Ambulance & Needles

It's been a whirlwind.

Honestly I'm not even sure where to begin. It's already been 1 month since my diagnosis, a month. Honestly, it feels like so much longer than that. February was the longest month that dragged on and on. But to start from the beginning, I should probably go back farther into January.

January Symptoms

January was a month mixed with awful headaches, extreme fatigue, hairloss, weight-gain, and my appetite acting weird. I was 4 month postpartum so I didn't think much of how I was feeling because being a mom of 3, I thought it was normal to always be tired and perhaps just low on iron.What makes these feelings odd, even though they may sound like normal postpartum issues,  I was actually getting plenty of sleep but still always tired, my hair was coming out in handfuls leaving thin balding spots on my head, and even though I had started dieting and exercising I was gaining weight. A few days before going to the clinic I started having a little chest tightness and would lay awake at night trying to catch my breath a bit. And I already mentioned the weight gain but I was beginning to get quite puffy. Ultimately it was the swelling and trouble breathing is what got me to where I knew something was wrong and I needed to get a check-up. You can see the swelling starting in the pics below.

I figured I just had something wrong with my thyroid so I decided to into a clinic and at least see what they had to say. The nurse took my blood pressure and asked if I normally struggle with high blood pressure or had any complications with my pregnancies. I said no, I've always had low bp and my pregnancies went smoothly. She wouldn't even tell me the bp numbers and went straight to the doctor who didn't even come see me and advised that I head directly to the Emergency Room because they were afraid of heart failure with a bp of 205/113. Those words were paralyzing. Heart-heart failure?? I'm only 25!!!
 I was fortunate to have family nearby to take my kids right away and my husband was off work so he took me directly to the emergency room where they started a million tests to see what was going on.

Needles, Needles & An Ambulance Ride

That afternoon, I had so many tests ran I can't even remember them all. Multiple Ekgs, xrays, chest scans, ultrasounds, bloodwork...oh my, the blood work. That was an experience in itself. Apparently my veins were not cooperating and wouldn't allow any IVs to stay put. It took 4 different nurses and ultimately they called in an anetheisiologist and an ultrasound to finally get an iv in me. I was in so much pain from be poked and prodded and them moving the needles around trying to keep a vein. Once they got the iv, they wanted to get my blood pressure down so they started me on nitroglycerin drops through the iv and called for an ambulence to take me to yet another hospital better suited for my situation.

A bumpy 20 minutes later, by now it was 8pm, I was being wheeled into another E.R. They were still worried about risk of heart failure so I was informed to lay as still as possibly and not to get up for any reason. The nitroglycerin has started to make me feel pretty rough, an awful headache had set, chest pain still, as well as my tummy was beginning to not be happy after a full day of my body being poked at and having no food. Tylenol wasn't cutting it so they pumped some morphine into my iv...and let me tell you, I'll be just fine if I never have to have morphine again!!! They wheeled me to the Cardiac Care Unit for the night to wait for an ultrasound of my heart in the morning.

The Next Day

Tuesday morning was the worst! The absolute worst I have ever felt in my entire life. The nitrgylcerin caused the most painful headache and the morphine made it even worse and now I was beginning to feel nauseous from all the medication on an empty stomach, which of course I still couldn't eat because I was waiting on the echocardiogram. My entire body ached. I was so miserable I couldn't even open my eyes. I remember thinking, "oh great, I might have Cardiomyopathy and I've caught the flu!" They wheeled me to the echocardiogram and we finally heard some reassuring news, my heart looks strong and I do not have Cardiomyopathy! Such great relief!! So on to the next tests, they wheeled me to get another ultrasound of my kidneys as well as a CatScan. Let's not forget a gazillion more blood labs drawn. 15 MORE to be exact. In the same arm. I was sooooo sore. I just wanted to cry each time they came in to take more blood! When it was discovered I would be needing chemo treatments, they decided I needed a different and new Iv. I wanted to cry, actually I probably did cry. Poke, wiggle, poke they couldn't get a vein and called in a specialist to put in a PICC Line. Even THAT took 3 tries! My body still feels beaten and is most certainly bruised from all the needles. If I were to count, between ivs, shots, lab work, etc I had over 35 needles poking me that week!!!

Kidneys & Protein

With my heart no longer the main concern, they started narrowing in on my kidneys. Because of all my swelling and test results they discovered there was an excess amount of protein spillage from my kidneys. Apparently it's normal to have some spillage but most people have less than 80mg spillage...mine was in the 8,000mg!!!! They wheeled me off again for another kidney ultrasound and ultimately a Kidney Biopsy that was then sent off to Mayo Clinic. My doctors were SOOOO good at keeping me updated and informed on all the tests they were running, what they were looking for, and possible diagnosis'. 24 hours later a diagnosis was confirmed...

