March 30, 2012

Red Umbrella-One & Done

For the record, my mother-in-law is a bad, bad influence on me.  We're talking B-A-D.  She has this habit of piling all sorts of crazy projects onto her own plate at the 11th hour and has been known to pull all-nighters before heading to the airport on vacation just to ensure she's got a carry-on filled with the likes of embroidered fingertip towels for the hostess, crayon caddies for the grandkids, embroidered t-shirts for the same grandkids, embroidered travel blankets for overseas flights.  I'm sure you get the gist.


She has rubbed off on me.  Yesterday, I found myself, Kathy & Channing in tow, anxiously awaiting the door of Quilt Cove in Eagan to open promptly at 10 am.  I'd started a chemo quilt a while back and was less than pleased with the results.  Less than 24 hours before the first round was to begin, I was on a mission to make a new one.  


Channing managed to find the bin of toys at the Quilt Cove and had half of it emptied onto the floor in the twenty minutes we were in the store.  No complaints here though.  We were happy he was so well entertained.
We were in and out of the store in no time flat.  10:29 and we were already back on Cliff Road making a bee line for home.  We had a couple of visitors as we cut and pieced and sewed.  Those visitors were put to work.  Maxine helped lay out the blocks.  Leanne helped rip out mistakes.  


Did I mention that when you do the crazy things Kath does, she more than willing to participate?  Not one eyelash was batted when I requested she be at our house by 9am sharp and declared I was making a new chemo quilt.  She gave up her entire day to help cut, piece and sew this lovely quilt all the while washing dishes, helping with laundry and entertaining Channing.  






Around 11 PM, I called it a night, leaving WM working at the dining room table.  He attended to his client's needs  all the while keeping a frantically sewing Kathy company.  She was hand sewing the binding onto the quilt as fast as her fingers would fly.  At 2 AM, I heard the ding of the alarm system.  The house was suddenly still.  It was done!  


Channing tried it out this morning.  He snuggled in it watching a movie while WM & I got dressed and packed our bags to head to MN Oncology.  Filled with extra Channing love, it was the last thing we grabbed as we headed out the door.




Round one is now done.  Aside from having a difficult IV placement, it went well.  Emily & Liz, my nurses, were wonderful.  Informative, reassuring, attentive.  All the things you want in your chemo nurse.  When Emily reviewed my labs with us, she noted that the indicator for my immune system shows it is highly functioning.  That's a definite plus.  She also told me the red chemo drug would turn my pee color.  It did.  I laughed out loud as I flushed the toilet in the chemo suite.  





Now, we wait for the dust to settle, to see how my body reacts and hope, of course, for the absolute best.  For those of you who have been blessing us with your prayers, keep them coming!  

1 comment:

Melissa said...

The quilt is gorgeous...not to mention your darling slippers :0)