This is what a chronic illness looks like...

I've only talked about it once here before, but this is the run-down of the progress (deterioration) of my health since I was diagnosed on June 6, 1993. I hear comments all the time from stupid people who say things like, "It must be nice to take your dog everywhere," and "Why does she need the dog?"  To them: It'd be really nice if I didn't have to take the dog everywhere, but she can tell before anyone else when I'm going to have an issue.  And just because I don't look sick doesn't mean everything is okay.  I worked for years with a blood count considered too low to do the things I was doing.

For those of you who are lucky enough not to live with a chronic illness, the best explanation I can show you is this: The Spoon Theory.

6/93   Familial polyposis. 3,000-5,000 polyps in the colon, each with a 1-in-20 chance of being cancerous, with a 100% conversion rate to cancer by age 40. I was 18, the doc said “you’ll be lucky to see 21 without radical surgery.” Stage 0 Cancer

7/93   Colon removed, the shit started. Adhesions, pain, other side effects from the surgery

1/94   Flown from college in Tennessee to Boston, MA, for emergency surgery-small intestine was shutting down; 21 days in TN & MA hospitals ended my college career

8/95   Left ureter blocked by scar tissue, stent inserted

7/98   Same thing happened to the right ureter

1998-2011   80+ stent changes; MRSA (2 years), Strep, e. coli (twice), various infections (hundreds) in both kidneys; Less than 5% function

1/01   Emergency surgery to correct intestinal blockage; MRSA finally eradicated after 2 years; kidney function went from 40% to 15%; Docs told my family I wasn’t going to make it right after the surgery when both kidneys crashed for a week

7/03   Septic infection of both kidneys; Nurse told my sister I wasn’t going to make it

6/05   Severe anemia; blood count 22; Procrit didn’t help, still going to work full time

1/06   Resigned from my position as office manager-didn’t have enough energy to get up any more

2/06   Started hemodialysis on my 31st birthday with a blood count of 18; dialysis 3 days a week for 3 hours at a time; transplant is not an option because of intra- and retro-peritoneal fibrosis

1/08   Parathyroidectomy, 35 days in hospital and rehabilitation facility

8/08   Another infection, 16 days in hospital and rehabilitation facility

7/09   Another bout of MRSA, this time external and easily eradicated

8/09   COLLEGE! For the first time since 1994 I felt well enough to go to college & I have a 3.916 GPA; I will get my AA in 2012 & transfer to work on my Bachelors Degree

2/11   God didn’t think I had enough to deal with, so I have Melanoma. 2 surgeries during my Spring semester. Stage 1 Cancer removed & 3/11 biopsy of lymph node showed it didn’t spread. Checkups with dermatologist every 3 months, oncologist every 6

5/13/11   Relay for Life Survivors’ Dinner & Victory Lap. Because I’ve made cancer my bitch TWICE!

Still have to deal with intermittent fainting spells, migraines, anemia, low blood pressure, stent changes (down to once a year from every 6 weeks in ‘98), graft surgeries (18 so far since ‘05), electrolyte crashes, and sudden dehydration, but that’s just life for me. At least I’m here-15 years after I wasn’t supposed to be.

Spring Update

I know it has been a long time since my last post.  I'm sure you're shocked that I am posting  now, even.  Right?  I kept meaning to write a short something but events have conspired against me and other things took priority.

It's 3:24am EDT and I'm wide awake.  And I'm at Uncle Wes's house.  That's the real reason I need to write this post.  Those of you not connected to me via Facebook, Twitter, or Plurk don't know what's been going on recently. So here goes...

On Friday, February 4, 2011, I was diagnosed with a "probable melanoma" on the middle of my back.  I had a suspicious mole that started itching last fall and I finally dragged my ass to the dermatologist to have it checked out.  Two weeks later, on the 16th, the spot was removed and sent for biopsy.  It was cancerous.  

If you have any moles or freckles that have changed color, shape, or started itching, GET THEM CHECKED! NOW! Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, yet it's the easiest to treat if caught early.  And if you don't have any suspicious spots, keep it that way by always using sunblock.  This stuff kills, so take it seriously.

I was referred to a surgical oncologist and we met on February 24.  He explained that the melanoma was just over the "safe" depth of 1mm, so biopsy of my lymph nodes was standard protocol.  A sentinel node biopsy was performed on Monday, March 21.  Radioactive dye was injected into the former melanoma site and then followed to the sentinel node.  Basically, I was told the surgeon would remove whichever lymph node set off his Geiger counter, so I had no idea where the incision was until I woke up.  Dr. G told me he'd have the biopsy results by Friday.  He doesn't expect to find anything and said the chances were slim, so I am keeping that in mind.

For those who are unfamiliar with the lymphatic system please click here for a brief description.

So it is this surgery that is the reason I'm at Uncle Wes's house.  The sentinel node, which is the lymph node to which fluid (and, theoretically, any cancer cells) from the area of the melanoma would have traveled, was under my left arm.  Since I can't drive myself to and from dialysis, Kasey and I are staying with Uncle Wes until the pain subsides.  

It's been a pretty rough month or so, but I've tried to keep my spirits up.  Until a couple weekends ago I had only knit two or three times since before Christmas.  School has been keeping me super-busy, so my knitting had to take a back seat to academics.  

As for school, Kasey and I are still enjoying ourselves and I'm enjoying my courses.  I took a two-week Winter semester class on Victorian England as Reflected Through the Stories of Sherlock Holmes.  It was a fun class where we had lectures on the society of the Victorian era, watched a Sherlock-based movie each night, and visited a re-creation of 221B Baker St. in a private home in Reading, Pennsylvania.  The professor belongs to a local Scion, which is a group who meet to discuss the books of Sherlock Holmes.  In fact, there is a CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode in Season 5 about a Sherlockian scion.  It was an absolutely fascinating course.  I've talked the professor into teaching it in a 15-week format because so many people expressed interest in taking it; however, too many were either put off by the two-week time frame or had other obligations the first two weeks of the year.  I think it will do very well in the Fall.

For this Spring, I am taking Physical Geography and both US History I and US History II because none of the English classes I wanted were being offered.  I really like US1 even though I've never had to work so hard in a class in my entire college career.  I have already written three essays for the class and there is an essay question on every quiz, too.  But my writing background is serving me well and I've not received less than an A for any of my assignments.  Mid-term exams were last week and I studied for days prior.  I was completely wiped out and so frazzled I forgot two different appointments in the past couple weeks. My US2 class is on Wednesday evening, but I was too tired to go.  When I told Prof. L on the phone that I was too tired to come to class, he happily agreed to let me take the exam in the Testing Center the next day while I was on campus for Geography.  Geography has been a challenge for me, but last semester's Oceanography is helping alot.  Much of the information overlaps so Oceanography gave me a good head start on Geography.  I'm not a science person and need all the help I can get anyway.  

As I said before, I've not been doing alot of knitting.  I thought having two History courses would afford me more free time for leisure activities, but that is not the case this semester.  As a matter of fact, I have another essay to write before the end of Spring Break for US1 and a verbal presentation with a slide show to put together for US2.  Even though I'm taking painkillers I've been able to start my research on President Dwight Eisenhower. I must be a genuine history nerd because I'm enjoying the book I'm reading (Ike by Piers Brendon) for the project.  I still haven't decided whether I'm going to focus on his military service or his personal life and presidency.  He was an interesting figure.  I'll have a better idea after I finish reading this book, though.  I certainly have enough time for reading, considering I have to keep a pillow between my arm and torso to keep the pain from shooting across my body.  I'm certainly not going to be out and about, that's for sure.  

