Quilting with a disabilty / illness

[View My TQS Profile gamby]

DeeSky

I will be praying for you. Keep us posted on your condition.

[View My TQS Profile DeeSkye]

I will keep you guys posted. Appointment is Wedensday at noon. A huge chain prayer has already started. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts.

DeeSkye

[View My TQS Profile Holly2]

DeeSkys, my prayers will be with you, keep in touch.
Holly

[View My TQS Profile DeeSkye]

Tons of thanks to all of you......
DeeSkye

[View My TQS Profile moogiequilter]

DeeSkye - envision positive results and know that we are all pulling for you!

thanks to everyone on this thread, if we have each other to lean on, it doesn't take as much effort to stand!

Moogie

[View My TQS Profile DeeSkye]

I wanted to let you all know that they did emergency surgery on my left eye Wedenesday afternoon. I had 2 huge tears and another area that was trying to open up in a circle shape. They have attached my retina, closed up with laser the tears and no cancer. The prayers worked. My vision is a bit messed up but was told to use my eye to strengthen it. SO, I am answering mail. No quilting yet...... Bummer I go back in 2 weeks so they can make sure everything is as it should be.

Thank you all for yoyr thoughts and prayers.

DeeSkye (Deanna )

[View My TQS Profile MamaBev]

What wonderful news! Thank you for sharing that with us so promptly.

[View My TQS Profile quiltnlady]

Hi everybody, I posted about quilting with health problems and someone pointed me to this category. (I should have done my homework to see if there was a category already in progress). I know that some of you have fibromyalgia. I have it also, along with degenerative discs and bone spurs in my neck. One bone spur is growing at a 90 degree angle into the spinal canal. I don't have nerve impingement ...yet, just constant pain. I don't have trigger points in my muscles - I AM a trigger point!! Unfortunately, chronic pain usually leads to depression, so some days it's just hard to get started doing anything. However, after reading the posts here, I feel very blessed. I did get some relief in November, 2006. One day, I was sitting in my sewing room, talking with my husband and daughter, and I could feel the pain and oppression leave my body. Everything was clearer, the pain was gone, it was great. I had about a month that was pain free. Then around Christmas, I fell and bent my neck in the wrong direction and since then, the pain is back. But I know miracles happen, so don't give up. Sorry to be so long. I tend to write like I talk -- profusely!! Ricky and Alex, do we have a page limit to our posts?!! I hope everyone of you has a good, restful sleep and that you feel better tomorrow, because tomorrow is "a new day"! Sharon in TN

[View My TQS Profile snowplow3840]

yes, Ricky and Alex, when will some of these new topics get places of their own. Some of these have many views not always many contributers but we tend to get busy and turn our attention to other things if there is nothing new happening. I have a very strong connection to this thread and to the one about convergences and chantelles- so of course I would like to see these as separate topics.
but many other topics need their own visible space.

Now to the topic, as some of you know my health has gone up and down and then up and down again and on and on to the point that even I am bored thinking about it. the latest thing is that I have no residual iron in my system so things that would only make anyone else have a small problem cause me to end up in the hospital and receiving agressive treatment I go back to a hematologist (blood dr.) and then back to my regular dr the end of june So hope to have more information at that time and will keep everyone posted on the results. Dee I hope all is going well with you and for everyone else, I keep this group in my prayes beause I know we all struggle and somehow we have to support each other ANN

[View My TQS Profile pknord]

In spite of her health issues, our snowplow found the time to send me a dear little quilt with gorgeous Texas bluebonnets embroidered on it. It's so pretty! I must take a pic of it to put on my profile here, when I find the camera.

Pat in Rockport, TX

[View My TQS Profile kbskbstango]

Moogiequilter - I have fribromyalgia too and know exactly what you mean about the pain and stiffness. I found when the pain keeps me awake at night that quilting is great mental therapy - still ache, but at least I'm diong something I enjoy!

Here's a couple of tips that helped me a lot -

1) Put your ironing board and iron on the other side of the room so that you have to get up and walk a few steps every time you need it - helps to keep down the stiffness,
2) If you also have the Sjogrin type dry eyes (I do), use your eye drops a lot - the fuzz and close work can really aggravate it,
3) Use a magnifier on your machine and an Ott light to also help reduce strain on dry eyes,
4) Use your worst nights when sitting would be a problem to plan and cut projects - you'll be amazed at how much you get done when you sit down to sew on the good days,
5) Go sit in a cozy chair when you have to do hand work or pinning,
6) Use the automatic stitch on your machine if it has one so that you don't need to keep your foot on the pedal,

I'd really be interested in any ideas you have to share also. This illness can make you crazy - but, stash building is sure an effective antidote!!!!!

