Progress in Pictures

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".

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.

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!!

Progress

Oy - Amanda has had a friend from Milton up this week so we've been doing stuff - malls, beach, drive-in - to keep them occupied. They haven't seen each other in 5 years but have kept up on Facebook and are getting along really well. I've not been as productive as I may have wanted but I've been having fun & rest.

Thank you all so much for your continued support!! I'm doing good ... really. I'm feeling quite healed, there are still twinges if I reach too far or lift something wrong but the swelling & tenderness is going down. I make a conscious effort not to think ahead to the chemo. I'm making a list of questions for the Dr. but until we meet with him and get some data there is no way to predict how it's going to affect me so I'm just not borrowing trouble. I don't know how quickly they will want to start the chemo, but since I'll have waited that long I'm going to negotiate like an Apprentice to get it pushed out pasts the 11^th 'cause I'm not going to miss the Knitters Fair!! While I'm not going to borrow trouble I'm not going to be naively optimistic and I want to be able to have a great day without worrying about side effects.

OMG - I can't believe that Julie's tent sale sneaked up on me!! I totally thought that it was next weekend. I know, but when she was blogging about getting ready I really thought that she was just ... getting ready! D'oh!!! I don't have the time to go up today and with taking Emily home tomorrow won't make it before it closes. I've been at the tent sale for time beyond memory ... Son of a Nutcracker!!! No, I didn't have anything in mind to buy & I totally don't need more yarn ... that it completely beside the point. ARGH!!!

I am almost ready to start the 3rd colour on my Creatively Dyed Sweet Spot strip - I love the vibrant colours on this 2nd colour. Sorry, I don't have the name for this one,.

The Beverly Cardigan is moving right along. The colour changes are moving along - I told Julie that I'll just have to knit faster to make the colours change more swiftly. I've split off at the armholes & can fit all of the stitches on a straight needle so I think that I'm going to be able to pick up a bit of speed now. 35,960 sts to the end of the body.

I've been neglecting China Clouds - she's sitting beside me in her basket, quietly watching me with my other projects. Her silence makes me feel even more guilty. You know I love you darlin' - I'll be back.

Post op

Well the post op pain isn't nearly as bad as carrying around the tumour so there's a postitive! It's more like really uncomfortable plus I'm bound as tight in a Tensor bandage as the proverbial sung bug in a rug!! It's so tight that it's messing with the muscles in my back - I am totally going to need a massage!! The bandage can come off Thursday at which time I will see the damages which might be outweighed by the fact that I can finally take a shower!!!

They removed the tumour along with 7 lymph nodes one of which was enlarged. I don't know much about these things (and I'm kinda scared to look it up) and while the Dr assures me that number/size has no bearing on cancerous potential, 7 still seems like a lot to me. I have to wait 2 weeks for the results/staging/grading of the tumour & lymph nodes. Sigh. The waiting is the absolute worst for me.

I'm really disappointed to have missed the Blue Jays Stitch 'n Pitch last night. Next year I'll totally be there!!!

Thank God I have knitting to kind of take my mind off of too much dwelling. I am just about ready to start on the sleeves of Elise's sweater for XRX. It's deadlined so I'm all over it.
I have started a new Sweet Spot strip - Creatively Dyed Yarns. This colour is called Larkspur - I'm lovin' it!!
I've also got China Clouds which I will be hard back into as soon as the XRX sweater is done and with the new Rowan out Julie has promised me some Rowan-liciousnous to work on as a rest from the intense intarsia!!!