AN ALTERCATION
Yesterday Molly took offense to me cleaning her floor. I have done this every day for all her confinement’s but it is never good to be complacent around a newly farrowed sow. I ended up with stitches from a pretty bad bite to the left hand.
So my record since a doctors visit – thirty one years – has been ruined. I went to the doctors to get a tetanus shot after Molly drew blood. ( I refused to go to the ER – luckily the local tiny doctors office was happy to rummage about in their seldom used supplies and look after me). They cleaned the wound which was incredibly painful and began to stitch it up then I ended up passed out and shifted in a fog to a gurney with BP and heart rate dropping fast.
It was a most peculiar feeling.
I was so embarrassed – here’s me thinking I was such a tough guy.
Molly and her eight piglets are going to be getting a little less attention in the meantime. The piglets are small and not as vigorous as normal and this may have made her more protective. After farrowing is a very dangerous time with any mother animal. I know this well. Just lucky human animals don’t bare their teeth and bite their nurses!
It was totally my fault. I have been working around sows and piglets for years and was over confident because I have never had an incident. I gave her a fright. Now I know better. 
It could have been a lot worse. I am bandaged up, my hand is smarting and not as mobile and I am a bit bruised from the fall. But there you are. I have learnt my lesson. And no real harm done. I will have a good scar for my troubles though. And there is blood in a trail from the barn to the house. I would take a photo but it is kind of ghoulish!!
And the show must go on.
Celi
94 Comments on “AN ALTERCATION”
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Ouch!! I bet you gave the Dr’s personnel a good scare also! Hope Molly’s babies get stronger. Heal well Miss C. !
Thank you – yes – it is just so cold and windy today!
Oh dear! So sorry to hear it, but I know how quickly animals can react and it isn’t always something you can foresee. Take care of that hand! I do hope the little piggies get stronger, quickly!
Like you I am hoping for a warmup- this non-spring has gone on way too long
I was bit on the head while delivering baby goats once although it hurt it wasn’t serious.
Being bitten by a pig sounds much more dangerous though. That reminds me of the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy falls into the pig’s area. I never understood why it was such a big deal at the time.
It was a close thing. Lucky for me it was just my bony hand and not a meatier part of my body
Ouch! Look after yourself
I try to
Gosh, amazing you have gone 31 years without a Dr. visit! Well done! Here’s to another 31 after this Molly incident! 🙂
Ruined my record
There pride goeth, my mother would have said, quoting her mother. But then neither was a farmer. I’ve read about so many bad accidents on farms, so I’d say you were blessed with those years , and are blessed now with Molly, who ungently but quite motherly (the old fashioned kind) reminded you of that.. Im glad you are safe and well.
Yes. I became too comfortable around her. Bad timing on my part
I am sorry you got Bite Miss C but I am glad that with the way you have explained it that it will not be permeant damage to your hand, scars, well those are fine in the long run, reminders really of this or that.. but damage.. that is a different matter.
I know you will understand this(I hope) poor Molly girl.. she has had a real time of it.. she felt off, something was not quite right in some balance and check and then her babies were born and she lost some, and then she lost enough control to bite her favorite person. She must be really off and there is a part of her that knows it.
Don’t you worry about passing out, I did that once when I broke a number of bones and fell down a flight of stairs.. its never fun.. please take it a bit slower today.. I know things must go on..
In keeping with your trail, I must tell a little story.. I don’t know if you have ever noticed by if you look at my picture on the blog, you will see that I have a nice scar between my eyebrows, angling down towards my left eye.. I was 14 and was trimming my dog in the back shed with a big pair of clippers and she jumped, hit my hand and threw the point up and into my head..
That blood trail coming out and down and into the house was what greeted my mother when she came home to find a note that said.. gone to hospital.. said it gave her such a fright.. certainly not my worst scar just my most visable..
Yikes – that does sound nasty. And I do agree about scars. I have a few and wear them with pride. Another won’t hurt.
