Just One More Week - Entries Due by Saturday

for the Blueladie Designs SAL Contest.  Rules are here.

Good Luck!  :)

Cathryn

Update

Well, let's see who am I updating?  My poor daughter's family are going through quite a few struggles recently.  I hope you have time for a prayer and/or good thoughts.  Thank you.

Michael (Lyllah's dad):

Early Friday (13th) morning he was taken to the ER with heart related concerns.  The doctors were able to rule out a heart attack but we don't have any further explanation regarding his heart's distress.  Michael's oxygen levels are a low 30 at times and his heart rate falls to the 30's as well.  His chest remains extremely tight and when he attempts to stand up, he gets dizzy and both his blood pressure and heart rate sky rocket.

History:  He suffers from Congential Heart Diseas resulting in 3 open heart surgeries beginning at birth.  He also underwent a successful Mustard Valve procedure.  He is basically a legend at the local hospital.

Anyhow, his specialist was never notified of his hospitalization and came to see Michael after his office hours, bless him.  Michael was released from the hospital the following Tuesday after inconclusive results and had an appointment on Thursday with the specialist.

At the doctor's office, doc came in and told them that he did not find anything new from the last time he saw Michael a year ago.  He is still going to look over the MRI taken from the hospital.  Doc believes that the symptoms that he is having are stemmed from his migraine and wrote him an Rx for it.  He also wrote Michael an excuse for work Friday just incase it lingers through then.  If the migraine continues through Monday, he is to contact his primary care for a sick appointment.  If the migraine goes away but he continues to have symptoms of low blood pressure when he stands (dizziness), he is supposed to call the hospital cardiology back on Monday (6/23).

That's all we know for now.

Lyllah meanwhile is about the same and due for another clinic appointment on Wednesday (6/25).

Thank you for your support.  We sure do appreciate everything.
Cathryn (who is one worried mother/grandmother)

More

Delilah's father is in the ER having tests done after being sick and having some paralyzation.  EKG's, blood work, etc.  They have so much to deal with.  Please pray.

Cathryn

Delilah Update

Delilah is home from the hospital just in time for Father's Day and in Delilah's words "God's day".  Out of the mouth of babes.  She also believes that Father's Day is God's day.  Bless her.

Thank you all so very much for your continued prayers and support as we keep walking this journey.

Love, hugs & prayers,
Cathryn

New Monthly BLD SAL with Prize (second notice)

There will be a monthly SAL contest with a PRIZE.  :)  The rules are:

1.      Pictures of your completed stitching must be sent directly to me at my  email (keeping in mind your piece must be complete at least in stitching  – framing, ornaments etc. is optional)  However, I would LOVE to have a completed, finished picture.

2.     This SAL will be combined with my stitching group members too.

3.     The pictures will be featured in my newsletter and possibly on my website (credit going to your first name and last initial, i.e. Cathryn M.).

4.    Pictures will be due 3 days before the end of the month (in order to get them in the newsletter before it’s sent out).

5.     Qualifying charts MUST be a Blueladie Designs chart (i.e. newsletter freebie or newly released monthly chart).

6.    Winners will be chosen by LUCK OF THE DRAW.  Everyone has an equal chance to win as long as the rules are followed.

Starting NOW!  GO!  :D

Good Luck!  I hope this will be fun and you will participate.  :)

Cathryn

Update from Rebecca / Mommy (of Delilah)

Lyllah's fevers ran a rollercoaster all night- up & down.  She also was shaking uncontrollably but yelling at me that she was not when I would ask about it.  She didn't go to sleep until 4:30 or 5 am and then woke up for the day at 8.  Michael and i are both exhausted and Delilah just keeps going like the Energizer bunny... I never did like that rabbit... (singing like Elmer Fudd to the tune of Valkyrie) "Kill tha wabbit! Kill tha wabbit! Kill tha wabbit!..."  Ok so here are the numbers:  The ANC is down to 20 from 90.  The hemoglobin is also down to 8.1 from 10.  Delilah's las recorded fever was at 3 am.  Our goals:  ANC above 200.  Fever free for 24 hours.  The blood cultures were taken yesterday at 11 am and take 48 hours for complete results.  We need those results back negative to leave too.  Also, if her hemoglobin drops below 8 she will require blood.  See more at http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/-delilahstrong/162745/update/177903#sthash.iCN6v9RR.dpuf

