Carol in San Antonio's quilt, detail
Our friend, shanikka, is gravely ill. A bad case of diverticulitis led to a perforated bowel. She's on multiple antibiotics and drugs to control fungal infection and has endured a hospital stay of about three weeks now. She's in terrible pain, is so tired, and really needs her friends' support at this time. So we're making a quilt that will be made of loving messages, something she can really hang onto as she heals. Loving words have great power in them -- let's use ours to raise some energy for shanikka tonight!
Here is shanikka's comment from the Black Kos diary today with an update on her situation:
An update on me: my surgeon has decided that the interventions that were being done (percutaneous drain system) to try and resolve my abscess and unbelievable levels of inflammation have reached the point of diminishing returns given that it is also the source of some of my complications. So even though conditions are definitely not ideal, I will be having my bowel resection surgery on either Thursday or Friday. I am a bit scared particularly as the risks are greater and I may end living with an ostomy of some kind for months afterward, the prospect of which depresses the hell out of me and makes me cry. But at least I will be moving forward one way or the other, and that's something.
Kind thoughts and prayers are appreciated.
commonmass' quilt top. It's big! Too big to get a proper photo at this time.
What is a community quilt? It is a quilt that contains loving messages from you transcribed in archival ink on muslin by me. Your words are then sewn into a colorful quilt. Shanikka can use her quilt in the hospital to remind her that many, many people are holding her in love and good thought. And when she comes home, she can wrap up and rest in it, delight in reading the messages, and be warmed inside and out.
This is something we can do to help her.
Centerpiece of commonmass' quilt, a painting by his brother. We framed it with stars and moons.
It takes time and material to make one of these quilts. If you can, in addition to leaving a message, donate toward those costs, here is a PayPal link -- or message me for an address should you prefer a check. $15/message is suggested -- although some give more to cover for those who cannot afford to donate but whose words will be worth more than gold to shanikka. My sister and I are so grateful for your support of this project.
Detail from Leaves on the Current's quilt
These people have left messages for shanikka so far:
1. a2nite
2. peregrine kate and ProvokingMeaning
3. joedemocrat
4. enhydra lutris
5. left rev
6. brooklynbadboy
7. edsbrooklyn
8. Raina
9. Jaysunb
10. Yasuragi
11. One Pissed Off Liberal
12. wuod kwatch
13. scribe
14. HCKAD
15. ZenTrainer
16. concernedamerican
17. CocoaLove
18. Kitsap River and Charles CurtissStanley
19. side pocket
20. gchaucer2
21. ramara
22. jnhobbs
23. Aji
24. Lorikeet
25. Otteray Scribe
26. Jennifer Clare
27. kck
28. broths
29. BlueJessamine
30. 4Freedom
31. PerfectStormer
32. Justiceputnam
33. cfk in the Thumb of Michigan
34. Sixty Something
35. Pluto
36. Diane in NoVa
37. Ian Reifowitz
38. madhaus
39. Steveingen
40. JoanMar
41. zenox.
42. mimi
43. Lousiana 1976
44. jwinIL14
45. Little Flower
46. True Blue Majority
47. Zett
48. Quilldriver
49. earicicle
50. gizmo59
51. Spirit of Fighting Bob
52. NancyK
53. Ignacio Magaloni
54. princesspat
55. valadon
56. PennBrian
57. never forget 2000
58. Avilyn
59. Ahianne
60. Grumpelstillchen
61. KnotIookin
62. Runaway Rose
63. sidnora
64. Denise Oliver-Velez
65. Ooooh
66. dclawyer06
Carol in San Antonio's quilt
Need inspiration? Here are a few of shanikka's quilt messages:
Love has been woven into
every inch of this quilt.
All you need do is rest gently
underneath it's warmth,
allowing body and soul
to absorb it's healing touch. Be well soon, sister! scribe
Sis, sending healing thoughts and energy to you across the coast. We go waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back on dKos. Like the folks in Mississippi say, I'm going into the closet and pray. We're lifting you up and seeing you as God created you -- perfect, whole and complete. Claim your healing, sis! It is there for you. Namaste! CocoaLove
"Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby." Langston Hughes gchaucer2
Sending you healing energy and keeping you in my heart and in my thoughts. Blessed be, always and all ways. Love, Jennifer Clare
shanikka, now’s the time to marshal all of your blessings - your piss and vinegar, your fight, your perseverance, strength and sharp focus - all to one mission, get your body healed and out of that hospital. We're all pulling for you and sending love. kck
I want Shanikka to be well. I just do. justiceputnam
We'll begin quilting commonmass' quilt shortly. Clytemnestra's messages are all transcribed and we're beginning to build her blocks. We are still collecting messages for
Oke.
Boots checks Leaves on the Current's quilt for comfort and finds that it is good!