I've already got my summer classes planned, though.  Unlike last summer where I tried to knock out a lab science and became too ill to continue, this summer's classes are planned around my interests and health.  First, I'm taking Water Aerobics with my doctors' permission.  My resting heart rate is very high and I'm hoping this type of exercise will help me stay fit without my body rebelling.  I'm also taking a 7-week American Sign Language course.  Once that is complete I am taking a one-credit, two-week course on Instructional Strategies followed by another two-week session of Teaching the Adult Learner.  I'm not necessarily planning to teach, but I have classes with many adults and think the added perspective will help me be a better student.  Additionally, an English and History major is bound to end up teaching at some point.  This will give me a foundation for that as well.  I'll have a total of six credits for the Summer term, which will earn some additional financial aid money.

For now, I think I ought to call it a night.  I hope you and your family are well.  Maybe by the next post I'll have completed one of my knitting WIPs so I can show you some pictures.  And if you're having warm weather, would you please send some to Maryland?  Pretty please?? Mother Nature didn't seem to get the message that Spring has sprung.

More Wandering Thoughts

Two days in a row, are you surprised?

Thank you for the lovely comments on my knitting, ladies. I'm looking forward to this year's County Fair, but don't have a "wow" project like my book that won Champion of the Cross Stitch department last year. I'm entering as many projects as possible to boost the Fair entries; they've been quite low the past few years from what I understand.

Lisa commented that while she reads my Facebook updates, she feels my blog entries are more personal. I never looked at it like that, as I saw Facebook & Twitter as a tool to keep in touch when I don't have enough time to write blog posts. Then again, writing blog posts is just a matter of making time for it.

I don't feel like I had much "free" time this summer.  I went to North Carolina in June, where I had the Vacation From Hell. Not only did I get sick while there, but the management company, in retaliation (IMHO) for bringing Kasey, who is a service dog-NOT A PET (they have a strict "No Pets" policy), charged my friend $288 to vacuum the carpet in the unit. We've been trying to fight the excessive charge to no avail as of yet.  To top off the wonderful (that's sarcasm, folks) trip, 30 minutes into our drive home, I get pulled over doing 70 in a 55pmh zone and get a $160 ticket. Honestly, no lie, I'd looked down at the speedometer a minute before and saw it was at "12 o'clock" and said to myself, You're only doing 60.  Not!  I still wasn't completely with it and saw that 60 was to the left of the needle without realizing the needle was on 70. I'd already spent the weekend with a person I can't stand (not my friend who owned the timeshare), puked my guts up, hardly eaten, and spent 3 days of a 4-day trip in bed, and then I get a friggin' ticket trying to get the hell home.  OH! And I had so much fluid retention, I couldn't even drive all the way home. I had to sit in the passenger seat of my own truck with my feet resting on the dash to try to relieve some of the pain.  I was miserable for the next few days, and Chet died four days after I returned home.  Altogether, it was the Week From Hell.

That vacation was the end of my summer course, too.  Because Geology and the accompanying lab were four hours long, three nights in a row per week, my feet began to swell and the fluid retention gradually got worse, to the point it was painful to walk or stand. By the time we left for NC, I'd been to three weeks of classes.  My dialysis docs were at a loss as to why I'd gained so much fluid so quickly (4 kg/8.8 lbs) and had solution other than to keep my feet elevated.  My overall well-being was suffering by that time. It became apparent that I had to drop the class, so I did.

Within a week of dropping the class,  I lost 3 kg (6.6 lbs).  Since then, I've lost even more because I've cut back on my Wawa Lemonade Tea.  Shocker! I know.  Not only am I saving money, but also I'm hoping to be able to fit into my trousers again.  Everything except two pairs of khakis, which are cut large, is too tight. I got fed up when I realized I had over a dozen pairs of capris that I couldn't wear during the end of the summer.  Just by cutting back on my Tea addiction, I've managed to lose almost 2 kg (4.4 lbs) more.  I'm drinking water instead, but I've had two dehydration episodes since then.

The worst bout was last night, when I lost about a liter of fluid in less than two hours. I couldn't drink enough, fast enough, to keep up with the fluid loss and was awake most of the night with severe cramps in my legs, hands, and feet. Potassium didn't help; I tried that.  I even grabbed my tin of grey salt and ate some of that to try to help.  When I got to dialysis this morning, I asked for a bolus dose of saline to replenish the 0.8 kg of body weight I'd lost, as I knew that was about how much fluid I lost the night before.  I received 1.1L of fluid during my treatment, all to no avail as it turns out.  By the time I left, I weighed the same as when I got there.  I'd already lost the entire 1.1kg of fluid.  It's frustrating, but that's how my body works.  I'm trying to balance my need for tea to keep up my electrolytes and my desire to lose a few more pounds in order to fit into the rest of my wardrobe.  It's going slowly, but it's going.

Marilyn asked a couple of questions in her comment, and I'd like to address them now.  First, she wanted to know if my cross-stitch stash was packed safely away.  The answer to that is yes and no.  My FSOT stash is in a box because I don't have room to unpack it.  My personal stash is in my 5-drawer lateral file cabinet.  It's not sorted in any way, shape, or form; I simply grabbed stacks of charts & kits and put them into hanging file folders as they'd fit.  Since I know I'm not going to stitch for quite some time, I sold all my Weeks Dye Works and Gentle Arts Sampler Threads to a friend of mine.  I couldn't justify hanging on to them for the next four or more years when I knew I could get over $200 by selling them for $1.50 per skein. I was shocked when I told Carol they were going up for sale and she said she wanted them all.  It did save me the trouble of having to list them by color on CraigsList or having to ship them, though.  I have some kits and charts that I will never part with, as I am clinging to the belief that I'll get back to stitching one day.  Marilyn's second question was about my health.  Overall, I'm doing well, despite the dehydration scare last night.  I did have to have a stent placed in my dialysis graft two weeks ago.  The graft wasn't clotted, but the flow was severely restricted and it was affecting my treatment efficiency. I felt well enough after dialysis to take Kasey for a walk.  We even made it to class tonight.

As I was driving somewhere around Annapolis last week, I started thinking about the underlying reason for me no longer stitching. I can't remember what got me onto that thought path, but I was startled by my conclusion. I remembered looking at my Ravelry project page, where I have all my projects from 2009 listed, and I saw my stitching and needlepoint UFO's.  Reflecting back on looking at them, I realized that I had absolutely no enthusiasm to see any of them completed.  Seeing them made me want to look elsewhere.  Then it hit me: I've simply stopped enjoying the process.  Making x's or pulling the needle back and forth through the canvas is not fun and relaxing for me any more; now it stresses me out.  I remember a friend saying that knitting garter stitch drives her bananas.  No matter how a knit project is constructed, I enjoy the process of creating it.  Maybe once I stop enjoying that process I'll go back to my other needlework. Who knows?

I had my Women's Health Issues class tonight and told my professor that getting back to blogging on a regular basis was my De-Stress Project activity.  While I love reading Facebook status updates and comments from my friends and family, I think Lisa is right: blogging is more in depth, and therefore more personal.  I have more than a 500-character box I can fill. *evil grin*

I was driving to Uncle Wes's house on Saturday and saw this guy in the truck in front of me.  I couldn't resist taking a picture (while I was stopped). Newfies are such gentle giants, and this guy is chocolate-colored, which I haven't seen much.  I was a little disturbed that he was riding without restraint or a harness, but I won't get on my soapbox on that subject. Only consider this: how far is an unrestrained 150+/- pound dog going to fly if you're in an accident? I rest my case.