[View My TQS Profile quiltnlady]

Hey everyone, hope you all are doing better today. Thanks for all the comments and advice on how to quilt easier with health issues.

Someone said to get up and do something "quilty" on sleepless nights. I just can't seem to do that. When I hurt, I just want to curl up into a ball. The depression is also worse as the pain worsens, so I'm hit with a double shot. The depression, pain and meds make me unable to think coherently, so I'd be afraid to do anything, especially, cutting or sewing. Most likely, I'd do it wrong. Any suggestions about how to 'force' myself to do something when I know it's going to make the pain so much worse. I seem to have lost all interest in doing anything creative. I've had these slumps before and usually come out of them, so I'm hoping this won't last much longer. Do any of you have slumps where you just can't seem to get started on anything? I'm going to get a massage cushion that should help my back somewhat. It's much cheaper than a hydromassage table at the chiropractor's office. BTW, you're all on my prayer list now.

Let's all hope that tomorrow is a 'new and BETTER day'!

Sharon in TN

[View My TQS Profile snowplow3840]

Quiltinlady, so sorry you are having a bad time right now. I have been there and it seems like there is no light anywhere much less at the end of the tunnel and then if it is at the end of the tunnel it is a rapidly moving train coming right at me. I would roll up in a ball too. Then I was able to read and or draw things about things I enjoyed before such as quilts and crafts. From reading, and drawing came actual designing and eventually I got to the point that I could actually execute one of my ideas. But I would take one step at a time usually very small ones. is there someone that could do some of the cutting for you when you do not feel up to dooing that and then you could sew. I would start with simple but pretty patterns maybe fence rails or something similar. Yellow brick road is another one that might work well for you. I usually do free form improvisational quilts when I run out of hope because they bring me back faster. I carry embroidery or tatting everywhere I go so I do not have too much down time even when I have to wait for things.. Those are the times that bring me down because I have too much time to brood.. Hope these ideas help. E mail me if I can give you any other ideas or if you need a shoulder to lean on. Mine is prettly sturdy these days. Ann

[View My TQS Profile quiltnlady]

Thanks, Ann, for the reply. You gave me some very good suggestions. It seems that sometimes, my mind is spiraling downward and I can't even put a complete sentence together. I like your idea of designing. What I really want to do right now is paint some fabric and make wall hangings of flower pictures I've taken in our yard. I'm one of those people who has to do everything like a two year old - by myself!!!, start to finish, so I don't just want to buy fabric. I have the pics, the paint and the fabric. All I need to do is get the inspiration and a day to paint fabric. I've done fabric dyeing and it really makes my arms tired doing all the rinsing. Maybe I'll just do a little photoshopping and make line drawings of the flowers, then enlarge them and print them out. Usually, if I tell myself I'll just do one 'little' thing, I end up doing most of the project, if not all of it. I'll just have to trick my mind to do that. Oh, how I long for the days of sewing for 12 hours!!! Also, thanks for the offer of a shoulder to lean on. I might just take you up on that. I really like encouraging others, so if anyone is having a bad day and needs to vent, I'm a good listener and, I hope, a good encourager. I've found that doing for others makes me feel better than most anything else.

Well, again, I've written a book! (Sorry!!) You all have a great night.
Sharon in TN

[View My TQS Profile kbskbstango]

Hi Quiltinlady -

I know exactly what you mean about double whammy of the pain and depression. I don't sew on those nights, but since I can't sleep either, I do the things that might inspire the next project - find my most comfortable chair and review quilt magazines or patterns, audition some fabrics for hte next project, design a pattern in EQ6, watch some taped quilting shows, make a list of possible quilted or embroidery gifts for Christmas or birthdays and make sure I have the supplies on hand for the nights I feel ok to sew, etc. These things don't really make the physical part feel any better, but they can halp with the depression and "foggy" brain this illness brings.

Also, you mentioned a massage chair. Have you tried a hot stone massage? I've had a couple and they really help the fibro. Because they use the stones instead of their hands, you don't have fingertip pressure on any of the trigger points. The ongoing heat is an amazingly wonderful feeling. The therapist I went to has experience with fibro patients and was amazingly sensitive - helped my head as well as my body. You may want to try it if you have any opportunity.