Just in Time

My friend Holly sent me a lovely chemo cap last Friday. It arrived in a tiny little box. I got all excited when I saw that it was from Holly & Amanda said, "I guess good things do come in small packages"! The yarn was the same as a favorite sweater that her mother had made for her - it's like extra love!!

As it happens it has arrived just in time. Day 14 - exfoliation has commenced. Remember when I had said that I was kind of hoping for a whole naked mole rat thing but the doctors were quite certain that it would only be my head? Well, looks like I'm a bit of an anomaly & am going to save some money on shaving cream after all! It's both disturbing & fascinating ... you know how when you pull hair out by the root there's an actual root? Not so much with chemical interference.
I don't know how rapidly this will go, I'm resisting the urge to constantly comb my hair or put on a freak show by grabbing handfuls at a time.

I started on another Shedir. Seriously, this is my most favourite cap!!! This one is green - a nice avocado green Calmer that I was unable to capture properly or manipulate enough to be accurate.


Random - "You were abducted, of course you need crepes!" Walter, Fringe, Season 2

More Birthdays

I'm not one to wax poetic on my birthday. When I hit 40 last year I felt really great about it, like I was just hitting my stride. All in all it was going great hit I hit that bump. So coming into 41 doing chemo is like the polar opposite of last year but I'm hoping to just keep putting one foot in front of the other, finish the year strong and hit the ground to 42 running. Not literally, I'm really not a runner.

I saw a commercial Keith Urban singing Happy Birthday for the American Cancer Society. It's a wonderful idea and there is nothing more viral than a good idea. If you want to send a birthday wish to someone please consider using MoreBirthdays. Aaron Neville's rendition makes me a little verklempt ...

Watching TAR17 with Wannietta - part le 1

It's that time again!!
That's right Brook & Claire (Hostesses) - TAR is all about the communication.
Give it at least a few legs Chad to see if you're still in love with Stephanie.
Sporty Spices (Katie & Rachel) ... I'll give them odds.
The Tenors (Connor & Jonathan) are going to get on my nerves.
The Doctors (Nat & Kat) - too book smart I think.
Father & Son team Michael & Kevin - is this just to boost their online readership?
I like Nick & Vicki - go freaks & don't let the dating get in the way!!
Ron & Tony ... outside odds.
Jill & Thomas - I sense fireworks.
Gary & Mallory. Hmmm - first out?
Andie & Jenna - I hope that TAR doesn't ruin the whole "getting to know each other" thing for them.
The first team to check in at the end of this leg receives an Express Pass like a Fast Forward ticket. Totally worth competing for!!
BTW - there is only room for 3 teams on the 1^st flight to their destination and is scheduled to arrive 30 mins ahead of the 2^nd flight. Yeah, but we all know about how flights can get messed up!!
They're on their way to London England.

The Smart cars are adorable!
The Tenors are off to a rough start, but at least they seem happy.
Ron & Tony are at the airport followed closely by Chad & Stephanie. Jill & Thomas are hot on their heels along with Sporty Spices.
Gary & Mallory and the Hostesses are thrilled that The Doctors have missed their shuttle.
1st Flight - Ron & Tony, Jill & Thomas, Chad & Stephanie

Henceforth The Tenors will be knows as Team Glee.
Tony is not fat he's healthy.
Everyone is making happy with each other. That's okay there's lots of time for their true colours to start showing.
Thomas gets into the wrong side of the car to drive - I'm sure that he won't be the only one!
Ron & Tony stopped at a petrol station for a map.
Stephanie is driving around in a big circle and Chad is showing his snappy impatience.
That's safe - Nat is doing her diabetes testing while she's driving a stick on the "wrong" side of the car.
Grind those gears Andie - bad enough to be making a nice burning smell.
Ron & Tony have been going the wrong way.
Team Glee has stopped to try & help Andie & Jenna. Is anyone else surprised that they didn't have any insightful tips?

