Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Enforced slowing...

A number of our family members have been hit with varied health issues over the past few weeks and we're all tired, recovering or still managing illness at the moment.
None of us have the same malady so it's rather befuddling that Blossom, Mr E, Rafaella and I have each 'come a cropper' (as my dear Pop would say) at the same time. 

Little Rafaella was our biggest concern though. As I mentioned last week she was taken to hospital with a very high fever and later discharged when it began to subside. Unfortunately everything flared up again within hours and for the next six days she was a very sick little girl. 

Blossom had been unwell herself and sleepless nights take their toll so as Mr E had finally recovered from his own battle with a nasty infection I brought Cully May over to our house for the day in the hope that Bloss and Rafaella could sleep.

She was wonderful, a live wire as always, but wonderful. She did some shopping with me and we posted parcels away, then home to play. After an hour playing with her sticker book (she LOVES stickers) I brought out some big beads and pasta for her to thread...



This engaged her for another hour, the threading and re-threading being far more important that stopping for afternoon tea although she did request a 'coffee' with her Poppy and I. 
I make her a milk latte and she drinks it from her blue sippy cup, convinced its loaded with coffee. LOL!

When she was finally happy with her necklace I asked if she'd put it on so I could take a photo and she happily obliged but only after making sure I knew "It's for mummy"...



Blossom loved her necklace, though next time it may need to be a little longer. 

Rafaella slowly recovered over the course of a week and when Blossom sent me this photo of our little angel up and about with her dollies and pram it was relief all round.




While my own health challenges are taking a toll life has slowed and this is why you'll notice the lack of blogging. Even this week's book study post was rushed and I apologise for not replying to comments and emails lately. 

I spent all day yesterday in bed with the worst migraine in a decade praying for a reprieve, which actually came today. Thing is, the day after a migraine I feel as though I could conquer the world so naturally I set to work catching up on housework, baking, sewing and business responsibilities.

I have a few different types of migraine and have managed to handle them due to 50 years of enduring them. With seven babies I had no choice but to cope and my pain threshold became naturally very high as I cared for little children during my many migraine episodes.

I have food triggered, light triggered, noise triggered, hunger triggered, weather triggered and fatigue triggered migraines - and have had so for a very long time. Some I can avoid with careful planning or diligence to circumstances, but others arrive with no avenue out. 

(Truly, I have tried every 'remedy' and medicine known to man but to no avail...even my neurologist can't help)

Now a new migraine has joined the gang, facial migraine, and it's the worst of the lot because it causes every bone in my skull to scream with pain, while at the same time my 'regular' migraine is rocking my head and eyes, causing nausea and partial blindness. I started getting these one about a year ago but only once a month...now they come 3 to 4 times a week. 

So all this to explain why there's a lot of enforced slowing around here at the moment, and why I do as much as I can on my good days. Like today.

We've decided to go back to being gluten free for 30 days just to see if there's any affect on the new migraines and as my beloved enjoys a sweet treat with his morning tea, afternoon tea and for dessert at night I made a big batch of gluten free rock cakes and a gluten free choc-caramel slice...






Both are delicious and we all know "happy husband, contented wife" right?

We're praying that being strict with GF will make a difference.
I was going to make my own GF bread as well but decided this is not the time. When things settle down I'll do that but for now the store bought GF bread is fine toasted and smothered in avocado.



Oh, all those pills in the photo are vitamins in case you wondered.

Every day we take vitamin c, niacin, magnesium, vitamin e, phosphotolide choline and a multi vitamin. The only medication we take is Thyroxine because we both have Hashimotos, an auto immune disease. 

CROCHET...

I'm using the Hydrangea pattern from Lucy of Attic 24 to use up all the leftover yarn from Rafaella's birthday blanket and as there's no rush or deadline it's very relaxing to do a row each morning as I ponder the day ahead.



SEWING...

