Quilting with disabilities

[RuthMcI]

Ruth, I forgot to ask. Did you drink the vinegar and did it help?

Sharon

[RuthMcI]

Sharon,

I did drink the vinegar for a while--can't remember why I stopped. I don't have the heel problems anymore, even though I do a lot of walking since I moved to New York. I had the heel spurs, I think, because I was doing a lot of hiking back then. It's been a while since I've had any problems with that.

Back pain is another story! I have been taking Pilates classes lately that makes me feel like I am sitting up straighter (strenghtens the proper back muscles to help you avoid slouching). I wonder if that would help your cervical spine too? I'm sure somewhere they have "gentle beginner" classes.

I like your approach to these things--keep looking up!

Ruth

[RuthMcI]

Hi Ruth, when I read your post, I remembered that I haven't had my vinegar today.

I'm sure I'll get a list of exercises when I go to the pain clinic.

With all the prayer I'm getting from all over the country, thanks to TQS, I'm sure several options will be opening up to me.

Have a great rest of the weekend, Sharon in TN

[RuthMcI]

I've been suffering from chronic back pain along with a disease process that no one seems able to diagnose. I broke my back a few years ago and it has yet to fully resolve itself. I am also a caretaker for my husband who suffers from the early onset of early onset Parkinsons. Sometimes it all gets to be too much and I spend a week in bed.

I don't feel so alone after reading this thread. I don't know why it hurts less just to know that others are suffering and coping but it does.

My biggest blessings are a pain doc who prescribes what I need (even if it was a royal pain to find him!) and a husband who doesn't cross examine me about WHY I hurt or what I might have done to exacerbate the pain, but simply offers love, support and sympathy when it rears its ugly head.

Hugs and prayers to y'all!

[RuthMcI]

Hi Quidnunc, I'm so sorry that you're dealing with your own chronic pain, plus the emotional toll of caring for your husband.


I hope your doctor will soon find out what's causing your pain and discomfort.

You're right, it does help somehow to know you're not alone in your circumstances. We're here to bear one another's burdens. Sometimes, just posting a message on the board helps to vent the frustration you might be feeling.

I think I can speak for the others in this category in saying we're here for each other, to lift each other up when someone is down, to just listen and give each other 'cyber-hugs'.

You'll be on my prayer list now and I hope you and your husband have a restful sleep and that tomorrow will be a better day.

Sharon in NE TN

[snowplow3840]

I have chronic back pain due to three "obliterated vertebrae" in my spine two thoracic one lumbar. After 4 months flat on my back in 2004 and three times of calling dh to tell him I wasn't expected to make it through the night, I CAME BACK I AM HERE AND I KEEP STRUGGLING.

In addition to the back pain I have chronic anemia. Since May I have had three iron infusions and five units of blood and still no firm diagnosis as to why I am losing blood.

Am I tired of being hospitalized for anemia, am I tired of not knowing what to do to prevent a relapse, do I worry about what comes next? Yes, yes, and yes.

But do I let it stop me ,heavens no!!!! -- I keep plugging away and doing my thing which is mostly quilting. I keep hoping someone will figure out a cause and a treatment but until that day I can only put one foot ahead of the other and spend my days doing what I love. So Join me ON a Positive journey and let us rejoice in each day we have that allows us to do what we love. Ann traveling through Iowa on a long trip back to Texas

[snowplow3840]

Thanks Sharon.

And I'm with you Ann. I spent the afternoon playing with fabric and am suffering for it now but I will be back at it in a day or so. My body is NOT going to stop me from having fun. I drove up to Nashville last week to go to teh AQS show and by the time I got into my car on the way home I was miserable. I knew I would be, went anyway and had a great time! I even broke down and used valet Parking ($20 instead of $8) to save myself the agony of a long walk. There are ways around a lot of the tough parts - it is just a matter of finding the path.

[snowplow3840]

I am so impressed with all of you. Everyone has different "ailments" but the common thread of "this won't ruin my life attitude" is so uplifting! I have systemic lupus and severe allergies. I am allergic to the normal pain meds so I tolerate quite a bit of pain. This weekend I really pushed myself to finish a king sized quilt and I will pay for that for the next few days. But the feeling of "finished" is awesome. As long as I take breaks and pace myself I can usually handle the quilting. In fact, it is my escape! Take care everyone.

[snowplow3840]

fran thank you for your praise but all of us out here with these problems also praise you, you are here you are keeping the faith no matter the struggle. Every one has two choices WE CAN SAY BOO HOO POOR ME OR


EVEN BETTER WE CAN SAY OKAY I HURT BUT WHAT CAN I DO TODAY TO MAKE MY LIFE OR THE LIFE OF SOMEONE ELSE BETTER TODAY


SO I SAY WHAT CAN I DO FOR SOMEONE ELSE AND THEN I WILL WORK ON ME AND TRY EACH DAY TO BE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE FOR ME AND ALL I KNOWL

ANN STRUGLING OUT HERE BUT LOOKING FOR THE POT OF GOLD AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW

[snowplow3840]

Fran - congratualtions on finishing your quilt. I can't imagine not having pain meds. I went for several months in the fall/winter trying to find someone who would prescribe the stuff I need. I remember thinking I wasn't going to make it. I don't know how you can do it everyday,

[PDQuilt]

Look at her work for inspiration. This lady creates the most magnificent quilts using her ARMS, as her fingers are arthritic.

