In the mid-1970s my husband, John, and I bought and restored a 200-year-old farmhouse on 65 acres in western Pennsylvania. We had no idea how to use the acreage, so we started raising sheep, figuring they would fatten nicely on the lush grass of our property. We ran a catering business and soon added lamb to our menus. Over the past 30 years, we've sold our lamb to many of the best restaurants in the country, serviced the specialty aisles of high-end grocery stores, and been called on by chefs, food critics, and others for our opinions about our locally produced meat.
The business expanded, and at its peak we owned 210 acres and raised 300 head of sheep. Our life may sound charming, but it requires a lot of hard work and persistence and has been punctuated by financial insecurity and near-bankruptcy. And sheep farming is physically demanding. Until late July 2022, John was up to those demands—waking early, mowing fields, moving sheep from pasture to pasture, driving lambs to the butcher. Then he fell one morning in the bathroom. It was serious enough that he spent a night in the hospital, where doctors ordered an MRI and took blood. The next day he was discharged, but within a month he began shuffling when he walked, and his balance worsened. His primary care physician referred him to a neurologist, who suspected Parkinson's disease.
In October, we sought a second opinion at the Cleveland Clinic, where doctors did a CT scan, an MRI, and additional blood work. Based on those results, they diagnosed John with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid in the brain's cavities, causing swelling and pressure on the brain. Symptoms include difficulty walking, progressive cognitive problems, and loss of bladder control.
John was scheduled for shunt surgery in January, but when his condition continued to decline—he could no longer walk, slept most of the day, and was incontinent—I took him to the emergency department of our local hospital. By then, late December, John was nearly nonresponsive.
He was admitted and underwent shunt surgery. His improvement, although small, was immediate. The day after surgery, he started physical, occupational, and speech therapies. The first few sessions were difficult to watch as John couldn't remember where he was or the year. Within three weeks, though, he was ready for discharge. Once home, he continued occupational and speech therapy for another month and physical therapy for two months.
Every day, the John I remember is reemerging. He is mobile again, walking without help and regaining strength and mental capacities. As a wonderful sign of his progress, he recently did a presentation on our book, Coyotes in the Pasture & Wolves at the Door: Stories and Recipes from Our Farm to Your Table, at the local library. And just the other day, John climbed back on his tractor for the first time since last summer.
Although we no longer have any sheep—at a low point last year, I sold all 300—I still have my one precious lamb.
Sukey Jamison and her husband, John, own Jamison Farm in Latrobe, PA. They hope to enjoy a carefree retirement once John has fully recovered.
