Amazing Sand Drawing

Can I just say..... WOW!

Don't Let Me Go....

More Medical Misfires and Weekend Getaways!

Back in June I had gone to the doctor because my right arm was bothering me. I was having these annoying numbing and tingling sensations. I was pretty sure I had a pinched nerve even though I had never had one before. So I went to the Dr and told him what was going on. He asked me if the sensations were in my hand. At that time, they were not. So he thought it was probably something muscular and sent me home and told me to do some yoga. I swear folks, that's what he told me.

I was walking to me car, shaking my head because I knew it wasn't anything muscular. I danced for 15, I played volleyball all through high school, and I grew up in the northeast so I have shoveled my far share of heavy, wet snow. Believe me, I have had my fair share of pulled muscles in the back and arms, this was not muscular. But, we always want to believe out doctors know what they are talking about and I think I just didn't want to deal with yet another medical issue after being slammed with what I feel is three issues in a row. I just didn't want another one right now.

So, I went home and did daily stretches for the next couple of months. The sensations were getting more intense when they came instead of less and now the sensations were reaching my fingers. Finally, I had to face the facts that there was definitely something going on with my arm and I called the doctor back. This time he diagnoses a pinched nerve, sent me to get X-rays and to see a neurologist for the next steps. I went to see a neurologist that my friend highly recommended and she took a look at the X-rays and to what I was describing and concurred that I had a pinched nerve, that it was severe and that I shouldn't have waited this long and that I might have done some irreversible damage to the nerve in my arm, but she won't know for sure till she runs a tests. Then she referred me to go see a spine specialist that can help me alleviate some of the pressure on the nerve before we do some physical therapy because I have too much pressure on the nerve right now for PT to be able to work on its own. She also sent me for a cervical MRI.

So, last Saturday I spent the morning at an Open MRI center getting an MRI done on my neck. Even though it was an open MRI machine, because they were scanning my neck my face had to be directly under the machine. I am not claustrophobic, but I do have issues with this being very close to my face. So I had to keep my eyes closed. Then about halfway through the process, I could feel that the air was blocked in from of my face and that was started to get bothersome, like I couldn't get enough air in my breathes because an object was in the way. Luckily it was all over before I went into any sort of a panic.

Tuesday I saw the spine specialist and he says that according to my MRI, I have two disks at the bottom of my neck that are bulging out to the right, which is why they are pinching that nerve. He recommends a series of three cortisone shots into my neck to alleviate the inflammation that is putting the pressure on this nerve (one shot every two weeks). He let me know exactly what could happen if I continue to let the pressure build and push on the nerve. Eventually the nerve will die and I won't have very good use of that arm because of it. I asked him what I need to do after these shots alleviate the pressure to try and prevent this from happening again. The usually PT and because of my job he wants to me learn some relaxation stretches and he thinks possible a muscle relaxer therapy at night and then I asked the dreaded - what if the shots don't work - question. Let's just say, I hope ths shots work, and leave it at that.

Of course, I come home and call my mom and let her know the outcome of everything and Dr. Mom just has to come out. "Well, are you going to go get a 2nd opinion? You sure you can't do something else? Are you sure you have to get the shots? You don't want to take drugs everyday or your body will get use to them and when you really need htem they won't work! You know I have this things with the nerve and pain and the doctor wanted to do surgery but I didn't want to have surgery so I didn't and I still have the pain, but I didn't have the surgery!" *yeah, I'm still trying to find the logic in that last one too - if you figure it please let me know, because I'm not having any luck* My neck was probably MORE tenses after that phone call then it was while I was processing all this information sitting in the doctor's office!

Anyhoo, so the verdict is, I'm getting 3 cortisone shots in my neck starting next Tuesday. And yeah, I'm scared of a needle going into my neck!

On a brighter note, I so needed a weekend getaway! Me and a few friends did just that this weekend. We took off Thursday night for the weekend. A friend has a house on the MD bay and so we went. Four of us got away for the weekend. The weather was crappy, but we didn't care! Friday we went on a mini yarn crawl and visited Frivolous Fibers in St. Michael's and then we headed up to Island Yarn Boutique on Kent Island. Here's the loot that I got on the yarn crawl:

From left to right: Wullenstudio Sock yarn - Flying Purple People Eater (not purchased on the yarn crawl, but acquired on this trip since I came up with this colorway and named it!), Jojoland Cashmere lace in maroon, Blue Heron merino silk in Sandstone, Jojoland Cashmere Sport - 1 maroon, 1 black.

The rest of the time we spend knitting and eating out in wonderful restaurants!! I managed to get most of the body on my February Lady sweater finished!! I know the pictures not the greatest.

