Just spent 2 days in the ER. Went through X-rays, CT scans, 2 docs and other specialists.
left with the required treatments and follow up care.

And after it all the one thing I didnt have to worry about, was paying for it all. I walked in and out not having to pay, or make paying any part of my treatment seeking decision.Despite not having any health care insurance.

Hope you are okay and on the mend

Yeah. Just came off second best in a disagreement with a cow. Got her horn boss fair in the sternum. Couple of broken ribs Complicated by a pre existing bad cough from the flu. Anyone ever tried coughing with broken ribs and damaged sternum? So went in to get something to reduce the coughing/pain and their first choice crashed my BP. Not really their fault as its the first time in my life ive ever used painkillers, so no one had any idea id react.

i've been tossed by cattled, but not gored... enough to break the skin .. but i hear you on coughing and broken ribs.. post-atv wreck .. yeah, not fun...

aleve/naproxin is your friend

Hope you make a swift recovery Shanks, doing anything physical with broken ribs is no fun.

I don't think any country has a perfect health care system, but it's good to know it's there when you need it.

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
i've been tossed by cattled, but not gored... enough to break the skin .. but i hear you on coughing and broken ribs.. post-atv wreck .. yeah, not fun...

aleve/naproxin is your friend

Naproxen is great, but make sure you take it with the acidity regulator /food. My mother in law was with us for 2 months last Christmas and taking it with inadequate acidity reducer (can't recall the name of it but it began with an O) almost killed her.

quote:

Originally posted by nute:
Hope you make a swift recovery Shanks, doing anything physical with broken ribs is no fun.

I don't think any country has a perfect health care system, but it's good to know it's there when you need it.

absolutely. My thoughts on it are that free healthcare should be something all sides of the political spectrum should be able to see the benefits of.

As far as medicines go, Ive just had my first introduction to Morphine, and Its great! For me anyway. quite a revelation to be able to consciously recognise when it starts kicking in.
A real step up from paracetamol and Ibuprofen, which is all Ive ever used in the past.

good luck for the recovery but yes for sure always a relief to not have to worry for the bills piling up a each step.

Domestic cattle can fuck you up good when they want to!
Had the cattle truck at the farm to load a bull that had turned ugly. Big guy, about a ton. He was running with the other cattle and wouldnt go into the barn to the load chute.
I took my eye off him to yell to my brother to come around. He was watching, pinned me against the bunched up herd and pounded on me. Broken eye socket, cracked skull, peeled my right eyebrow and part of my cheek up onto the top of my head. I came to, upside down between the bodies of the herd ,where he tossed me thinking, wow, look at all that blood on the snow!
I cant take painkillers, violently sick if I do, so the plastic surgeon said " this will be interesting" He spent a few hours sewing my face in place with local numbing.
I listened to the nurses saying " oh wow, I wondered how you were going to attach that piece"
Ice and aspirin for the rest, and not turning my head real fast for a long time!

Ouch! that's bad.

For me it was an interesting experience taking Tramadol for the first time. I could feel it working and told my partner that oh wow, this is brilliant! then like a snap of the fingers I realised I was going to pass out, and I just made my way straight too a bed to lay down.

My previous attitude to painkillers has been that if I can avoid them I will. Not because I think they are bad, but because I know the pressures of my job will lead to me doing to much too soon if my body isn't telling me where the limit is. An potentially doing more harm or delaying healing.
It might be a silly attitude? Im not sure. but on this occasion the coughing made me decide to put that opinion aside.

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:

quote:

Originally posted by nute:
Hope you make a swift recovery Shanks, doing anything physical with broken ribs is no fun.

I don't think any country has a perfect health care system, but it's good to know it's there when you need it.

absolutely. My thoughts on it are that free healthcare should be something all sides of the political spectrum should be able to see the benefits of.

As far as medicines go, Ive just had my first introduction to Morphine, and Its great! For me anyway. quite a revelation to be able to consciously recognise when it starts kicking in.
A real step up from paracetamol and Ibuprofen, which is all Ive ever used in the past.