They're going again ... something about "forgetting the part about taking your foot off the clutch".
The Doctors are the 1^st team to arrive at Stonehenge followed by Jill & Thomas and the Sporty Spices.
Now they have to sort out that Eastnor Castle is "the opposite of nor'easter". Though I'd be inclined to think that sou'wester would be the opposite. What do I know?
Brook & Claire have their clue while Rachel has trouble getting into first gear on a hill.
Claire actually gets out and tries to push the car then has to run after it when Rachel kicks it in.
Ron & Tony are having a real rough time trying to find Stonehenge; Gary & Mallory and Team Glee have their clues.
Andie & Jenna have arrived with Chad & Stephanie right with them.
Oh Dear ... Vicki hasn't heard of Stonehenge before.
Ron & Tony stopped at a Starbucks for directional assistance.
Jill & Thomas have the clue first - they need to "Storm the Castle" - climb a ladder while being pelted with water by a peasant mob, retrieve a medieval flag, cross a moat in an ancient bowl boat (OMG - this should be hilarious!!) to a knight in shining armour for their next clue.
The Hostesses get to the ladder first and are going strong with Jill & Thomas going hard at it too.
The Doctors are making good time up the ladder.
Gary & Mallory have a flat tire and there ends the partnership with Team Glee who forge ahead on their own.

Awww - they have a rope to pull themselves across on. I seriously thought that they'd have to paddle them. Although they are all sinking - they have to really balance themselves and kind of hold their weight up with the rope as well as using it to propel themselves across the moat.
Chad & Stephanie and The Sporty Spices are next to the castle.
Ron & Tony are the last team to arrive at Stonehenge.
Thomas has Jill doing all of the pulling along the rope, The Doctors are doing a tiny little hand over hand thing, Brook & Claire
Chad is totally losing all patience on this one. If he proposes, Stephanie should think twice.
Nick & Vicki have stopped to ask for directions to Eastnor Castle.
Jill & Thomas are the first to the Roadblock. Their knight will give them a ride across the jousting field, then they need to use a ballista to fire watermelons at a suit of armour 50' away. Once they knock it flat they need to find a jester for the next clue.
Thomas, Nat & Claire are all shooting watermelons.
Team Glee has stormed the castle while Chad & Stephanie have sunk on their 12th attempt to cross the moat. Chad & Stephanue have been dubbed "Tinkerbell & Pan" by Sporty Spices.
Thomas knocks out his suit of armour!! Now they need to search the sprawling grounds of Eastnor Castle for the forested meadow where the Pit Stop is.
Team Glee is in their boat ... will they pass Tink & Pan?
Nat knocked out her suit of armour while Clair keeps narrowly missing hers.
Michael & Kevin are storming the castle while Rachel starts her watermelon tossing.
OMG - Claire takes a watermelon that flew backwards right to the face!!

She has a fierce headache & can't see straight but Brook is telling her that she has to finish, "it's not called the Amazing Race for nothing". She now has a fear of watermelons but she's back at it.
Connor is tossing his melons.
Claire did it followed by Connor then Rachel.
Chad is stepping up to the melon tossing ballista.
Gary & Mallory are storming the castle while Michael & Kevin do a Two Stooges routine in the boat. Will they be able to get footage of this to post online?
Chad has knocked out his suit of armour.
Mallory (aka Sunshine) is a screamer - this could get annoying.
Chad thinks that the Pit Stop will be on the "other side of the castle" so they're wandering all over while Andi & Jenna have arrived at the castle.

Ron & Tony are going in the wrong direction, again.
Michael & Kevin have learned from Gary & Sunshine and are on their way across the moat. They're whispering as if talking loud will capsize them!!
Nick & Vicki have arrived at Eastnor Castle but having arrived at the top do not know what a battlement is from which to retrieve their flag. Oh Dear!! I had such high hopes for these two.
Gary is tossing melons with Kevin arriving now too. Chad & Stephanie have gone around the entire castle & are still looking for the Pit Stop.
Nick & Vicki have no idea that the upside-down bowl boats are what they should be using. "I don't see any boats".

The light bulb has flickered on!!!
Jenna is going to toss the melons while Ron & Tony have arrived at the castle.
Chad & Stephanie are still looking ...
Gary knocks over his suit of armour followed immediately by Kevin.
Chad & Stephanie check in while Nick & Vicki are across the moat.
Andie & Jenna check in while Ron & Tony try to get into their boat.
Nick is trying to figure out the ballista ... score!!
Vicki thinks that she is in the country of London, but they are not the last to arrive.