I hope you are not stretching yourself too thin. Please take care of yourself. I’m sorry Molly turned on you. She’s had a rough time of it. Wee piglets and all. Hopefully, John can help out a bit while your hand heals.
Yes! John is doing heaps more- and I am certainly not cooking tonight
So sorry. Wishing you a speedy recovery. And that the bandage is not too awkward. I was sorry to read that 3 of the piglets didn’t last the first night. I hope the rest continue to thrive and Molly is OK.
The rest seem ok – though there is one who bothers me – he is never facing in the right direction. Something definitely happened when she was unwell last week
I’m sorry. It seems so sad. I’m hoping for that little one. Please keep us updated. And I’m hoping your hand is better too.
The little one who worries me is still chugging along!
How many stitches, how many stitches? You have bragging rights you know 😁 you must have got an awful fright too,. Shock can make you wonky. I think the universe is telling you to pace yourself, summer has only just begun. Hope you all are feeling better soon. Laura
No summer here yet.
Nor is it acting much like Spring yet either here or there:/ Nope, Mother Nature does what she wants and in her own good time, hey?
Bites are so painful.
My son passed out once while having an ingrown toenail worked on. In fact it was after he made it through all the gruesome stuff, so he was doubly embarrassed. The doctor told him that fainting is something we have no control over, like our heart beating, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about.
Hope you heal quickly. And that Molly and her bunch stay on the up and up while you recuperate.
My third son is a passer outer too. He can’t even think about a dentist!
So sorry this happened! Good grief!
Good grief indeed!
So glad to hear that you, Mollie, and the piglets are all doing OK. And that the damage (both to you physically and to your relationship with Molly) is not permanent. I do have one thing that concerns me, though, and please take this in the gentle, loving, friendly spirit in which it is intended…
It bothers me that this is your first visit to a doctor’s office in 31 years. In my opinion, that is not a good thing at all. I am 65 years old and in my lifetime have seen so many “healthy” friends and acquaintances brought down by issues that could have been resolved with better results had they been recognized earlier. I am tired of funerals, tired of grieving… Mammograms, pap smears, annual physicals, and the like are lifesavers. So many truly bad things are invisible until it is too late. I know that money is tight and that the cost of healthcare can seem overwhelming, but please, dear Celi, please… Take care of yourself.
Gentle and loving is perfect thank you so much for your care.
Sending you good healing thoughts. And as far as I’m concerned, you’re still a tough guy!
AND I hate fuss!
Ooh! What an ordeal. Praying for your speedy recovery and for Molly & her piglets too. So sorry this happened. Blessings on you and yours!
Poor Molly – she feeling better today
Oh dear that’s horrid, my dog bit me once when she was fighting, entirely my fault, I grabbed her and she didn’t know it was me. Mine was no where near as bad as your bite, as she only drew a small amount of blood and I didn’t need stitches. To be bitten by a huge pig is something else! Like you say even with the tamest animal you still have to be careful.
So easy to make a simple mistake.
Gadzukes! Hope your hand is feeling better – and you too! Poor Molly – seems to have been quite a traumatic few days. Yesterday you thought you had five remaining piglets. You mentioned six today. Hoping one of the sickly three pulled through. Take care farmer girl!
I must have been sleep deprived yesterday. Molly has eleven piglets and then lost three. The remaining eight are small but coming along
Poor Molly, poor Celi, both flat out… I’d actually like to see your pig bite scar when the bandage comes off, I wonder what a pig bite looks like. Yes, I agree, very ghoulish, morbid curiosity! That whole BP and heart rate dropping sensation is very strange and unpleasant, isn’t it? Glad the experience is over, and I hope you’ll feel back to your normal self very soon.
You don’t want to see this – it is a bit messy
An honourable scar… I hope it heals well and quickly.
Yes! I will be happy when I am over these bloody bollocksy antibiotics. They make me feel awful.
WOW! I’m glad you were able to make it to the house and the office without help!
