Detail of Jester the Marine's quilt
Peregrine kate is battling endometrial cancer. You can read about her journey here:
I didn't want to be part of this cancer-survivor club--which I say with all due respect to those who have already had to deal with this challenge. Enduring a health crisis of this magnitude wasn't on my agenda for this year, or even this decade. On the other hand, my symptoms had been so severe, over so many months, that when I finally heard the initial diagnosis I was totally dismayed but not entirely surprised.
And now here I am, over four months post-op, part of a world I never expected to join. I’ve already written a couple of diaries alluding to what’s been affecting me so far, and I’d like to write a couple of others—one, to salute my darling cat Coco, the cancer-fighting cat! And one as a kind of Public Service Announcement especially for women of a certain age.
Do read the whole thing -- Kate has been very generous in sharing what is a challenging, personal experience.
Jester the Marine's quilt
We have sixty of sixty-eight needed messages to make a community quilt for peregrine kate. We are putting our messages on a quilt that she can take to treatment so she will have all our support right along with her. The messages will be transcribed by me on muslin in archival ink -- please leave one in the comments below!
Jester's quilt, showing the backing
If you can help with the expense of the quilt, here is a PayPal link -- or message me for a snail mail address if you prefer checks. The quilt is underfunded by $286 presently...but please don't feel you need to donate to leave a message.
DavidW's quilt
These are the people who have left messages so far:
1. Ann R (winglion)
2. Louisiana 1976
3. Otteray Scribe
4. blue jersey mom
5. ramara
6. cfk in the Thumb of Michigan
7. Ekaterin
8. Ulookarmless
9. Maggiejean
10. Ebby
11. DavidW
12. ProvokingMeaning
13. Betson08
14. Asterkitty
15. GlowNZ
16. Runaway Rose
18. John07801
19. Oke
20. Lorikeet
21. Kitsap River
22. RiaD
23. Sara R
24. Ooooh
25. Lightbulb
26. Mortifyd
27. NormAl1792"
28. JekyllnHyde
29. govib
30. Noor B
31. Corvaire
32. mimi
33. Operculum
34. x
35. TokenLiberal
36. Siri
37. Texasmom
38. A gilas girl
39. earicicle
40. JaxDem
41. 4Freedom
42. Pandoras Box
43. Akprincessa
44. mconvente
45. Nurse Kelley
46. jwinIL14
47. Emeraldmaiden
48. Kerflooey
49. navajo
50. Chacounne
51. kck
52. dancing trees
53. Ojibwa
54. state of confusion
55. Regina in a Sears Kit House
56. Purple Priestess
57. jarbyus
58. escapee
59. newpioneer
60. Youffraita
JaxDem's quilt
These are the community quilts we have made to date:
othniel (cellulitis and ensuing complications)
exmearden (cancer of heart and lung, RIP)
MsSpentyouth (brain tumor)
Moe99 (lung cancer)
Michelle Caudle (ovarian cancer)
BFSkinner (lupus)
Kitsap River (long wait for kidney donor that ended 2/18/11)
Frederick Clarkson (blood clots)
Dreaming of Better Days (lymphoma)
one bite at a time (lost house and belongings to fire)
Timroff (cellulitis)
Sol Fed Joe (multiple cancers and health problems)
Brubs (AIDS, immune reconstitution syndrome)
rserven (gall bladder infection with dangerous complications)
grndrush (brain tumor, RIP)
ImpeachKingBushII (needs liver transplant)
andsarahtoo (lupus)
Frank Cocozzelli (muscular dystrophy)
luvsathoroughbred (breast cancer)
Predictor (stroke and HIV)
Austex54 (caretaker to othniel)
Theodore Olbermann, RIP
cskendrick (antibiotic resistant infection)
Keith Olbermann (caregiver to father)
Juan (cancer)
Ana (a young horse belonging to Juan, hit by truck)
MA Liberal’s mother (Alzheimer’s)
Charles CurtisStanley (caretaker to Kitsap River)
Lorikeet (cervical cancer)
Dr. Lori (metastatic cancer)
ulookarmless (cancer, heart condition, stroke)
riverlover (caregiver to husband suffering from liver failure, now widowed)
Melody Townsel (caregiver to dying father, now deceased)
dadanation (AIDS)
Dr. William F. Harrison (leukemia, RIP)
Larry Bailey (sudden loss of partner to heart attack)
ramara (adopted son with fetal alcohol syndrome)
Noor B (herniated disk from car accident)
Louisiana 1976 (fibromyalgia, severe arthritis, depression)
stumpy (MS, stroke, RIP)
bleeding heart's niece (cancer, RIP)
escapee (failure of corneal surgery)
SarahLee (lymphoma, Lyme Disease)
Bustergirl (ovarian cancer)
mimi's niece (cancer)
ZenTrainer (breast cancer)
Miss Blue (severe injury to shoulder, anxiety over coverage for surgery)
Granny Doc (bladder cancer)
mango (heart attack)
nudger (ovarian cancer, RIP)
DaNang65 (heart condition)
Lt. Choi (exhaustion)
Nurse Kelley (spinal stenosis)
Ben Masel (lung cancer, RIP)
Otterary Scribe (caregiver and grieving grandfather)
Aji (chronic pain from autoimmune diseases including fibromyalgia, inflammatory arthritis, and Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus Syndrome)
JaxDem (suddenly widowed)
DavidW (AIDS and other undiagnosed illness)
Jester the Marine (facing amputation of leg)
Kate's quilt is next -- I am writing out the messages we have. We hope to have her quilt done within the week -- but we will need the last few messages.
We are also collecting messages for a community quilt for the Daily Kos community itself. Look for another diary on that later this week.
Goldie inspects Aji's quilt
These are the upcoming community quilts:
alliedoc (cancer)
Sensible Shoes (caring for sister with brain cancer)
Plutonium Page (pulmonary embolisms, pulmonary infarction)
MsGrin (life long heart problems requiring multiple surgeries)
UnaSpensor (Lyme disease)
MA Liberal (caretaker to her mother who has dementia)
labwitchy (diffuse scleroderma)
paradox (cyclical vomiting syndrome, PTSD, depression)
Stranded Wind (Lyme Disease and other health issues)
woodtick (caretaker to mother who has Alzheimer's)
Ellinorianne (rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia)
Joanneleon (Lyme disease)
Boots says, "Thank you for supporting community quilts!"
PAYPAL LINK FOR PEREGRINE KATE'S QUILT -- THANK YOU!
Namaste.
Ben Masel's quilt