1^st - Jill & Thomas
2^nd - The Doctors
3^rd - Connor & Jonathan (sliding on his ass)
4^th - Brook & Claire
5^th - Sporty Spices
6^th - Gary & Sunshine
7^th - Michael & Kevin
8^th - Chad & Stephanie
9^th - Andie & Jenna
10^th - Nick & Vicki
Eliminated - Ron & Tony


Once again Savory Spicy Sweet has a delicious recipe for every leg of the race - tonight, Boston Baked Beans.

A Freakin' Great Day!!!

I had an awesome day yesterday!! Still feeling coldish but my sister came by and we knit for a bit until the Simone came by to flush out the PICC line. Then the adventure began.

I needed to go get my license sticker - like most Canadians I leave it until the day before my birthday to get so no matter how much I wanted to stay home there was no choice.
Waiting in line for a half hour only to find out that this office only did testing & that I'd have to go up to the north end of Barrie had me irritated, but there was nothing for it. I took a minute before we headed up (really, it's only like 15 mins but still ... I had a whole mission planned out) to call Rogers to see if the iPhone shipment had come in. I need hard-core want a new phone; mine is 3+ years old and a serious dinosaur. Since I love my iPod Touch so much and I really hate learning a new phone an iPhone only makes sense but they are seriously hard to come by. Yes ... but theirs were all gone but Bayfield had received 18. OMG!!! I had Daphne call them while I put Justin into overdrive. We got there & there were about 9 people in line ahead of us ... Daphne kept pointing out that they may not all be there for the iPhone. I wasn't going to be reassured by anything but the weight of an iPhone in my hand. I got it!!! I was so excited ... by the time I paid for the phone & bluetooth Daphne decided that opportunity was knocking real loud and she scored one too! I was so seriously giddy with excitement (I don't understand why no one else who got one wasn't as excited ... they don't deserve the phone!!!) and Daphne too that Alex said that we totally made his day.
While Daphne got hooked up with her phone I went up the street to get the license sticker - the correct office was just up the road ... fate or what?!

From there it was on to Costco. About a year ago Miche had a display there and it just was not a good time for splurging but I wasn't able to get the bag(s) out of my head. Can you believe it ... they were there!!! I couldn't resist $99.99 for the bag + 4 shells and the short & long straps. I added in the Chanel straps because

I love them!!




Now I can try to keep my "purse" things in my small purse and carry around just one sizable knitting bag. It's all about the illusion of normalcy. And all I need to do to change purses is switch shells ... no messing with contents at all - SCORE!!!

Then when we finally got home & I sorted out the grocery (yes, I bought food at Costco too ;-) ) Joy came by. She was doing a Silpada party at Shelly's but I bailed on it to put my feet up and try to get to bed early, but I still wanted a couple of rings so Joy came by so that I could pick my sizes & place the order. I'm not really a big jewelery kinda gal and wearing it around home is like throwing pearls before swine, but I'm going to start making an effort ... Shelly is a good influence. So these are what I picked.

All of my good luck & splurges landed on one day ... but that feeling will last me for weeks & months!!!

Today I am trying to kill off a migraine; I took meds for it last night, this morning at 4:30 & Kerwyn went to pick me up more at 11. I don't know if the chemo drugs are interfering but I'm getting nothing from my miracle drug.

Between setting up my iPhone and the migraine knitting has been effectively sabotaged but I'll be back on track later today with any luck. I hope that all of my friends up at Julie's Camp are having a great time!!!

The Good

The new/last colour on my Creatively Dyed Sweet Spot strip reminds me of an Amish quilt - dark but with bold/sedate (I know...) colours.












Sleeplessness = progress. China Clouds & I are back at it like reunited lovers. She is lapping up the attention!!








UPS brought me a box today and I was running around, took Kyle to work then went out to a movie and it rode with me but I didn't want to open it in the truck. Side story - I had always had this notion that going to a movie by myself would be pitiful & lonely. I don't know why ... who knows from notions?!? But today I just had the urge to be out by myself - I had plans for a nice dinner but that changed & I ended up with McD's so that I could see Inception. It was oddly empowering & freeing to go by myself!!! I loved it and I can totally see myself doing it more. It was from Roxie and right after Amanda pounced on me to see her new Blackberry - cheapest & most Mb efficient Smartphone - I opened the box. OMG - it's a beautiful quilt!!! It's huge but Kerwyn is already in bed & I didn't want him to wake up to a camera flash. I love the florals and I can feel the weight of the care/caring in the weight of it. My Granny was a quilter and when we were little we were allowed to thread needles for her quilting circle and only when they did "tie" quilts were we allowed to really help by tying knots in the yarns. Thank you Roxie - it's a treasure in so many ways.

