Cross posted on the Community Quilt Project website
Goldie inspects the Daily Kos quilt. It is pinned, ready for quilting, and has become her favorite napping platform.
A week ago, our princesspat had surgery for a very dangerous condition. She had a large blood clot in her leg, something that, if not addressed, can lead to death by heart attack or stroke or severe damage to the heart. Her surgery was successful but she is still in serious condition, with a badly swollen leg and a long recovery period ahead of her. When I asked princesspat if she would like a quilt, she wrote to me, explaining what had happened to her:
The blood clot was very serious, as it extended from my pelvis to my
toes, involving my entire left leg. I needed 2 surgeries and clot
busting drugs to remove the clot, so I was in ICU on Saturday, Sunday
and most of Monday. The good news is the vein is now open again, the
oral coumadin is working so I am no longer tethered to an IV pole,
and I have a strong pulse in my foot.
The bad news is I have a severely swollen leg, which means severe
pain, limited mobility, and an extended recovery ahead of me. I also
have a vena cava screen, which will require yet another procedure to
remove.
The Daily Kos quilt top -- the block patterns are from prior community quilts -- and some of the fabrics are, too
"DVT" stands for "deep venous thrombosis". Here is an NIH article explaining the condition. This article lists these risk factors for DVT:
Blood clots may form when something slows or changes the flow of blood in the veins. Risk factors include:
* After a pacemaker catheter has been passed through the vein in the groin
* Bedrest
* Cigarette smoking
* Family history of blood clots
* Fractures in the pelvis or legs
* Giving birth within the last 6 months
* Heart failure
* Obesity
* Recent surgery (especially hip, knee, or female pelvic surgery)
* Too many blood cells being made by the bone marrow (polycythemia vera), causing the blood to be thicker and slower than normal
And it lists these warning symptoms (if you have any of these, please get yourself checked by a doctor!):
* Changes in skin color (redness) in one leg
* Increased warmth in one leg
* Leg pain in one leg
* Leg tenderness in one leg
* Skin that feels warm to the touch
* Swelling (edema) of one leg
alliedoc's quilt blocks, ready for assembly
Know that being treated for DVT may not get you completely out of the woods. There is also a condition called Post-Thrombotic Syndrome that affects some people and it is likely a life-long condition if it occurs.
Definitely, blood clots are not something to mess around with! They are serious and painful things, that, if they don't end your life, can make your life much more painful going forward.
mimi's quilt
Let's help princesspat heal from her ordeal with a community quilt (or "love catcher" in some parlance). Write a short message of love and support in the comments below and I will transcribe it in archival ink on muslin. My sister and I will then integrate your message into a colorful and cheerful quilt for princesspat, something she can snuggle under, read over and over, and cry into if she needs to. Your love will never wash out of this quilt, I promise.
Goldie inspects peregrine kate's quilt from a different angle
We will be looking for 68 messages to make a pattern. Your message is the most important contribution and no donation is necessary to leave one -- but if you can help with the cost of materials and time to make the quilt, that help is also greatly appreciated. $10/message is suggested but whatever you can give helps. Here is a PayPal link for princesspat's quilt -- or send me a message for a snail mail address if you prefer to send a check.
Detail of peregrine kate's quilt
These are the community quilts that have been finished to date:
othniel (cellulitis and ensuing complications)
exmearden (cancer of heart and lung, RIP)
MsSpentyouth (brain tumor)
Moe99 (lung cancer)
Michelle Caudle (ovarian cancer, RIP)
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, grieving grandfather, grieving widower)
Aji (autoimmune diseases incl. fibromyalgia, inflammatory arthritis, & Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus Syndrome)
JaxDem (suddenly widowed)
DavidW (AIDS and other undiagnosed illness)
Jester the Marine (facing amputation of leg)
peregrine kate (endometrial cancer)
mimi (grief due to family illnesses)
Detail of Jester's quilt. The cool pewter buttons have dragons on them.
The Daily Kos quilt is ready for quilting (if we can get it out from under Goldie) and alliedoc's quilt top is ready for assembly. I am ready to start belinda ridgewood's quilt but messages keep trickling in -- so I am not sure about the final number yet. Seven more messages are needed for labwitchy's quilt. If you want to leave a message for belinda ridgewood (who is mourning the sudden loss of her mother) or labwitchy (who suffers from diffuse scleroderma and who has had a couple bad falls recently), please KosMail me.
JaxDem's quiit
These are quilts that are planned. If you would like to propose someone for a quilt, please message me.
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)
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)
I hope to have SensibleShoe's quilt diary up later in the week.
Boots says, "Thank you for supporting community quilts!"
PAYPAL LINK FOR PRINCESSPAT'S QUILT - THANK YOU!
Nurse Kelley's quilt, pin basted
Namaste.
