Not Really An Update

Not much new on Mom. There were some issues with her pain management, so she wasn't very open to calls or visits. I didn't go up to see her today. I figured I would give her time to rest and heal. She got enough visits from other family members and friends. She is still in ICU. Ross and I will be visiting with her tomorrow and hopefully I'll have more to share then.

Update On Mom

Mom's surgery went textbook quality well yesterday. What was estimated at a two to four hour (surgeon originally told us four minimum), ended up at just over an hour. The lesions (tumor) were not attached to the vena cava... they just sort of suctioned away. There was minimal bleeding for a surgery like this.

She looked pretty good after surgery except for the swollen lip and rash. They weren't sure, as of my last update, what caused the rash. It could still be a reaction to chemo or to the drugs she had to take for the infection she got from chemo.

The big concern now, especially with this being a lung surgery, is that she cough the fluids out to prevent pneumonia. The surgeon went in between two of her ribs to get to the lung, so she has the pain of those shifting combined with the muscle separation and cutting to contend with. They've inserted an epidural catheter into her upper back to try to help keep the pain very low so she can cough.

I called this morning. I was only able to talk to her nurse because his phone wasn't cordless. He said he overheard her surgeon telling her that she can move out of ICU this morning. I know she'll be pushing herself to recover just to get the heck out of the hospital.

Surgery Day

Mom's surgery is in just a few hours. Her nervousness over it is starting to get to me. Mom has always been a very intuitive person, so I'm worried she is right once again. I am trying to remain positive about it, but removing half a lung is a big deal... especially when there's a tumor caught up in it and that tumor may be attached to a main blood supply. I will have my laptop with me today to help with the boredom of a four-plus hour surgery, so I will try to post updates as we get updated by the doctors.

Mario Mom

Mom came over for a visit today. After a bit of shopping and a late lunch at Taco Bell, we came back to my place. We ended up playing Super Paper Mario on the Wii. Well, actually she played while I laughed. It is a game that can be a bit confusing to someone who last played a Mario game on the original Nintendo.

Tomorrow we have a game and movie night at Ray's. We haven't all hung out in quite awhile, so it should be fun. I hope it will be a good distraction for a few hours.

Beautiful Day

It is a gorgeous day. One of those days where you can comfortably wear a t-shirt or a light sweater. One of those days where it's sunny but there's a cool breeze. One of those days you wish you were sprawled out on a beach somewhere with your hubby, a good book and something slushy to drink. I need a few day's vacation... from my life. Just a few days to chill out and think about nothing but how much to tip the cute guy who brings us our drinks...

Hugs and Kisses

Kiss My Feet

I have started work on a new sock design. I had some Opal cotton in a pink and purple colorway. It seemed destined for a "love" inspired sock. Just one peek at it on my Facebook page and I already have five people asking if this pair is for them! (Just between you and me... this pair is all MINE!)

It's a SmallWorlds After All

Kind of feeling a bit let down by House. I won't go into details... don't want to spoil it for those who haven't watched yet.

I was up early again today. I woke up before Ross' alarm first went off, so I'm guessing it was prior to 4:30. I grabbed my laptop to play a few games on Pogo. I didn't want to wake Ross by turning on the light and I wasn't quite awake enough to want to get out from under the covers. (We left the windows open last night and it was pretty chilly in here.) I got bored working on my Monopoly Slots badge, so I wandered onto Facebook to visit Yoville. Not much to do there, so I ended up on their forums to see if I could figure out why people actually enjoy the game. Haha... the first post I saw was complaining about the game being boring. Someone in the post mentioned a site called SmallWorlds. Curiosity got me... I searched and found and joined and played. So far I'm still working on the tutorial missions, which have had me exploring the "world" and playing games. It seems fun and I'll visit again.

If anyone wants to join me, let me know and I'll send an invite. You can join all on your own, but I'll like it even better if you ask me to invite because they reward for inviting. If you join, be sure to look me up. I'm there under the name Sionna Koehnae. I'll be the one wandering around looking lost.

