Monday, December 7, 2015

Medical Update and More

I'm afraid I've neglected blogging since Thanksgiving. Several of you have emailed to ask how I'm doing since my heart catheterization, so here you go.

That heart cath was a week ago today, and it went well. It was my sixth visit to the cath lab in Ocala, so I felt completely comfortable about all of it. Only anxious to get the results. I even teased a tech about needing a "rewards card" because of the frequency of my visits! He was quick to tell me that after ten visits I get a toaster, and that when I reach 20, I'll get a quesadilla maker! Oh boy! Ha, ha.

However, this was my first cath visit where the catheter was inserted through a vein. The previous five visits were for arterial catheterizations. Anyway, in less than five minutes the doc fed the catheter through my right groin to check the pressure on the right side of my heart. He determined that I do not have pulmonary hypertension, as a different doc told me on November 5. I was so overwhelmed with relief that I shed a few tears.

My doc is speculating now that the problem might be at the "cellular level"... that arteries into my right heart chamber may not be dilating properly. Whatever the problem, my heart periodically races and pounds really hard for no apparent reason. Anyone looking at me can see it bouncing in the hollow of my throat. After seeing my doc this week, I expect to get a prescription drug. Of course, I'm not happy about being put on another drug, but the doc told me that if it works, "you'll be on it for the rest of your long, long life." How can I argue with that?

Friends, thank you for your concerns. You bless me. (Hugs.) Psalm 138 has been my song of praise.

I am now, considerably less worriedly, sewing away in my sewing room. Still, I'm unable to share too much because, after all, this is "Santa's Workshop!" So, a few things I can share...

I finished making 10 pattern weights and have been using them a lot! In fact, I wish I'd made them a long time ago! Straight pins are so futsy by comparison. Weights are just the ticket for holding down patterns as I rotary cut. You can see that I used the ties from fabric bundles to wrap around pairs of large washers. This is such a good idea, found on Pinterest.

Several of my Black Friday/Cyber sales purchases arrived. I am plum tickled about getting 47 pieces of Blueberry Park. The designs are over-printed onto Kaufman Kona, so they're a nice weight in beautiful colors. 

Following my usual routine, I prewashed these fabrics before they went into my stash. I did four small loads, and this is the dye that attached itself to Color Catchers. Amazing, isn't it? More dye was released than I expected. The blue fabrics bled the least.

Here's the first thing I whipped up with Blueberry Park. My all-time favorite top pattern: "Tortola" by SisBoom. Last night I wore it to a three-hour line dancing social. It was totally comfortable, and I happily danced to 37 line dance tunes! My legs ached only a few times. Yay.

Another mail arrival was a Mini Quick Curve Ruler by SewKindofWonderful. I was very excited to try it out, so I did.

Here's one block of the free "Mini Trees" pattern by Sew Kind of Wonderful. Each of my blocks will finish at 7-1/2" X 13.

Of course, a quilter always has to keep supplies in stock, and when they're available at a big discount, even if you don't need them at the moment, you buy. So I did. 

The 4" square, Triangle-in-a-Square Bloc-Loc ruler will be tested early in the new year.

Something else I found interesting, though if you're a member of the MQG, you already know, QuiltCon West (February 2016) had a record-breaking number of quilt entries: 1810!

Isn't that astounding? One of them was mine... my Prism quilt.

The rest of the statistics...


  • Number of quilters: 1019
  • Number of countries: 21
  • Number of US states: 50
  • Number of guilds: 116

The most quilts were entered by MQG chapters in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Austin. Everyone is supposed to learn in late December whether their quilt(s) was juried into the show.

My quilt pile is growing, so I thought to hang a couple more of them in the guest room. There's one in the laundry room now too. After sewing sleeves onto them, and some rearranging of the guest room wall, here's the room that visitors sleep in at my house. As someone on Instagram commented, "It's like sleeping at a quilt show!" Heh, heh.

Linda

16 comments:

  1. So glad your news was good. I can't wait to see the mini tree project. I might have to get that ruler 😊.

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  2. So glad to hear your good news. A thought about the racing heart issue, my husband was on Prilosec for an extended period and developed a racing heart issue. Turns out that the prescription was responsible as it tends to cause a depletion of magnesium in the body. One of the symptoms of magnesium deficiency is a racing heart. A magnesium supplement and discontinuing the Prilosec solved the issue.

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  3. Another chock full post! Encouraging news from your test. And you celebrated with 30+ line dance tunes! Good for you. Love the green print in your new top. And the guest room is so colorful and inviting.

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  4. So glad you news was pretty good. Now just hope the medication takes care of everything! Your quilts are always beautiful, and I love the fabrics you got on sale!

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  5. Wonderful news. Congrats on the 37 line dances. Must have been a terrific feeling of accomplishment.

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  6. So glad you got good news!
    and interesting what you're doing with the mini curve ruler...

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  7. So glad to hear the positivity in this post Linda! You sound like you are fighting fit and in fine form! Love that guest room!

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  8. That' wonderful news Linda! I'm so relieved right along with you. Somehow I wondered if it was really pulmonary hypertension as my father suffered from that and he presented some additional symptoms (and not only a racing heart from time to time). I'm wondering why doctors have to tell a patient the worst case scenario before there's a proper diagnosis. I think he could have saved you a lot of stress (which isn't good for your heard anyway ;))!!! On another note: you did very well with your Black Friday loot LOL!!!

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  9. So glad you are back at it!!! And in full swing!!!! We'll be heading to Ocala for our winter on Dec. 27th. Just packing up my sewing/art supplies! Whew!

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  10. I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart:

    I will sing to the Lord tonight in thanksgiving as I know you have. It is going to be a special Christmas.

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  11. Linda I'm so thrilled to hear this positive health news. Heart issues are so scary. And I loved seeing all your quilts hung! blessings, marlene

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  12. So glad everything went well and news is good! Getting older is not easy is it! What a nice Black Friday haul. I have succumbed too to some of the great sales since Thanksgiving. And now I am inspired to wrap the washersI have tucked away in a drawer. Love your idea of using fabric ties.

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  13. I'm glad about the good news regarding the cath. I did medical transcription for a cardiology group for many years and am glad that there is a good medication for this. Glad you are happily sewing away!

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  14. Why haven't I discovered your blog previously?! Best wishes to your Quilcon's entry and some heart felt prayers for your health.

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  15. I'm really glad they didn't find out something nasty! Sure hope the medicine helps a lot.

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  16. So glad to hear you got good news at the doctors. That is a great Christmas present. Your new fabrics look just like you - bright and cheerful. You will have lots of fun in the new year trying out all your new tools too.

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