A Little Update

Thanks to Hannah Cohen Photography

It's been 4 months, and quite a bit has happened. Most of it has been hectic, and stressful, and filled with some tears. One day was really awesome...our reception. I'll post more when I get back photos of all the details and the entire night, but for now I want to thank Hannah Cohen, a Boston-area photo journalist who we came to know through my husband's photography group. She was absolutely incredible, and got some amazing shots for us. I can't wait to see the rest of the shots! 

I finally used my sewing room for its intended purpose yesterday...I did a quick mending job on a pair of my husband's pants. About 10 minutes of work. But I will hopefully be using it more. I'm taking a medical leave from graduate school because of some complications with my health. I had another complex cyst that ruptured right before the reception, which seems to have exaggerated my endometriosis, so I'm going to be having a repeat surgery this spring. The medical leave allows me to do a lot more resting, because the more I get up and move around, the worse I feel. It's a bit reminiscent of my back injury, since my physical abilities are a diminished. I know that I go a little crazy not being able to be productive, and I can only rest and lay in bed for so long before I start going stir crazy! I'm already getting into my old sleep pattern...being awake until the wee hours of the morning unable to sleep because of inactivity. I'm thinking of starting some very gentle yoga...any suggestions? I'm sure I'll be getting reacquainted with my sewing machines before long. Simple projects...but something to keep my mind and body busy with something other than endo research.

Hoping all of you are gearing up for spring. Any projects on your horizon? 

Might Not See Me Until Summertime!

This might not be a shock to anyone, but I am in a hiatus...and for good reason... 

I got married!!!! 

:)

We found out from our doctor that my treatment for endometriosis, for whatever reason, isn't working...and I also have some endo growing in my incision (which was our big clue that the meds weren't working, since of course we could actually SEE the endo! Weird and totally scary!)

The good/surprising/exciting/nerve wracking news and silver lining out of all of this is that we need to start trying to have a baby (right away!) as part of my treatment (pregnancy = no period = no endo growth!). Then, if I need to have my reproductive organs removed, I'll be free to do so. I'm trying to see the beautiful rainbow at the end of this storm, and a baby would definitely be a BIG rainbow for me! :) So, with that in mind, we had a small wedding earlier this month, and are in the throws of planning a larger reception in the New Year. 

I'm also finishing my graduate degree (graduating in May!) while all this is going on, and it's so sad, but my beautiful sewing room hasn't seen a stitch since...I can't even remember! So it's time to throw in the towel and admit that the site truly is in hiatus until further notice. I'm sure I will be back eventually, and I hope you will all still be around! You know I'll be checking out your blogs and sending you well wishes from time to time. Keep up the crafting/sewing/blogging, and I hope to reunite with all my online friends in the near future! 

Happy Holidays everyone!

In Loving Memory

My Grampa passed away a couple weeks ago. He developed an infection while he was at the hospital getting a transfusion. He was able to go home and be with family in his final days. I wasn't able to be there because I was in my two week intensive courses, but last weekend I went home for the funeral. It was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do, emotionally, especially the viewing. He was so thin, he just didn't look like Grampa. I made an album for him with pictures of his family, and put it in the casket with him. I didn't want him to feel alone. He was like a father to me.

I'll miss you, Grampa.

Grampa with a chain he whittled from a single piece of wood

Grampa and Me making a snowman...he was an expert!

Love you, Grampa!

Bananarama Said It Best...

It has indeed been a Cruel Summer. Hello all! I've been having a rough day, but before I go on about that, please enjoy these lovely pictures!

All of the flowers have bloomed now, and three of them are still blooming! It's made the occasional evening on the porch that much nicer (that is, when the heat has died down enough!) 

We found some really inexpensive throw pillows at Kohls (just $8 a piece!) that matched the decor. Makes the bench much more comfortable. 

I've been waiting for my lovely larkspurs all summer and they finally bloomed this week. They are just so delicate and lovely. :)

The palm is still hanging in there too, and even sprouting some new shoots. 

As promised, here's Slinky checking out the plants. I'm glad she didn't poop in there!

She was surprisingly cautious climbing on the table. 

Cars on the highway and wind...totally new sights and sounds!

Finally calming down enough to enjoy it. :) She's so chubby and cute!

And here's Little Kitty...inside. Because SOMEBODY tries to jump off the balcony. 

A peaceful place to relax. Which is good. It's been a very stressful month. 

Here's Little Kitty snuggling with me after my surgery. They found pretty extensive endometriosis. I've been diagnosed with Stage 3 Endometriosis, due in large part to a lot of adhesions on my left side. I had endo on my left ovary, in my cul de sac, on my pelvic lining, and my bladder. I had several small, normal cysts on each ovary, and the endometrioma on the left. The biggest news was that my colon was attached to my pelvic wall, left ovary, and the back of my uterus. I have pictures, but I'm sure you wouldn't want to see them! My colon was pulled off to the left in an almost S shape, when it should have connected straight down to my rectum. Explains a LOT of the stomach problems I had for years. The surgeon cleaned everything up and now my colon and my ovary each have their space and I should be feeling a lot better. Now that we have an official diagnosis, I have started treatment again!

