Sheep Industry News May 2025

The Last Word CAT URBIGKIT WYOMING SHEEP PRODUCER

The Bad News L ast September I was listening to music and enjoying a beautiful drive through Irish Canyon on my way to the Meeker Classic Sheepdog Championship Trials when I got dizzy. I pulled off the road and sat for a few minutes until the vertigo went away before continuing on to have a great time at Meeker. That’s the first time I remember experiencing any symptoms. By the time I flew to Scottsdale in January for the ASI Annual Convention, I had lost most of my hearing in my left ear. I didn’t know it then, but my eyesight was also failing, as I took a bunch of photos that ended up very blurry. It was extremely embarrassing, and I stupidly thought it was my camera lens, not the person trying to focus the lens. I just figured that out today, several months after that event. In mid-February, I came down with the same respiratory infection that many others did, and I started having regular bouts of vertigo. When Jim (my husband) had his heart attack, I was still sick but drove him to the clinic. I wasn’t feeling well enough to drive to Idaho Falls the day the ambulance took him to Idaho, so I made the excuse that I needed to get things organized on the ranch before I joined him. I generally feel better in the mornings, so I drove over early the next day, in time for his procedure. I hung out drinking cough syrup, putting Visine into my eyes every few hours, and just tried to get us both through that ordeal so we could go home. It was such a blessing that the procedure went well, that he hadn’t sustained damage to his heart and felt better almost immediately. A few days after Jim got home, he had to have a follow-up appointment at the clinic, so I made an appointment as well, figuring I had an inner ear infection that was causing all these problems. I was told to try an over-the-counter nasal steroid to clear my nasal passages. By then I was strug gling with headaches nearly every day. A few weeks passed with no improvement, so I went to another medical clinic. They did a brain C-T scan that appeared normal. The clinic referred me to an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor, and set me up with a steroid pack, which helped me feel better for about three days, but then the headaches and vertigo returned. I made the appointment with an ENT in Jackson, Wyo., but I also made an appointment with Dr. Glenn Burnett, an internist I know and trust. He’s sharp and thorough, and I appointed him as my primary care physician. He said I should go to the ENT, who would probably order a brain MRI. On March 31, I went to the ENT. After talking to me for a few minutes, he said I needed the MRI immediately. I was home alone the next day when Dr. Burnett called with the results. Multiple brain tumors and fluid causing pressure on my brain that threatens my optic nerve. The tumors appear to be benign, but I’ll need a spinal tap to know more. The tumors are causing the intercranial pres sure and I need to be under the care of a neurosurgeon specializing in brain tumors ASAP. I knew that Jim was on his way home with take-out from the Boulder Bar, and I texted my daughter-in-law Maggie asking for her and my son, Cass, to come out when they got off work, and to bring booze. I spent the afternoon dancing around to some of my favorite grunge, drinking whis key, and being with people I love. Jim and I agreed that we would spend the day purposely not planning, knowing we’ve got lots of plans to make and plans to cancel. I should probably point out that sometimes being cowboy tough isn’t helpful. We think that by sheer willpower we can overcome damned near anything. But sometimes toughing it out only causes a delay in seeking needed treatment. Over the winter, I fell down a few times, and smacked my elbow hard enough I went to town for an X-ray to be sure it wasn’t broken. I’ve blamed my sporadically failing eyesight on getting older. I thought the hearing loss, vertigo and headaches were all probably caused by an ear infection. I could drum up an excuse for nearly any symptom, but never connected them. As a writer, what has been difficult has been some brain fog that causes me to lose my words. Some of you have noticed when I talk that I some times struggle to find the word I’m looking for or can’t remember a name. That happens to us all sometimes. Unfortunately, it’s happening more often for me, and it’s impacting my writing. So, our new journey begins. It’s going to involve a hell of a lot of time away from the ranch in frustratingly complex medical systems and a hell of a lot of money. We’ll probably sell most of our sheep flock this fall, and we’d already started making plans to downsize and simplify our lives. I’m going to be canceling the talks for which I’m currently scheduled, resigning from most of the boards and committees I’m serving on, and stepping away from some other entanglements and engagements. While I feel like I’m letting down all my fellow wool growers, ya’ll know I won't go down without a fight, but I do need to step away for now. I have two short-term goals outside of the medical treatment. If possible, I want to stay out in my camp with our animals and range lamb in a glorious piece of high desert steppe this month. I also want to finish the book I’m writing. It’s close to being done, but now I need to hurry. Now I’m going to order some wild pajamas off the internet, and I’m going to have friend Sarah set me up an appointment for a cute haircut so we can get this party started. Love to you all, Cat. Visit GoFundMe.com/f/donate-for-cat-urbigkits-medical-journey to contribute to Cat's medical fund.

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