August just doesn't seem to be my family's month. I am not usually willing to share so much private, personal matters online, but I am overwhelmed and I need help.
To begin my story we will go back two year ago to August 14th, 2011. I had went to bed the night before with a headache, when I woke up (first day of school in Johnson County) I told my husband I think I am loosing my vision. He kinda brushed it off, because I have had migraines for years. I told him he would have to take the kids to school and I went to the ER. To make a long story short that was the day my families life changed because that was the day I knew I had Multiple Sclerosis. As the past two years have went by I have learned to adjust with being blind in one eye and visually impaired in the other, along with so many other things I won't list them all. I have always loved crafts and art of any kind. I worked for years at a Scrapbook Store, I am a photographer, I always volunteered to do everything from making cards for our soldiers with the elementary president's club, to volunteering accepting donations and packing meals for local charities. I have always loved Olathe and am very proud to live here.
As my disease has progressed my husband noticed I was getting depressed. I couldn't take pictures like I use to, see to do crafts, or have the energy to even go for walks with my family. He had been trying to get us all onto the eat local, all organic train as I call it for a while. One day he mentioned he would like to get back yard hens. I laughed because my husband just isn't someone I could see raising hens. I did some research and I was sold. So my family and I, plus my neighbor/friend all went and picked out 6 chicks. We absolutely fell in love with these girls. My husband knew all along that it these little chickens would help our family. We talkedso much about chickens I am sure people got sick of hearing it and seeing the pictures on Facebook. We were just amazed how smart they were. Once we moved them outside to their coop, all the girls would go in besides Sunflower she is the leader. She would fly up on the banister of our deck and wait until my husband would pick her up and cuddle her for a bit. Then he tucks her into the coop for the night. We starting calling them therapy chickens because they really help reduce stress for me, and has given me a new hobby and something to look forward sharing with my family.
Life with the chickens had been going well until last Saturday, when animal control showed up. Someone had called about concerns with my Lab mix named Buddy whom is around 10 years old. I couldn't blame anyone for being concerned about Buddy's welfare if the roles had been reversed I would be concerned, although I would have just asked about it. I can were someone wouldn't feel comfortable doing that. See Buddy has been sick for a while now. He has severe allergies and my daughter and I told my husband he looked horrible we should consider having him put to sleep. My husband wouldn't consider it. He is in denial about Buddy like he was in denial about Jerri our hen who turned out to be a rooster and we gave to a friend with a farm. So now we are left with 5 hens. I showed the animal control officer all the medical records, medicines, emails from our vet everything we have tried. He met Buddy and he said he could tell he wasn't abused just in bad shape health wise and he offered some suggestions that we are trying. He said he would have to turn in that we didn't have a permit for our chickens. I then explained to him that we were told when I called the city before even purchasing the chicks. That they said as long as your neighbors didn't complain not to worry, and even if something was to happen they wouldn't come take your chickens away, they would give you time to get a permit. Today, we received a certified letter saying we had to get rid of our 5 little girls, or pay $500. This is lovely news. School is starting this week and I really wasn't planning on spending $500 for a fine. Plus, I am not someone who breaks rules. I asked the city before getting them. A week isn't giving me much time to get a permit. We have to pay $300 and some just to hopefully get a permit and that isn't guaranteed. Plus we need to have a hearing, send out letters. All this is very stressful and not something my family needs to be dealing with right now. Not only do we have to worry about the thought of loosing our girls, but the doctors just told me they don't think I have MS, I would be overjoyed if it really was good news but it isn't. They think I have NMO, also known as Devic's disease. I was having a spinal MRI right before receiving this news. I have had tons of test done this week, and I am scheduled for many more. I will probably be on Solumedrol for 3-5 days or a Plasma Exchange within the next few weeks. So a hearing really is going to be hard for me, plus all I end up doing is crying like an insane lady and I just can't help it. It breaks my heart thinking about loosing them because to us they are much more than just chickens. I hope and pray our neighbors will help support us in this. We have really tried to be respectful we don't put the tractor anywhere close to their property and if they ever decide to lay a egg. We would love to share them. I am starting to wonder if they will lay and egg. LOL! August was suppose to be the month and we had been looking forward to it, but now we may never get to share in that moment. If anyone has any suggestions or advice that will help we would appreciate it. Stress doesn't do good things for people with Autoimmune diseases and right now I am beyond stressed.
