Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? The last time I posted we were just rid of our 'house guest' and I was having some pain in my right hip that I was assured was strained ligaments.....
Without going into a long (and probably very boring) story, the strained ligaments turned out to be acute Sciatica, which is an inflammation of the Sciatic nerve (lower back, either side of your spine, top of your butt cheeks is a nerve which feeds allllll the way down your leg) I had it on my left side in the summer, but recovered fairly quickly...the right side...well, it's taking quite a bit longer.
Basically kids, not long after I last posted I ended up taking an ambulance ride to emergency (boy was that fun--not) because I could no longer move without screaming in pain....this seemed to unnerve my husband for some reason, the me screaming in pain, and also my continued pleading of him to take his alluminum baseball bat and cave my head in was really starting to wear on his psyche....can you believe the heartless bugger refused EVERY single time?? After xrays and tons of blood tests and all that junk, I was given some very strong narcotics and sent home....home to where I couldn't get up the stairs, or move..or even get IN the house for that matter...um...yeah. It was decided that I should go and stay with my mother in law, as she has a bungalow, so everything is all on one level, plus lots of neat equipment like a lift chair, walkers, etc. etc. and after a couple of weeks I should be back to normal. That was November 1, 2009. I made a visit to my doctor about a week or so later and was told that it was Sciatica...they had to dope me up big time to get me down the few stairs and into the car, and I was still screaming most of the way...every bump in the road felt like it was 3 feet deep.
I haven't posted kids, because I don't remember the entire month of November, nor the first 3 weeks of December....and to be honest, even January is a bit hazy....I was too busy being in indescribable pain, the nerve was spasming almost constantly, sending jolts all the way down to my big toe, praying I didn't have to get up and "walk" anywhere, because not only did it take me almost 20 minutes to walk 20 feet, but the pain was....well let's just say the pain was bad....really bad....like praying for a quick death to get away from it bad. I basically lost the use of my right leg...in between crying jags, begging for the pain to go away, and making uncontrollable involuntary noises while not being able to even speak at times, I was without tv, computer, or even my beloved knitting (because believe it or not, I couldn't even hold my knitting without being in pain, much less complete the act of knitting)
Flash forward to today.....that "two weeks" I was going to stay with my mother in law? Well it turned into almost 4 months. I'll say that again....Four Months. For obvious reasons we bypassed all the holidays...in fact, to me it still feels like it should be Fall...and even though my mother in law and I get along...well....you fill in the blanks....there were tensions....and issues....and even though Cee came and visited tons, it of course wasn't the same, and I wasn't in my own home...
When I finally started moving around again, after being whacked out for a month and a half on heavy duty pain killers, then spending two weeks sick as a dog as those came out of my system, I realized that my muscles just wouldn't do what they were supposed to...mainly support the weight of my leg (did you know that your legs make up about half your body weight? You don't realize how heavy they are until you can't move them anymore)
I've been having multiple physio therapy sessions (they are fabulous, come right into our home, which is good, 'cause I'd have a heck of a time going to them), at one point she was coming twice a week....after learning to walk again, and learning in stages to do stairs again, I was able to come back home 3 weeks ago, and have slowly started getting back into a routine...the dogs were all like "Hey, I remember you....sort of....got any snacks??"
I am making slow progress, have come a very long way, and have a very long way to go, friends. I will probably have to have more tests to see just why I got it so bad (something about me being 'too young' to get 'this' 'this bad') and maybe have to see more specialists....and I may yet face more relapses and pain....still, as long as I wake up and I'm not in that awful pain it's a good day. I can do the stairs now...it's not pretty, but I get it done....and I'm able to walk (although I have to use a walker still), and am trying right now to improve my gait, but it's all good. Why, just last night I was able to sit and actually lift my right foot off the ground, and raise my leg....a huge triumph! Guess I ended up telling a long and boring story after all, huh?
Annnnnnnnyway, as soon as I felt even the teeniest bit better, I asked for my knitting, of course! And as soon as I got home I surrounded myself with all my beloved projects in progress, they had been left languishing in the exact places I'd put them down last Fall.
Life has gone on, as it tends to do, and the people around me keep having babies. I always think this is very considerate, as it give me an excuse to knit baby clothes, which I love...two are expected this year, the first is a girl due in May, the second is yet a surprise, due in the Fall....so when I got home, I got out the trusty Knitter's Almanac (Elizabeth Zimmermann) and cast on for the February Baby Sweater on Two Needles.
Then I decided I needed some booties or socks (or both!) to go along with the sweater, so last night I cast on the Little 16 Newborn Socks...it's a free pattern you can find on Ravelry.
Just using some Bernat baby sport yarn for these, so far they are fun to knit.
Cee has been wearing the socks I made him almost constantly, so I figured he needed a new pair. I started the Mock Wave Cable socks from Favorite Socks last week.
This will be the fourth time I've knit this pattern....I must say I love it, and he really likes them....or at least he wears them....probably because he loves me :o) Using some manly-type coloured yarn...I think it's Kertzer with the Aloe Vera.
And last but not least, I've made progress on my 'Cowichan' style cardigan I started waaaaaaay back last September, the back is now done.
Those are meant to be beavers there, I found this hilarious, but to me they kind of look like fatty squirrels...which is even more hilarious....I have a weird sense of humour though....
Anyway kids, that's it for me now, but not forever....can't promise how often I'll post, but touch wood it will be often (hopefully that's a good thing!) Thanks for reading, TTFN.
