Current Happenings at Uncompahgre Polypay Farm
Producers of Polypay Sheep with a Production Background and NSIP Records
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December 2007
I had intended to put together a note about what was happening with our sheep every so often.
Thinking it would give you an idea of what we were doing management wise that might be of
interest and hopefully you would help me out on what we might do better here in Delta, Colorado.
Well this is about me rather than the sheep. Still for those of you who are male and approaching
50 (all of you guys will some day) or have friends or fathers that are that age or older - be sure to
get the medical checkups for prostrate cancer. This is a management technique that could save a
life.
Uncompahgre Polypay News
As some of you know I have had some health issues that started in August of this year. What it
amounted to was a lot of joint pain especially in the hips and shoulders as well as weakness especially in
the hands along with muscle cramping. I was finally diagnosed with Polymyalgia rheumatica, which is an
autoimmune thing that mimics rheumatism. I started taking prednisone, which gets rid of the pain but of
course it has some not so good side effects.
The Polymyalgia was supposed to go away in a few weeks so I could go off of the prednisone. Well each
time I try tapering off the prednisone, the pain comes back. Some articles on the Internet say it will go
away in a few years. I’m still hoping it goes away in a few months since it didn’t go away in a few weeks
as the Doctor thought it might.
In their search for my problem the Doctors also found I had prostate cancer. This was diagnosed the
first part of October. Prostate cancer in older men is usually not that aggressive which is good but the
most prevalent cancer cells in my biopsy are aggressive for prostate cancer. I’ve started on a hormone
treatment regime that will last three months. Then I will probably have external radiation for 5 to 8
weeks followed by radioactive seed implants in the prostate. This will take us into the summer.
We should be able to continue with the sheep through the treatment, as it shouldn’t be as debilitating as
chemo or some of the other treatment methods. There could be some possible negative side effects
but that is true for all treatment methods.
One of the things that has kept us occupied is determining the right kind of treatment. In any case, we
feel we have chosen the treatment that will be best for me and we have full confidence in the Radiology
Oncologist that will be my treatment Doctor. He treated a friend of ours who had prostate cancer back in
1993 and he is doing well today with few lasting side effects.
We are expecting to be producing outstanding Polypay sheep for sometime to come.
Bill
Billy H. & A. Helen Hardman
Uncompahgre Polypay Farm
740 1325 Rd.
Delta, CO 81416
970-874-8410
www.polypays4u.com
August 2008
The rams are with the ewes for January lambing. We plan on lambing 15 to 20 ewes in January with the remainder
being bred for May lambing.
We again participated in the Center of the Nation NSIP Sale in Spencer, Iowa. It was a good sale. The top prices
were not as high as in the past but the average price was quite good. If you haven't been there, you should plan on
attending next year. It will probably be the first Saturday in August. You can find highly productive sheep from all
breeds that are in NSIP.
The cancer treatments are in the past and we are gaining on the Polymyalgia although I've had a little problem
getting off the Prednisone. We are slowly geting that done as well.