I am still feeling pretty good - mouth sores have started. FFS!!! I'm rinsing with non-alcohol mouthwash (though I really think that a nice rinse of Ginger & Rye couldn't hurt ;-)) and they are just more annoying than anything.
My head has been itchy - I think that I can feel hair cells dying. I know ... I'm going to try not using gel though - maybe I'm just more sensitive to the product.
I feel a bit like I'm coming down with something. I had a cold the weekend before treatment - I thought that it was just bad allergies but once I felt better I realized it was a cold - but it had gone away. I hate being so hyper-paranoid but apparently it's vigilance now. I called the nurse and she said I was right to jump on it - I'm going to see if I can get into my family Dr. tomorrow for a consult, throat swab & maybe some antibiotics.
Gilda said it best, "It's always something".

Measurables

It's been an up & down couple of days. Monday - bad. Day 6 and my stomach had no idea which way was up, whether it wanted food, drink or nothing, whether it wanted to keep sustenance in or get rid of it in the most expedient manner possible. I was trying to put out symptoms left, right & center and head them off at the pass. Any pass, I wasn't being picky!
My eyes are feeling different - I think that my vision is changing but the nurse suggested not going out & getting new glasses because they could keep changing & even change back! It's not really bad but just noticeable enough to me to be annoying to drive & sometimes watch TV.
The bone pain from the Neulasta is not bad ... knock on wood ... a deep twingy feeling, almost ghostly in it's passing making me wonder if I actually felt something. Oh yeah, there it is ... I feel it. It's not horrible, I just hope that all of these symptoms aren't cumulative and increase exponentially with each treatment.

Yesterday was better than Monday (Merciful Lord!!!) and today, while I slept little & unwell, today is feeling like it has potential. Shelly rearranged her day to give me a lift up to Gilda's for a support meeting. I can drive but I just feel a bit spacy so until I get a bit more used to it I don't think I feel good about driving more than to the store in town, if that.


The garter thing - being reworked.

Lina - done!! I like it - the fit is good with the pattern as written. I know ... bit of a passport pic but that's what happens when I'm left to my own devices!!


I'm into my last colour on the Creatively Dyed Sweet Spot strip - I really love Dianne's colourways!!


I sewed in all of the ends on the LF of China Clouds and attached the bands - looking good!


I picked up the RF to get busy on ... do you see that?!? All of those purl blips?!? OMG - I was happily knitting away on the wrong side of the band!!! Sigh. Situation under control - ripped out, re-started.

Day 5 - Quickie

Same old, functionally oogie - Kyle needed picking up from work today so I swung by the Mighty Mart of Wal for some grocery. Kerwyn had to go to work for an emergency so I was on back-up. Saw some friends - they're all looking great!!!, the Anniversary sale had them hopping so it wasn't too good for catching up.
Made some beef soup that I'll finish off tomorrow for lunch with - if I get out of bed on time - some fresh bread!

I was knitting on my Zen Yarn Garden cashmere Lina yesterday & today. When it was done I compared it to my Shedir - which is a most perfect chemo cap - and it's a bit narrower so it doesn't fit quite as well. I've ripped it back to the shaping and will add the pattern repeat that I took out. D'oh!!! I don't think that I'll get to finish it again tonight, but tomorrow will be waiting.

Days 2 & 3

Yesterday went well, still with the flu-like feeling. I didn't do much - knitting, some dishes, supervising homework.
Today the CCAC nurse came again - I have to apologize to her. Her name is Simone, not Elizabeth! D'oh!!! I got my Neulasta shot (white blood cell booster) in the belly!!! I know - no one told me about that!! Apparently it may give me bone pain starting in a couple of days. I thought I felt some a bit earlier but I know that it's just my underlying suggestibility. I'm feeling a bit more nauseous today but that may be because I've been up since 2AM - I don't know why, just woke up and couldn't get back to sleep even with Paul Scheele's best Deep Sleep Meditation efforts. I think I'm just about ready for a nap.

I have moved into a new colour on my Creatively Dyed Sweet Spot strip - I love the deep, rich colours!!