Thank you all for taking the time to visit Crossed Purposes. I hope you'll be back soon.  Please feel free to leave comments and/or ask questions.  I'm going to make an effort to answer more of them in my posts rather than by private emails from now on.  If you don't want me to answer a question publicly, please be so kind as to indicate that. I'm not going to publicly call someone out for their view. I simply don't publish comments I find offensive or disturbing.  It's my blog; that's my prerogative.

I also have some house-keeping to do with links, blinkies, and other pages, but that will have to come later. I'm planning on using my winter break to re-vamp Crossed Purposes to reflect the shift in focus from XS to knitting.  I've been fighting with myself about whether or not to remove Chet's name from the header of CP and replace the picture of Kasey & Chet with one of Kasey alone (My Guardians, in the sidebar). It feels like a betrayal in some way; like the 12 years he spent with me have no meaning or value, when that couldn't be farther from the truth.  Any thoughts from other furbaby parents?

Troubling News

When you're on dialysis, the nephrologists (kidney docs) keep a very close watch on your bloodwork. Dialysis patients get blood drawn every week. Everything from your treatment length to the medicines you receive are determined by your bloodwork results. There are so many calculations done, it's not even funny.

While he was doing rounds today, Dr M told me that I was alarmingly anemic. I thought he was referring to the 10-point-something from a couple weeks ago, but nooooo. He was talking about the 8.3 from this past Wednesday. I had absolutely no idea my blood count was that low. Hemoglobin is supposed to be at least 12 (then multiplied by 3 to get your red blood count). Mine is 24.9. Considering at its worst, my bloodcount was 18, this number was shocking to me. I don't think my blood count has been that low since I began dialysis treatments in 2006.

This does shed some light on some things, however. Every time I try to study, I fall asleep. It's put me way behind on my work this week. I thought I was just getting burned out, but it seems I have a legitimate reason for sleeping instead of studying. I think I'm going to email my Algebra & Grammar professors to see if I can get an extention on a couple of assignments. The math I've been doing isn't sticking in my brain, and it very well could be because I'm so anemic right now.

Starting Monday, I will be receiving iron and EPO (synthetic hormone needed to produce red blood cells) during my dialysis treatments. Both the iron and EPO will continue until my weekly bloodwork shows normal numbers. Once I'm back up to normal levels, the dosages will be adjusted, but they probably won't stop altogether.

The other problem is that it's not known why my blood count dropped so suddenly. Tests are being done to figure that out. Hopefully I will know by the end of next week.

Updates

I received a call at 3pm Thursday that my surgery will be Saturday morning at 9:20. They finally received my new artificial graft-no CryoVein this time! This is the one they're going to put in my right upper arm, next to the old one. I won't be able to extend my arm for a day or so, so I won't be writing any long posts or emails. In fact, you'll be lucky if you see a Facebook or Twitter update, but I will try!

I decided to write a letter to the school newspaper's editor saying they left their readers hanging by not putting a caption under Kasey's ID card. One of the co-editors wrote back and apologized. Apparently the Campus Current staff was told the card was a gag, and that is why they used it for the article. They will be running a correction in the next issue, which comes out in two weeks.

20 lashes with wet floss

I know it's been weeks since I updated you on what's going on around here, so here goes...

First, THANK YOU to everyone for your support and encouragement as I took the gigantic step into higher education. I'd like to let you know all the hard work (and ignoring stitching, my blog, television, Facebook, and email) is paying off! I have received grades of 93.3%, 100%, and 100% respectively on my first three math quizzes. I'm allowed to take the first test either Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday next week and I'll let you know how that goes, too.

As for happenings around here, there isn't a whole lot to tell. Daisy came for a 4-day stay last week and was much better-behaved than last time. She didn't de-squeaky-fy any of Kasey's old toys, nor did she have any accidents in the house. She was a very good girl and spent most of her time sleeping.

I have to say that my semester has a much more relaxed feel to it than it would have had with all the pressure from the English class I originally registered for. My Grammar class is nice because there are only twelve of us, and five are English teachers renewing their certifications. I really enjoy the discussions we have. That being said, I spend about twelve to sixteen hours a week on my math class. Because we only have half the class time of a typical class, the onus is on us, the students, to do alot of the work at home, online. Now I know that I will be trying to take as many classes on campus as I possibly can! Distance learning is great, in theory, but I don't think I will get as much out of it as I would attending in person. I certainly won't take more than one online/hybrid class at a time, that's for sure.

And, yes, you read correctly; you weren't hallucinating. I said I've been ignoring stitching. I haven't stitched at home since August 18th and I'm still working on Blue Bayou by Northern Pine Designs. Forgive me for not posting a picture, but I'm writing this on my school laptop and don't have Kodak Easyshare loaded on this machine. I've been trying to go to the Barnes & Noble and Borders stitching groups, but school takes first priority.

I was talking to Carol B-C tonight and told her I know I'm entirely immersed in "school mode" because I don't think about stitching. In fact, when she and I got together Saturday night at Starbucks "to stitch" I worked on my Grammar notes while she stitched on Kind, Fond Love. Okay! It's official! I'm a nerd and a dork!

In case you're not linked to me on Facebook, I'll explain the "dork" comment. My youngest brother, Ben, uses three computers at a time. I told Mom "If I ever need three computers running at once, shoot me!" I call it "Dork Mode" because Ben is our resident computer dork. He lives online, even worse than I used to. He uses his desktop computer to run the game he's (getting paid for) working on, one laptop for IRC (technical, computer dork, chat), and one laptop for AIM chat. Why he doesn't download Trillian or another program that combines all the messengers (like *I* did), I'll never know. Whenever I have both my school and "play" laptop running at the same time, I say I'm in "Dork Mode."

Kasey's been doing great on campus and is somewhat of a celebrity. I was walking through the library last week and someone passed by, looked back, and said to the person beside them, "That must be Kasey." I thought it was very funny. I'm at a complete disadvantage, though, because people can tell right away who I am but I have no idea who they are.

Speaking of Miss Celebrity, I picked up a school newspaper at the activities fair this morning. Guess whose picture (ID Card) was smack-dab at the top of Page 3 in the article on the new, plastic (formerly paper) school ID cards? Unfortunately, no one contacted me to ask the back-story to her ID, so I'm sure people are wondering why there's a dog on an AACC student ID card. I know the article was about the school's new ID cards and they probably decided that they couldn't get in trouble for showing a dog's ID card (you know all those privacy laws), but a caption saying Kasey is the first student service dog on campus at AACC would have been explanation enough.

All that aside, I'm doing well, although I still have this &*%$ catheter in my chest. The surgeon's office called me last week to tell me the graft is on order but they don't have it yet. Until then, I'm stuck with this &*%$ catheter. I hate it!

Until next time...and I'm not saying when that will be...Ya'll take care and be safe!

Love,
Beth

I'm still around!

I've added a To-Do list to the sidebar of CP to give you an idea of how crazy my schedule is. As you can see, it's going to be a very busy week.

Added to that is the fact that trying to read the Companion to the Gothic still puts me to sleep! I have to read the Introduction and Chapter 1 and post a commentary and the answers to four questions to the course's virtual classroom by midnight on Sunday.

