madamekelly

Hi all! Sorry to my secret Santa for not being here very much this year. I signed up, started chatting, and shopping and life took a huge turn.
Four weeks ago, my dear sister who has no spleen and cannot fight infection, and who lives with me, had dental surgery, and for three days, she was recovering quite well. On day four, she awoke saying she did not feel right. She was kind of gray looking and her feet were a little swollen. By that evening, we had her in the ER. They gave her a simple antibiotic and sent us home. She just kept swelling...on day six we took her to an Urgent Care clinic, who looked at her and sent her home to use hot packs on her ankles even though her whole body was now swelling! On day seven, a Sunday, , her entire body was now so swollen that she had pitting edema! I got on the phone and called her oral surgeon and begged him, in tears, to please look at her because I was afraid she would die, and we were being ignored by other doctors. He opened his office on a Sunday for us to come in. When he saw her, he was horrified! My sister who normally looks kind of elfin, now looked like the pillsbury dough boy. He gave her a new prescription for pain, and Cipro for the infection and ordered us to come back daily so he could monitor her. He called to have her admitted to the hospital, and they refused her! During all this time, while I am trying to keep her from dying, DH has complained of having a cramp in his right calf muscle. While the swelling finally started to subside in my sister, DH comes to me and says " Now there is a strange bruise on my leg." I asked to see it, and he showed me a HUGE purple area on his shin, and I noticed his calf was now paper white! Dear BIL helped me get him to the ER, where they diagnosed a new blood clot! They showed me (a former nurses aide) how to give him anti coagulant injections in the tummy, put him back on Coumadin that he had been off of since his knee replacement last year, and sent us home. It has now been two weeks and last night I gave him the final injection. He is recovering, sister is healing fine now.
Whew, have I ever told you how important your peaceful visits with me are? Bless every one of you today and everyday for the calm you all bring to my world. I wish you all the same.
Now, finally, to answer some questions in case it is not too late for my secret Santa, and if it is, no problem, I will be greateful for whatever you have chosen for me. Today I go shopping for my secret santee.
Binding clips? No thank you.
Lace or any kind of bookmarks? Yes please.
Magazines? No, no room for them.
Fat pens? No thank you.
Note pads? No got lots.
Numbered pins? No, I make my own from art foam, a hole punch, a sharpie, and a safety pin.
Do I use a thimble? No, fingers are too stubbed off.
Bobbin holder? No got that covered.
Do I appliqués? Yes
Do I want patterns? Yes
Books? Yes
Specialty rulers? Yes
Recycled quilting tools? Yes
Where would I visit anywhere in the world? Wales, definitely to meet my pen pal and to see where my family originated.
Again, thank you all for being such kind and great people. Blessings.