I have also started on a new project for Elise - nothing exciting, just the thrill of humble garter stitch but it keeps me out of trouble.

Day 1

Straight up - thank you for all of your support, especially for the insights & wisdom of those that have gone before me & survived. I'm mostly positive, upbeat and sometimes flip about the cancer & treatment - it's just my way. Yeah, you know me!!! But I think that y'all would worry a lot more if I didn't have self-pitying lows. I'm not dropping into a depression, just (I think) acceptable sadnesses.

Anyway, yesterday was Day 1. There are 3 drugs that I'm on for the first 3 treatments, then 1 drug for the final 3 - I'm on a FECD regimen. The nurse does a manual push for the Fluorouracil & Epirubicin & I could totally feel & taste it. Blech!!! I drank 2L of water - they were quite adamant about water intake for the day before, day of & day after treatment & I'm mostly compliant about things like that. It went well - I couldn't knit for the manual push, about 1/2 of the time we were there so I read knitting mags. Once she hung the bag for the Cyclophosphamide I was good to go.

I had some chest pressure - like extra gravity - that I mentioned to Jean. She thought that it might be the amount of fluids that were being put in - there is saline solution going in as well to dilute the drugs, but they'd keep an eye on it. When it was all done she was on lunch & the pressure was still there so I asked Tammy about it. She spoke to the Dr. & gave me some Maalox because the drugs can cause some swelling in the esophagus that may cause pressure & he ordered another ECG (my baseline one last week was perfect!). I didn't even have to go to imaging, the tech came to the chemo clinic - Score!! It came back perfect too. Sigh. Tammy asked if I was feeling anxious, even though I looked quite mellow. I said that I wasn't especially but they gave me an Ativan which after a half hour had me put down my knitting & close my eyes - not go to sleep but just too freakin' mellow to keep my eyes open. After an hour of that the Dr. allowed as how I could go home since it wasn't getting worse. It's gone today so maybe I'm just special & sensitive enough to have an aberrant side effect! The nurse is coming tomorrow to give me the Neulasta to help boost my white blood cell count & help ward off infection. I'm hoping to be in the 69% that does not get joint pain. I'm really not good with chronic pain. Like anyone is, but I'm just especially not.

I have some leftover curry & my fave Green Giant Essentials veg and then totally crashed out around 3pm. I got up to pee & re-water (I totally lost track of how much I drank - probably a good sign) and didn't regain real consciousness until 7 this morning. I know - I wished for it ;-)
Someone mentioned that they felt like they had the flu after treatment - that's kind of how I feel now. A bit dizzyish & light headed, not nauseous exactly just not hungry. I feel cold but feverish though I'm not. They said to take my temperature twice a day - I've done it 6 times already!!! I'm drinking my water, I'll get something to eat shortly.

All-in-all I'm okay - one day at a time, family & friends at the ready, yarn in hand I'll get through this. Speaking of which I should get to some knitting - new socks for Elise. There is nothing more thrilling than a new project expect for maybe finishing it!!

There is something about the dark & still of the night that takes me to the depths of despair. I can't sleep, I can't stop crying and I'm convinced that I've earned this punishment by some unknown misdeed.
Sitting up awake brings me up from the depths but still there is a weight that I know will only be eased by the coming dawn ... hours away. I will probably regret this wish but I wish that I could be tired enough to sleep at night.
I can be strong all day long, moments of sadness but mastered by will and the need to be strong for those around me. Night leaves me alone, takes my strength and leaves me with just the dark thoughts.

I'm closing the comments on this one - this one was for me. Writing it down, acknowledging the desperation along with the hope helps. And I hope it will help others who feel it too, to know that they're not alone.

Less Hair Today

Shelly was an excellent hair buddy - I had a few moments but she kept up a steady stream of chatter and along with my aversion to public crying I made it through. I don't hate it but I still haven't mustered up a lot of enthusiasm for it. I know, I've been told that it looks good & I'm sure that I'll like it more in a few days.

And this is Amanda in her new Bench jacket. Last week Amanda insisted that it wasn't cold when she left for school & she certainly couldn't wear her one sweatshirt 2 days in a row. Seriously, what would people think? Since I can't have her getting sick right now & risk infecting me I caved and went to buy her a jacket that she would be willing to wear every day. It's not very thick downright thin, but it's a layer, should be a good windbreak and I insisted on a size large enough that she can actually wear layers under it so it will do.