Because there were so many words I had to look up definitions for, I created a new blog called "What do you mean?" where I've written out the pronunciation and definition of the words. Some were words that we've all heard before, but instead of guessing the meanings from the text, I went ahead and looked them up so I would be sure of what the author meant by using them.

I am hoping to still be able to attend my face-to-face stitching groups, but if I have an assignment due I'll have to work on that instead. I don't want to lose my weekly stitching time at B&N, but school comes first!

Today, I cleaned up the area around my recliner, putting away all my stitching paraphernalia except my current WIP and clearing off my end table except for school supplies. I have two metal organizers to hold papers and books as well as a basket beside my chair to hold all my textbooks. Classes will be available at midnight and I plan on logging in so that I can copy my math syllabus into my organizer. Then it's off to bed because I have to be at dialysis early tomorrow and I haven't been sleeping well.

Yesterday I woke up with a sore throat but that seems to have gone away, thankfully! I know it's going to happen, so I'm just waiting for someone to go to class while they're sick and I catch it. I thought maybe someone at orientation gave me the sore throat but it must have been from the night before when I couldn't stop coughing.

I wasn't happy to miss Anna's birthday party, but I know better than to try to leave the house when I'm not feeling well.

Take care, everyone, and I will try to fill in the blanks from the past week when I have the time!

Hugs,
Beth

August 11, 2009 - Starting to feel better

I know I haven't posted for a few days and I apologize for that. I'm trying to keep Facebook and/or Twitter updated (Twitter updates automatically go in the sidebar of this blog) so you know what's going on. Sometimes I don't feel up to writing a blog posts, but writing 140 characters for a Twitter update only takes a few seconds.

It's been a rough few days, with ups and downs, but I think I'm on the mend. Unfortunately, I have another surgery the day after tomorrow and I expect to feel like crap for a day or so afterwards. That one is to replace the stents that hold my ureters and kidneys open through all the desmoid tumors (not cancerous!) in my abdomen. They've been in for a little over a year so it's important to get them switched out before they calcify closed and cause more problems. This is the surgery I've had somewhere around 70 times, so I know what to expect. From experience, I also know I have to take it easy for the weekend. If I do something silly like go walking around a store or something the pain will be unbearable. Instead, I usually stay home, watch movies, sleep as the mood strikes, and read when I feel up to it.

I meet with my vascular surgeon next week to discuss the next placement of another dialysis graft. I think I'm going to be throwing a problem into the mix when I tell them they're not touching my left arm, but that's their problem and not mine. I am left-handed and had major problems with neuropathy last year when they did the second graft, as those of you who have known me that long may remember. My arm was numb for more than six weeks following surgery. I can NOT have that happen to my writing hand just as classes start so I will not agree to any surgery on my left arm.

Today is the first day I've been without painkillers for 24 hours. I think the last time I took any was right before I went to sleep on Sunday. This, I can deal with. My incisions still pain me, but not enough to require chemical intervention.

I wasn't able to go to Border's stitching group last night because I was too exhausted, but I might venture out tonight to stitch with Carol. I'm thinking about starting another quilt square because they're so easy to work on and don't require as much concentration as cross stitch. I can't decide which is calling the loudest: Amish Trip Around the World, Evening Star, Iris & Fans, Emerald & Amethyst, or Diamond Mosaic. I don't have all the threads for Evening star and Diamond Mosaic because they're on special order, but the other three are kitted up and ready to go!

The only problem is that I don't have any canvas on stretcher bars, and I sorta need two hands to do that. I was thinking of going to the college and checking at the art department to see if someone would be willing to take my canvas for me. I'm sure they have the tools to do it. Otherwise, Carol and I might have a go at that tonight. I'll let you know what I decide.

For now, I'm going to go take more pictures of the tree the contractor is cutting down by the driveway. It's sorta neat watching them drop it in pieces. Hopefully see you soon!

Hugs,
Beth

August 7, 2009 - Here we go again.

I went to dialysis today and was discussing the problems that occurred during Wednesday's treatment when I discovered my access had no blood flow. The charge nurse called the vascular surgeon right away and within an hour I was at the hospital for an emergency fistulagram (I just had one 10 days ago).

I was awake for part of the procedure and heard the doc say he didn't trust the graft to stay open, so he put a perma cath in through my neck and coming out on my chest. I woke up after about 3 hours of sleep tonight and again found no palpable "pumping" through the graft.

This means that not only will have I have keep the perma cath for the unforseeable future, but also I will require a 13th arm surgery to replace the graft (again). Following today's emergency surgery, the incisions in my arm make it too painful to stitch so I don't even have that to occupy myself. I guess I will be watching alot of classic movies and reading some books this weekend!

I start college as a freshman on the 24th and would appreciate your thoughts and prayers as I deal with this challenging situation Fate has put in my path. Added to all this is the fact I'm already scheduled for surgery to replace the stents that hold open my kidneys and ureters. I'm not looking forward to any of this but it sure beats the alternative!

Thank you in advance!

August 5, 2009 - I should have stayed in bed!

Yeah it was one of those days today. I'll start at the end, cuz it pretty much sums up how crappy my day was.

I came home from dialysis an hour late to find this in my livingroom floor. I know it wasn't Kasey because I've had wicker paper plate holders since she was a puppy and she's never chewed one. Daisy, however, pulverized it! There were a few paper plates that looked the worse for wear.

Notice the pill bottle? Yeah, she got my bottle of painkillers off the end table beside my chair (she'd have to get IN the chair to reach them) and had them spread out on the floor. Luckily she was only interested in the bottle, as evidenced by the teeth marks in it and the lid (and the fact that she was still standing). All the pills were accounted for, thank Goodness! I picked them up as soon as I saw them, then thought of taking a picture of the carnage. To top everything off, I've found two places where she peed. I still am not a happy camper about that!

I should have known something was up when Daisy let me sleep til 10am. Here I was, thinking she was okay...I should have known better. I'll be setting my alarm to make sure I'm up before 9am to take her out for a walk. Wes said he walked both girls about two hours before I got home so she should have been fine.

Doesn't she look like a little angel laying there while Kasey sleeps? She's a cutie and has a great temperment, but she still acts like a puppy.

Okay, that was the end of my day. Remember I said I got home from dialysis an hour late? That was because with twenty minutes of my treatment left to go, I was bleeding around my arterial needle! I thought I was imagining feeling something cold and wet on my arm and then pulled it up from under the blankes to see the tape was soaked. Luckily it had already coagulated and wasn't flowing fast, but it's not supposed to do that!

It took almost 90 minutes for the lower site to stop bleeding. My hand finally gave out after about an hour and one of the techs put a clamp on the site to keep pressure on the gauze. I should have been home before 6:15 and it was 7:15 when I pulled in the driveway. My arm feels like someone has used it as a punching bag. So that was my crappy day.

I tried reading the Companion to the Three Gothic Novels again and consequently had a great nap during my treatment...again.

I also started a new habit. Instead of just glossing over words I'm not exactly sure of the meanings for, I started underlining them in pencil and went back later to look up the definitions. I have a notebook I wrote the definitions in, and I highlighted the words in the dictionary.

Just to give you a taste, here are some of the words I underlined. I also jotted in the margins what I thought the words meant by using the context in which they were used. I was close on some. Can you guess the meanings, without looking them up first? I've taken phrases from the book in which the words appear.

may be attempting an analogous act

while no less ceaselessly misread, models of meconnaissance

some of the concatenations of history

I have deliberately elided issues

now become the leitmotif of critical theory.