Rhonda from the Down to Earth blog has an apron sew-a-long at the moment and as a number of my aprons were destroyed by mould in the January/February floods I thought it was a wonderful prompt to make some new ones.

I went through my rather large box of stitcheries and chose these little redwork motifs, which I'd designed about five years ago but never used, to go across the apron bib.
The apron was to be completed by now but life stepped in. Hopefully I can finish it tomorrow as I'm in dire need of some pretty new aprons.




DESIGNING...

I'm still working on rows of tulips when I have a chance...




...and I've only a few rows of cross-hatching to do and the final block of Phyllis May's Kitchen will be complete!




Next week, God willing, I'll be putting all the blocks together in one very special project and by the first week of May this long awaited BOM will be open for sign-ups.


Forgive me for putting so much into one blog post but as things are right now I'm wanting to do what I can when I am able.
 

The May issue of the Rewind Stitchery Club has six sweet stitcheries and a bonus mini quilt pattern...








Membership runs for 12 months and in that time you will receive twelve complete issues of The Rewind Stitchery Club with at least 5 patterns in every issue.


All new members receive a joining gift within 24 hours of their subscription and this is one of my old favourites, the Morning Glory Tea Set which includes a tea cosy, coasters and a foldable tea bag cupboard...





I hope you'll consider joining the fun.


Last night as I lay awake for hours, my head not giving me rest, I prayed for everyone the Lord brought to mind and you know, my heart was overflowing with JOY and I couldn't stop smiling. 
It was the most beautiful few hours and I honestly don't have words enough to describe the experience. 
Pain can be a shackle to your heart, a cage around your mind, and lend your emotions to moods you'd rather not remember when the pain has passed...but like Jesus as He prayed and sweat beads of blood in the garden on the night before His crucifixion, when we are suffering we only need ask the Lord to send a ministering angel to strengthen us and He will be faithful to do so. It allowed Jesus to get up and walk forth unto Calvary (Luke 22:43-44) and God loves us no less so when you need help just ask. 

I am praying for you tonight, that Jesus would meet all your needs and fill every empty space in your heart with LOVE that knows no bounds.

hugs


31 comments:

donnasewnsew said...

Praying for you and your family. So sorry for all the maladies. Have you been able to be sure there is no mold growing in your house since all of the flooding occurred. I pray that is not a problem, but it can cause many illnesses. Rest and enjoy your good days. Praying

Sandy aka Doris the Great said...

I'm so sorry for all your migraines. I get the occasional migraine (none as severe as yours seem); mine are usually brought on by strong chemical scents (perfumes, aftershaves, etc) and are accompanied by stomach sickness and muscle aches. I've tried a few pills which don't do much. But now here in Canada, cannabis is legal, so I've begun using it as a remedy for pain. It doesn't always 'cure' the illness, but it sure gets rid of most of the pain and helps relax me. I wish you luck with going GF and hope it does the trick.

Robin in New Jersey said...

So sorry to read about the battle you are having to endure with migraines. How sweet of you Jenny to pray for us in the midst of your pain. I'm looking forward to seeing your finished apron and the finished project with all the pretty blocks you are stitching. Prayers for you are going up now. Have a blessed Easter weekend.

barcord said...

Thankyou for sharing with us. Keeping you and your wee family in prayers for healing.

Tammy said...

I'm so sorry to hear about all the miraines you have been having. I Have had a headache for almost a month now. They thought it was a sinus infection as its in my left sinus areas and forehead and behind my left ear and eye ....Took antibiotic for 10 days. No relief at all....Trying to get them to give me a different medication to no avail so far. Just praying it is a sinus headache and not a brain metastasis.

Tammy said...

Also happy to hear everyone in your family is on the mend now and hopefully you will also soon be joining the ranks of being healed as well. Prayers for you sweet Jenny

Anonymous said...

Courage JENNY , vous allez tous vous rétablir avec le temps .
Oui pensez aux moisissures, elles peuvent provoquer des infections .
Bises de la france

Joanne said...