I was shaking from the adrenaline hit! My blood was pumping with it
I’m sure you were. But still I’m glad you were able to make it in the house then to the Dr. Office. Very glad!
Yes. So am I – if could have been a lot worse
I took a photo of the trail! It looked like a hockey rink bloodbath! So glad town was nearby to help tidy up your hand. I was so relieved!
Ps let me know if you want the photo 😉
NOW TAKE IT EASY! (Well, easiER)!
Snort
Oh, my word! I am glad you are okay! I have made the mistake of being too complacent with zoo animals, but only once or twice. If forgot that Big Al is a 525lb animal with wild animal instincts, and I awakened him from a nap when he was head-to-head with another adult male. He misinterpreted my pets, and he nearly ran over me. We were under a holly tree, so I was duck-walking as fast as I could. Once he realized it was me, all was forgiven, but I have a new system for getting his attention now. A tap on the top of the shell, and I stand back. If he feels like company, he will stand. If he doesn’t, I leave him alone.
I hope Molly’s piglets pull through and grow properly.
I desperately want to meet Big Al and all your others..
Oh my goodness! A wee sip of “medicinal” whiskey will have you feeling better 😉 Take care of yourself and take it as easy as you can.
I wish I had a well stocked liquor cabinet like they do in the movies
This is so shocking Cecilia! Stunning! Of all things to happen this is surely something I never saw coming. Thank god you were able to get to a doc. You must have lost a lot of blood having to travel. Tetanus shot is so important! I hope the pain is relieved quickly. As someone above said a wee bit of whiskey would help a lot.
It seems like Molly has not been herself for a while. Certainly hope she settles down pronto!
Yes! I need her to settle so I can get in and clean her room. She needs fresh straw
Actually, this didn’t ruin your record, Ceci ! You weren’t ill, you were hurt. Big difference in the reason you were in the office! Bet the staff there were more helpful and understanding than an old ER would have been! I so hope Molly’s five will thrive and flourish. They are adorable! Be well, friend! Sunny
The nurses were really lovely –
That is scary. I hope you heal well!
I will – I am a fast healer
I’m sure Molly feels bad…..hope you and the babies will be alright
Poor hand and passing out is serious so don’t pass it off so casually. I’m glad they were able to take care of you at the local doctor’s office but the ER is set up to deal with these things so they’ve got everything they need. (I think they’d have tetanus shots available too.) Hopefully, you won’t have to visit for another 31 yrs.
Fingers crossed for the 8 piglets to get fat and sassy and up to a better weight with all the good food Molly’s getting.
I’m guessing you might have fainted from the loss of blood, shock… bugger about the bite… and the broken record. I haven’t seen a doctor since we left the city… 3 1/2 years… fingers crossed.
Oh Lordy, Celi, I hope I didn’t jinx when I commented a couple weeks ago that I hoped the delivery would be without incident. Shortly after that Molly had her bad day, 3 have died, and you have a stitched hand. I am going to just keep quiet next time! I hope today is going well for all of you. (I have heard you say before that you stay at a distance with the new moms. Did you break your own rule?)
Oh dear! Get well soon C!!
Ouch!
Mama mia! Be careful C! So glad John is home to help! Would have been more awful without him! Take care and hope all goes smoothly from here on out.
I feel sorry for both of you – hopefully Molly will be quick to remember who her best friend is.
She is having a hard time getting over the births. I think. I am sure if I gave birth to that many children one after the other I would be a bit messed up
I’m sure Molly didn’t mean it. Give yourself a little love and kindness for a few days. xo
I am sure she did not mean in either – she was being super protective and probably was after the scooper
Wow! Pigs have the nastiest, sharpest teeth of any farm animal, so you are lucky she didn’t bite off your hand! As much as I love animals, I am also a little scared of their spare of the moment attitude. Happy you are on the mend. Wishing you cyber speedy recovery.
