If You got hurt ?

[ECIN]

Do you have a plan ??  Good morning everybody - Thought I would pass along a deal that happened to me this past season - I was greasing up the Kinze one morning - As I was backing out - between the row units ( I had it in transport position ) I hit my left elbow on a spike closing wheel - it hurt bad enough - I couldn't say anything - I sat down a second - J. was there and said dam - that looked like it hurt - I just nodded it did - J. then asked are you OK - which I nodded yes - I did look at it in the mirror of my pickup - just a small red dot - not even bleeding - I worked it off - then the next morning - it was swollen the size of a tennis ball - right on my elbow - that a hard time moving it - any - but cowboy'd up and planted - then the first rainy day -Went to the Doc - which sent me the same day to a Orthopedic Doctor - which I had seen before on my knee - He drained it - and shoot some meds into it - it held for one month - then it went crazy again = tennis ball size - it made me feel bad all over - Bad to the Doc again - he said what I had did was ruptured my Bursa sac in my elbow - it would just take time and it would be OK - So they drained it again - along with more meds this lasted only one week !  Back to the Doc - said this was it - one more try to see if it would work - maybe have to do surgery ! 

The Bursa is a sac that holds fuild - to make your elbow move smoothly - and my body was sinceing a low level of fuild - it was leaking out of the sac and thats what was causeing the swelling = fuild - What they were consider about it would blow a hole threw my skin on my elbow - as natural has its own way to do things . My body was working over time to make it - thats why I felt so bad some days - I had to make myself go out to do anything !

Well By this time - it was the last of July - Went to see Doc = Doc just shook his head and said - be at the surgery center at 8 am Aug 3rd - I about had the big one over that on ! Well surgery went very well and 10 days latter they cleared me back to - light dudy work - I had not felt this good since early spring ! The 2 days latter - My elbow - from fliud build up blew a hole threw my skin and drained itself - Back to the Doc - they rerapped it up and said come back in a week - wel it was getting better - but harvest is getting closer - I had to put off getting things ready to go . Went back to Doc -and he said He thought I should go back in the Surgery room and clean it out and then stiche it back up - it would heal a lot quicker - I was for that ! BUT the stiches pulled out after only 3 days ! the skin on your elbow is the thinest on you .  This made it even worse !!!!  Long short short - they restiched it 3 times - my are and elbow all rapped up , since Aug 3rd ! I could not lift over 4 pounds with it - I could only drive with it - as I could not bend it any !

I was behind as he11 - things close to go - What to do ?? Well My guys that help me threw harvest baled ole Ken out - as in BIG time !  There was so many things that only I did , But as I supervised them they picked it up pretty good - they have helped in harvest 13 - 14 years so know the game , in general .

As of today - It is still rapped up lightly - but healing very well - I think ! Doc seems to think by the end of the month - ( Nov) I will be good to go - about time !

The reason I posted this up is what would you do if this happened to you ?? Do you have somebody to bale you out ?  Remember - the only thing I could do was drive and somedays we shut down by 4 or 5 - the hurt was pretty bad - The boys had to do all the climbing - greasing - everything - do you have a plan for this ? I will be honest here - I sure didn't - nothing happens to superman - But this time  - I could not do it - I was just plain ole lucky I had my guys to lean on , I felt bad for them - as I dumped all the extra work on them - while I sit in my lawn chair and told them how to do it -  This winter - you just may take some time and think about what if -

Have a great Sunday my friends

Ken

[BA Deere]

Wow Ken, that sucks something like your injury 9 times out of 10 we walk off and rubb dirt on it and it turns out ok, but this stuff needs to have an eye kept on in case it gets worse.

I threw my back out Halloween day, prior to that I didn`t even know I had a back.  I did tillage and that made it worse in the tractor seat.  Had a 300 mile trip ahead so couldn`t take meds and drive. I got so bad for the first time in my life i went to a Choir-practisor (Chiropactor) by God I think he helped, that and the heated pickup seat I got by. 

Everyone needs a "plan B" in case they get out of commission.  The insurance man always pushes a policy to covers hired help to replace you when you`re healing from an injury.  Maybe that`s something to start looking at, but it`s hard to find hired help too these days.

Hope you heal soon and be careful. 

[ECIN]

BA- I too have had the Insurance people talk to me about the the same thing - I forgot to post up - That I had to hire the lawn mowing out - at 65 bucks a pop - since I could do anything on the farm - I had some small repairs I wanted done on the combine - hired that out - same with the dryer - had to have it checked out , all the added labor - which figured out an extra 4 grand - it go's on and on .

I did go down the bike shope in Shelbyville and buy me  pair of elbow protectors that the kids wear - they worked out pretty good ! Think I will put them on every time I work on the planter next year 

Glad to hear the Rud Doctor worked out for yeah .

[Kay/NC]

So sorry to hear you've been dealing with this, Ken.  I indeed hope you are healed, and have no further issues with this injury. 

You ask about how we'd cope.  Luckily, Mike was done with manure management last year, when the kids took grandson on a Disney cruise in November.  He completely tore his left plantar ligament, loading out feeder pigs, and was in a moon boot for four months.  That was about twice as long as the first visit indicated might be necessary. 

Fortunately, that was the winter for us.  He was miserable, but at least had no regular responsibilities, except for moving bales of hay to the cows with the tractor and loader. 