[PDQuilt]

Ann, I posted this at the "old" site. So, I copied and pasted.....


Well, Miss Ann, glad someone took this discussion under their wings.
I wrote you an email before I came on.

I have been keeping myself too busy and forgetting about my quilting friends. I did celebrate my 4th year of being cancer free, Sept. 8. With only a 2% chance of making it at all, I feel so blessed. The eye surgery I had in the Spring has really fixed the vision problems I was having. But, the right eye is starting to act much like the left one did before the retina started detaching. So, we are paying close attention to my sight. The doctor gave me things to look for early on. I almost waited too long before to get help for it.

Right now I am a bit down due to our horrible finances due to medical bills and my husband being unemployed for almost 3 of my 4 year journey with breast cancer. So, I am quilting and quilting. I can get down into my quilting studio and my problems/worries disappear. I am still working on quilts for the kids and elders at Pine Ridge Reservation. I was really hoping to get me a pink, pale yellow and white breast cancer quilt done for me but the money situation is too bad to buy any fabric. I have been using what I have here and some that others have sent to me also. It does my soul a world of good to know I am giving a child or elder some comfort with the quilts. It's food for my soul......

Hope all of you are doing well and I promise to check in every day.

Hugs,
DeeSkye

[PDQuilt]

Your post really humbled me. To think of what you've been through and you seem to be in a positive mood. It's great that you've made the doctors shake their heads because you've done so well and have been cancer free for these past years. You make me realize that my problems are very small compared to what you've had to deal with.

I understand the finances also. My husband 'got' retired in 2004. The job he has now is about 1/2 the former salary. He's working as Facilities Manager at our church and we both feel so strongly that he's exactly where God wants him right now, so we're making it. My health problems started in the mid 90's. At that time, we had decent insurance. Now with retirement, insurance is a joke. I look at it this way. As long as you pay something each month, they can't do anything to you, it's interest free and if you don't pay it off in your lifetime, let your estate do it. There are some things, like our health, that have to be taken care of, so we just have to keep on keeping on and do the best we can.

I see you're from Roanoke. My husband and I both have relatives there. It was so funny when we found out that my husband's aunt and my great aunt lived in the same apt. house when they were first married, about 60-70 years ago. Do you know of Huntington Court United Methodist Church. That's where they went to church.

Well, take care and I hope you have many, many more cancer free years.

Sharon in TN

[PDQuilt]

I honestly believe that no medical problem is too small. I look at this journey that I have been on as bumps in the road. I can sit here and feel sorry for myself or I can live my life, no matter how long it may or may not be.

I haven't been to the hospital for 5 months now. I honestly feel like I am out of the woods. I think this poor body of mine had been through so much from Sept. 2003 to April, 2007, that it needed more time to rid itself of all of the meds, chemo, surgeries, anethesia, etc.. My BP is finally down, 117/67. I do what I can with supplements, food and quilting so I don't have to have that many meds anymore. I am only taking 2 meds now and 5 supplements.

Part of our finance problem is the apartments I have. There are three of them. I bought them in 98', a year after we moved here. Right now, there may be two empty ones in the next couple of months. And for reasons unknown, this time of year is hard to rent apartments here. So, that will be $1100 that won't be paying bills. And believe me, we need every cent for bills. But, we have been through so much, I can't lose my faith or belief in everything will work out. Michael took the first year off to care for me. He started a new job, 2 weeks before my last chemo. He missed it as he was in D.C. at a seminar. That job he hung on to for about nine months, commission job, and not due to what he was doing, he never got his loans. Office politics. They layed him off and he decided to change careers, finally. But, no one wanted to hire a 60 year old man until he went to Lowes in June , 2006. Now he is in management. They saw his worth even when he didn't. I had to nag him into applying. He took a huge pay cut, about 60%, but he isn't stressed like he was and he knows he's going to get paid for his work.

Quilting keeps me going. It is the best medicine I could give myself.

I know Huntington Court Methodist Church. If you ever come this way, let me know. It would be nice to meet some of the quilters on this site.

Have a great time with your quilting..

DeeSkye

[PDQuilt]

Hi All I had to increase the font not yelling just legally blind lol... yes a physical disability. I like to call myself differently abled because I have to find different way so doing the things I used to do.
I have partial sight and can not see detail unless its really close up. I compensate by doing patterns what do not require as much percise matching and I am getting better as I quilt at trying more challenging patterns even if they do not come out perfectly. I have to be extra careful when using the rotary cutter that I do not get distracted while cutting lol... dont want to lose a finger lol... I did a small convergence quilt lap sized Ihave yet to finish up in black and white prints. I am working on a small picture sized stained glass quilt and a strip baby quilt. My designs will not be as complicated as most of yours but I do my best and leave the rest to God. I quilt in a group from my church that does quilts for missions thats where I started two years ago. I have been legally blind for 15 years now. I just had major surgery to remove a tumor but it was not cancer. Thanks for listening... Deb in AZ