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Monday, September 29, 2014

Here we are again

I had a complete bone scan a few days ago, and a follow-up with an orthopedic physician today -- and got some good news.  It appears there aren't any metastases in my right arm.  I'm very happy, as of course I don't want any surgery there. 
I have put the Gramps Cardi in hibernation for the time being, while I cruise the forums & project pages in Ravelry for some kinda clue about maintaining the cables in the yoke of this little sweater.  While it's cooling its heels, I must have some other knitting going on.  I finished the knitting for the CAP bracelet bags for the nieces, and don't "feel" the felting just now.  So...I dug around in my library, and came up with Nancy Bush's Lacy Estonian Scarf pattern in the Winter 2011 issue of Knitting Traditions.  And look!  I have several skeins of 100% baby alpaca laceweight yarn, including two that are the same color & dye lot.  And over here, I have the 2.5 mm circular needle called for in the pattern.  I started & frogged this d^$*#d thing about 12 times before I finally put some sewing thread into a needle, and started putting lifelines every 5th row.  Since then, I haven't made any errors that weren't immediately seen & fixable.   What magic is there in a lifeline?  I don't know, but I'll continue to put them in frequently, and hope the knitting sprites are happy. 
I had a call from my sister, with support & love & other good stuff as well as important news.  Dear old Dad has been moved into an assisted living facility a few miles from her home.  What a relief!  She's nearby, and he'll have access to social interaction, and someone will make sure he eats daily and gets his meds.  Now, I have some time left before I really must try to go back to work, and Sis is suggesting I travel to her home for a visit.  I would like to see Dad.  But can I afford to go?  I'll have to think about that.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

And now for something completely different...

How about a little good news?  I have been in less pain lately!  Thanks to all & sundry (looking at you, Michael!) for the good thoughts & well-wishes.  My last visit with the oncologist included a discussion of the uses of radiation therapy, which it turns out would be rather limited for yours truly because of the widespread distribution of my disease; and a mention of an expected result of less pain at this point in my chemo treatments.  I'm still having more or less constant pain in my leg, right around where that one lesion resides.  If it continues thru the next month, a quick zap of radiation to that one spot may be in order.  We shall see.  I'm making plans to return to work near the end of October, and beginning to wean myself from the walker.  Don't know if I mentioned the walker here before; I had to "pimp" it up so it would be less depressing: I put a bicycle horn on one side, and a bicycle bell (a Dinger 200!  Woot!) on the other.  My wheels have a voice. 
I am still plugging on the Gramps Cardi; I'm at the point in the pattern where the designer is trusting the knitter to know how to fit those darling cables between the neckline & raglan decreases.  I'm so screwed, aka clueless, aka ready to make a small bonfire somewhere....if only this yarn weren't so lovely.  I see there's a huge thread on Ravelry of other folks trying to come to grips with this beast.  Sure do wish I had the interwebs at home, so I could peruse it at leisure! 

I was supposed to see the doctor on the 19th, and was prepared to get all pirate-y on those folks (my pirate name is Captain Anne Bonney) for ITLAPD.  Only we had to reschedule due to insurance coverage issues.  So Disco (aka Red Bess Bonney) and I dressed up to go to the laundromat, and then to the local meat-n-three.  Got lots of comments on my Captain's hat!

Saturday, September 6, 2014

A second trip thru the wringer

This week I've had my most "favorite thing" of all time -- Surgery!  One of the metastatic malignancies I'm carting around ate thru 75% of my femur (that great big bone between hip & knee, for those who are anatomy-challenged).  It was at severe risk of fracturing, so now I have a titanium rod inside it to prevent that rather messy & certainly painful possibility.  I asked the doctor if he could find an adamantium rod instead, then had to explain what that was.  Now I'm thoroughly equipped:  I've a wheeled walker, an extended reach doohickey, a tub seat, and an extra tall toilet seat.  But hey! I can actually bear some weight on my leg now!  Unfortunately, our tiny crackerbox home is very difficult to maneuver through with the walker.  And it still has a lot of repair work that needs doing -- only how?  I suppose we could rent another place for a few weeks or months. 
I was not able to get much knitting done in hospital, as I had an IV in my hand that hurt.  But I've been working on the 2nd sleeve for the Gramps cardi, even putting in lifelines ( as Dog is my witness, I'm not starting over a fourth time!).  When the sleeves are done, it'll be time to work the raglan decreases of the yoke, and make the buttonband & collar.  Not much left!  I'm eager to see it done.