An ER visit with that kind of diagnostics and follow up probably would have resulted in a bill north of $15,000 to $20,000 in the United States. Way more if there had been a trauma activation due to the nature of your injuries.

Glad you're well and you're getting the treatment you need.

I had morphine once. Man, it is a wonderful drug in terms of pain alleviation. Made me understand why people can get addicted. All seems well with the world under the influence. They gave me Tylenol 3 with codeine after my emergency appendectomy and a surgery I had on my broken ankle. Another wonderful drug that seems to solve all problems. You just float happily and all seems well.

My surgeon gave me ten after my ankle surgery. I asked for more at my first follow-up but he just smiled and declined.

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
Domestic cattle can fuck you up good when they want to!
Had the cattle truck at the farm to load a bull that had turned ugly. Big guy, about a ton. He was running with the other cattle and wouldnt go into the barn to the load chute.
I took my eye off him to yell to my brother to come around. He was watching, pinned me against the bunched up herd and pounded on me. Broken eye socket, cracked skull, peeled my right eyebrow and part of my cheek up onto the top of my head. I came to, upside down between the bodies of the herd ,where he tossed me thinking, wow, look at all that blood on the snow!
I cant take painkillers, violently sick if I do, so the plastic surgeon said " this will be interesting" He spent a few hours sewing my face in place with local numbing.
I listened to the nurses saying " oh wow, I wondered how you were going to attach that piece"
Ice and aspirin for the rest, and not turning my head real fast for a long time!

Jesus, tony -- i just got headbutted, pushed up against the gate, and tossed .. it took arabian fillies to crack my eye socket - and a concussion ..

My brother said, " you were up in the air, back down, up in the air, back down. Up in the air flying over the cattle's backs" He said, 'I thought yup he's dead, broke his neck"
Almost -20 that morning, so the blood froze up pretty quick.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:

quote:

Originally posted by nute:
Hope you make a swift recovery Shanks, doing anything physical with broken ribs is no fun.

I don't think any country has a perfect health care system, but it's good to know it's there when you need it.

absolutely. My thoughts on it are that free healthcare should be something all sides of the political spectrum should be able to see the benefits of.

As far as medicines go, Ive just had my first introduction to Morphine, and Its great! For me anyway. quite a revelation to be able to consciously recognise when it starts kicking in.
A real step up from paracetamol and Ibuprofen, which is all Ive ever used in the past.

An ER visit with that kind of diagnostics and follow up probably would have resulted in a bill north of $15,000 to $20,000 in the United States. Way more if there had been a trauma activation due to the nature of your injuries.

Glad you're well and you're getting the treatment you need.

I had morphine once. Man, it is a wonderful drug in terms of pain alleviation. Made me understand why people can get addicted. All seems well with the world under the influence. They gave me Tylenol 3 with codeine after my emergency appendectomy and a surgery I had on my broken ankle. Another wonderful drug that seems to solve all problems. You just float happily and all seems well.

My surgeon gave me ten after my ankle surgery. I asked for more at my first follow-up but he just smiled and declined.

yeah, that was my thoughts when I counted up the equipment, staff and machinery time id used. because of where my injuries were, they were a little worried about internal bleeding. I just came out thinking by crikey we are lucky we have this system.
to be fair, I already knew that and dont begrudge my taxes and levies that go to this. But kind of like a prayer at dinner, I felt it a good time to give thanks and say what I was thinking.

Ouch, guys! Those are some serious hits taken for sure. Is why I have never had cattle. Sheep are bad enough. I just sawed a ram out of a fence panel he got a horn caught in. I was pretty worried I'd end up with a broken arm with his struggling. Neither of us were really injured in the end. My left forearm is all bruised up and he shredded one of his ears a bit.

US isn't always bad for medical. One year ago my left knee was replaced at $0 cost to me. That included all the before and after PT, everything.

In January I had an e-stim implanted in my spine for the same $0.

Yes, I have good medical plans and worked very hard for them in life. I'd be in big trouble if I didn't, there are more fixes down the road for me in the near future.

Getting old stinks.

But for Medicare, after a cardiac bypass I'd be back where I was 50 years ago financially.
I no longer begrudge those taxes. Bernie might be right about extending it.
If that heart attack had come three years earlier...