I went in for my 3 month dose of Lupron today. Man, IT HURT! The needle is massive and it burns like no tomorrow! I had to sit for a few minutes because I thought I would pass out, and the nurse gave me an ice pack for the soreness. Not as bad as the lower back injection though. I'm also on add-back therapy, which should help with any side effects, like bone loss. I'm just hoping it won't be a difficult round. Some people have a lot of problems with it, but I need it, so I guess it's a moot point. My recovery is still a work in progress. I took two weeks off from work and stayed in bed for a week. The second week I worked on being able to get up and move around. I had to splint my tummy with a pillow to get around. Now I am in my fourth week of recovery. I'm back at work and able to do most things, except lift anything, and I can't take a bath or go swimming for another week. The three smaller incisions are healed, but my belly button (the major incision) just healed completely two days ago. The weird part is that I have a new belly button! It's much more shallow (I couldn't see the end of it before...the surgeon said it was the deepest belly button she'd ever seen, and she fixed it), and is very, very strange for me. Maybe that's TMI...sorry!  

The bad news is that my Grampa is not doing well. He's in the hospital and is in what they believe are his final days. They said if he went home, he would likely only have about three days left. He's requiring lots of blood transfusions, and the chemotherapy is not working. So we are all trying to spend time with him. I unfortunately have class for a week solid starting Saturday, then a weekend off and another week of solid class. I was able to talk to him today on the phone, but it is really hard to not be able to be there in person. I am just glad that I was able to visit in May. I'm sure he would appreciate any prayers or thoughts of comfort and peace. 

That's all for now. Thank you for reading! I know it's been a bit of a disjointed blog, but I find that it does help to do a little writing from time to time. I still read all the blogs I follow, even if I don't always comment!

I'm Still Alive!

Me in my hometown

Hi everybody out in blog world! It's been quite a while since my last post, and unfortunately I don't have any sewing to post about. :( It has been a crazy couple of months. Last time I posted, I was in Washington visiting my family and helping care for my Grandfather. He had a very rough patch where his platelets were very low...in fact, the day I left he started spontaneously bleeding and scared the crap out of us. But after quite a few blood transfusions and platelet transfusions, he seems to be at least handling the chemo treatments. Still praying for some good news!

In my own personal news, I started working for a new family part time while I take 3 summer courses. Full time to begin in the fall when they have their second child. They're very laid back and flexible which is good right now. I've had some health issues crop up that are more serious than usual. I found out just before I left to visit my family that I had a large cyst on my left ovary. It has since shrunk a little, but still larger than is normal. I've had several and none of them have been serious. My doctor recommended I get a second opinion on this one, and after going for a third ultrasound, I was told that it wasn't cancer (although they couldn't completely rule it out until they took it out), but it did have some abnormal spots. My OBGYN thinks that it is an endometrioma and referred me to a surgeon. I met with her yesterday and we scheduled a laparoscopic cystectomy and exploratory surgery. She will remove the cyst, and (hopefully) leave the ovary and tube, but if there is any severe damage or possible cancerous cells, those have to come out too. Then she will look for any endometriosis and excise it (cut it out and have it analysed). She's going to take pictures of everything for me, which I am excited for. I want to know once and for all what is going on in there and why I am always in pain! I'm pretty nervous, and it sounds like the recovery is going to be a little rough, but it has to be done. *sigh* 

I haven't been sewing, but I have been working on getting myself organized at home, on a cleaning/cooking routine, trying to make myself swim regularly, and study for my upcoming courses (first one starts this weekend). It's going to be a busy summer! I hope everyone is enjoying their 4th of July celebrations! We're BBQing at home...very low key. We'll likely be enjoying our meal on our balcony which has become quite beautiful! I leave with some photos of how it's growing. :)

 Getting green!

These have already come and gone, but boy did they bloom!

View from the table.

My first rose bloom!

She lasted a few days before she started to wilt, so I cut her and brought her inside to enjoy the fragrance. 

I don't have any pictures of it, but I've been letting the kitties explore the balcony. Don't they look thrilled to be back inside? lol

When Life Hands You Lemons..or Pineapple...Make a Marinade!

Last week, we heard from the doctors that my grandfather has AML, a fast progressing form of leukemia, complicated by a low platelet count. I was lucky enough to get a few weeks off from work, so I flew out for his first round of chemotherapy and some time afterward. That's where the lilacs are from. I couldn't help sharing. Anyhow, I'm doing what makes me feel helpful and busy...cooking and cleaning and running errands. So far, he's had few side effects from the chemo, other than being tired. I'm really worried, but I'm glad I can be here with him for a while. In the meantime, until we find out how things go, I'm looking for recipes. Today I'm making a recipe of my own creation. Chicken marinated in pineapple, ginger, onion and orange juice, with baby peppers and couscous. Anyone have any other recipe ideas? Especially for immune boosting.

Gee, doesn't that look appetizing? lol...I hate raw meat. But it sure is fantastic cooked!

They're Sprouting!

It's hard to believe this little sprout will be a 5 foot tall stalk someday, but there it is, my first larkspur!

 My orange cosmos are also sprouting, and my Rose bush is flourishing on the front deck.

I can't wait for summer!