I am building Meteor Blades' blocks for his quilt
Irishwitch first wrote about the terror she felt as her husband was hospitalized because of a heart attack. She was widowed in her thirties and the thought of losing her beloved, The Packhorse, is agonizing. Yesterday, she wrote this, expressing her fears and frustrations:
It's worse news today.
It was quintuple bypass. His heart is wek and has been damaged. HE may (operative word MAY) improve with the surgery but no guarantees. He had apparently had multiple heart attacks with no symptoms till the last one, and his diabetes is advanced. My MiL thinks he should just "let go of the past"---you CANNOT forget the past when you are still living with those memories of dead children and killing a 16 year old terrorist. It haunts you. He still has nightmares where he wakes up screaming or sobbing. I love his mother but The Power of Positive Thinking doesn't work for everyone. Her solution sounds so good--but she doesn't get it. She isn't hgelpful sometimes.
Happily, things are a little better today. The Packhorse was awake and irishwitch got to talk to him and they got to express their love for one another. But there is a lot ahead of this couple, starting with heart surgery.
Lets show our love and support for irishwitch and The Packhorse with a community quilt, one that they can wrap up in together.
UPDATE: We need at least 9 more messages and $63 for this quilt.
Annalize5's quilt
What is a community quilt? It is a quilt filled with written messages, given by you in the comments below and transcribed by me in archival ink on muslin. These messages are pieced together with colorful fabric, all in the spirit of love, and the resulting blanket resonates with loving energy. These quilts have a buzz! And that buzz comes from many, many kind thoughts. Irishwitch and her husband can cuddle under this together -- and he can rest under it while he heals from surgery. She can use it while she's sitting, watching over him, too. It will comfort them both, together and individually.
Annalize5's quilt, showing the backing fabric
It takes time and material to make a community quilt -- and it is a living for me and my sister. If you would like to contribute toward the cost of this quilt, here is a PayPal link -- or message me for an address should you prefer a check. $15/message is suggested but some give more to cover for those who cannot afford to donate -- for everyone's message will be very valuable to irishwitch and her husband!
peregrine kate commissioned this quilt for her mom -- it has messages from family members. We do take commissions from families and small groups!
We are at work on Meteor Blade's quilt -- and I will be posting another diary to collect messages and funds for it. His quilt is going to take awhile and he has instructed me to put others before him, as needed. Yes, sir!
Namvetkato's quilt (Vetwife's husband)
These are the community quilts completed 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)
97. commonmass (grieving widower)
98. Clytemnestra (DES daughter, debilitating abdominal pain and bleeding)
99. Oke (survived life threatening pulmonary infection, COPD, depression)
100. shanikka (diverticulitis, intestinal abscess and life threatening infection)
101. Serpents Choice (grief)
102. smarx (caregiver to mother who has dementia)
103. FloridaSNMOM (COPD, chronic pain, anxiety over access to health care)
104. Timaeus (enormous hernia requiring major surgery)
105. paradox (cyclic vomiting syndrome, PTSD, depression)
106. UnaSpenser (Lyme Disease)
107. LoreleiHI (reversals of fortune, homelessness, hearing loss, PTSD)
108. Vetwife (caregiver to husband and other family members)
109. namvetkato (PTSD, Agent Orange related illnesses including heart disease, spinal stenosis, and intense chronic pain)
110. Annalize5 (lung cancer, diabetes and other chronic ailments)
See also these three posts about the community quilt project:
KosAbility: A Virtual Quilt for Sara and Ann, from Community Quilt recipients
We Have Something to Say to YOU, Sara R and winglion!
Community Quilt FlashMob Brightens up NN13
Vetwife's quilt, detail
These quilts are planned:
MA Liberal (caretaker to her mother who has dementia)
Ellinorianne (rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia)
MsGrin (life long heart problems requiring multiple surgeries)
2thanks (caregiver)
LoreleiHI's quilt, detail
PAYPAL LINK FOR QUILT FOR IRISHWITCH AND THE PACKHORSE - THANK YOU!
Boots says, "Thank you for supporting community quilts!"
Namaste.