She was fast like a shark. And you are right / I feel very lucky that she backed off. Especially as she had me on the ground
Take care of yourself. I will be at your mother in law’s post office for a week beginning Saturday. Come see me if you need something mailed. 😁
Another lesson learnt the hard way! Glad you got the tetanus. Don’t let anything from the barn or the animals touch your hand until it is well healed . . . and it will smart for a few days . . . sorry !
No need for you to be sorry.
I do hope you heal quickly, I know (from experience!) how easy it is to become a little too complacent around your own animals. I also know what you mean about thinking you’re tough. Many years ago I broke a couple of ribs in a car accident. At the ER they told me it would be quite some time before I could move easily without pain. I thought ‘nah, give me a week at the most’, boy was I ever wrong! That said, on Sunday the biggest auger of the 3 point post hole digger fell on my foot, I’m surprised you didn’t hear me howl! While I didn’t go to a doctor – I can move everything albeit painfully – I have what must be the ugliest large toe ever. The rest of that end of my foot doesn’t look much better either. Just goes to show you how quickly things can turn on a dime. For now just call me Festus.
Oh no! You poor foot! You are right about things turning on a dime! What are you fencing?
Not fencing anything at all, just trying to reclaim my barn, it’s greatly in need of organization but the post hole digger and augers are now going to stay right where they are!
Wise choice.
I garden and live in an old house with 100 years of hidden refuse in the yard, so against the risk of puncture from a nail or wire I make sure I get my tetanus booster shots.
Good thinking – I only just had mine ten years ago so I was not far off the booster
Cranky old mama. Perhaps she is also still feeling bit cruddy from last week. Take good care of it. I imagine Tetanus is not the only bacteria that will cause an infection on that farm.
But goodness. I had finally given up my childhood prejudice against pigs being dangerous animals because yours are all so good. But perhaps there is a sliver of truth in it. My old uncle used to tell me the sows would eat children alive if I went in to touch the piglets. He claimed a friend lost a child to one just a couple of months ago. Every summer it was just a couple of months ago… Looking back that was a tale he told to keep me out of harm’s way. It worked at making me rather afraid of adult pigs.
I really really love this story. Hopefully if you did a historical survey if missing farm children you would not find monthly incidents . You know / they made me fill out a Bite Incident form . I said I am not writing her name – I don’t want her to go on some Dangerous Pig list
😊😀
I am glad to hear it sounds like you’ll keep function in your hand.
I was quite embarrassed myself when, after my finger got crunched in a car’s power window, I went into a grocery store to find the bathroom, thinking I’d be sick. I didn’t find the bathroom, or lose my breakfast, but I did think I could muster through closing tunnel vision and instead passed out cold by the cashiers’ stations, taking down a few stanchions quite loudly as I fell. Did I mention I was in a swim suit with a lacy cover, covered in terrible poison ivy, and likely looking like Patient Zero from some horror film?
Oh no!!! That is an hilarious story – not for you of course but in the retelling the lacy cover is quite quite perfect!!
Yes, about the time we think we have it all mastered, we hear from the animal we are just a little too confident around, be they pig (Porcus) (Sus) or horse (Equus). Sorry you got hurt, but I’ve been wounded around horses myself, when I least expected it. I’m not around them much currently, but they are a part of me.
You are so right. One needs to remain on guard. Nothing for it.
Just what you needed, a sore and stitched hand. That will hurt for a long time since we use our hands every day. I can see being confident with domestic animals – the relationship is more trusting and friendly. I always keep my guard up with the wild things – especially those deer. This reminds us that domestic or wild, mother’s are protective and instinct rules. I hope you heal quickly, C. I’m trying to catch up reading this morning. My life has been topsy-turvey since December – nothing serious, just life rolling along. I have got to make time to blog…
Even topsy turvy I think life is easier to manage once we are out of winter. Take care !
Many, many years ago I went into a farrowing pen to ”Persuade” a sow to move off 3
Oh no! I do hope it heals quickly and you are back to normal in no time. About your doctor record, don’t you even go for checkups?
Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry to hear this. What a shock for you. Take care x
ouch!
Sorry to hear that you got bitten Celi …