To begin my story we will go back two year ago to August 14th, 2011. I had went to bed the night before with a headache, when I woke up (first day of school in Johnson County) I told my husband I think I am loosing my vision. He kinda brushed it off, because I have had migraines for years. I told him he would have to take the kids to school and I went to the ER. To make a long story short that was the day my families life changed because that was the day I knew I had Multiple Sclerosis. As the past two years have went by I have learned to adjust with being blind in one eye and visually impaired in the other, along with so many other things I won't list them all. I have always loved crafts and art of any kind. I worked for years at a Scrapbook Store, I am a photographer, I always volunteered to do everything from making cards for our soldiers with the elementary president's club, to volunteering accepting donations and packing meals for local charities. I have always loved Olathe and am very proud to live here.
As my disease has progressed my husband noticed I was getting depressed. I couldn't take pictures like I use to, see to do crafts, or have the energy to even go for walks with my family. He had been trying to get us all onto the eat local, all organic train as I call it for a while. One day he mentioned he would like to get back yard hens. I laughed because my husband just isn't someone I could see raising hens. I did some research and I was sold. So my family and I, plus my neighbor/friend all went and picked out 6 chicks. We absolutely fell in love with these girls. My husband knew all along that it these little chickens would help our family. We talkedso much about chickens I am sure people got sick of hearing it and seeing the pictures on Facebook. We were just amazed how smart they were. Once we moved them outside to their coop, all the girls would go in besides Sunflower she is the leader. She would fly up on the banister of our deck and wait until my husband would pick her up and cuddle her for a bit. Then he tucks her into the coop for the night. We starting calling them therapy chickens because they really help reduce stress for me, and has given me a new hobby and something to look forward sharing with my family.
Life with the chickens had been going well until last Saturday, when animal control showed up. Someone had called about concerns with my Lab mix named Buddy whom is around 10 years old. I couldn't blame anyone for being concerned about Buddy's welfare if the roles had been reversed I would be concerned, although I would have just asked about it. I can were someone wouldn't feel comfortable doing that. See Buddy has been sick for a while now. He has severe allergies and my daughter and I told my husband he looked horrible we should consider having him put to sleep. My husband wouldn't consider it. He is in denial about Buddy like he was in denial about Jerri our hen who turned out to be a rooster and we gave to a friend with a farm. So now we are left with 5 hens. I showed the animal control officer all the medical records, medicines, emails from our vet everything we have tried. He met Buddy and he said he could tell he wasn't abused just in bad shape health wise and he offered some suggestions that we are trying. He said he would have to turn in that we didn't have a permit for our chickens. I then explained to him that we were told when I called the city before even purchasing the chicks. That they said as long as your neighbors didn't complain not to worry, and even if something was to happen they wouldn't come take your chickens away, they would give you time to get a permit. Today, we received a certified letter saying we had to get rid of our 5 little girls, or pay $500. This is lovely news. School is starting this week and I really wasn't planning on spending $500 for a fine. Plus, I am not someone who breaks rules. I asked the city before getting them. A week isn't giving me much time to get a permit. We have to pay $300 and some just to hopefully get a permit and that isn't guaranteed. Plus we need to have a hearing, send out letters. All this is very stressful and not something my family needs to be dealing with right now. Not only do we have to worry about the thought of loosing our girls, but the doctors just told me they don't think I have MS, I would be overjoyed if it really was good news but it isn't. They think I have NMO, also known as Devic's disease. I was having a spinal MRI right before receiving this news. I have had tons of test done this week, and I am scheduled for many more. I will probably be on Solumedrol for 3-5 days or a Plasma Exchange within the next few weeks. So a hearing really is going to be hard for me, plus all I end up doing is crying like an insane lady and I just can't help it. It breaks my heart thinking about loosing them because to us they are much more than just chickens. I hope and pray our neighbors will help support us in this. We have really tried to be respectful we don't put the tractor anywhere close to their property and if they ever decide to lay a egg. We would love to share them. I am starting to wonder if they will lay and egg. LOL! August was suppose to be the month and we had been looking forward to it, but now we may never get to share in that moment. If anyone has any suggestions or advice that will help we would appreciate it. Stress doesn't do good things for people with Autoimmune diseases and right now I am beyond stressed.
