WEEK 22

 

Yup, another week, another update.  

Almost......................

I was so hoping this sock would be completed by Thanksgiving.  It was not to be.  There were way too many interruptions each day for a good solid knitting fest.  Last night, I got two rows of the toes put on before I finally had to give up and get some sleep.  I am sure these will be completed today, sometime.  

I was contacted by my niece today.  She is asking for some knitted goodies for her and her daughter.  I now have something to do once the sock is completed!  And the items she wants are all very portable.  Even better!

That is all I have been doing craftwise.

We hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our home.  I wish I would remember to take photos.  My dining room table was laden with food from all members of the family.  After dinner, there was very little leftovers to pass around.  We had a great time with lots of laughs, and hugs to go around.

Hubby and I are now in Christmas decorating mode.  The outside lights are completed, the tree is set up but undecorated.  I did have to move one piece of furniture so I could put the tree where it can be seen from many places in the house.  Hopefully today we will bring in all the decorations for the inside of the house.  It needs to be completed before Thursday.  After that, all bets are off since we do not know what kind of help will be needed after Josh's surgery.

Speaking of Josh..........................

Here he is with his 'little brother'.  They decided to have a golf date last week and had a blast.  The 'little brother' is the one who just completed 20+ years in the US Navy and then moved his family here from Texas.  So glad to have almost all of my chickens back here.

After Thanksgiving dinner, hubby and I kicked back as did Enrique.

He is not a huge fan of crowds so did not sit down or relax the whole time family was here.  Poor little boy.  He slept hard the rest of the evening.

I think I have found the Christmas tree I would like to have in my house.

Could you imagine this right inside your front door?

That is all for today.  

Until Next Time........................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!

WEEK 21 & JOSH UPDATE

 

Hello everyone.  My update this week will be short on the crafting front and long on the Josh medical update front.

Hubby's first sock is complete.

I was smart and cast on sock #2 right away.

This was taken yesterday afternoon so it is further along this morning.  Hopefully it will be completed before Thanksgiving day.

I also have a Thanksgiving surprise

My cactus is blooming.  I know everyone calls them Christmas cactus, but after looking at a nursery I found out they are actually Thanksgiving Cacti.  Christmas Cactus have a different leaf shape as does the Easter Cactus.  Who knew.  This is the first time my cactus has bloomed during it's actual season.  It seems to love the new spot I put it in and is doing well with the transplanting too.

That is all from Leftycrafter.  The following is the post that was put out publicly from Josh (my son).  Needless to say, my posting over the coming weeks may be a bit spotty.

OK Friends and Family, update time, and a long one. We got the pathology from the biopsy on 11/13 and it is indeed a cancerous tumor (we call it Felix). The molecular results were not yet conclusive but it is trending towards a grade 3 glioma. More molecular results are pending. In other words an intermediate form of cancer. So what's next? Great question. We have an amazing medical team at St Joes BNI. Dr. Nadar Sanai is our primary Dr. Look him up, you will not be disappointed. I chose him and requested him to be my Dr. after doing my research. For those of you that don't know, you always have a choice in doctors. Do not let anyone tell you different. 

 Next is surgery on Nov 30th with a check in time of 4:45 AM to remove the tumor. It is a 6 hour procedure starting at around 7-7:30 AM, including knocking me out and waking me up. The Dr. is confident he can remove the entire tumor. Says he does close to 10 of these a week. After the tumor is removed, there is no guarantee all the little glioma cells get removed because you can't see things at the cellular level. So meds and radiation treatments will follow. We still need to meet with the oncologist on this. We will get these options once the final molecular pathology is received. The other good news is I am being offered a clinical trial med before surgery to see if it invades the tumor. If so we can continue with the trial after surgery if the oncologist approves to use as a treatment. Positive, my trial and treatment could save more lives. 

 Yes, I am scared and terrified beyond what anyone could ever imagine. I am also afraid for what Stacie and Josie will have to witness before and after the procedure. I always envision myself as the one to protect them from pain, not cause it. This procedure requires cutting and pulling back a flap of skin and making a half dollar sized hole in my skull to remove the tumor. I will be in the hospital for about 3 days. Sorry to gross anyone out but these are the thoughts in my head and the reality I now live. This stress and anxiety obviously is not healthy. I am reading literature and reached out to brain tumor support groups for additional mental and emotional help. I have an amazing family, and support system of friends, and even strangers. I am and will continue the fight! I will not give up, and I will be here for my family for a long time!