Hi Jenny,
Rest and recuperate. Family too! You bring so much joy to your blog and Rewind stitchery club!
Life gets busy without us even realising it!
hugs,
Joanne

gracie said...

I am so sorry abut your migraines. I suffered for years and it seems that now they have left me. I will keep you in my thoughts.

Jacqueline said...

I hope you and family rebound quickly and completely. The bad times do help us appreciate the good. 🙏🏻

Nanna Chel said...

Jenny, you really are amazing. You suffer so much from those dreadful migraines yet you are always encouraging others in the midst of the pain. How lovely to see your little granddaughter well again as having small children so sick is always such a concern. I pray that very soon you will get relief from the migraines and enjoy good health.

Anorina @SameliasMum said...

Glad everyone is getting better. Your little grandies are so cute. I'll be they love spending time with their nan x

Cindy A. said...

Bless your heart! Headaches are never fun, but the ones you suffer from sound awful. My first thought after reading your post was, "I wonder if she's heard of Keto?" Some call it a diet, but I see it more as a different way of eating. Maria Emmerich is a wealth of information as well as several cookbooks to aid in the transition. Eating a ketogenic diet helps with inflammation. It's opposite of everything that we've been told about eating for years now. As a past weight lifting person, who counted fat grams, it really messed with my mind. I can vouch for its ability to reduce inflammation though with the added bonus of weight loss and enhanced energy. It may not be a complete cure, but it may help from what I've read online. Since you're already cutting out gluten you might want to check Kato out if you haven't already. Just be careful to watch out for hidden gluten. As I understand, it's in more foods than we realize because it's called something else. Will be praying for guidance and pain relief.

Wendyb said...

Thinking of you hon and sending love xxx

Christine M said...

I hope you will all be back to your normal selves soon. Wish I lived closer so I could give you a big hug. Don't know if it would be of any help but maybe it would cheer you up a bit! So I'll send virtual hugs to you all. Christine xxx

Joyce said...

My heart goes out to you and your family. I’m praying you will all be feeling well soon. I too get horrible migraines and like you I’ve learned to just keep going. Sometimes though the pain is so bad we aren’t able to do that. Jenny, you are in my nightly prayers for those who suffer these hideous migraines.

Joyce said...

Tammy, keeping you in my prayers. Some migraines can seem like a sinus problem so get them to check for that.

africanaussie said...

You are such a blessing to all of us readers, and I do hope that you get that blessing right back. I love your description of not being able to sleep and then turning it around to bless others. I just adore all the things you make. Healing blessings sent your way.

Karen said...

Oh darling Jenny, so sorry you are getting these new migraines. Horrid things. I will be praying that the gluten free cooking makes a big difference. So pleased the little one is well now. Being sick sure takes it out of a family. Love and Blessings xxx

Ondrea said...

The pics of Rafaella and Cully May are absolutely gorgeous and certainly brought joy to my heart so I hope looking at their sweet faces helps you. You truly are amazing battling on despite everything and I doubt if anyone would truly mind you not blogging as much. Your health is most important, top of the list. Hopefully being gluten free shall help you or at least reduce the frequency and severity of those horrendous migraines. Thankfully sweet little Rafaella is over her illness and Blossom can start breathing again. Many angel hugs.

Farm Quilter said...

Oh, Jenny, I am so very sorry you are being tormented by these new migraines!! I wish your migraines were as frequent as mine and as easily deterred!! I got my "aura" (vibrating electric strings in my vision) this past Sunday...I took two pharmacol (I think that's what you call it!!) as soon as I realized they were there and my migraine never developed. I haven't had a migraine in probably over a year, thank you Jesus! I would wish that frequency on you!! 3-4 a week is just horrid. I'm glad you sweet grand is feeling better and will keep all of you in my prayers for your health.

Lin said...

Glad to hear that all are recovering and I hope that the GF diet will help you too. xx

Little Quiltsong said...

