Back to crochet

Before my gallbladder attacked, before Me-Made-March and before I started falling back into quilting I stopped crocheting. I would still do a couple of rows of the same scarf when I went to a Stitch n Bitch, mainly to be social, but I wasn't crocheting any other time. I had tennis elbow in my left arm, which was kinda funny because I played tennis for 20 years and never once got tennis elbow. (I did get runner's knee playing tennis. And when I was a runner on the school track team in grade 12 I had shotputter's quadricep or whatever it was called. Crazy.)

I was at peace with my decision to stop crocheting. I needed my left arm to work a mouse, type and earn myself a livin'. I was prepared to sacrifice crocheting if it meant I could pay my mortgage. I mean - I'm not THAT obsessed with the sport craft. I was getting treatment from my physio, but that didn't mean I hadn't already lined up all the Wollmeise ready for a destash of ginormous proportions.



Anyway, some things happened when my gallbladder attacked. One was that I didn't have the energy or painkiller-free clarity required to craft or swim so sat like a lump relaxing on the sofa most nights. Another was that I had to take a massive chunk of time off work. And spending almost 2 weeks in hospital flat on my back did terrible things for my abs and lats, but amazing things for my left elbow.

When I came home last week, Mum sat on the sofa and crocheted me some coathanger covers. (This is something she is really good at and I'm not so good at. I'm happy to outsource all my coathanger covers to Mum, just like I'm happy for her to knit me socks with the Wollmeise I give her). So she's crocheting, and I'm getting inspired to crochet but am way to groggy and sore, but by Saturday when a lot of the drugs had worn off I was sitting on the sofa crocheting too. More than a couple of rows at a time. Last night I finished the green scarf I'd been dabbling with since January.



Here's a scarf I made for my friend Julie's birthday back in mid January, before I stopped crocheting. I never blogged it. It's a great little pattern called "Circles Scarf" made with my favourite yarn, Wollmeise 100% merino superwash, and it deserves to be shown off. (Ravelled over here).

In the meantime, I need to block my green scarf (not for a few weeks unless I can get Community Nursing to pitch in - they visit often enough ) and I've already started making a cowl for another friend.  Good times, my friends.  Good, crochety times.

Home

Thank you everyone. Each comment, tweet, visit and text message I received in hospital were so precious to me.



After almost two weeks I came home to Autumn in full decline. Each breath of fresh air I take is a treat, and the sound of my feet shuffling through dry fallen leaves in my back yard is such a novelty that it's like I am 8 years old all over again. This morning I sat in the sun and watched the Mister attempt to rake up 3 weeks worth of fallen leaves from our elm tree. It defeated him, but I think that's OK because I could crunch through those elm leaves for weeks yet, and never get tired of them.

Foggy with a good chance of afternoon sunshine

It's been a tough week. A routine 90 minute surgery to remove my gallbladder turned into an 8 hour emergency with half of Calvary Hospital pitching in (which I am discovering each day as a doctor or nurse says "I was there too").

I'm out of ICU now and back on the wards. I'm able to eat a little and walk a little and laugh a lot at this amazing chance at life I've been given. My parents have come to visit me so that's been lovely. My throat is sore from the tube they put down it and I have drains and bags everywhere you look.

But you know what? I've been blessed with really good care and great family and friends. I'm hoping to go home Wednesday or Thursday and even though I'll have a bile bag strapped to my tummy for 6 more weeks I know I'm going to be just fine.

Hug your family. Tell your friends how much you love them. Appreciate every day you wake up and every opportunity you've been given. You never know just how lucky and rich you are until a moment like this comes along.

Hazy

The poor health I've had over the last couple of months was supposed to be resolved with surgery on May 19. Unfortunately my pain hasn't been able to wait, and I'm in now residing at the Health Minister's pleasure at the local hospital.

It hasn't been too bad - jaundice, one failed surgery and pain aside. I'm being looked after really well, if you dont count that I had to hop in a cab to transfer to another hospital for surgery while I was still admited in this one. The nurses are wonderful caring people. My doctor looks like John Clark and makes me laugh and laugh. I've managed to get a hand massage from a hospital volunteer, magazines from the library and lovely milky tea. Also - hospital jelly, when you've not been able to eat much over the last 2 weeks, is the most heavenly food ever created. I'm having more surgery tomorrow or Thursday which will clear up these problems once and for all. I must admit it gets tiring looking yellow like a Simpson's character.



The really good news is that I've found where they hide the dry crackers in the ward kitchen. All I need is a slab of cheese and a martini and I'd be set for cocktail hour.