People always ask what they can do to help. PRAY! I truly believe in the power of prayer and that God has put every single person in our lives for specific reasons. Some people have been in our lives for over 20 years and now it is glaringly apparent why they have been with us for so long. Not just because they have been great friends during that time, but because they had resources we would need later in life and didn't know it until now. We may ask for meal trains, help at home, or other care options, but until things happen, we cannot say for sure. We won't be shy to ask. I will be potentially out of work recovering at home for 6 weeks. The, do not overdo it, approach is important.

 Speaking of being out of work for a while, a big thank you HairClub! The people in this company have been behind me, supporting, and treating me like a family member instead of an employee. They check on my well being, come to visit me, call and offer help, and even offering up personal assets to help us. And this is from the top leadership down. This is why I have stayed with this company for over 26 years, the people! I love and thank every single person in this organization!

And with that, I will close my blog for today.  And before you ask, Hubby and I are doing pretty good with all of this.  Like Josh said, we have a wonderful network of family and friends who are by our side.  Our Christian faith helps to sustain us also.

Until Next Time....................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!!

WEEK 20

 

There is not much to talk about today.  Hubby and I went to Vegas last Sunday and got home Thursday afternoon.  We are not winners but had a fabulous time meeting new people and visiting old friends.

Since I was the driver for both legs of the trip, I did not get as much done as I was hoping.  But since I have gotten home, hubby's socks have been my main focus.

They are moving along quite nicely.  I have hopes of completing this sock and starting the mate before next YOP update.

Josh as still not heard anything about his biopsy.  The nurse called him on Friday to let him know they do not have all the pathology back yet and do not have any information for him.  He does have a follow up on Monday.  The Dr is supposed to have a 'game' plan to give when they meet.  I will update once I know anything.

And that, my friends is all from me this week.

Until Next Time....................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WEEK 19

 

Made it through another week!  My ribs and sternum are getting better.  My car should be done by the middle of this month.  I have a rental which is good since hubby and I are on the road this coming week and wanted take my SUV.  The rental is a Nissan Rogue and rides very much like my Hyundai Tucson. Perfect!

Anywho..........Let's take a look at what transpired this past week.

Monday - Picked up the rental and ran some errands.  Spent a few hours with Josh as he was having quite a bit of anxiety over his upcoming biopsy.

Tuesday - Spent the morning taking Josh to his office so he could get his company computer updated.  I did a little shopping while he was busy but did not find anything to buy!  Went to Mass for a Holy Day of Obligation.  Met our new Associate Priest too.

Josh hard at work

Wednesday - Enrique got his pedicure and then went to the vet to get his hind end cleaned out.  Oh the joys of owning a little dog LOL.  Got invited to lunch with Josh and Stacie and enjoyed our time with them, as always.  Finished my Female Gnome.

Gnomanda

Not sure I want to make anymore female gnomes.  They are a lot more work than the guys.  Once I finished her I started another RCR sock.

Thursday - Josh's needle biopsy day.  Everything went smoothly and he did quite well.  He was very relieved to have that part over and now he waits for the results which should be in by Wednesday and a follow up appointment on the 13th.  I was a good mom and set up a crockpot of chicken and dumplings for them so they did not need to worry about anything for the rest of the day.

Friday - Got all the laundry done, grabbed a few groceries and helped Hubby clean the house.  Still working on the RCR in little spurts.

Saturday - Did our food bank pick up and started getting stuff ready to pack.  Went to Mass and then went to Josh's house and played games for a few hours.

This may sound crazy but, I did not pack my knitting up first!  In fact, it was the last item I packed.  That has never happened before.  I want to show you the RCR I am working on at the moment.  This is my road trip project.

That green yarn has been begging for me to find a way to use it for a couple of months now.  I love the contrast of the two colors.  Hubby is quite pleased with it too.

Hubby and I are on the road for the next 4 days.  Heading to Vegas to play in a bingo tournament.  We will see some friends and family while there too.

Until Next Time................Happy Crafting!!!!!!!!!!!