The complacent Genevese oligarchs

I guess now you can see why it puts me to sleep? BTW, most of these words were contained in the Introduction! I am sooooo screwed! LOL

Maybe I should just make a blog of the words I underline...hmmm... It's certainly easier than pulling out pen and paper, since my computer is on almost the entire time I'm awake.

The one bright spot in the day was that I now know how much financial aid I have been awarded this semester! I might not have the letter in hand, but it's in my financial aid info on the college's website. The one glitch was that it was still showing I owed more than $600 in tuition. I submitted my tuition waiver on July 17 so I called the Cashier's office to ask what was going on. They are checking into it and will fix it for me.

After my books and fees are paid with my grant money, the remainder will be sent to me in the form of a check. I'll have enough to get a laptop to use solely for school! The laptop I have weighs almost 7lbs and burns my lap. The one I'd like to purchase weighs 5.7 lbs and has extra insulation in the bottom to prevent the over-heating of the chassis.

July 30, 2009 - We have a houseguest

Today was Barnes & Noble stitching group and I finished those blasted dia-monds! I didn't get alot of stitching done, but started filling in the two remaining squares. Once they're done, all that's left is the border! We had a really nice time and stayed until after 4:00.

On the way home, I stopped by the pharmacy to pick up my prescriptions and an antibacterial/ antimicrobial wash the doctor wants me to use. She said they don't want me becoming a carrier of MRSA, so to use it once a day, head to toe, and wash my hands more than ever.

Well, here they are! All three of 'em. Chet has successfully convinced Daisy that he's the meanest cat in the world. She gives him a wide berth and doesn't try to poke him with her nose anymore. The funny thing is that he's declawed and loves Kasey.

I pulled out some of the toys Kasey doesn't play with so that Daisy could chew them. She's much more rough with toys than Kasey. She's already pulled out two squeakers and taken the "tails" off a fur-covered ball. She's been a very good girl and doesn't try to chew on anything that isn't hers. I did have to hide Stinky Ol' Raccoon because Daisy pulled out some of his stuffing. She is not allowed to play with Kasey's favorite toys!

After taking the girls to the playground so that they could run, we came home to relax for the evening. Here's Daisy on Kasey's couch, fast asleep. Kasey prefers to sleep on the tile in the bathroom so she has happily relinquished the couch to Daisy.

Since Daisy is convinced of Chet's viciousness, she waited for him to finish eating her food before going to her bowl to eat dinner. I was very surprised to see this!




Here are the girls, peacefully sharing Kasey's couch. Kasey doesn't like having to share my attention and she barks at Wes when he is petting Daisy, but she likes having someone to play with. Daisy is also taking her cues from Kasey, so when Kasey's napping so is Daisy. It makes things much easier for me!

We took Daisy back to her house for the night but brought her back here because she was standing in the dining room windowsill, howling when she saw Kasey and I come outside. I felt bad about her being alone so much. We'll see how she does spending the night tonight.

If it works out, it will be much easier taking care of her while she's here instead of running back and forth between the houses. I still have to let the cat out in the morning and bring him in around 5:30pm, but that's not as bad as going over five times a day.

Friday through Tuesday - It's been busy!

Every day I think I'm going to have a nice, quiet, relaxing day at home turns into another bout of running around like a chicken with its head cut off!

I received a call from my vascular surgeon on Friday morning informing me that I was being added to the procedure schedule at the hospital on Tuesday morning. They decided to do an angiogram (they call it a fistulagram) to open up my dialysis access. The access flow number was less than half of what it should have been when the test was repeated last Wednesday.

Friday night after dialysis, all I did was apply for scholarships. The SallieMae search I used came up with 25 that matched some of my given information and I think I applied to about 10 of those. Some were for full-time students or had other criteria I didn't fit. It was very helpful and I recommend it to anyone heading off to college.

Friday through Monday I didn't even touch Ocean Star. Not a single stitch. I thought about it but it didn't happen.

I had a completely boring weekend. To pass the time on Saturday, Kasey and I went to Best Buy to look at laptops. My laptop is over three years old and weighs almost 7lbs. It's way too heavy for me to carry, not to mention the fact that it gets super-hot and I can't hold it in my lap. I also do not want to take two semesters of math without a 10-key pad on my laptop.

I know you can get one of the plug-in 10-key pads, but I've tried it and unless you have a big table for the laptop and keypad, it doesn't work. There are alot of laptops on the market that have them built in, just like a regular keyboard. Almost all Toshiba machines have them, but none of those were lighter than what I already have. There was an HP, which was the lightest, but I refuse to buy an HP machine. I'm not prejudiced, I just know their quality has gone downhill since joining with Compaq.

I found an Asus that would meet my needs and had my computer geek brother, Ben, look over the specs for me to double-check. He said that other than the video card being slow, which I knew about, he didn't see any reason it wouldn't do what I needed it to do. If I have enough grant/scholarship money, I'm going to get the laptop for school work and keep my current laptop to use for everything else.

I went to Sarah's later Saturday afternoon and stayed for about an hour before returning home. Caleb somehow got into the white-out and painted both himself and his sister with it. Anna sounded insulted when I asked her who put the stripes on her. She was so funny!

Sunday was acutally a little relaxing. I had alot of email to read and respond to, as well as some blog posts to write. At 2pm I went next door to go over the dog and cat's schedule of feedings and things. This opportunity came at just the right time because I'm always short of money towards the end of the month. The extra cash will be very useful. I spent the evening watching some shows from my DVR and that was about the extent of my day. I certainly needed the rest!

Tuesday morning, the procedure went fine and Sarah and the kids picked me up from the hospital at 9:15am. We went to McDonald's so the kids could get hot cakes. I got an Egg McMuffin (the only thing I can eat on the entire menu) and then we went to Wawa. I got two Italian Shorties since they generously extended Hogiefest til August 9th. That way, I didn't have to do any cooking while I'm in pain!

See? There's a method to my madness! It's not ALL about the addiction to Wawa Italian subs!

I slept from about 10am til 12:45pm and felt absolutely fine when I awoke. My arm ached a little so I took a pain pill. I couldn't sit around doing nothing. For some reason, those sedatives and anaesthesia meds make me edgy and fidgety. I had to go somewhere and decided the college campus was going to be the destination. I received an email Monday night saying that my FASFA was chosen for Independent Verification so there was an additional form to fill out. Only I don't have a printer that works with my laptop and Uncle Wes's printer needs ink.

I went to the college library's computer lab and printed the form, filled it out, and turned it in to the Financial Aid office in person. While there, my academic advisor, Lisa, saw Kasey and I so she came over to say hello. I told her what we were up to and that we were meeting with the nurse at 3pm. I also told her I needed to see her sometime because I wanted to verify that the courses I plan on taking will transfer to the University of Maryland after I get my AA degree. She told me she'd be back from lunch at 5pm and I agreed to meet her then.

I also double-checked with F.A. that they received my forms from DoRS and that would be taken care of shortly. Everything was in order so we headed to Health Services to meet the school's nurse, Beth.

Beth and I had a very nice talk. I explained my medical history and Kasey's role in my care. She assured me that they are very well-versed in the disability laws and cognizant of the rules regarding service dogs. I was worried that Kasey would be left at the school if I had to be ambulanced to the hospital but she told me they would not let that happen. She's aware that some crews don't like to take service dogs, but the school will not allow them to leave a SD without its handler. It's actually against the law. I felt alot better with her assurance.