I'm not looking forward to tomorrow but I will be glad to be started and get to knowing what's going to happen & how I'll feel. The hardest part for me is not being able to plan anything & having to ad a caveat of "if I'm up to it". Shelly assured me that anyone worthy of being called a friend would understand and she'd give proper shit to anyone who had nerve to not!! Yup, she's a keeper my Shelly!!! MWAH!!!

Fair Haul

It was a lovely day for a Knitters Fair & a whole lot of other knitters agreed - it was packed out!!

I dropped off the Beverly Cardigan & Ginormous Cowl by Julie's, walked around a bit chatting up so many friends that I hadn't seen in ages, got to work in The Needle Emporium booth for a bit. Julie had a Christel Seyfarth theme going on; I was very lucky that Julie didn't have a kit for the Flower Jacket (on the mannequin on the right in the 1st picture) there - I'd have bought nothing else!! Julie's Malthese Shawl was amazing!!

Elise & I walked around and found scored some excellent things.

1. 100% Irish linen, Pinks & Cayenne from Clever Cat Knits
2. 5 skeins of undyed silk/wool/nylon (thanks Elise!!!) the possibilities abound
3. latest Debbie Bliss magazine
4. 100% Baby Alpaca, Pinks from Clever Cat Knits
5. 100% Cashmere, Ebony Wine from Zen Yarn Garden - I think that it will be a Lina chemo cap
And holding it all is a shallow Soak bucket.
Oh - and I also scored more drive band for Douglass from the Black Lamb. Seriously, if Mischief chews through this batch she had better not shed her nice warm under coat because she will be an outdoor cat!!

The only regret that I have on the day is that I didn't buy a skein of Blot sock yarn from Viola. Their booth was lovely, the girls were so nice and their yarns had such a wonderful depth and intensity of colour!! The yarn labels were all hand stamped - I loved them!! Ah well, they're on Etsy so I will have to visit them there.

I want to give a special shout out to Judy who brought 2 garbage bags full of yarn as well as 4 boxes of needles, patterns and accessories for me to pass along to Gilda's House. Awesome, that's all I can say - Thanks Judy!!!

Hair Today

So, knowing that my hair is going to fall out (yes, there is a minute chance that it won't but I've been realistic to this point, no reason to stick my head in the sand now) I need to think forward. My brain is grasping this nicely and I've got a lovely Shedir and will make a couple more and Joan has said that she is going to be all over Annabelle's Caps.
Other women who have gone through this have suggested that it might be easier (physically & emotionally) to have my hair cut shorter before it starts falling out from the chemo. It doesn't just fall out & leave you with a lovely clean scalp - it's patchy & uneven and unattractive, certainly not improved by having long hair. I've been labouring with that for a couple of days & I've made an appt to get it cut on Tuesday. I'm going to ask a friend to come with me because this is sort of a pre-goodbye to my hair (to which I have become quite accustomed, even when I'm complaining about it). It's been hard to decide to go forward with this - it's not like when I just get my hair cut because I want to - and while I've decided that this is a good decision it's probably going to make me cry & I don't want the poor hairdresser to take it all personal & then have to comfort me.
Then maybe we'll go look at wigs - shopping makes me happy!! And then between hats & wigs I should be set for hair loss, well at least be half-way prepared for it.

I wish that I could stop having to decide things though. Seriously - I've made a lot of big decisions and I'm starting to lose the ability to cope well with having to make any small decisions. I think that it's worse because even though I think that my head is wrapped around treatment & side effects I don't know as how on board my subconscious is with it all. When I can actually get to sleep I sleep lightly and not well, The Allergies (when Kyle was little he called our ragweed allergies "The Allergies" like a proper name & it's stuck) certainly aren't helping but I don't feel like they are entirely to blame. I don't know how to resolve this so I'm just trying to do all of the "good sleep" things that I can and take it as it comes. Although I will feel masses better when I'm not all nasally and tired from The Allergies! LOL

Okay - end of the whining.

The Beverly Cardigan is done - Score!!!

From What's Wannietta Knitting Today?

I'm working on the Ginormous Cowl - I know it doesn't look like much right now but it'll totally be done on time too.