Cathryn (Grandma)

Back in the Hospital

Delilah is back in the hospital.  Her ANC numbers are low and she's running a fever.  They will do tests and give her a dose of chemo today to see what's going on.  Thank you for your prayers and support for all of us especially Delilah and her parents and siblings.

Cathryn

Update on last Clinic Visit for Delilah

From Delilah's mom:

Wednesday's appointment proved successful... somewhat.
Mia the Muppet with a port was brought back again for Lyllah to play with along with other toys. The numbing cream was applied and we waited. A team of 3 nurses came in again, just like last week. But this week was quick and they successfully got blood to test. So we waited more. Then we found out her ANC is very low and we need to keep the contact she receives in a controlled environment which means stay home, limit visitors to few at a time and healthy. This also meant no chemo treatment this week so her first round of this section of chemo is delayed for a week. So from next Wednesday on, Lyllah will only need to be seen in clinic for a chemo treatment through her port every ten days or so. This means there will be entire weeks of time between appointments! We have the whole week of July 4th appointment free! Then we have the first two weeks in August off. After that is the stage called delayed intensive care. And from what we're told, it's just that... intense. We'll be going to clinic 2 times a week.

Thank you note

From my granddaughter’s (who has Leukemia) parents:

   “We have such gratitude to all of Lyllah’s supporters.  With so much information to absorb and adjusting to the new normal, we hope it is understood that what all of you do does not go unappreciated.  We are so completely overwhelmed  by the abundance of charity, well-wishes and prayers.  We thank God for surrounding us with so many circles; family, friends, friends of family, families of friends, friends of friends… the ripples just keep reaching outwards to, now, complete strangers.  All of you are messengers of God, doing His work and we are truly blessed to be connected to all of you; your prayers and positive thoughts toward our sweet little daughter.  We cannot express enough how much even just the unannounced prayer means to us.

   “ ‘ Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.  For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.’ ~ Jesus   Matthew 18:19-20, NIV

   “With all of these voices lifting up our daughter’s name, God surely hears us. 

   “All of your gifts have made a huge impact on Delilah’s ability to cope as well as our family’s.  God bless you, each one.

Michael & Rebecca T.”

New Monthly Blueladie Designs SAL with PRIZE

There will be a monthly SAL contest with a prize.  The rules are:

1.      Pictures of your completed stitching must be sent directly to me at my  email (keeping in mind your piece must be complete in stitching only – not framing, ornaments etc.)  If you so desire to send a picture after a finished product (framed, ornament, bell pull, etc; I would LOVE to have it.

2.     This SAL will be combined with my stitching group members too.

3.     The pictures will be featured in my newsletter and possibly on my website (credit going to your first name and last initial, i.e. Cathryn M.).

4.    Pictures will be due 3 days before the end of the month (in order to get them in the newsletter before it’s sent out).

5.     Qualifying charts MUST be a Blueladie Designs chart (i.e. newsletter freebie or newly released monthly chart).

6.    Winners will be chosen by LUCK OF THE DRAW.  Everyone has an equal chance to win as long as the rules are followed.

Good Luck!  I hope this will be fun and you will participate.  :)

Cathryn

Blueladie Designs June Design

©Blueladie Designs 2013
Sing Joyfully All the Earth

This can be found on the website (link above) pg. 11.

Blueladie Designs Newsletter

went out last night.  If you aren't currently receiving the newsletter and would like to, please see my website (link above) for directions on how to subscribe.  :)  Have a Sunny Sunday and Happy Stitching.