Uncle Sam picked up the tab for bullet holes and shrapnel.
My expensive insurance covered the bull and a hollow tree that kicked back when cut. That broke a rib and punctured a lung. Was not as bad as it sounds, I walked out of the woods and flagged a car who took me to the hospital. I went home late that same night.
Jeffe, the arabian fillies, were you talking horses,
or some of Saeeds old girlfriends?

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
Uncle Sam picked up the tab for bullet holes and shrapnel.
My expensive insurance covered the bull and a hollow tree that kicked back when cut. That broke a rib and punctured a lung. Was not as bad as it sounds, I walked out of the woods and flagged a car who took me to the hospital. I went home late that same night.
Jeffe, the arabian fillies, were you talking horses,
or some of Saeeds old girlfriends?

horses, though, from a desert bred sire --

one fillie had been shot with a bbgun from some libbie twerp, her head popped up, as i was feeding her, and hit me under the right eye, across to my nose -- i couldn't see out of my right eye .. went to ER, xrays should i was cracked from my right cheek to the bottom of my forehead ... great big bole harry potter looking crack ...

i wouldn't have minded any of saeed's ex's -- he was in houston at the time .. good LORD houston was hoppin in the 80s

as for the bull calf... dad handed me an open brass hoop and told me to ring the bull ... if dad told me to do a thing, i would die trying .. i was covered in blood, snot, and tears ... and some of it wasn't mine.. i was 7, dad told me to do a thing, and i friggin did it

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
My brother said, " you were up in the air, back down, up in the air, back down. Up in the air flying over the cattle's backs" He said, 'I thought yup he's dead, broke his neck"
Almost -20 that morning, so the blood froze up pretty quick.

along will come a libbie, comparing a paper cut.. i am talking to you, little jimmy

I had to snicker thinking of that one.
When you are 7, and dad challenges you to do something... it's do or die trying!

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
I had to snicker thinking of that one.
When you are 7, and dad challenges you to do something... it's do or die trying!

do or die.. the only question is do a get a FULL box of 22lr or just a thing?
dad expect me to DIE if i couldn't do a thing .. and there's "men" posting here that don't understand

I grew up a bit different. My brother and I did our school years in the city, But all our cousins were farm kids and we took some abuse for it. City sooks etc. so we had a point to prove. Like it or not there just isn't the place in towns to test yourself or learn some of the skills and toughness that farm kids do. But at 11 and 13 respectively we got the chance when our parents bought their first farm, and never looked back. Now yep I was a bit soft. but understandably I think. To be 13 and have to stand in front of a charging steer when you've never seen that before was an experience I failed first up. But we soon caught up and learnt.
country kids get such an advantage in some things, like learning to work and in the company of adults and seeing how they handle situations.

Shanks,
that's the point .. we ALL failed, at first at bat... every one of us .. but, the difference between a city and country kid is that the later tries AGAIN ....

and the bruise/blood that would "kill" a city kid is like normal in the day of a farm kid

and if i could get the old man to buy an entire box of endless wealth, aka, box of 22s, i would do ANYTHING

did you get given a box of 22 ammo knowing you were expected to come home and justify where every shot went? man if I wasted ammo I was in for it.

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:
did you get given a box of 22 ammo knowing you were expected to come home and justify where every shot went? man if I wasted ammo I was in for it.

First time I went rabbit hunting with my outlaws, they all had shottys, and I brought a 22 bolt action. They were all snide about it.. I merely stated that if *i* were ever dumb enough to spend a whole 12 cents for a 12ga, vs 1/2 cent for a 22 and not being home at least a brace of rabbits, dad would have me

To tie all that back too health. When in my teenage years I had an allowance. I went to a boarding school very loosely described as similar to one that might be set up for an Indian reservation. Everyone around me smoked.
I didn't smoke because it was more important to me to buy ammunition so I could hunt on the weekends when home.

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:
Just spent 2 days in the ER. Went through X-rays, CT scans, 2 docs and other specialists.
left with the required treatments and follow up care.

