Another One of Those Days

I had an appointment for my regular INR today but nothing about it was regular. The nurse had to prick 3 of my fingers before she was fast enough to catch enough blood to test! I scored 7.1. Never has my result been so high in the 14 years I've been on Warfarin. Between the stress of Jeff's PET/PFT procedures last week and trying to watch what I've been eating...I scored 'critical'...it was practically red water instead of blood! Whenever you score in the'critical' range, the nurse has to draw a vial of blood and send it to the lab for testing. It took 2 nurses 3 attempts before they got 1 vial. I just got an email from the lab that I scored 6.9 this time...still high and critical. Then I got a phone call from Bassett because it seems that one of the nurses forgot to record the instructions to me and they wanted to be sure I knew how to cope with such a high INR. Besides the doctor instructions to hold the Warfarin for tonight, tomorrow and Thursday night and to re-test on Friday what could they say? Avoid sharp and pointed objects (like knitting needles)? They could have easily just said I OD-ed on Warfarin! No wonder I've felt so beat/tired lately. Now I get to go 3 days w/o any Warfarin and after re-testing again, we'll start adjusting the dosage. Wonder how long it will take to get back into range? I've been out-of-range before but never like this!

Yarn Pals and Other Happenings

     I got a really nice package from my Yarn Pal, Janice Pushak, last week.  Janice lives in Pittsburgh and must be a mind reader!  She sent 2 books (one of them a knitting mystery that promises a knitting pattern at the end!), beautiful yarn and a lot of stitch markers!!  I was so desperate for some markers that I had been looking under chair cushions last week for lost ones!  There was also a sturdy bookmark, some cookies, tea and a tote bag in my package.  And a nice note introducing herself arrived a day or so later!  I got the photo taken today so here it is!

  

   With that finally done I tried to send a photo of the receipt from the post office that showed I had mailed my package to a Yarn Pal on time. Of course, my little Kodak 'PixPro' doesn't focus really well on USPO receipts, and I had a hard time getting any of the printing to show or be in focus.  After several tries, I ended up sending an out-of-focus view and then had to send all the info that wasn't in focus. My package has to travel just about 166 miles...the shortest trip I ever sent a Yarn Pal package...but it caused enough headaches for me and for the group monitor in-charge.   I knew it was going to happen like this, that's what's been happening the last couple of swaps I've been in.  Oh, well, maybe the next one will be better...easier?

   I had an INR done today and scored a 2.9... nearly perfect! I don't have to have another 'finger pricked' for 2 weeks and my daily warfarin dose stays the same.  I've been taking arthritis strength Tylenol lately and was a little afraid it might cause my numbers to be 'off' but it didn't bother them.  My shoulders and arms ache a lot since I've been using the walker (a good reason to get off it) but I'm still a little unsteady when walking longer distances. Jeff has been encouraging me to drive and  yesterday and today I drove to town with him as copilot.  No problems...but today I got beeped at by a white SUV that turned out of a driveway after I turned on to a street.  I never noticed it until it beeped!  When I made my next turn it kept going by and we both gasped to see that it was a county Sheriff's SUV!  

  Jeff took me to Arby's for a late lunch after my INR and instead of their fantastic burgers we had our regular Arby's sandwiches (beef for him, Buffalo chicken for me).  One of the counter girls had just made 3 small chocolate shakes for some customers but another girl had done it faster and she was offering them free to those who were waiting for their food.  I took one and that was my dessert.  I have been hungry for ice cream lately and that chocolate shake was so good! It really hit the spot and not to mention it cooled it down after their Buffalo chicken!

   I think it's about time to give the girls their peanut butter treat and maybe a potty break.  I think I'll get myself a bowl of dry cheerios, too.  Or maybe a couple of some of those cookies in my Yarn Pal box??

You Get What You Pay For

Saw this on Yarn Pals this morning.  It is so true!!!   I couldn't resist copying it and pasting it here on my blog.  I'm not sorry if some readers are insulted but my arms, fingers and back resent 'customers' who expect a 'good price' for a handmade article.  

 Yarn Pals

Ann Mim Lambert  

This has never happened to me . So it’s not directed to anyone I know.

A lady wanted to purchase a beautiful hand knit dress and spotted a crafter who did absolutely amazing work, but she charged a good price too. The lady thought that her price was way too high so she approached the knitter and in quite a brusque fashion stated "I want to buy a dress from you, but I think you charge too much." The crafter was a little taken aback but replied "Ok, how much do you think i should charge?" The lady replied “I think you should charge “X” much, because the yarn will cost this much, and ribbons this much, and buttons this much. I even factored in the price of scissors." The final price the lady had calculated was a lot cheaper than the crafter's original price, but she said "Ok, deal. You will get your dress in a week". The customer is very pleased with herself and can’t resist telling all her friends what a fabulous deal she has negotiated and how smart she is, and that in a week she will have her gorgeous knitted dress.

A week later her parcel arrives in a lovely packaged box. She opens it and inside is yarn, ribbons, buttons and even scissors. Angrily she contacts the crafter asking “How could you do this to me? I asked you for a dress and you sent me a box of yarn, ribbon, buttons and scissors?!" The crafter quietly replies "My dear, you got exactly what you paid for, if you think there is something missing, you need to pay for it."

Moral of the story, when you buy handmade you are not just buying the materials you are buying the crafters, time, effort, love and dedication that goes into making your items…

I have seen many "memes" about how people will buy top $$$$$ for anything brand name but when it comes to something handmade that always want to pay peanuts. When buying something handmade you are buying quality work, in which the crafter has put her time, inspiration, imagination and pride to lovingly produce a beautiful end result......... ! Please be respectful of their hard work and dedication..... Enjoy your evening....((HUGS)).