We discussed scenarios and things that have happened in the past, so she is aware of some of the triggers of my syncope. She also knows that I can usually tell when I'm very dehydrated and those are the times, especially, when I stay home. We all hope there's never an episode on campus, but if there is, Health Services, Security Services, my professors, and anyone else Beth deems to need to be in the know will have my Plan of Care, which I will be working on soon. We talked for 90 minutes and then I went upstairs to wait for Lisa.

Since I had to wait, I pulled out Ocean Star and worked on filling in more of the diamonds. It's coming along, slowly but surely.

Lisa and I went over the courses I've decided to take for my AA degree and only found three that will not transfer to the University of MD. Lucky for me they were all electives. My digital photography and photojournalism courses are questionable. Lisa said I'll probably have to explain to an advisor at the U of MD what I'm planning with my degree and they won't have a problem accepting those credits.

When I got home, I was exhausted, but I still had to take care of Daisy. That's right! In the middle of arm surgery, I'm watching the neighbor's cat and dog for them. So Wes, Daisy, Kasey, and me went for a walk. We took the girls into the Nursery School playground to run around and then brought them back to the house. Wes put Daisy in her house and I went over to feed her and Sneakers and bring in the litterbox from the back stoop. Since the house is for sale, the cat and dog spend the daytime hours outside. As soon as I opened the door to grab the litterbox, Daisy came running from behind me and got out the door before I could even put a hand on her.

I went home to tell Wes that Daisy was loose and then started following her. Kasey was trying to help, but Daisy wouldn't follow her into the carport. I guess she's fallen for that trick too many times. She also wouldn't get into the back of my truck. She wouldn't get within arm's reach of anyone. Our neighbor on the other side, Tom, tried to grab her but he couldn't get her collar. She just kept running around the yards, back and forth. Then she decided to go down the private road to the other end of the neighborhood and wound up at the house furthest from ours.

Trina came out because she saw Daisy, with Kasey in tow, go across her deck. I told her what happened and she tried to grab Daisy, too. No luck! The kids next door pulled in and asked what was going on. By that time, Kasey was standing beside me panting heavily because she was worn out. Daisy, on the other hand, was still running around the houses. All I can say is Thank Goodness we live on a dead-end road!! At least we didn't have traffic to contend with!

Somehow, Daisy started milling around the kids and Sarah was able to grab her collar! Wes quickly put the chain collar and leash on Daisy and we headed back home, after profusely thanking everyone for their help. Kasey was hilarious, because she cut across Ms. Peggy's and Tom's yards in order to get home as fast as possible! There was no staying on the driveway for her; she was headed to the house in a straight line!

After all that walking and excitement, I was absolutely exhausted. I got back to the house and collapsed in my chair. I told Wessy to bring Daisy in with us. I figured she had to be tired after all that, but it took her 45 mintues to finally settle down. She even tried to get Kasey to play with her! Kasey looked at her as if to say, "Are you INSANE?! I'm tired!" She wouldn't even move.

I took Daisy home around 8:30 so that I could feed Kasey and Chet without worrying about her eating Kasey's food. I figured she'd just fall right asleep once she was home, which she pretty much did.

The rest of the evening was quiet and I worked on choosing classes to replace the ones that wouldn't transfer. I'm pretty sure I have everything worked out for my degree. Now I have to figure out when I'm going to take the courses and whether I'm going to register for the one 15-week Spring term and take three courses (10 credits), or if I'm going to take the two 8-week spring sessions and do two courses each sesssion.

If I do that, I can take four courses in the same amount of time and earn 14 credits. If I can get my lab sciences and another class in those 8-week sessions, I may just do it. I'm also hoping that the College Algebra is offered during the 2-week winter term. It would be really nice to get that out of the way! I'm hoping to take care of my Computer Technology requirement by taking the CLEP test. I just have to find study materials.

Since I can't do a full-time schedule, I'm trying to find ways to fit in classes here and there to earn more credits each term. It all depends on what classes are offered in the shorter sessions, though. I'd also like to take two classes next summer, one in each of the 6-week sessions that are offered. I'm impatiently waiting for the school to release the Winter, Spring, and Summer credit courses. I feel better when I can have everything planned out so there are no surprises.

Tomorrow is another dialysis day, but it's also Borders Stitching Night, so I'm looking forward to it!

July 22, 2009 - WHAT time is it?!

6:40

IN THE MORNING!

OMG!

That is the only problem with going to bed early; you wake up early! I hate it! I had hours until my first appointment. The really bad thing was that I couldn't eat until after the appointment and I was hungry. See, this doesn't happen when I sleep until 2pm. Then I don't get hungry until after four o'clock.

I was awake, so to make the best of it I went back to work on Ocean Star. I contin-ued working on the dia-monds and took it with me to both of my doctor appointments. I was taken back within minutes of arriving at the first office but had a 45-minute wait at the second one. That just meant 45 minutes of stitching!

I told the clinic that I would be an hour late for my treatment but I was even later because of the wait at the doctor's office. Instead of making everyone stay even longer, I decided to shorten my treatment to just two hours for today only.

I couldn't stitch today during my treatment. The machine alarmed the first time I moved my arm so I had to keep it still. They repeated the access flow test that was originally done on Monday. The results of the two tests they did then made no sense so I asked for it to be repeated during my next treatment. Today's number wasn't a whole lot better and I will call my vascular doctor to let him know. The last thing I need is for my graft to clot within the next few weeks, or months, for that matter!

Sarah needed me to run something over to the apartment after I left dialysis so I quickly did that and then came home. I made chicken tacos for dinner but didn't have sour cream and they really needed it. Chicken is always dry when you prepare it for tacos. Besides drowning it in water, does anyone have a suggestion as to how to prevent it?

I didn't do any more stitching after finally getting home this evening. I was just too tired. It's another early night for me!

BTW: Thursday is Kasey's Birthday! Be prepared for lots of pics!

July 21, 2009 - The Infamous Anniversary

What infamous anniversary? you ask. Today is the 16th anniversary of my first surgery. That seems like a lifetime ago. In the interim, I've lost track of the additional surgeries I've had. That's probably not a bad thing. So many things have happened in my life during that time, both good and bad. I've learned from each of them so wouldn't think of turning back the clock, even if I could.

Thursday is a much happier anniversary! Kasey will be turning 7 this week! I estimate her birthday from the day I adopted her because she was surrendered to animal control with 17 other Goldens on Memorial Day weekend 2003. I signed the papers on May 23rd (Breanna's birthday) and my vet and I agreed Kasey was about 10 months old. The papers Animal Control was given were obviously for another dog because they indicated "Sandy" was two-and-a-half years old. Yet the puppy I adopted didn't answer to Sandy. When we said "Kasey" she looked right at us. And that is how she got her name. She is Kasey Kay because my neighbor's youngest daughter is Casey (and their last name starts with C). That way, when I go outside to call my Kasey, Casey next door doesn't think I'm yelling at her!

I called the office of one of my specialists, informing them that I wanted to pay my balance and make an appointment. Their new computer system will not allow you to make an appointment if you have a balance and I knew this. I was transferred to billing and went straight into voice mail. The message says that they will not check the voice mail until 2pm and they will take up to 72 hours to return the call. It was only 9am, so the soonest they would get back to me was in five hours.

