Am I getting old, falling apart, or a sad combination of both? My vacation with my daughters involved a trans-Atlantic flight, which resulted in horrible jet lag in both directions. When we lived in Hawaii, we had lots of long flights, and this was my third trip to Europe, but I have never really experienced jet lag that upset my digestive system so much from one end to the other that I thought I was truly sick. That was going to Europe. The return trip just left me exhausted and not sleeping right for about four days. At first I thought it was because I was getting older, but now I wonder if it's because I'm just not as healthy as usual.
Speaking of health ... a couple of people remembered that I had a doctor's appointment on Monday and asked how it went. Well, it wasn't what I'd hoped for. I learned that in addition to this one particular thyroid nodule going through a growth spurt, it is also oddly shaped (not like a lovely round cyst) and it has a blood supply, which would be quite odd for a normal cyst. So, I'll be having a biopsy on February 11. The earliest appointment they had available was February 5, which is when I have six goats due, so I counted forward to day 150 for the last two goats, and that is the eleventh, and the little darlings had better give birth by then! And unfortunately I won't even have any answers until my follow-up doctor's appointment on February 17. It is a frustratingly long time to wait, especially when this lump in my throat makes its presence known to me 24/7.
Katy
In the first couple of weeks after bringing Katy home from U of I, she was making steady progress, which was really exciting. Those of you who follow Antiquity Oaks on Facebook saw the regular updates! I was like the mother of a toddler, reporting every little thing. And almost every day was better than the day before, with her being able to stand for longer periods of time, to take a step or two and after a few weeks, to even stand on her own. Unfortunately, she hasn't improved much at all in the past three weeks.
She can sometimes stand up on her own, but it's obvious she doesn't have full feeling in her back legs, as they are not always placed logically, whether she is standing or taking a few steps. It is ridiculously easy for her to be knocked down. If her cria gets excited and bumps up against her, she is knocked off balance and sitting like a dog within seconds. At least it only takes one person to help her get up now, as she just needs a little boost under her back end to help her to her feet. But I am beginning to doubt if she will ever be able to live a normal llama life again. Her career as a livestock guardian appears to be over.
Windy
Windy doesn't seem terribly improved over the last few weeks either. She still doesn't hold her body straight and can't run straight. She had been in a breeding pen for a month when she got sick, so at this point, I am just hoping that she is not pregnant. The uterus is a muscle, and there is no predicting whether it would be able to function properly to expel babies.
The rest of the animals on the farm are doing well, and our first goats are due to kid around January 29, so life is about to get especially busy around here! I'm planning my spring garden and resisting the urge to order more chicks!