Retired...Again!

    It's official, I am retired from the craft shop...at least for the rest of this year.  And I'm walking without the walker more every day.  At first it was just thru the house, but I've been grocery shopping without it and walking around outside the house without it.  I have to admit, I go a lot slower without the walker...especially outside the house...but I'm trying!!  I used it when I went to the library the other day becoz Ilion library has a ramp and I felt like I need some extra support.  I've also used it whenever we stopped at a restaurant. I don't feel confident with all those double doors and extra rugs!  (Hey, the walker even causes the rugs to roll at the edges, so I'm actually beginning to think it may be time to go back to a cane.)  I haven't started to drive again...I don't feel confident enough, my reflexes aren't quick enough yet!

   Last week Zoey got loose and we both had to work to capture her.  Jeff followed her to Wally's house and got her hooked up to the leash.  By the time they had walked back to the fence between our properties Jeff was slowing down so I took the leash and 'us girls' walked home alone.  I had her cut across the front lawn so she would stop trying to walk so fast and Jeff actually beat us home! I had to be extra careful looking out for chipmunk holes in the lawn!!  Made it without tripping or falling but we both had trouble going up the stairs to the backdoor.  Zoey took a nap when we got inside but Jeff and I had to go to town so no rest for us!

   This morning I had to untangle Zoey from around the pine tree by the porch.  She believes everything is 'one-way' and stops moving when she feels the lead pulling on her neck.  I got her untangled and into the house but the lead was still wrapped somewhat around the tree.  Jeff untangled the lead later.

   Although I am now a retired shop worker, I'm still knitting for the shop so yesterday I started another baseball sweater.  This one is red and white and will be a size 4.  I'm about half-way finished with the v-neck and I hope to finish it this weekend.  Next week I'd like to do some girly sweater and some summer hats.  I want to restock for Independence Day by June 29th and I'll be sure to post photos here first! 

   

What's New!

    A lot has happened since I last posted anything...starting with the days just before Easter when I was having a hard time standing up and walking. Jeff  called an ambulance for me on Good Friday and tried to convince me I needed to go to the hospital, but I resisted...no, make that refused!

   Finally on Easter Sunday, I gave in and he called them again and I allowed myself to be taken to the 'only available bed' in the system at...Cobleskill Hospital!  I tested positive for Covid twice...once before getting in the ambulance and again in the ER.   While in the hospital I was put in an Isolation Room but never treated with any medication for Covid.  On Monday, they discontinued my Warfarin and put me on Lovenox, an injectable blood thinner.  On Tuesday, I was discharged and sent home with a 'kit' for self-injection and an Rx for Lovenox.  

   If you remember Monday had been the Easter Blizzard and the ride home in the ambulance took 'the long way around'.  We went north of Little Falls, turned west to go around Ilion and head towards Utica, finally turning back east onto the Thruway and going to Little Falls.  Then we turned again west on to Rte 5 and back towards my house.  Smallsbush Rd was clear and our driveway had a track to follow in but out car was parked besides the house and the ambulance attendants said I had to walk to the porch.  With one attendant on each side and a walker, I just walked home. No problem. 

    I didn't discover until I was getting ready for bed that night that I had been sent home with an Rx for Lovenox but without any Lovenox, so I just took my regular dose of Warfarin that night.  Part of my discharge orders included having an INR done ASAP, so I called Herkimer Bassett the next morning and made an appointment for an INR for that afternoon.  

   I was not popular at Herkimer when I got there and they found out I had been hospitalized due to Covid, but they did do the INR (1.7) and sent me home with another appointment in one week.  By then my INR (4.6) was totally out of control and we started a weekly routine that lasted until this past week when it was finally back where it belonged (2.3). 

   Cobleskill also sent me home with orders for a walker...and a commode which didn't fit around/over our toilet so I never used it.  The walker I did use.  I had adjusted it to match the walker I was using in the hospital but Sharon, my nurse at Herkimer, agreed with me that it wasn't adjusted properly, so we raised it.  I found the walker easy to use...except going into stores that had rugs just inside the doors.  I kept tripping over them! This week I started walking without the walker thru the house and from the car to a grocery cart.  (I used a grocery cart and walked around Walmart this week for the first time in 2 months!  We went in thru the Grocery entrance and I pushed the grocery cart back to the Yarn and back to the check-out before going to sit in the car and wait for Jeff to finish his shopping (Rx's).  I was exhausted!!) I've been doing short grocery trips to Hannaford.  That's my size store!!

   I was lucky enough to be given a large gift of yarn from Maggie, my college friend (and after choosing 20 skeins to keep) I shared the gift with a high school friend who knits for her church.  I have more than enough yarn in my stash to keep me knitting for a couple of years!!   I've also done a couple of shawls for the shop with some beautiful hand-dyed superwash wools that I received in my Yarn Pal swaps.  

   I haven't driven a car in over 2 months and am hesitant to start right now.  I can't raise my right leg fast enough to get it off the gas and onto the brake for me.  I'm just not comfortable with the idea of driving...and the idea of driving over 30 miles one way to the shop is not something I want to do.  If I did have Covid, it made my arthritis worse...especially in my arms and shoulders.  I have to make up my mind in the next couple of weeks about the shop.  Maybe it's time to become a non-worker...just knit and send my sweaters and shawls to Cooperstown. Just the idea of that makes me feel old!  Oh, well!!