Oh Jenny - praying for long relief from your migraines. So thankful Rafaella is well again! Both Cully Mae and her are just adorable. Enjoy your day!

the warmfireplace said...

Keeping you in prayer, I wear dark glasses to help with migraines, it is worth trying different things to see what helps. Sue x

Allie said...

So glad that everyone seems to be on the mend, but oh Jenny those migraines - I pray for you every night and day. The pics of the girls are delightful, they are so beautiful, just like their mommy. Praying the lack of gluten helps....my cousins get incredibly sick when they eat it.

Winifred said...

Bless you Jenny what a lovely post.

You have all been throught the wars over the past few weeks and it is so draining. I pray you are all getting better.
Migraine is such an awful thing. I have only had minor events but my husband & son suffer badly with it. Last week I took my husbandwas to hospital as I thought he was having a stroke. The hospital thought so too & he had CT & MRI scans which thankfully showed no damage. However he had 4 more attacks over the next few days & is now absolutely exhausted so you must be totally drained Jenny. Take it easy & I'm praying for you & all your lovely family. Happy Easter & God bless.

Susan said...

Finally, I can comment again. I've been missing letting you know that I still care about you and am reading and following, though not doing a lot these days. This has been a hard time for all of you. The pictures of your adorable grand girls always make me happy. There is just something so sweet and precious about them. I look forward to watching them grow up. I hope all is well with Blossom, and Mr. E this week, as well, and I'm so grateful that your migraine is over for this moment. I hope the gluten free diet keeps things that way, more often if not all the time. I did put your name on the prayer roll at the temple when I went on Wed., because I saw something on IG about your migraines. Lord bless and keep you this Easter weekend, and bring you closer to your Savior than ever. I love you ~Susan

Deb said...

Gosh Jenny, those blimin migraines are such a toll on you. As you know I also get migraines but no I am so thankful as I don't get them often unless I am extremely stressed about things that I have no control over. I have finally realised that I had to stop putting pressure on myself to do things and if that meant giving things up completely then so be it and its also taken a long time but I have finally learnt to say "No".This made a huge difference. Anyway thats just me and that doesn't help you and its you I worry about.
It's so hard also when everyone around you is unwell as being a Mum it's inbread that no matter what you need to help your family in these times & sometimes as you know its you who needs the most help. Thank goodness we Raphella is now well and Cully May didn't go down with anything. Wee ones are so susceptible aren't they? It's also good to hear that Mark is well again and Blossom is feeling much better.
Gosh it seems like such a long time since I have spoken to you and this little (?) comment feels lovely to leave.
Please send Blossom my love and sending my love of course to you also. Please take care of yourself dear lady,
Hugs and love, Deb. xx

nannajs said...

My daughter and one son used to get severe migraines. Laid up for several days.
My son got the cartilage "thing" in his ear pierced and convinced his sister to do the same.
She contemplated for a while but one day at work she was in agony, went for early lunch and went in and had her ears done.
Has been migraine free now for 12 months. She just wished she had the "guts" to have it done when encouraged by her brother.
Sometimes Christ needs a little help, He sends messages like this one to make us think of options to our daily issues.

jude3944 said...

SO GLAD YOUR BABIES ARE ON THE MEND.. THEY ARE SUCH BEAUTIFUL LITTLE ONES... HAVING 11 GRANDS AND 11 GREAT GRANDS I UNDERSTAND HOW WONDERFUL THEY ARE... WILL SAY PRAYERS FOR YOU AND HUBBY TOO... THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO...

Gloria said...

Hi Jenny So sorry about your migraines. I am part time migraine sufferer. Only get them every few months now and then they last for 3 to 4 days at a time. Sometimes I can control them by diet with clean eating and other times nothing works. I pray you get some relief. Migraines are so awful.
I Love the pictures. Your babies are so precious. Such beautiful little ones. Blessings to you and your family.