I also made great progress on my Halloween Horcrux socks!! I cast these babies on LAST year for Halloween, but Halloween came and went and they didn't get finished and then I stopped working on them this year! My girlfriends call these the phallic looking socks, and for good reason:

I'm trying to convince my friend Sheila to dye me a skein of her Monster Mash color so that it stripes nice and thick like this:

But I don't think I have her convinced that she needs to do this :( Oh well, I will try again next Halloween *heehee*

If at first you don't succeed... skydiving is probably not for you!

OH No She Did-N'T!!

WARNING: Do not drink anything while watching this video!

The Windy City - September 2009

At the end of September I went to Kansas City, MO for a workshop. Work sent me and paid for the workshop and all my travel expenses. Since there were no directly flights to KC from here and since our schools were closed on Monday for Yom Kippur I decided to take Tuesday off and plan a layover in the windy city so that I could visit with my gf, KnitRedSox, one day and Mr. X the other. I was in KC, MO from Thurs - Sun. When I purchased my plan tickets to come home I had to choose a flight that had its connecting flight in Chicago. My choices were 11AM or 6:50PM departure. 11AM meant I would have had to leave the workshop early and since work was paying for it, I couldn't. So, I took the 6:50PM but then I headed to the airport as soon as we got out at noon and put myself on the stand-by list for the 1:30PM flight. Luckily, I was able to take my luggage on board with me because if I checked it beginning the luggage HAS to go to the final destination and that would have left me in Chicago with just the clothes on my back!! But, Hera was apparently smiling down upon me that afternoon for just as I was getting to the place all overhead space was packed and they hand checked my luggage at the plane door and I was able to tell them my final destination was O'Hare and so my luggage got checked and was taken off the plane when we landed in Chicago!

KnitRedSox picked me up and we went back to her place. We hung out of the night and got caught up and we were going to plan a local yarn crawl for Monday, but I guess lucky for my wallet, most of the local shops were closed on Monday! We did find one shop, Knitches, to be open and we headed out there on Monday. It was a very nice shop! Here is what I left the shop with:


1. Malabrigo - Bobby blue, 2. Blue Sky Alpaca - purple, 3. Blue Sky Alpaca - teal

I'm sure anyone who has gone yarn shopping with me or who knows me is is no way surprised by the color selection! Next door to the yarn shop was a bead shop, but I did manage to keep my wallet and credit cards inside my purse while we were in there :)

Monday night Mr. X picked me up and I spend Monday night and Tuesday with him and Baby M until I had to catch my flight.

Unfortunately, I did forget my digital camera and the woman that I went to the workshop with stopped at a CVS and bought us both a disposal camera. I haven't used one of those in years! Then the CVS that I use all the time doesn't do photos on CD. I should have just gone somewhere else, but I was lazy and dropped the film off anyway and then spend some time yesterday scan all the pictures into the computer. So, the pictures are not the best quality, but she's still a cutey. My favorite is the one of Baby M dancing. Actually, I have no idea if she was dancing there of if I manage to get a shot off before she made a mad-dash into my lap. She seems to enjoy running towards people who are sitting on the floor and then flopping on them! But she looks like she was dancing, so that's what I titled it :) Before Mr. X took her home she gave me a big hug and said "I love you." I thought it would get easier the more I saw her, but that just about undid me this trip. I was able to keep myself together just long enough for Mr. X to close the door behind him and then the tears came. Oh well, to use a very over used phrase - It is what it is - and there ain't nothing I can do about it.

1. Madi and Me, 2. Daddy and Madi, 3. Madi dancing, 4. Daddy and Madi 2, 5. Daddy and Madi 3, 6. Madi 1, 7. Madi 2, 8. Madi 3, 9. Madi 4

All-in-all and quick weekend getaway after a business trip. Not a bad way to do it :)

She's Alive!!

Can you name what movie that line is from?? I'm sure I'll more answers then the one movie I'm taking it from :)

Sorry friends, I know I haven't blogged much lately. I've been kind of busy with my house and trying to get things going at work and then trying to get my Etsy shop up and going.

So to catch y'all up, sometime near the end of August I went home for a visit. I got to spend some time with the family and my baby niece, who will be 1 year old next month! Damn how time flies!! Here are some adorable pictures of her in the outfit I bought for her and then some of her with her older cousin in the kiddie pool that Nonnie and Grandpa have in the backyard just for her! That teething ring she has in the center pictures is probably the 6th or 7th teething ring that was purchased for her and one she finally liked chewing on! She apparently hates all the others and refused to put them in her mouth.

Here is my final SP package. Another package of espresso coffee this one chocolate flavored! I can't wait to try it. A beautiful coffee cup and tray set, some chocolates that I took with me on my trip to Kansas City, MO, very pretty feltable wool yarn, a skein of a pretty hot pink yarn that I'm probably going to turn into something for either my niece or Baby M, some boxes of black licorice and she knit me a pair of socks!! Aren't they so pretty!!! I can't wait till it gets cold enough to wear them!

Thank you Hanna!! You've been a terrific spoiler!