And after it all the one thing I didnt have to worry about, was paying for it all. I walked in and out not having to pay, or make paying any part of my treatment seeking decision.Despite not having any health care insurance.

Glad you are ok!

Standard treatment here for all citizens.

And if a specialist is required overseas the government pays all your travel and treatment abroad!

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
Domestic cattle can fuck you up good when they want to!
Had the cattle truck at the farm to load a bull that had turned ugly. Big guy, about a ton. He was running with the other cattle and wouldnt go into the barn to the load chute.
I took my eye off him to yell to my brother to come around. He was watching, pinned me against the bunched up herd and pounded on me. Broken eye socket, cracked skull, peeled my right eyebrow and part of my cheek up onto the top of my head. I came to, upside down between the bodies of the herd ,where he tossed me thinking, wow, look at all that blood on the snow!
I cant take painkillers, violently sick if I do, so the plastic surgeon said " this will be interesting" He spent a few hours sewing my face in place with local numbing.
I listened to the nurses saying " oh wow, I wondered how you were going to attach that piece"
Ice and aspirin for the rest, and not turning my head real fast for a long time!

Jeez that's horrific. You are lucky you are still upright and walking about.

I worked on farms weekends and school holidays when I was a kid, cows always made me very nervous, bloody things seem to be able to kick out in any direction. Thankfully the guy I worked for didn't have very many, mainly sheep and arable.

Never been so knackered as a kid as after a days baling.

We are all arable. Been wishing for rain for the last month and now it's too late to do any good and we want it dry it won't bloody stop raining.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:
Just spent 2 days in the ER. Went through X-rays, CT scans, 2 docs and other specialists.
left with the required treatments and follow up care.

And after it all the one thing I didnt have to worry about, was paying for it all. I walked in and out not having to pay, or make paying any part of my treatment seeking decision.Despite not having any health care insurance.

Glad you are ok!

Standard treatment here for all citizens.

And if a specialist is required overseas the government pays all your travel and treatment abroad!

Yeah it doesn't surprise me that you have a good health system.
Whats it like for workers on a visa? Here they get full er related treatment and ordinary doctors visits free, but need insurance for health related issues like cancer.

quote:

Originally posted by nute:

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
Domestic cattle can fuck you up good when they want to!
Had the cattle truck at the farm to load a bull that had turned ugly. Big guy, about a ton. He was running with the other cattle and wouldnt go into the barn to the load chute.
I took my eye off him to yell to my brother to come around. He was watching, pinned me against the bunched up herd and pounded on me. Broken eye socket, cracked skull, peeled my right eyebrow and part of my cheek up onto the top of my head. I came to, upside down between the bodies of the herd ,where he tossed me thinking, wow, look at all that blood on the snow!
I cant take painkillers, violently sick if I do, so the plastic surgeon said " this will be interesting" He spent a few hours sewing my face in place with local numbing.
I listened to the nurses saying " oh wow, I wondered how you were going to attach that piece"
Ice and aspirin for the rest, and not turning my head real fast for a long time!

Jeez that's horrific. You are lucky you are still upright and walking about.

I worked on farms weekends and school holidays when I was a kid, cows always made me very nervous, bloody things seem to be able to kick out in any direction. Thankfully the guy I worked for didn't have very many, mainly sheep and arable.

Never been so knackered as a kid as after a days baling.

We are all arable. Been wishing for rain for the last month and now it's too late to do any good and we want it dry it won't bloody stop raining.

One of the best shows in the world that showcases farming and the issues and bureaucratic headaches that have to be dealt with is Clarkson's farm. It's so bloody relevant to here too. The weather issues the Uk is currently dealing with is a nightmare!

quote:

Originally posted by nute:
..Never been so knackered as a kid as after a days baling.

Man, back in the day, we used a long day of baling to break the tough guy studs.

In HS, i worked part time and a good part of the summers at an Arabian horse farm... the owner was a tiny little thing that looked like Erin Grey.. her kids would bring their friends over to work, and she would show them how to toss a bale... 5'3 100# soaking wet, and would just effortlessly toss bales... and young studly wouldn't pay attention to her technique.. they figured thet could just muscle through it. Which works, for a half a dozen bales ... oh, look, all your fast twitch muscles are played out... go sit in the truck ac, have a coke, and she will show you how to do it.