I hit the "0" for the operator and went back to scheduling. I explained that I needed to make an appointment as soon as possible because my stents were almost a year old. I asked her if she could take my credit card number so that I can schedule my appointment. She started going off on me about not being able to override the system and that I had to talk to billing because it has to go through their system. I couldn't believe someone was arguing with me over a bill I wanted to pay!

She kept going on and on so I just said, "Fine! I'll go to the office and pay it!" and I did! The office is about a mile from home and I've been going there for fifteen years. I know the front desk admin assistant very well. I told Shannon what happened and she shook her head and covered her eyes. She took my credit card, scanned it, called billing and told them to change my account status, and booked me an appointment for tomorrow! I was not expecting one that soon, but that is the kind of service I usually get from the office. Not to sound superior, but obviously the operator hasn't been around long, otherwise she'd know I'm a long-time patient.

After getting that issue handled, I went to my PCP's office. That office is less than a mile from the first, in the opposite direction from home. When I called there for an appointment, I was transferred to triage and received a message that my call would be returned within 24 hours.

First, I'm not sure why I was transferred to triage, but second, I waited a few hours without receiving a call before leaving the house. I've had a rash on my abdomen that sometimes flares up and have already seen a nurse for it. She didn't have the authority to do cultures or write prescriptions so she referred me back to my Primary.

When we arrived (Kasey was with me through all this, of course), I went to the desk and asked to make an appointment. I told them what was going on and that I'd already seen a nurse. I was informed that the probable reason I was transferred to triage was because I said "infection" and the operator thought I needed an appointment right away. I told them that I wasn't so pushy as to ask for an appointment today, or even tomorrow, but I would like to make one as soon as possible before the doctor is booked for the next several weeks.

They actually got me in to see the nurse practitioner (CRNP) then and there! Gail was very nice. She acted like we've met before, but I don't remember it. I felt so bad! She took a culture of the spot that was bothering me and wrote a prescription for a cream. She said she wanted to hold off on any antibiotics until she knew what type of bacteria it was and what it's sensitive to. That should be no more than four days. She also gave me a few suggestions of things to try in the meantime.

Sorry for ranting again, but WHY is it soooo hard to get people on the phone these days?! Sometimes I want voicemail in businesses to be outlawed! No one answers when their phone rings because they know voicemail will pick it up. What happened to good customer service and returning calls right away? Especially when you work for a doctor! Sick people can't wait 72 or even 24 hours! I'm not going to bother calling the offices anymore. I'm just gonna show up and attend to business that way. At least I don't get queued or brushed off! End of rant. Thank you for staying with me.

Because we were already in West Annapolis, I took Kasey to Woofs & Whiskers Pet Boutique on Annapolis Street. Terry wasn't there, but the mini freezer was full of doggie ice cream. They didn't have any tuna or salmon, but I bought a cup of cheeseburger and a cup of chunky chicken for Kasey to enjoy on her birthday. We were both done in by the heat so we headed home.

A couple hours later, after resting under the living room fan, I had enough energy to go out for the things Gail suggested. There was even time after running those errands to sit and stitch a bit longer.

We left for the Heirloom Stitchers' meeting around 5pm, stopping at Wendy's on the way. Kasey got a Jr Bacon Cheeseburger with no toppings. I should have gotten it with lettuce and tomato since she likes both of those, but I completely forgot. She thoroughly enjoyed it, nonetheless!

There were four of us at Heir-looms this month and we had a nice time catching up, stitch-ing, and sharing stories. I even did more work on Ocean Star!

By the time I got home I was utterly exhausted. I sent one last Facebook update and went to bed, at 10:15pm!!! It is almost unheard of, for me to go to sleep before midnight.

June 28, 2009

Day Three. No stitching.

And it's official: my system needs Wawa Lemonade Tea. I drank the last bottle last night (this morning) and steeped some green tea to drink. I finished the mug of tea just before I went to sleep and by the time I woke up this afternoon I was already dehydrated. I tried drinking water until Uncle Wes woke up from his nap but it didn't help.

I knew better than to try to drive myself, so Uncle Wes went out to pick up more tea. I've always joked about being addicted to the tea, but I think today goes a ways towards proving the truth of the statement. I've taken calcium, sodium, and potassium supplements today trying to stop the cramping in my neck and legs. I've already drank a half gallon of tea but the cramping hasn't stopped yet. I also ate some corned beef and mashed potatoes that I loaded down with sea salt.

I should be okay until dialysis tomorrow, but my treatment will help boost my fluid and calcium levels and I'll feel more the thing.

Changing topics, I'd really like to know what is going on with the weather. Friday and Saturday were disgustingly hot and humid. We had to turn on the air conditioning for the first time this year. Then I woke up today and the front porch was only 72 degrees. Considering it's enclosed in sliding-glass doors, the sun creates a sauna out there. When I walked outside it was quite nice temperature-wise and very low humidity. To save on the electric bill I turned off the A/C units in the livingroom and my bedroom. I wasn't sure what Wes wanted to do, so I shut the door to his bedroom and left that unit on. I was able to open the front door to the porch and several windows throughout the house to allow a cross-breeze from the water.

I'm not complaining! I just wish Mother Nature would make up Her mind!

Here's hoping I feel like stitching tomorrow! Have a wonderful week, everyone!

June 26, 2009

Today was a non-stitching dialysis day. All I did during my treatment was freeze my @$$ off and read my book. My hands got so cold at one point, I had to add my wrap to the two blankets under which I huddled. After warming my hands under the blankets for about 15 minutes, I was able to hold my book to read again. My hands and head were the only parts of me that stuck out from under the blankets.

I don't understand why they can leave the thermostat on 77 dedrees all winter with no one complaining about being too hot or too cold, yet when it starts to get warm outside they put the thermostat all the way down to 73-74 degrees and say that's as high as it can go. All the patients are freezing, but they say it can't go any higher because "germs grow." Huh? So germs grow at lower temps in the summer than in the winter? I had NO idea!

Sometimes when I go there, I feel like I need to check my common sense at the door. Sorta scary for a medical facility, no?

I really wasn't in a stitching mood once I returned home, either. I listened to the Classical Masterpieces Music Choice channel for a while so that I could work on my blog without distractions.

Around 7:30pm I noticed that it looked weird outside. The light actually looked yellow. I went out to the carport door and saw that the wind had also picked up. If I was in the Midwest, I'd have thought a tornado was nearing. There was a Severe Thunderstorm Watch, but they all seemed to miss us. Apparently it rained all around us, though.

My mailman brought more goodies today! These charts, Stormy Seas and Diamond Mosaic, from Northern Pine Designs, are from a trade with Debi M. Thank you, D!

Jenn W sent these charts with leftover fibers as a RAK. Thank you very much, Jenn! These arrived earlier this week and I kept forgetting to take a picture.

June 10-13, 2009

Wednesday
Not much happened. Kasey and I returned home from Mom's, I went to the library to get more books to read, and to dialysis for my treatment in the afternoon. I went straight to the grocery store after dialysis to meet up with Sarah and the kids so we could do our shopping together. Caleb and Anna both wanted to know why Kasey wasn't with me, but there was no time to pick her up. I came home to watch television and read email after getting all the groceries put away.

Thursday
After playing another addictive FaceBook game all night, I slept until 2:00pm so it was too late to go to stitching group. Instead, I picked up Anna and took her to the library branch in Hillsmere. Anna thought it was great that the library is straight down the street from her house. She was very excited to visit a different library than the one we usually frequent. I took her back home after about an hour and then helped Sarah do more cleaning at the apartment. We also rearranged Anna's room. I cooked dinner for everyone while Sarah took her friend home. I returned home around 9pm, totally exhausted. It was a good exhausted, as I really need to start getting out and doing more things to get my strength back.