The Diagnosis: Lupus Nephritis Stage lV

If you're unfamiliar with what Lupus is, I can relate. And even when I wanted to find out more of what it is, the diagnosis is so broad it can still be confusing. And even I am still learning about is so bare with me. Simply put, it's an auto-immune disease which means my own immune system fights against itself. There are varying forms and degrees of Lupus. Some people may develop a skin rash, others have pain-crippling rhuematoid arthritis, extreme fatigue, and other life complicating and even life-threatening symptoms.

Mine being Lupus Nephritis, my immune system attacks my kidneys which in turn also puts my other organs in danger. This would be why they were so concerned with my heart and reason for hypertension. At stage lV I am at high risk of kidney failure. The "good news" we got from biopsy, is so far no damage and scarring has not taken place so they started on medication and treatment right away to hopefully prevent damage. They immediately started me on iv steroids and the following day chemo treatments began. Stage IV is the more serious forms of Lupus being that is trying to destroy my kidney functions. The hard thing about this is it is hard to know what damage is being done until it has already been done.

A week in the hospital without my kids was so hard!! I'm forever grateful to live close to family who so willingly loved and cared for them while I couldn't! 

Treatment & Medications

At the moment, my daily medication list seems to be a mile long. I'm on strong steroids to suppress my immune system, meds to lower blood pressure, meds to lower high cholesterol, water pill, OS/Cal D,  iron pills, and plaquenil. I also will be going to get iv Chemo treatments (Cytoxan to be exact) every 2 weeks for 6 rounds. On top of my medications, the strong steroids I'm on make me what they call Steroid-Induced Hypoglycemic. Technically I'm not diabetic but my meds make it as if I am so I have to check my glucose levels a couple times a day and am on a low sugar diabetic diet as well as low sodium diet to help try and regulate and control my blood pressure. The doctors say my medication might permanently make me diabetic the rest of my life but we are hoping not. Which leads me to my diet...

Diet

Due to my high blood pressure I am on an extremely LOW sodium diet and as mentioned above, a diabetic diet as well. Even things you would think would be considered or might even say "low sodium" is still high for me. I'm fortunate to have married a health nut and if you know Ryan you know he is extremely knowledgeable in nutrition and how food effects the body so he has been amazing in the area of cooking and finding food I can eat. If you are curious what I eat, think vegetables! Lots and lots of vegetables (no salt added of course!) My carbs are WHOLE wheat whole grain and I try to stick with lean meats like fish and chicken. I don't entirely deprive myself of anything, but if I do eat something unhealthy it's a very small limited amount. For someone who's favorite food is pickles and mac&cheese a low sodium diet is not the easiest but I'm doing my best. Aside from the protein spillage numbers, the doctors were quite impressed with my lab numbers and how low my swelling has gone down and they said it's all kudos to my diet so that makes it easier to stick to. The last thing I want is to end up back in the hospital for a week again so if I can somehow help avoid that by eating healthier than by golly I'll try!

LIFE LATELY

We are still adjusting from the month. I've only shared the FIRST week in February and as you all already know, so much more happened! But that's for another day. As you can imagine, our schedule these days are full of doctors appointments, more doctor appointments, and naps. Oh, and cuddles, lots of good cuddles.
Making up for the lost time we spent apart in hospital.

Summer Sundress

I mentioned in my last post that I haven't been sewing much and it's true. 

 I had already started this dress a number of weeks ago and put it to the side because I didn't think I would like how it would turn out. I don't have a lot of experience in making clothes and so I tend to be intimidated by it. 

But with 4th of July coming up I really wanted her to have a cute dress for the holiday so I thought I would pull out the dress and actually finish it and I'm pretty happy I did because I love how it turned out!

To make this dress I followed a tutorial on the Lil Blue Boo blog.

It's a great tutorial and perfect for beginners!

The pattern didn't have pockets but I decided to add a couple to see how I like it.

Since it was my first time making this pattern, this first dress is like a trial run. 

It's far from perfect but now that I've done it once I know what adjustment and changes to make for the next dress!

I think the next time I make a dress I want one that doesn't have the tie straps.

The tie straps are great for beginners because they are simple and easy to do!

But Alaya didn't quite love me trying to tie them nor does she hold still very long!

But I still think they are cute! And since they tie, you can easily adjust the height of the dress which is nice.

Now that I have officially finished a dress for her I think I might have the itch to make another one! 

Maybe even try my hand at a little more challenging pattern...maybe!

 Until then, we will be outside enjoying these last few days of June and getting things ready to celebrate the Fourth of July! What fun holiday traditions do you do to celebrate The Fourth? 

Thanks for stopping by!

Life Lately

Can I have a redo of June please? 

This past month flew by with a whirlwind of fun.

Between celebrating Ashton's 4th birthday, a week of vacation, home renovations, and summer fun I already feel this glorious season slipping by fast.