And don't get me started on tender hands and no gloves

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:

quote:

Originally posted by nute:

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
Domestic cattle can fuck you up good when they want to!
Had the cattle truck at the farm to load a bull that had turned ugly. Big guy, about a ton. He was running with the other cattle and wouldnt go into the barn to the load chute.
I took my eye off him to yell to my brother to come around. He was watching, pinned me against the bunched up herd and pounded on me. Broken eye socket, cracked skull, peeled my right eyebrow and part of my cheek up onto the top of my head. I came to, upside down between the bodies of the herd ,where he tossed me thinking, wow, look at all that blood on the snow!
I cant take painkillers, violently sick if I do, so the plastic surgeon said " this will be interesting" He spent a few hours sewing my face in place with local numbing.
I listened to the nurses saying " oh wow, I wondered how you were going to attach that piece"
Ice and aspirin for the rest, and not turning my head real fast for a long time!

Jeez that's horrific. You are lucky you are still upright and walking about.

I worked on farms weekends and school holidays when I was a kid, cows always made me very nervous, bloody things seem to be able to kick out in any direction. Thankfully the guy I worked for didn't have very many, mainly sheep and arable.

Never been so knackered as a kid as after a days baling.

We are all arable. Been wishing for rain for the last month and now it's too late to do any good and we want it dry it won't bloody stop raining.

One of the best shows in the world that showcases farming and the issues and bureaucratic headaches that have to be dealt with is Clarkson's farm. It's so bloody relevant to here too. The weather issues the Uk is currently dealing with is a nightmare!

It's good isn't it. Obviously it's edited to produce a good show but the underlying issues are spot on. Clarkson has done a lot for the plight of farmers here although it's an uphill struggle with the current government.

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:

quote:

Originally posted by nute:
..Never been so knackered as a kid as after a days baling.

Man, back in the day, we used a long day of baling to break the tough guy studs.

In HS, i worked part time and a good part of the summers at an Arabian horse farm... the owner was a tiny little thing that looked like Erin Grey.. her kids would bring their friends over to work, and she would show them how to toss a bale... 5'3 100# soaking wet, and would just effortlessly toss bales... and young studly wouldn't pay attention to her technique.. they figured thet could just muscle through it. Which works, for a half a dozen bales ... oh, look, all your fast twitch muscles are played out... go sit in the truck ac, have a coke, and she will show you how to do it.

And don't get me started on tender hands and no gloves

Lol, I'd forgotten about the blisters

Clarkson farm. You know, I think he's actually grown as a human being during his farming.

I know he has a team of writers to help setup "what is the next foolish thing he will do" leveraging his buffoon persona, but I like the show. And "free" with Amazon prime... well, the entertainment value helps offset my wife's Amazon addiction

Kaleb is precious... other than the one whacky haircut, he's been salt of the earth.

But the ups, downs, trials, and failures to make acreage make money, especially with his money backing it.

And the village elders... well, he doesn't make any friends there,

And I know, the reality is that he's a gentlemen farmer /hobbyist, but he is causing positive change

And Lisa is a hoot

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:
Just spent 2 days in the ER. Went through X-rays, CT scans, 2 docs and other specialists.
left with the required treatments and follow up care.

And after it all the one thing I didnt have to worry about, was paying for it all. I walked in and out not having to pay, or make paying any part of my treatment seeking decision.Despite not having any health care insurance.

Glad you are ok!

Standard treatment here for all citizens.

And if a specialist is required overseas the government pays all your travel and treatment abroad!

Yeah it doesn't surprise me that you have a good health system.
Whats it like for workers on a visa? Here they get full er related treatment and ordinary doctors visits free, but need insurance for health related issues like cancer.

When my MIL was here she was haemorrhaging blood all over the bathroom floor, ambulance at 3am, blood haemoglobin down to 70 something from all the internal bleeding, the hospital got her stabilised, assorted scans and cameras to find out what was happening, blood transfusion and all that was not charged for.