These are the community quilts we have made to date:
1. othniel (cellulitis and ensuing complications, RIP)
2. exmearden (cancer of heart and lung, RIP)
3. MsSpentyouth (brain tumor)
4. Moe99 (lung cancer, RIP)
5. Michelle Caudle (ovarian cancer, RIP)
6. BFSkinner (lupus)
7. Kitsap River (long wait for kidney donor that ended 2/18/11)
8. Frederick Clarkson (blood clots)
9. Dreaming of Better Days (lymphoma)
10. one bite at a time (lost house and belongings to fire)
11. Timroff (cellulitis)
12. Sol Fed Joe (multiple cancers and health problems)
13. Brubs (AIDS, immune reconstitution syndrome)
14. rserven (gall bladder infection with dangerous complications)
15. grndrush (brain tumor, RIP)
16. ImpeachKingBushII (needs liver transplant)
17. andsarahtoo (lupus)
18. Frank Cocozzelli (muscular dystrophy)
19. luvsathoroughbred (breast cancer)
20. Predictor (stroke and HIV)
21. Austex54 (caretaker to othniel)
22. Theodore Olbermann, RIP
23. cskendrick (antibiotic resistant infection)
24. Keith Olbermann (caregiver to father)
25. Juan (cancer)
26. Ana (a young horse belonging to Juan, hit by truck)
27. MA Liberal’s mother (Alzheimer’s)
28. Charles CurtisStanley (caretaker to Kitsap River)
29. Lorikeet (cervical cancer)
30. Dr. Lori (metastatic cancer)
31. ulookarmless (cancer, heart condition, stroke, RIP)
32. riverlover (caregiver to husband suffering from liver failure, now widowed)
33. Melody Townsel (caregiver to dying father, now deceased)
34. dadanation (AIDS)
35. Dr. William F. Harrison (leukemia, RIP)
36. Larry Bailey (sudden loss of partner to heart attack)
37. ramara (adopted son with fetal alcohol syndrome)
38. Noor B (herniated disk from car accident)
39. Louisiana 1976 (fibromyalgia, severe arthritis, depression)
40. stumpy (MS, stroke, RIP)
41. bleeding heart's niece (cancer, RIP)
42. escapee (failure of corneal surgery)
43. SarahLee (lymphoma, Lyme Disease)
44. Bustergirl (ovarian cancer)
45. mimi's niece (cancer, RIP)
46. ZenTrainer (breast cancer)
47. Miss Blue (severe injury to shoulder, anxiety over coverage for surgery)
48. Granny Doc (bladder cancer, RIP)
49. mango (heart attack)
50. nudger (ovarian cancer, RIP)
51. DaNang65 (heart condition)
52. Lt. Choi (exhaustion)
53. Nurse Kelley (spinal stenosis)
54. Ben Masel (lung cancer, RIP)
55. Otterary Scribe (caregiver, grieving grandfather, grieving widower)
56. Aji (autoimmune diseases incl. fibromyalgia, inflammatory arthritis, & Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus Syndrome)
57. JaxDem (suddenly widowed)
58. DavidW (AIDS and other undiagnosed illness)
59. Jester the Marine (facing amputation of leg)
60. peregrine kate (endometrial cancer)
61. mimi (grief due to family illnesses)
62. alliedoc (endometrial cancer, RIP)
63. labwitchy (diffuse scleroderma)
64. Daily Kos (celebrating community)
65. belinda ridgewood (sudden loss of her mother)
66. princesspat (blood clots, deep vein thrombosis)
67. Scott Olsen (severe head injury)
68. SensibleShoes (caring for sister with brain cancer)
69. Joanna (cancer)
70. cany (grieving caretaker of mother with dementia)
71. Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse (breast cancer)
72. Scottie Thomaston (intense chronic pain from spine, kidney stones)
73. paradise50 (throat cancer)
74. woodtick (caregiver to mother with Alzheimer's)
75. BeninSC (mulitple fractures from bicycle accident)
76. Adrian (colon cancer)
77. Smoh (breast cancer, stroke, depression)
78. slksfca (sudden onset of arthritis requiring hip replacement)
79. arizonablue (grief and exhaustion)
80. Lorikeet (grieving widow - this quilt was a gift from the Rescue Rangers)
81. remembrance (breast cancer) and Glen the Plumber (her caregiver)
82. MassHarry (colon cancer)
83. Regina in a Sears Kit House (severe immune problems from Lyme Disease)
84. nannyboz (grief for father, crippling back pain requiring surgery)
85. raina (grief)
86. earicicle (breast cancer)
87. AntKat (cancers of the throat, RIP)
88. Alma (breast cancer)
89. DarkHawk98 (lung cancer)
90. llbear (brittle diabetic)
91. michelewin (grief and trauma)
92. Dave in Northridge (grieving widower)
93. racheltracks (complications from knee surgery)
94. Ebby (grief and stress)
95. Leaves on the Current (cancer)
96. Carol in San Antonio (cancer)
Quilts to be completed
97. commonmass
98. Clytemnestra
99. Oke
100. shanikka!
See also these two thank you posts from multiple quilt recipients:
KosAbility: A Virtual Quilt for Sara and Ann, from Community Quilt recipients
We Have Something to Say to YOU, Sara R and winglion!
Ebby's quilt, detail
These quilts are planned:
Serpent's Choice (grief)
UnaSpensor (Lyme disease)
MA Liberal (caretaker to her mother who has dementia)
paradox (cyclical vomiting syndrome, PTSD, depression)
Ellinorianne (rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia)
MsGrin (life long heart problems requiring multiple surgeries)
LorelieHI (PTSD, reversals of fortune, depression)
racheltracks' quilt, detail
PAYPAL LINK FOR SHANIKKA'S QUILT - THANK YOU!
Boots says, "Thank you for supporting community quilts!"
Namaste.