J & P Rabbitry & Backyard Farm

15/05/2025

The surgeon came out a few minutes ago.

The procedure to replace J's pulmonary valve was successful.

We're praying for no more complications and no more surgeries or procedures for the foreseeable future.

He'd like to get back to his regular life.

02/05/2025

I received a call from Emory, who is arranging for J's pre-operative appointment on May 14th and the procedure on May 15th, likely around noon. We will finalize the details on Monday, with the procedure to replace J's pulmonary valve scheduled for two weeks from yesterday.

This development has caused a delay in our backyard farm projects and regular care, but we will resume work as soon as possible.

We have to, we have pinkies!!!!!

If you know anyone interested in rabbits for consumption or for pets, please share this content.

28/04/2025

J had an echo today and a follow up with the surgeon for the procedure to place the stent in his pulmonary artery.

Result?

J was informed that they need to replace his pulmonary valve now. It is leaking and the leakage is severe.

They are working on scheduling the procedure as soon as possible although it is not an emergency.

26/04/2025

I've recently acquired a number of plants, but unfortunately, some are already wilting. I'm motivated to learn and succeed in gardening. Do you have any advice to share? Or could you recommend someone who might be able to provide guidance? I appreciate your help. On a separate note, we have a new set of pinkies born today, and pictures will be shared soon.

12/03/2025

Well, it's been a while since I last posted. Quite a lot has happened.

January of 2024 my father died, 6 days later we buried him.
On the same day, about 4 hours later, 3 of my kids which included J were in a MVA. J, three months out from his 3rd open heart surgery where a mechanical valve replaced his aortic valve, sustained loss of consciousness, a likely seizure, a concussion that was later deemed a diffuse axonal brain injury, a huge hematoma in his left thigh, increased chronic back pain, 2 lacerations to his spleen and lacerations to his forehead that turned into hematomas.

I took 2 months taking care of him after this and then 2 months trying to get my father's house in order a state away. Everything was nonstop.

When I finally got home I immediately got a bad case of strep throat that took twice as long to heal up as it should have.

In the meantime, somehow the strep infection triggered my chronic back pain that had been under control, to go wildly out of control, which took months to get back under control.

But just to make matters worse, as I would come out of one thing another thing would start.

Example, as the back pain was starting to come under control my right leg, that had been giving me problems for a few years after an injury, kicked up pretty bad. (Nerve compression, numbness that would take over the thigh and go all the way down to my foot if I didn't get off my feet.) It had been happening but NOT this bad or often or severely.

And when we finally figured out that I was dealing with Iliotibial Band syndrome demanding I sit when it starts hurting (RICE) and Piriformis syndrome which demands I get up and move...it put me between a rock and a hard place ...then something else happened.

I woke one morning to excruciating pain in the back of my left knee and swelling in the front which got worse. Then I found out I had a lateral meniscal tear.

While dealing with that, J's doctors realized that the car accident (Jan 2024) had pushed the mechanical valve in his aortic backwards into his pulmonary artery causing 80% blockage.

So last week he underwent a pulmonary artery angioplasty putting a stent in just before the artery branches to the lungs.
All went well till 3 days after when he suddenly began to bleed from an arterial incision in his arm causing extreme pain and swelling. This put him back in the hospital and caused his transfer to a new hospital twice in a 24 hour period as different problems arose and resolved so that a new specialist was needed. He's now home recovering with a hematoma in his arm and a lot of bruising.

Suffice it to say I haven't been in charge of the animals since June of 2023 when I started taking care of my father 6 months before he died.

An older son that works with my husband, and my husband have stepped forward and taken care of them. I had to relinquish control and let them do as they saw fit.

I know this isn't a post about animals and yet it is. No matter the size of your farm, full-fledged or just a small backyard farm, crap happens. When it does, it can upset everything. I made the decision to not sell the animals and ask my reluctant family to please keep my animals alive till I can get back to them. I'm thankful they did. And though they won't admit it, they are enjoying it too.

Just something to think about. What are you going to do when the unexpected happens? Do you have plans? Backups?
Think about it and talk to your family.

Send a message to learn more

21/01/2024

"J" has been out of the hospital since Monday. We've had 3 doctor visits and an unexpected trip to the ER. He apparently has hematomas on his forehead behind the lacerations so he has to have compression bandages for now. He needs to see ortho for the injury to his leg and the hematoma in his thigh. He needs neurosurgery to follow up on the TBI and assess the intracranial bleeding from the MVA.
And some unknown speciality for his spleen. Primary is planning a brain MRI because of swelling and injury.

On top of this, my ladies have decided that they are going to make up for all the time they reduced production over the past several months....some days I'm getting nearly 2 dzn eggs.