She was told that her further stay in hospital (5 days), continuing care/ tests / treatment/ medication then home visits by nurses and GP would be charged for as she is not a UK citizen.

From going from seriously not knowing if she would survive the night she eventually got back to the point where she was told she could fly & she was accompanied back home by my wife. The NHS bill was a fraction of what it would have been in the US but she just refused to pay it and went home.

All caused by the medication she was prescribed in FL.

It's what reality TV should be. Entertaining but with enough truth to connect and highlighting social and cultural issues.

I emphasise with him greatly as before covid my partner and I built an organic butchery and bakery with a cafe, out of an on farm sheep shearing shed. The planners designated where our wheel chair access should be and it cost us 10 grand to put in. Only to find it was a meter over allowable length and we hadn't put in a halfway flat area for them to rest because of that. In the end we had to redesign driveway layout so that they could drive up and park near front door.
every one of the few disabled persons that ever came just used the path...

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
Clarkson farm. You know, I think he's actually grown as a human being during his farming.

I know he has a team of writers to help setup "what is the next foolish thing he will do" leveraging his buffoon persona, but I like the show. And "free" with Amazon prime... well, the entertainment value helps offset my wife's Amazon addiction

Kaleb is precious... other than the one whacky haircut, he's been salt of the earth.

But the ups, downs, trials, and failures to make acreage make money, especially with his money backing it.

And the village elders... well, he doesn't make any friends there,

And I know, the reality is that he's a gentlemen farmer /hobbyist, but he is causing positive change

And Lisa is a hoot

The area he is in is quite affluent, there are a lot of well off people who have moved there because it's a very picturesque place, lots probably commute to the city ... and those are the people who will be annoyed by the traffic his shop creates and the other moans.

I'd be willing to bet that most local farmers near him support what he is doing and his fights with the petty local govt attitudes.

You are dead right in that a lot of it is scripted and edited but most of the problems he highlights are spot on.

Im hoping the focus remains on his farming rather than the pub he opened going forward.

On the pub, i once had dreams of being a bar owner. I was very young, and a local joint called Dimes was offered, at a great terms. However, the owner said I had to live the life a bar owner for a week, and if I could stand it, a month. He said "you put it to bed every night, and wake it up every morning. The money is always tight, and there is always the next thing. Having owned a painting and construction company, and the perils of employees, I figured it would be a snap. I made it the week, thanked him for the experience, and hard pass on buying it. There is always the next thing, vomit, fights, complaints, staffing, and the fact that owning a bar attracts a certain clientele.. and that forever goes down scale.

Then my brother wanted to buy a bar... I told him I would invest but not run it.. and did... made a little bit back, and, per schedule, 2 years later, he sold it to the next chump.

All that because I like lone star and Guinness on tap and to play darts.

I also hope its major focus is on farming and farm life

Good for you Nute for throwing bales!
I like that.
We dont do as many as we used to. Maybe 7-8,000.
More is chopped into grass silage. As a kid we would do 18-20,000 bales. We might put in 1500 as fast as we could in a good day. Stacking in the barn near the roof would peg out a thermometer at 120 F.
Then, we would hurry to the farms with daughters, to help and compete with the other boys that showed up, to impress the girls with our throwing abilities. I hadnt thought about those days in a long time.
As far as injuries go, I simply see them as part of my life work choices.
I never used to tell my mom what I was doing.
One time I caught a bullet at the base of my neck/ collarbone area. Snuck in just above my body armor.
She saw the holes in my hide when I was home on next leave.
mom being mom, saw it and said " I thought I told you to be careful over there" She was still alive when the bull got me a few years ago. She called the next day to scold me. " aren't you getting a little old to be doing those things" was her comment. I had to explain it wasnt my choice!
Close calls in life are simply that. It doesnt get closer after it has happened, so why worry about it.

I tend to agree. In no where near on the same level of risk as a soldier in active war, if you enjoy a job you accept the risks, and while you try to minimise them. They are there and part of it. The perceived benefits of the lifestyle you choose outweighs the risk.