Heroes In Da House

Heroes and House. One of my favorite nights of TV. Both premier tonight. Thank the gods for the invention of DVR! How on Earth could I choose? It was hard enough for Ross and I to decide which one we'll watch first. The decision, after much contemplation, was House. I am curious to see where they are going with the new mental health storyline. I can kind of predict where Heroes is headed... love the show, but it can be a bit predictable. I don't think you can ever be sure what House will do next!

Five minutes to showtime. Time to grab a glass of juice, a snack, a blanket and some knitting before settling in.

Thank You

I've been quite impressed, shocked and honored by how quickly my Nippers pattern has taken off. It has been queued and added to favorites lists numerous times. It has already been downloaded 40 times. I can't wait to start seeing all the ways this pattern can be interpreted and all the wonderful yarns everyone knits them up in! Thank you all very much!

I am currently working on the  neutral anklets for my wide ankles, a variegated version of the Nippers using some amazing SockPixie Cashmino, the other of the Exploded Rib socks for my sister (also in Cashmino), and the Neutral Ripples baby blanket for my friend. The baby blanket is another oft-requested pattern that I hope to have available sometime next month.

Right now I am attempting avoid the living room, which has temporarily been converted to man cave for the Packer game. I'm taking a break from catching up on Grey's Anatomy while knitting and hiding in our bedroom. For some strange reason I can't recall (work, maybe?) I quit watching in the second season. I'm nearing the end of the second season now and wishing I had never stopped watching.

Talk Like a Backwards Pirate?

Today is Mackenzie's eighth birthday party. party themed-backwards a is It. I'm still trying to figure out how I am going to put up my hair backwards... and still be able to see. Arrrrrr, 'tis also "Talk Like a Pirate" day, matey... so I am trying to figure out how to tie that in to the whole mess. No reason to make the effort other than it's just me.

Neutral Socks

Having finished Mom's Nippers, I was down to a mere three socks on the needles at the moment... so I started another pair. This is going to be mindless stockinette socks (in a neutral browns and blacks colorway from Vinca) that I will mostly work on while in the waiting room for mom's lung surgery the 29th. A lot of family will be there and I have a hard time chatting and following a lace pattern at the same time.

I haven't talked much about what is all going on with Mom. There really hasn't been much to say. It was mostly show up for treatments, sit in the hospital for hours, and then go home and sleep. Now that the chemo is mostly out of her system, they are ready to go ahead with surgery. The plan is to remove the entire lobe that the tumor is in. The tests indicate that it has stayed contained within that area. They don't know if the tumor is away from her vena cava... they won't until they get in there... so it is somewhat exploratory. If it is still attached and won't suction off cleanly, then they will have to explore other options to get rid of it.

Presenting My First Official Sock Pattern!

I have gotten several requests for a pattern for my Nippers sock. You asked and I have answered! Get it here.

The sock was written as I made the first sock and tested as I made the second, so please feel free to contact me if you notice any errors or need clarification.

Happy birthday, Dad.

Dad in High School

Today would have been your 62nd birthday. We miss you and will never forget you... especially on these special days. 'Til we meet again.

Nippers

Modified Catnip

I had a problem with the Catnip socks that I was working on for Mom. I was working the short-row heel, so it was at a precarious position... and I set it down to head to the bathroom. I came back to find it unraveled and wrapped around both cats. I have enough issue with short-rows without adding the frustration of two day's work getting unraveled. I wound all the yarn back up and set it aside for a few days.

The catnip stitch pattern was still stuck in my head. I liked it and wanted to use it... I just didn't want to revisit the ruined pair. So I made my own design. I spread apart the stitch pattern, added ribbing for the snug fit Mom enjoys, and started knitting. So far, I am really liking how it is looking. I like it enough that I am already working out a similar but more complicated version. I'm referring to these as "Nippers" to pay homage to the design that inspired them.

Looking Back

Angel, Grandpa and Me

Angel posted some photos to her Facebook page of us as kids. I had to share one. The little one with the scar on her cheek is my sister Angel and the other one is myself. That's Grandpa (Mom's dad) with us. My sister looks about four in this picture, so I must be about seven. I don't recognize the house, but I'm guessing it was the one Grandma and Grandpa lived in when they were in Appleton.