11/01/2024

Well, we've had another setback. On Monday January 8th we laid my father to rest. Three of my children including the "J" of J & P were able to attend his funeral. A few hours later they headed home, a 6 hour trip. Two hours from home they were in a car accident when another driver was driving south in the fast lane on the north bound highway. "J" is currently in the hospital still. The worst of his injuries was a laceration to his spleen. He was able to come out of ICU last night. We don't know what the future holds but its a miracle he's got no cardiac issues being that he's only about 8 weeks out from his 3rd open heart surgery.....the greater miracle is that he's alive with no broken bones. This is the vehicle he was in, sitting in the back seat, behind the driver

28/12/2023

UPDATE : My father passed away on January 2, 2024 at 3:45 pm.
..............................................................

This year has been a mess. Everything I had planned at the beginning was pushed aside or laid aside by life which has a way of getting in the way of your plans.

At this time "J" of J & P is 2 months post -op on his 3rd open heart surgery at the ripe old age of 24. All went well, he has a mechanical valve so getting his medication at the right level is our priority now.

I'm everywhere but at home with my animals. The past half year I've spent mostly with my 88 year old father in another state. Finding out he had dementia was devastating. Upending my life wasn't. You do what you have to do to be able to live with yourself. I never really had a relationship with my father but I was given this opportunity to sow into his life what I didn't feel I received.

I've now spent half of the past 30 days in and out of the hospital with him and his health has drastically diminished in that time. I brought him home on Christmas Eve with the help of hospice and am doing what I can to make him comfortable.

This is not the year I had planned but I'm reminded of this quote..."the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray..."

I don't know what the last few days of this year hold nor what is coming in the new year but I can pray that the seeds planted this year will bring a bountiful harvest in the next.

I pray your Christmas was merry and your new year will be happy.

Love,
P

18/10/2023

J of J & P goes in for his 3rd open heart surgery in the morning. Prayers for anointing on the doctors much appreciated.

05/07/2023

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY from J & P Rabbitry & Backyard Farm !

03/07/2023

Oh yes!!!!!!!
New rabbit recipe:

1 whole rabbit (3lb), deboned, diced
1 14.5oz bottle La Choy Teriyaki sauce
14.5 oz orange juice
5 oz Kikkoman Teriyaki marinade
1 cup jasmine rice

Mix together in pot, cook on high till rabbit and rice are done.

I used my Ninja Foodie. Sear/saute on high till rice almost done then turn down on low till meat is tenderness you desire. If it becomes too thick, don't hesitate to add small amounts of orange juice.

13/06/2023

《Picture Diary - post 15 》

The end of October through December 2021 was no fun. 😷🤕

We were getting used to a good routine for our ever increasing backyard farm in October when suddenly my youngest, the son who started this rabbitry venture had a cluster of seizures. 3 seizures to be exact in 12-15 minutes.

With no insurance he was sluffed off by the ER who didn't even tend to the gash on his head. We'd already gone through two neurologist prior to this cluster who were either more concerned with what someone else said than they were in listening to us or trying to pressure my son into Covid19 vaccinations with threats of "I won't see you anymore" if you don't get it. ...this in spite of his already severe heart issues which would be more life threatening if he took the so-called vaccination. (Thankfully, his new neurologist was a listener and had already gotten him on a good medication that has since then kept his seizures under control.)

In November as we were getting used to heightened concerns over whether my son would have anymore seizures. Next thing I knew I was dealing with dizziness that was so bad I couldn't drive. I was diagnosed with a severe ear infection and vertigo. (Vertigo went on for ~6 months - yuk!🤮)

Then within the first week of December, my son, husband and I were all diagnosed with Covid19. My son had it mild, my husband had pneumonia and I ended up admitted to the hospital the next day with hypoxic respiratory failure secondary to Covid. I was hospitalized for 5 days. The first 4 days they couldn't drop me from 5 liters of oxygen because I couldn't get/keep my oxygen above 90 % without it. Heck, when I slept, even with the 5L of oxygen, I was always under 90%. I went home on 2L of oxygen 24/7 for the first 3 months then I had to prove to the pulmonologist that I still needed it. Which I did. So now, the lingering effects of Covid19 have left me on oxygen at night or whenever I sleep at all.

2021 ended but our problems didn't. To say we had an interesting time figuring out how to take care of the animals during this would be an understatement. But there was a bright side.

My niece gave me one of her roosters, an Easter Egger, in November. He was beautiful! (still is!) I didn't know until a year later that she was getting rid of him because he was a "s*x fiend" as she called him. 😂 I think having his own ladies settled him cause we've never had a problem with him. I tell everyone he's got "Fabio hair." .... and since I'm older, he was named after the first rooster I knew that had a name....yes..... Foghorn Leghorn! 😂 (I couldn't help it! and I can't change it now, I'm too used to the name.)

ALSO !!! Babies !!!《Picture Diary - post 7 》shows several pictures of kits from Grunty and Garnett. Well, Christmas Day 2021 we were surprised with a litter of kits from the 2 offspring (Janet and Big Chungus) we kept from the original litter. Janet and Big Chungus had managed to breed in spite of being in separate cages. Go figure! How he did it through chicken wire beats me but dang man! More power to ya! 😂😂😂 Babies definitely brought a smile to our faces on Christmas day.