From What's Wannietta Knitting Today?

See you at the Fair!!

New Friend

This is Elizabeth,

From What's Wannietta Knitting Today?

one of the nurses who will be caring for my PICC line (flushing it out and changing the dressings) and helping to manage some of the side effects of the chemo over the next 18 weeks. Bonus - Elizabeth knows how to knit though she said that she's really not very good. Maybe I'll have to claim that my health requires a knitting buddy!
The PICC line is not much to see. Though Amanda brought her friends in to see it like show & tell! They were both intrigued & grossed out by it. I did ask Elizabeth about using it as a Caffeine IV. Towing the company line she suggested that it not be used as such but allowed as how it was a good idea! LOL She said that she's seen drug abusers shooting up in the hospital with it ... so seriously, how bad could it be to main line a bit of Starbucks?
Elizabeth "sausage wrapped" it so that the line clamp doesn't stab into my skin when I wear a sleeve. The hospital gave me a stretchy (stretched out) thing that is alright during the day if I'm not actually doing much but it keeps slipping down. Which made me think ... at what point does a sock become a sleeve? When you cut off the foot!

From What's Wannietta Knitting Today?

Normally I duplicate stitch over the thin stitches in the heel or darn the hole if it comes to that but this Opal sock had done it's time & was seriously thin anyway. It's a bit snug, but it keeps the external part of the PICC line nice & secure at night (I'm seriously paranoid that I'm going to rip it out in my sleep). Once I'm done my Knitters Fair knitting I will knit up a couple of more sleeves - Knit One Below will be the perfect stretchy stitch for this!!
Speaking of Knitters Fair - Beverly is moving right along! I finished the 1st sleeve yesterday waiting to get the PICC line put in. Some emergency came up & they were running 1.5 hours late. OY!! I was totally prepared though! This is the pile that it makes on my lap - you'll have to wait to see if I matched the sleeves!!

From What's Wannietta Knitting Today?

Tired Before the Chemo

Oy vey!! The appt at the oncology clinic went well - met with the nurse, the oncology resident, the oncologist, the radiation oncologist, the resident & the oncologist & the nurse, the drug reimbursement specialist then the nurse again. Yeah. 3 hours later, information assimilated, questions asked & answered, appts galore!!! I get the PICC line put in on Tuesday, CCAC (home care nurse) visit on Wednesday to change the dressings from the PICC line, chemo side effects clinic on Thursday, ECG on Friday, Knitters Fair on Saturday (thank God I'm taking a bus down - it will be like a wee vacation!!!), chemo pre-visit on Tuesday and then chemo for real starts on Wednesday the 15th. Mix in there a craft group at Gilda's & a few cancer support groups & PHEW!!!
I will lose my hair - I'm not too bothered by it right now. At least I won't have to worry about hat head this winter! People say that my hair might grow back different; I'm hoping that it grows back in not grey!!
I've discovered that cancer treatments are significantly costly - I am sincerely grateful for drug coverage!! It should be pretty much 100% covered between mine & Kerwyn's work insurance. That's a freakin' load off let me tell you - tens of thousands of load off!!

Tomorrow I'm heading down to the T-dot to visit with Elise and get caught up in person. She's back in Canada & you can totally get in on classes with her while she's here at The Needle Emporium Knitting Camp. We're going to head to the ROM to take in the African-Canadian quilt exhibit. I'm sorely tempted by the Terracotta army - I feel a Lara Croft moment coming!

After the Hearts

I went down to Creative Yarns last Saturday and met up with Joan. Joan, Christina, Mairi & Wendy knit up some hearts to help me on my mission. Joan kind of Tom Sawyered the rest of them into it but they were keen after they realized how easy it was! By Sunday evening I had an odd 155 hearts - I dropped them off on Monday to a grateful Susan. Yes, I forgot to take a picture. Sigh.

They were an interesting & worthwhile diversion but it's back to the less philanthropic deadlines.








I love the new colour ... but then again I always like a new colour!!








I drove down into Kleinburg today to pick up some magazines from Carol. Again, forgot my camera. I totally need an iPhone so that I can share more moments!! Wow - a whack of classic VK's & Knitters magazines!! I was inspired and went straight downstairs and sorted through my doubles along with extra needles that I have acquired over time. Gilda's House is off to a great start on their knitting library!!