Friday
Ugh! I did not feel well! I went to dialysis anyway but only did a 90-minute treatment. My stomach was really acting up and I couldn't last any longer than that. I came home and left my computer off, trying to force myself to stitch.

It worked! I stitched on Lavenderblue Celtic Knot Quilt and almost completed the twisty bands that have taken so much time. I can't wait until they're done and I can start on all the fill-in.

Saturday
Once again I woke up not feeling great. It wasn't anything I could put my finger on, just an overall tiredness and discomfort. I really wanted to go to Pennsylvania to The Mannings' Spinning Seminar to see all the demonstrations that were being put on today. The weather didn't look like it was going to cooperate, anyway, so it's just as well I stayed home.

I also didn't go to Quiet Waters Park for World Wide Knit in Public Day. All I felt like doing was sitting in my recliner so I did more work on LCKQ. Those pesky twisted bands are done! Now I have to do the fill-in and complete two more bands around the entire piece. I love the look of it. I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do with it when it's complete, though. I think it will eventually get framed and hung on the wall.

Jun 7-8, 2009

I stitched! I stitched! I can't believe I stitched at home! Finally, I felt like I could concentrate on LCKQ so I worked on those overlapping lines some more. It's the first time I've stitched at home in a while! I'm so pleased with my progress.

Since I was on a roll I kept right on stitching after midnight. I decided to take advantage of the stitching mojo as possible. I started to lose focus at about 3am, so this is the next three hours of progress on Lavenderblue Celtic Knot Quilt.

I felt a little better after eating my low-sodium-pick-me-up snack: Cup 'o Noodles. Yes, I know it's completely unhealthy...unless you have electrolyte problems I like do. For me, it's one of the best things I can eat, health-wise. Disgusting, isn't it? I'll let you lose weight like I do if I can have your healthy kidneys. What? No takers? Wimps! Hehe. See? There is a silver lining in every cloud. I get to eat all the fat, salt, and calories I want...but I have to go to dialysis three days a week, too. I'd trade the bad kidneys for less carbs any day, trust me.

I did talk to my dialysis doc when he made his rounds today. I told him about how tired I was and we went over last week's bloodwork. Three things stood out. Number one, is that my calcium is high. It was decided to stop my IV Vitamin D for the week. My calcium will get checked again on Wednesday and the Zemplar (VitD) dose will be adjusted accordingly.

Second, my potassium was down significantly from my usual number. Dr D instructed me to take a potassium pill once I got home (which I did late this evening) and that will get re-checked as well.

Third, as usual, my sodium was low. I guess I need to snack on my salt crystals more often. I thought I was doing okay, but I may also need to have more of my Cup 'o Noodles, too. Any one of these can make you feel run down, but a combination of the three is certain to make you tired. At least these are things I can work to improve. I just have to be careful not to throw anything else off! It's far too easy to do.

While I was at dialysis, Mom called me and asked if I'd like to come up until Wednesday. I called Sarah to let her know, in case she had anything she needed me to take up, and went straight home to pack and get Kasey in the truck. There was no leaving her behind, anyway. As soon as she saw my purple overnight bag go out to the truck, she was standing by the door to make sure she was going with.

I had a few quick stops to make on the way out of town, including the library to drop off books, 7-11 to use the ATM, and Wawa to grab some iced tea. Then we were on our way over the Bay Bridge and up through the Eastern Shore countryside to get to Elkton.

We arrived at Mom's around 8:30pm and Ricco and Jake greeted Kasey. We put them all out in the back yard so they could run around and calm down before letting them in. Kasey promptly plopped herself down on Mom's stone kitchen floor where it's nice and cool. She stayed there while Mom and I played a couple games of Skip-Bo! before going to bed. Yes, I'm in bed, but I'm not going to sleep yet! Those FB games are calling to me again. I couldn't check on my Farm Town farm earlier because I think they're doing more upgrading to the game. I need to look in on my sunflowers, dagnabit! lol

OOO! I almost forgot! Since Mom has to work from 10-3:30 tomorrow, I've decided to do some roaming and wandering...and my destination is Fireside Stitchery in Frazer, Pennsylvania. I've had alot of people tell me about this LNS, so I'm looking forward to choosing the colors for two more quilt squares by From Nancy's Needle. I want to change the colors in these, so I really have to be looking at the actual fibers to choose the right ones. I won't be buying them tomorrow, however. I've worked out a trade with a stitching buddy in Canada whose LNS is having a going-out-of-business sale and they've put their entire inventory 50% off. They carry several of the Caron lines so that is my mission...write her a shopping list! Wish me luck!

April 6, 2009

Since I was on such a roll when the clock struck midnight I kept right on stitching...until 3am when I realized I had a 10am Embroiderer's Guild (EGA) meeting in Ellicott City. UGH! Of course I couldn't fall asleep right away so I only got about six hours of sleep this morning.

I was able to complete the border of Patriotic Hearts & Sampler Stitches and the T stitches in boxes 1 and 25 before going to bed. I was about 20 minutes late but, lucky for me, so were they. It was just starting when I arrived.

I continued working on PH&SS and did almost all of the blue parts of the hearts. I just have two more to do. I was very happy with the progress I've made.

I have made a couple changes to the designer's recommendations. It calls for cream evenweave but I'm using Antique White, and I replaced the Ecru Perle cotton with DMC 712 Perle because those were in my stash. I did a comparison of the 712 and Ecru using my color card and the difference is barely distinguishable. I also decided to use an overdye in place of the DMC 3033. I'm going with GAST Parchment instead.

On the way home from the meeting, Kasey and I went to WalMart and the optician to look for reading/sunglasses for the retreat. We stopped in next door to the pharmacy so that I could pick up more eye drops that the opthomologist prescribed and then we went home. I had about an hour to rest and eat before leaving for dialysis.

I was so exhausted from lack of sleep and being out and about this morning I could barely keep my eyes open towards the end of my treatment. When I got home I planned on going directly to sleep but remembered that I had a book on hold at the library I needed to pick up. Kasey and I also went to Walgreen's in Edgewater to check for the reading/sunglasses while we were out but did not find them there, either. If you know of a place that sells 1.0 diopter reading/sunglasses (no bifocals, please), PLEASE let me know! They don't sell them around Annapolis that I've found.

I rounded out my busy day with a relaxing evening, sitting in my chair, watching television, and playing MahJong. It's amazing how much time you lose when you're playing a game like that. Even as tired as I was, I stayed up past midnight.

I'm Still Here

I haven't forgotten about my faithful readers! I'm working on a catch-up post for the last week and a half, so please hang in there. I still have sutures in my arm and they affect my ability to type for long periods of time. I'm having to take breaks and that is slowing down my progress.

I've been very tired lately. I had my yearly dr visit on Tuesday and everything seems to be okay. We talked about my eczema being an allergy and I'm trying Xyzal. If that helps clear up my hands, she wants me to start using the OTC Claritin. I'm taking the Xyzal at night in case it causes drowsiness. Since I'm hyper-sensitive to Benadryl (documented cases of me falling asleep while walking) and these new allergy drugs are similar, she wants me to be extra careful.

I will get that update posted but it may not be until Monday. I have plans for this weekend although I'd prefer to stay home in my pj's.

Take care & be safe!

Hugs,
Beth