Chemo round three

I went in yesterday to begin round three. I was in a complete sour mood, my "highly sensitive person" was rearing her ugly head, all was bothering me and I wanted to run away. NOT a good way to start a round of chemo, and in fact was offered to wait until Saturday. NO . . . NOW! I had already had a two week delay due to counts too low to subject me to any more chemicals. The shot I had worked and my white count and neutrophils were where they should be and it was safe to start round 3.

I had a reaction to R both previous times but this time, as they cranked it up, I just laid there with my meditation music going, relaxing despite the folks behind the next curtain listening to some show about DNA tests to find out if they were the dads as claimed by these women. Good grief, hang out your dirty laundry, eh?

Anyhoooo, I had not only gotten in early, I also finished in record time. When they shut things down due to reactions, they shut them down for an hour, then start all over. The other benefit of no reaction is no extra meds. I find those to also have side effects that are unpleasant, even though they take care of apparently worse side effects. All a crazy mess.

My doctor has decided to move me to a six week cycle since four weeks seems to not give me enough time to recover. Don't like it as it puts the sixth round into May and I was hoping to finish in early March. MAYBE I won't need all six rounds. MAYBE.

I will also need a bone marrow aspiration/biopsy before the next round to re-stage. Hope for super good news on that account.

That's the update!

My 2010 totals

I decided to compile what I had accomplished in 2010. I am the type of person that tends towards wanting to SEE what I have done. I also loved the rhythm of school. Fresh starts, tests to mark what I had learned (or NOT in my French classes)little breaks before it all started again. And college especially as they give you a list of what you are going to be doing for the semester. I realize that this has nothing to do with what my worth is, or that accomplishing things you CAN'T see are less important, it is just a tendency of mine. I guess sometimes when I am feeling "useless" it confirms something within me. For me it also represents something far more, as I sew (and pray) for the people I love.

I have made

19 men's shirts
19 pairs of pajamas
8 darling little girl dresses (one donated to CASA)
7 bow ties and 1 regular tie
Renaissance outfit for daughter and shirt for her boyfriend
4 shirt waist dresses for oldest for work
2 fancy "prom" dresses for youngest and me
8 baby boy shirts and coveralls
2 diaper bags
3 purses
3 scarves
2 skirts
2 dresses for me
5 holiday kid bags
1 baby sling
1 baby cart seat
1 activity quilt
1 flannel baby quilt
many flannel baby blankets/wipes
many produce bags
many bulk bags
1 hat
LOTS of Hug-A-Bears
1 T-shirt quilt for a friend
decorated three t-shirts for baby D
2 squares for my Baltimore Album Quilt
1 tutu
2 t-shirts
and a pink, sparkley, princess GOD dress!

I think that's it.

Plus I emptied over 30 spools of thread! I am glad I kept them instead of throwing them out. Just a little thought I had at the beginning of the year.




It's fun to imagine what I will create in 2011. Happy New Year!

Not so cheap, not so ugly t-shirt

I had bought this fabric, a knit, hoping to make a t-shirt, but scared. After experimenting with the cheap fabric I boldly cut into this. I love it. I look forward to making MORE t-shirts. They take one and a half yards of fabric.

A cheap ugly t-shirt

A while back I was in my favorite fabric store looking at clearance. If you bought the remainer of the bolt it was 50 cents a yard. I found this knit that FELT like I would enjoy practicing with it, but it is not my favorite pattern, kinda ugly in fact, but I am sure I will wear it some. So last night I made a t-shirt from a pattern I made from one of my favorite t-shirts. I am sure there will be some tweaking, but it wasn't that hard and I like t-shirts. I have enough of the fabric to make another version, so will probably have TWO ugly cheap t-shirts.

Pink Sparkley Princess God Dress

Sometimes when we are visiting the grandkids, we have time to "design" dresses. This following picture is of a "God Dress" that Lulu decided she would like to have. There were many more designs, but I liked this one and set it aside thinking someday I could make a "God Dress" for Lulu.

Of coarse designers (me in this case) must interpret a clients vision and come up with something that hopefully pleases them both and this was my effort.



This bodice detail was left over from some of the bits and pieces I had thought I might use on my oldest daughter's wedding dress.


Sleeve detail, which brings in the "God Dress" theme.

This is definately Kid Couture, as there is lots of hand finishing and the inside of the dress is nearly as pretty as the outside and the extra details which will make the skirt lay correctly are all sewn in. It was a fun dress to make, but took a lot longer than I expected. There is a sparkley over lay that took some finess to get it to lay nicely and the appliques are between the layers.

Princess dresses ARE fun, but not very practical, for sure. I hope she gets many wearings out of it and feels all the prayers like hugs from her Nanut. She will be getting it for her birthday in January. God bless my little Lulu.

Big Foot

My little big foot is gone. I so enjoyed our almost year with him, being able to celebrate birthday number one on Sunday with him and family. What a sweet precious funny little man.

I am thankful to have . . .
kept him when he was nearly newborn to help out
lost a couple nights sleep because of him
seen him in his swim classes, amazing
seen that huge shock of hair slowly rise above his cute little face
written him a little song that he seemed to like
babysat several times
hugged and kissed, bathed and fed him
held him while he was sleeping (his favorite place at our house)
watched him learn to walk
just known him

I know that God loves him far more than I can, I will always pray for him, and keep his picture where I will see it daily. I miss him, and am amazed that we were fortunate enough to have some time with a most amazing little man. God bless all foster parents.

My shot!

Chemo was delayed this week, as white counts were way too low, as were platelets. Ah well, what can you do? Get a SHOT! Then twenty four hours later feel every bone in your body! Something is perking in there and I felt like I really over did in the weight room the day before, but a deeper soarness. Kept me up the second night, but slept fine last, yeah! If they threaten me with it again, I will get it, and maybe in my belly, which is where she wanted to give it to me this time. Just couldn't do it this time. In the arm it went, nice and s l o w ! Ouch!

So revisit chemo round at the end of the month. Hopefully this $5000 shot did it's job.

Tutu

I haven't been sewing much these days. A bit on my quilt squares but not much else. I did want to send something home made to my little baby K for her b-day. Gotta get over the need to always MAKE something, eh? This was a fairly easy, but very cute tutu. She wears various tutus over her clothing, so funny. Hopefully this will be a favorite and not too bulky for fun.

Jammies for the big guys

These are for my oldest and her hubby. Merry Christmas!