I am currently 28 weeks pregnant with baby girl-yay we've reached third trimester!! I feel huge of course but feeling good other than that! I'm dealing with the heat quite well so far even though I know the humidity is just going to get worse as we move into July. Thankfully we have invested in a family pool pass so if you need me, you know where to find me!

As for baby prep, we are almost ready for her! I think?! I should probably start washing baby clothes and figuring out where to store them in our tiny house... instead I'm going to keep putting that off and get outside with my loves.

These kids are loving summer and all the fun that goes with it. Alaya would LIVE outside if I let her. 

Our days consist mostly of swim lessons, picnics at the park, bike rides, trips to the library, and swimming at the pool!

If only they knew how good they've got it...

If you've been wondering why the lack of sewing pictures lately it's because I haven't been sewing. 

My two rugrats keep me pretty busy and with the beautiful weather we spend most of our time outside. 

I used to sew when they napped or went to be but being pregnant (along with anemia) I normally find myself napping or sleeping when they do too. Which leaves little to no time to sew!

It's bitter-sweet. I know it's just a season of time and someday I'll be able to sew a lot more. For now I'm just happy mothering my babies...and sleep makes me happy too! Bring on the naps!

You won't find me giving up on sewing entirely of course!! I'd be crazy to do that. I have a few hand sewing projects going or sometimes when I get the *need to create I'll pull out the machine for a quick project like this pillow I made last week!

 But other than the hand-sewing and other small quick projects you may not see a lot of quilts popping out in the near future. I can imagine I'll be getting even less sewing done once a newborn is in the house. 

Oh gosh, THREE kiddos. 

I can't hardly believe it. 

I feel both a mix of terror and excitement!!

Mostly excitement, but I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for how crazy this coming fall is going to be.

So here's to one wild and crazy summer...which will actually be the calm before the storm.

Thanks to Alaya, we are quite used to wild and crazy around here so I think we will manage. 

Scrappy & Plush

Sometimes it seems I have so many quilt ideas and yet so little time. 

I definitely haven't been able to sew as much as I would like to lately. 

As you already know, we are expecting baby #3 and the biggest side effect to each of my pregnancies has been how much SLEEP my body requires! I'm so tired all the time it seems. Since I already have a 3 year old and a 1 year old who keep me pretty busy, I used to do most of my sewing while they napped or went to bed. Now that I am pregnant you can usually find me sleeping whenever they are sleeping as well. Yay for naps!! Boo for the lack of sewing time. 

Thankfully I have been able to finish my 2nd quilt finish for this year and it's probably my most favorite finish yet!! Not because of it's design or look, but it's my favorite because of how it feels!!  But if you know me, you also know I love a scrappy quilt with lots of little pieces and this my friend was made from A LOT of little squares.

The reason this quilt stands out from my other quilts is because of the batting. I know you can't see the batting-that's why I wish so badly you could feel this quilt!
There are so many types of batting to choose from and a majority of my quilts are made from cotton batting since it's a higher quality of batting and I love the way quilts wrinkle up after a wash with cotton. But I love the puffiness polyester batting gives a quilt but it's a little harder to work with and is slightly lower quality. I seemed to have found the best of both worlds in this new batting I found! On this quilt, I tried a new batting called Warm & Plush and I'm absolutely smitten!!!!!

Can you see how plush and cozy it is?!!

 It's a cotton batting so it's great to work with as far as quilting goes, but it's a thicker cotton so it gives the quilt a bit more of puffiness than regular cotton batting. Since it's thicker, it also adds a little weight to the quilt which I LOVE!!! 

I love a nice warm quilt to snuggle under on the couch. And yet, it's not too heavy to the point you can't hardly move around it or take it to a football game or picnic. It's the perfect mid-weight quilt and feels so great. I wish you could feel it through these pictures!! 

The patchwork finished makes around a 2.5" square. I'd hate to know how many hours I have invested in this quilt, but every minute was worth it. Is there anything better than a scrappy patchwork quilt? My sister calls it a "grandma quilt" because it has that old traditional mis-matched patchwork quilt look that maybe a grandmother might have made. 

This probably sounds rude that she would say that, but I take it as a huge compliment! I love scrappy vintage quilts so to think my quilt looks like something a grandmother quilter would have made is a compliment. The only difference in my quilt versus your grandmother's quilt is mine is made with new high quality premium fabrics, cotton batting, and is brand new just waiting for a new home and for someone to love on it.
(If you're interested in purchasing & giving this quilt a loving home then feel free to message me on facebook!) 

Do you recognize some of the Cotton & Steel fabrics from my past Moonlit Quilt??

The size ended up being bigger than I expected as well! I had about 40 fat quarters of Cotton & Steel fabric and I used every single piece of it! In fact, i used them for the backing of the quilt as well...

So not only is the front patchwork and pieced, so is the back!! 

The perfect addition to a scrappy quilt!!

Thanks for stopping by!!