His podiatrist warned him, upon releasing him, that the next time, it will be surgery, and a much longer recovery.  We have had to remove him from all activties involved in the loading or unloading of animals.  The incline of the chute is evidently too much of a stress on his physiology. 

Does make us wonder sometimes.  Daughter is young and healthy.  This hired guy looks like he means it when he says he wants to work.  Any/all of that can change on a dime. 

My job is pretty much mental.  I say I can do it from a wheelchair...but, what about if I have one of my family's strokes? 

I have done a management binder copy for both Mike and daughter.  If they cannot work from it, they can hire  accounting and administrative help, I am sure.  At least that is a guide, as are my annual tabbed and indexed binders, where I note the main task accomplished that month, and stash photocopies of stuff like the payroll tax submission printouts, tax filings, etc. 

Hopefully, daughter with SIL's capable help, can continue.  If not, perhaps we can lease it out.  If not, we will have to learn to live off of what else we earn.  It's not much, but our small hose in Virginia runs for about $100 per month, on average. If we have to sell stuff, we have to sell stuff.   

[elcheapo]

Egads EC i didn't know of all the fun you were having..........i have seen this hat you wear that will hold two cans

of your favorite beverage, and has a straw connected, gravity will do its thing so you don't have to lift it to

your mouth, if someone will be kind enough to load you in the first place !!!

I understand where you are comming from, we have come close to those problems, really the last couple of years.

the plain answer is......there is no plan, i guess we try to deal with it the best we can.

YES, we should have a provision.....insurance would help.......i have looked at it, but pre-existing conditions

exclude me from coverage.

i guess to an extent you (me) are at the mercy of friends, neighbors and relations.......not at times the most

ideal "back up plan".

some can be overcome with newer equipment.........i grew up with a scoup shovel and a spade.......

i almost say the people now days are spoiled.....or it is not much work anymore.....when drilling

wheat this year, got some new seed, and had a seed tender.......you just start the little honda engine

and in just a few minutes you are done........even a remove control !!!!!!!!!!

I remember crawling in the back of the truck and throwing the wheat in the drill (yes my aim was better then)...then

crawling out of the truck and using an electric fence post to mix in the seed treatment.

The tractor cabs now are soo nice.......i rember when no cabs..........

today, they have agriability.......they can build a little lift for you to stand on, push a button and rasises you up to the

cab door.........now that would be slick some days !!

i guess there are options on grain harvest also, you can get semi's to come to the field now.......expensive, but can

cut out the truck driver if needed.

i guess the option would be to go all custom......and perhaps last resort would be either cash rent or crop share.

EC, you are right.........we need to make plans.......even the man of steel has to worry about kriptonite........

another important aspect of running this "business".

take care and i hope your better soon......and if you need one of those hats.....

i could also maybe include an rx for a pain killer if needed.......it can be filled at any local liquior store.

[ECIN]

Now this is funny - Egads EC i didn't know of all the fun you were having..........i have seen this hat you wear that will hold two cans 

What is funny cheapo - is just a few days ago - I could - for the firt time since just before surgery I could bend my elbow enought to hold a can and get ot close enought to drink from it - with out it running down my chin -

This year has had a lot of first for me -

1. Never unloaded one load of corn or beans - not one ! That is the first time since I was a kid and to little to do it

2. Never greased the combine once .

3. Never cleaned the windows on the combine .

4 Never climbed one bin

5 Could not drive skid loader

6 Hired the combine washed and waxed - thats a first since we owned one -

7 Never drove one load of grain to the bins -

8 And the big one - Had to depend on somebody else to do some of the stuff !

Now on the bin climding - I have a young guy that works nights - he would stop by around 1:30 or 2 to see if I needed anything - his job was to check bins and tell me how full they were getting - ever had somebody that had never done that before TRY and tell you how much was in there ? Lets just say it was not working very well - then one day I had a brain storm - I get these every now and then - I had him use his smart phone and take pictures of the inside - Middle and both sides - then I could see how many rings I had left . That worked pretty slick .

One day - I was sitting in my administrative management chair watching the guys work away - I got to thinking about my dad - he's 87 and can't do much any more on the farm - He whats to but can't - I understand better what hes going threw - I wanted more than anything to help , but couldn't - I'm telling yeah - that is no fun , I told my wife about it and she said I think to much - she may be right -but that game is not for Ken - I think that one day - I will just call a news conference and say fellows its been fun - but time to call it quits - and hang up my hat . Not wait till one day and find out I can't do it -

[rawhide]

Ouch!  I had one of those burse sack deals one time.Guess I was lucky cause they drained it and it never came back. When I grease my kinze I ALWAYS crack my head on something and draw blood. I'm thinkin' class action lawsuit 

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

And you never missed posting for one day!  What a hero!  🙂

It is certainly out of the realm of expectation to have such a small initial situation develop into such a major problem.  I join all t hose hishing and hoping you are recovered.

If it happend to me I'd have to hire the work done and given my age would probably retire at the end of the season.  It is sobering.  Haven't been thinking that way.

[buckfarmer]

It only took one year of asking the kid that was working for me how full the bin was, and getting wrong info. I marked lines every two feet at four points around the inside of the bin.

[Blacksandfarmer]

Glad you are finally starting to feel better ken!