Cathryn

Delilah Update

From Delilah's mom (my daughter):

Lyllah's appointment yesterday was scheduled for 1pm.
All of her previous appointments in this section of the treatment haveinvolvedher being put under anesthesia for a lumbar puncture to administer chemo so we prepared for this appointment the same way with cutting her off from food 8 hours before and clear liquid diet 4 hours before.

So we woke up just before 9am for a breakfast of black cherry Jello and water before her cut off time.  We left a noon, arrived at the appointment and checked in.  Lyllah entertained herselfin the waiting room with a holographic projector game of soccer on the floor.  After registration, got a room right away.  Then the fun began.

Lyllah started off the appointment whining because she had to leave the game.  Our doctor found our room without having to check the charts because she could hear Lyllah.  In an effort to help, our doctor offered to walk Lyllah to the child life room to pick out some toys to bring back to the room to play with.  Lyllah overwhelmed with choices and wanting to bring everything, began to go into hysterics when we stopped her from picking out toys because she had enough.  Back inthe room with the first picks, Lyllah continued to kick, scream, claw and even bite Michael (her dad) who decided to take her for a walk, calm her down while the doctor and I talked about the future treatments.

We discussed medication refills, the uncertainty that comes with the first port access and the possibility of family counselling to help us all cope with the extreme changes occurring in our lives.

Near the end of discussion Michael returned with a weepy Lyllah who wanted her mama.  After holding and comforting her briefly, Lyllah was back to her playful self wanting to explore the toys we had brought back to the room.  The nurse came in to apply a strong, fast acting numbing cream (which I got to apply because Lyllah instructed, "I want mommy to do it.")  The cream starts working in 10 minutes but they wait 30 to be safe.  During that 30 minutes a child life nurse came with a giant, pink puppet, that resembleda Jim Hensen muppet that had a port in it and a doctor's kit for Lyllah to play with (under supervision) to help explain to her what we were going to do today.

During this educational time for Lyllah I found out from the nurse that she would not be going under today and she could've been eating.  They promptly ordered her a tray of spagetti and meatballs with a banana on the side with goldfish crackers and apple juice to snack on while she waited.  After getting to eat and play with the Muppet, a team of 3 nurses came in for the first port access.

One was the child life nurse armed with an iPadfor distraction, another was there to hold Lyllah down with me and Michael and the third was of course doing the access.  The next few minutes seemed like hours of Lyllah screaming and pleading with all of us to let her go.  The nurse stuck her the first time and was able to flush but not draw any blood (it was later explained the first needle was to long and created suction against the wall of the artery).  They stuck yet again (this time with a shorter needle) but still could not draw back any blood.

It was decided at this point that the port was partially blocked by a clot and to stop trying to access it and talk to the doctor about where to go from there.  After holding Lyllah and soothing her, the child life nurse continued to play with Lyllah so Michael and I could talk to our medical team.

We had 3 options:
1) access the port to put in an anti-clotting agent (which would take 2 hours) and then try again.
2) Come back Friday to try the same procedure
3) Draw blood with a butterfly needle now and try the access next Wednesday.

It was already 5pm and money is tight so we wanted to avoid an extra trip so we opted for choice 3.  We had to pin Lyllah down again for a blood draw (by this time the 3 of us are exhausted from the afternoon) and the nurses prepared us to leave.

The nurses and doctors assured us that this was not a typical first access and next week should go more smoothly now that they know what to expect (and what size needle to use).

The only worry now is the trauma Lyllah went through will not be easily forgotten.  We'll just have to see what next week brings.

My mind's scarred from trying to remember all the detailsof this.  Updates tocome soonof the summer schedule/treatment plan.

***********

Lyllah got some girly time with big sis, Destiny, painting nails, drinking hot chocolate, and watching a movie. Today's looking better and better. And no, there is nothing wrong with Lyllah's forehead. She insisted on putting a band-aid on her "short-cut." The moments that make us smile make the rough times worth it.

Remember the Fallen

Remember the Fallen

Memorial Day 2014

©Blueladie Designs 2014