Keep the Funny Farm Keeping On

Hey guys! As embarrassing as this is, at this point all I can do is ask for help right? I have been trying to strum up all the business and just as things start to take a turn for the good my health decides to take a turn for the worst. Pivot, now we can’t travel as much, because I am literally 1/2 of the person I used to be, and some days I stretched myself 2 be 3 people a day, and my body just will not allow it.

Our business overhead never ends. No matter how many parties we do or do not do, or how many fairs or festivals. The past three years I have tried to never say no, and I make a way to make sure our furry friends can make all of those special events around town. As you may have noticed, this summer we have not been out and about as much.

A lot of people on the “petting zoo business” downsize every winter and replenish in the spring. That has never been our style. We love all of our friends at the farm, we have downsized some with reptiles and other small mammals, but most of those were just pit stops with us on their way to their forever homes. My animals are more than a business to me. They are my friends, my “children”, I literally talk to them every day. I couldn’t imagine trying to choose whom makes the cut, but at the same time we can’t skimp on care, feed, medicines, gas, rent, any of the necessities they need. So instead our family has continued to do without, and I have yet to take a pay check. Which was fine because my partner supports my dream and works hard enough for 10 men to make it happen for me. Well, while having to work so hard on his own two businesses it made less time for help opening the new farm. No problem, I will roll up my sleeves and get it done. While clearing brush and old pasture there were a few days ticks were just insane before we moved in. One of my tick bites formed the famous “bullseye” patterns.

Off to the doctor I go, they immediately put me on doxycycline, I’m not sure which of you have had the pleasure, but the antibiotic makes you super sensitive to the sun. At this point I’m working 12 hours a day in it so, fun. I also thought it was making me super sick. Back to the doctor we go for a tick panel, it came back no Lymes! Yayy well I still don’t feel right. I do some research and ask to be tested for alpha gal. We had to ask for the insurance to pay, they weren’t sure how much the test was and finally until putting it off until almost June for testing we opted to pay for testing. Mind you all food is literally making me sick at this point. Everything I normally eat.

Finally we get the test back and yes I have Alpha Gal. Also a high case of it and I’m allergic to ALL of the things. Beef, Lamb and Pork is what they tell you. I wish that was the ease of it for me. I was trying to eat well. Veggie burgers, fruit checking all of the labels. Everything is still making me sick. I cut out ALL animal by products. I’m talking all of my shampoos, deodorants, soaps, detergents. I don’t know if you knew me before but I have ALWAYS been a steak and cheesy potato kind of girl, go with the flow. No more. My entire life has changed.

I have been living with Alpha Gal Syndrome since early May. It is a potentially life threatening allergy that has completely changed my life. My entire diet has been changed and turned upside down. I couldn’t tell you the amount of days since we moved to Berlin that it took everything out of me to just get out of bed because the night before I accidentally at a lick of sour cream and every single muscle and joint hurt because of it, but I was still out there mucking stalls and getting things done, I am so excited to expand my business!

Fast forward to the beginning of this week. Tuesday I go out to the farm and I am just not well. I try to work, and almost pass out and have a constant taste of metal in my mouth. So I ask to be seen by my doctor. He tells me I need to be taking an antihistamine, an antacid and a steroid to try to help me get back on my feet. To follow up with allergists (none in this area have availability until January and aren’t even familiar with alpha gal) and he would consult with some colleagues and follow up soon. We also discuss getting on some vitamins because I’m probably not getting the proper nutrition and should be taking supplements. I head straight to the pharmacy pick up all the things I think are going to help me get through. I even bought an “old lady” pill box, can’t wait to start the day tomorrow hopefully feeling a little better and able to get the daily grind done.

Wake up with the sun, ready to go. Take my morning meds, drop the kids to ME MAW for the day, and head to the barn. I get there and just can’t seem to get to work. Discouraged yet again, because I ate raw foods all day, read all the labels and even took my meds and vitamins. How is something wrong today? (Though when is the last time you really read a food label… yikes!)

I get everyone what they need make my rounds and head back home. I feel like I have hit a wall. I fall asleep early and wake up at 2 to the worst stomach pain I have ever had. I throw up violently for almost 12 hours when there was nothing left and my body sent it out another way.

Before my wonderful researching advocating PA sister demands I go to the ER after she reads I can’t have 90% of medications because of animal by products. The ER sends me away with a stomach bug, but to follow up with my doctor.

After reading between the lines of my “plant based” vitamins I found out they had Gelatin, which I am also extremely allergic to now. Which put me in a form of anaphylaxis for my GO allergy. Had my sister not been there to advocate for me and help me check in I don’t know if I would have had the strength to tell them about my allergy. Luckily they were able to get my hydrated, and get some meds in me through IV to help me from losing the last little bit of life I feel like my body had to give.

I am grateful that there have been advances made and there are doctors out there with alternative methods of treatment that have been proven effective. Unfortunately I have had such high labor costs because I am 1/10 of the person I used to be. Physically, mentally or emotionally. I want to give up daily, but I have worked way to hard.

If anyone has anything extra to give, we’d appreciate it and we will add your name to the barn!

I hope we are here to stay, I think we are a great addition to the community, but I just really can’t do it all or be every where anymore. With the delays on being able to open our destination spot after putting everything I could financially and physically we are just coming up short .. without a little push of help to get me healthy and back able to work we may have to close down and just be the homestead we started out to be. I would much rather build a place people love to come, even if it’s to just feed a horse a carrot and scratch her ear. Heck most of your kids took their first pony ride on one of our ponies!

I would love to get the SAAT treatment next week and get my health under control.

All money raised will go towards labor costs to run the farm, my SAAT treatment and the care of the animals. I also promise to use my voice to help others with this allergy, because this last week has been the scariest of my life.

Thank you for staying with me if you made it this far, and God Bless.