges, but that is complete and utter highway robbery! I think federal RICO (racketeering) laws should be used against them! They are taking advantage of those who need the help and have no choice. Ridiculous!

 

[KentuckyRooster]

I'm gonna seem out of place here because I'm 23 but I have a joint disorder that makes my joints not cooperate with me. They hurt, pop out of place, etc and I constantly fight horrible fatigue.

I try to do a little stuff, then rest. So if I know today I need to feed, water, clean pens, buy feed, etc, then in the morning I might buy feed then rest for a few hours. Then unload the feed and rest. Then clean and feed. I avoid lifting bales of hay and use a furniture dolly instead but I still carry feed sacks on my shoulder one at a time.

If you hurt too badly or become overly fatigued rest. Finish the task tomorrow if it's a large task like cleaning a coop. I don't keep as many as you do, so I have less to maintain. I have serama, which are manageable for me, and keep them inside. I can work with them pretty much anytime. I do have a small outside flock of bantam cochins and I clean the pen on nice days and try to stay hydrated. Don't kneel, sit on a stool- I get stuck down there!

 

[ronott1]

I'm gonna seem out of place here because I'm 23 but I have a joint disorder that makes my joints not cooperate with me. They hurt, pop out of place, etc and I constantly fight horrible fatigue.

I try to do a little stuff, then rest. So if I know today I need to feed, water, clean pens, buy feed, etc, then in the morning I might buy feed then rest for a few hours. Then unload the feed and rest. Then clean and feed. I avoid lifting bales of hay and use a furniture dolly instead but I still carry feed sacks on my shoulder one at a time.

If you hurt too badly or become overly fatigued rest. Finish the task tomorrow if it's a large task like cleaning a coop. I don't keep as many as you do, so I have less to maintain. I have serama, which are manageable for me, and keep them inside. I can work with them pretty much anytime. I do have a small outside flock of bantam cochins and I clean the pen on nice days and try to stay hydrated. Don't kneel, sit on a stool- I get stuck down there!

Great advice!

 

[KentuckyRooster]

Oh, and if you have an assistive device use it. I use a cane some. I've retired my small service dog in exchange for a massive Labrador who can help me walk, stand from sitting and get items for me. He's a pup still but when he's grown he will change a lot for me.

 

[Latestarter]

Welcome to the group Babyboss! Sorry you're dealing with your issues at such a young age. Glad to hear you sound like you're dealing with it though and not giving up. Congrats on getting that big ole Lab as a service animal! They can be a real Godsend He will love you and you will love him back. You will make each other's lives so much more and better.

 

[microchick]

@babyboss

I'm so sorry you are having to deal with all of that at such an early age.

At 23 I was diagnosed with Rheumatic Fever and spent a month in the hospital, 6 months in bed and it took me over 10 years to recover. It hit my joints hard and now I'm dealing with osteoarthritis and borderline RA.

I wouldn't wish having to deal with what I have dealt with on anybody but you are living it every day and dealing with it admirably.

True that about taking frequent rests. That's what I try to do. Don't get much done. Done care. Nobody besides DH is going to pitch in and help me so what doesn't get done today will be there tomorrow waiting for us.

It has taken us longer to get projects done this summer though. I have two coops right now, one with my original flock, or what's left of it thanks to Marek's disease, and the other with my bantams. The bantam coop has about 45 birds in it...well, 22.5 in chicken math. The other coop has 16 birds in it. Those birds are all that is left of a flock of almost 30 birds this time last year. I'm thinking of culling them as they are almost 4 years old and it's getting harder to keep weight on them.

Going to one coop over the winter then cleaning, sanitizing and letting the coop the big birds are in now air out over the winter months will give me a break when the snow is blowing and I can open that coop in the spring for the cockerels so they can beat the snot out of one another when the breeding season rolls around again.

Big word of advice. Don't bite off more than you can chew.

@Latestarter. My bad. I think you have probably read some of my rants about insurance companies on the Old Folks Home. They are the reason why you are paying so much for medical care today, and even back in O3. In 93 I was in an auto accident and had to be ambulanced to the nearby hospital 1.5 miles away for a neck injury. My bill was over 1000$ back then. Just to be strapped to a backboard, have a c-collar put on me, my vitals monitored. The insurance companies pay only a fraction of what you are being billed. The high costs comes from them trying to make up the loss. For instance. 5 years ago medicare paid something like 58 dollars on an eye exam (I know this because I was the office manager in my DH's office). The patient paid something like 28 dollars and we wrote off the rest because we were a medicare provider. All insurance companies work this way. Doesn't matter how much we charged or didn't charge, they were only going to pay so much and no more. Some Ins companies only paid 10 or 15 dollars.

Yep, it's a racket. I just went to pick up my RA medication. The doc ordered a 5ML bottle of injectable Methotrexate for me. The pharmacy only had 10ML bottles. The insurance company wouldn't authorize it since the doc ordered 5ML.

Guess who paid out of pocket for her medicine? Yep, good ol' Micro.

My motto is round up the insurance companies and run them off a cliff.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I'm gonna seem out of place here because I'm 23 but I have a joint disorder that makes my joints not cooperate with me. They hurt, pop out of place, etc and I constantly fight horrible fatigue.

I try to do a little stuff, then rest. So if I know today I need to feed, water, clean pens, buy feed, etc, then in the morning I might buy feed then rest for a few hours. Then unload the feed and rest. Then clean and feed. I avoid lifting bales of hay and use a furniture dolly instead but I still carry feed sacks on my shoulder one at a time.

If you hurt too badly or become overly fatigued rest. Finish the task tomorrow if it's a large task like cleaning a coop. I don't keep as many as you do, so I have less to maintain. I have serama, which are manageable for me, and keep them inside. I can work with them pretty much anytime. I do have a small outside flock of bantam cochins and I clean the pen on nice days and try to stay hydrated. Don't kneel, sit on a stool- I get stuck down there!

You belong here kid if you do not mind being called that your pain is real and so are the physical issues .. Welcome sit a spell