Making some progress on antique rug and

the mat for Jimmie Dean's little chair that sits at the front door so he can see out!

First, here's the antique adaptation.  It measures 19" by 42" and there's really not that much more to do.  Just sit down and Do It!!!

I think this shot depicts the colors the best.

Very muted from my usual color palette.   (That's why I think I totally lost interest in it right in the middle of the rug.  When we hooked at JoLynn's a couple of weekends ago, it was my intention to get all the red diamonds hooked around the border.  That made it seem like there's not so much more!  Just fill in some lines now~~~LOL.

And this little mat for J.D. has been what I've been doing while I lost interest in the big star rug!  He sits on this little chair every day and watches the children walking to and from school.  I think he likes his little mat!

Had some not so good health news over the weekend.  I spent all of Saturday night in the ER.  I had seen my MD two weeks earlier for what I thought was asthma.  He gave me an inhaler and it did nothing.  So my radiation oncologist said her husband is a pulmonary specialist and sent me to his office that very minute!  He gave another inhaler, which also didn't help.  That was last Wednesday.  Well, by Saturday afternoon I Could Not Breathe and told Mick to take me to the Urgent Care Clinic.  They did tests that showed a suspected pulmonary embolism (from the surgery)  He said go to the ER immediately!  Your husband can drive you~I don't think you need an ambulance!  Scared the shit out of me!!!  Got to the ER and thank God I was expedited and didn't have to sit in the waiting room with sick babies that don't have health insurance~~~totally another story,  don't get me started on that.  But that's just not right for a mother to have to go there to get treatment for her sick child...

The ER physician comes in and checks the EKG and chest x-rays from the place I had just come from and suggested "congestive heart failure" especially since my breathing was almost impossible when I tried to lay down.  He explained that the left side of my heart showed damage and inflammation~~~ probably from the chemotherapy!!!!

He called my oncologist who said it Was Not from chemo, it was from radiation.  The ER doc was ready to admit me and start running all the heart tests and hook me up with a cardiologist.  Looking back, I wish that's what had happened.

He did, in the hospital start an IV with Lasix and Prednisone to try to get rid of some of the fluid on my lungs.  Then prescribed Prednisone for eight days.  I dread that.  Last time I took it I gained 20 pounds overnight and it took over a year to get it off.  Guess that's the least of my troubles right now though.

Yesterday I saw both oncologists/ the regular one and the radiation one.  Boy are they protective of their special fields of medicine!!!  Again the radiation doctor said it wasn't possible to have any heart damage from only 10 treatments (which makes since to me) but the regular oncologist keeps saying the chemo I took doesn't cause heart problems.  WRONG..... Now I should have known better than this because before I could have the chemo I had to have a MUGA(sp) test to make sure my heart could handle these drugs.  (This is what Tammy does all day in her job in nuclear medicine).  Of course me being me, I came home and read every thing I could find out about the drugs I received.

1. Adriamycin: side effects:  COMMON:

Damage to the heart with the symptoms of:

swelling of the hands and ankles 

shortness of breath

difficulty breathing

2. Cytoxan: side effects: Rare

Damage to the heart muscle.  Symptoms include difficulty breathing, swelling of the legs and feet and tiring easily.

I was supposed to have a radiation treatment today, but just can't do it right now.  Although the RA Dr. PROMISED ME this wasn't the problem.  Yesterday she said, "do you want this cancer to come back?  Then march down that hall and get your treatment!"  Which I DID!!!  But I just couldn't do it today.  How are you gonna know what's the right thing to do?  I will always question myself now.  what if.....what if...

Good news~~~This Thursday at 4:00 p.m. I am scheduled for an ECHO cardiogram.  This will answer all the questions about my heart.  Even congestive heart failure can be treated with medicine and the breast cancer is gone! Please send out some positive vibes my way!  I truly believe in  Prayer and Positive Thinking.  And I promise to keep you guys informed.

Peace and love,

Sheri

 

Angels on Earth

There really are such things as angels here on earth. I'd like to share some of mine with you!
Last Friday night at around 10:00 p.m. I was in my craft room watching some girl TV and my step-son stopped by to bring us some WalMart supplies. He came and left without me even knowing he was here. But Mickey came to my room with this huge box in his hands. He said Jason had found it on the front porch. (We always use the back door and the mailman had, of course already been here that day.) So it was great he had stopped by. Anyway.....I couldn't imagine what it could be. I sure didn't remember ordering anything! I opened the pretty wrapped package and immediately burst into tears! I couldn't even read the letter that was inside. I did though, read who it was from. One of my wool customers, who has become a great friend. And it was a BEAUTIFUL knitted blanket to take with me to my chemo appointments. I guess everyone but me knew it was cold in those places. Her name is Martie and she is on my blog list on the right as Taos Sunflower. She lives in New Mexico and just recently closed her yard and fiber shop. While it was open she and her customers made it a habit to knit squares, or blocks (as in quilt blocks) and stashed them around the shop. Then whenever anyone needed one she put them together. She knitted the blocks together. She said in her letter that she was sorry about the color, knowing I like pink. But take a look at this!!!! It looks as though they had made it to match my home exactly. Just look at how it matches my Sunflower rug. She also told me about her friend Vadan who had battled breast cancer for fourteen years and finally lost her battle just this year. She had knitted some of the blocks on my blanket! I just got goose bumps all over my body just typing those words. Her friend took her blanket to every treatment, just as I will do and she called it her "cosmic" blanket. Of course that's what I'm calling it to. I can honestly feel the love knitted into it when I drape it over my lap and shoulders. Thank you again, Martie.




Then yesterday another package arrived. I did recognize this address. It was from my great niece Zoie and her mother (my niece) Angie. Inside was my owl from the Build a Bear Workshop. Zoie had wanted to make me one since she found out I was sick. They are coming home for Christmas (from Indiana), but she thought they better mail it so I could take it with me to chemo too! I chose the owl from their website because it was a get well soon owl. Sooo cute. She bought me an extra outfit and a gift card for some accessories too. She is only eight years old and saved her own money to buy it for me. She recorded her own voice too. She says, "I love you, Aunt Sheri and I miss you sooo much." Again made me cry. But good cries! Oh, by the way I named her Zhootie, for Zoie and Hootie! And I bought her a black wig so we both could have wigs on. This is my new blonde one. Looks like my hair! Thank you Zoie and Ang!



Then today~NO~another package! This from Kim from Millies Mats. (Also on my side bar in fav blogs) She has knitted me a hat to keep my little head warm! She mailed it before I sent out my wishes for hats to donate so I get to keep this one! She really made it for me...not cheating, really! It is so soft. She made it from 100% cotton and it feels so good. I did get a picture, but not on my head. Mickey had already gone back from lunch so I didn't get a picture of it on my head, but it fits great and looks great, if I do say so myself! Thank you so much, Kim.



I've had such a beautiful response to my challenge for the hats and scarves for cancer patients. I really do feel like that's my calling. I don't know yet, Exactly what I'm supposed to do, but I'm sure I will get my clues in the right time.

I made some draperies out of painters cotton drop cloths too! I'll show you those tomorrow. Still tire out easily.

Thanks for everything again,
and peace,
Sheri