Recycled Item From Denim

I signed up to make 8 things for OHCE (Oklahoma Home and Community Education), an 'adult 4-H' group which I belong to.  These are entries for the county fair.  One of the entries I signed up for is to make an item from recycled denim. I grabbed a pair of Steve's jeans and started cutting them apart.  I had no idea what I was going for, but I ended up with potholders!  There is enough padding in them that you can put your hand IN the pocket and it won't burn to pick up anything hot.  

We will see how I do in the fair placings.  At this point, I am happy they are ready.  Doing anything has not been easy this year, but I do love sewing and more than that, I love the fair and the ladies in OHCE.  They keep me entertained.  

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Medical update:  I went in to an orthopedic surgeon for my hip pain today.  Thank God I found out that my hip pain is from a bone spur - and pretty big one at that!  My hip is in otherwise good shape.  HALLELUJAH!  That is a huge weight off of my shoulders!  I got a steroid shot (OUCH!) and darn did that hurt, but I have to do exercises and he thinks it will help.  I can go back for more steroid shots if needed, but I hope the exercises and this shot does the trick.

Tomorrow, I go back to the GI surgeon, 3 weeks after my surgery, to get my stitches out.  I am still bleeding, but it is dark, old blood from the incision.  Who knows?  I give up trying to figure things out.

I did get a message from my primary care Dr (an immunologist) and he requested me to be front center at 4pm tomorrow.  I am going to wait to see what the GI surgeon says before I decide to keep the 4pm surgeon.  I am just tired.  Of medical.  Of Drs.  Of hurting.

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Finally, years ago, before Steve and I went to Singapore, Steve and I made a will.  It needs

to be updated, and the more medical problems I have, the more I KNOW I need to update it.  I almost died this year!  

There are things I want in it, but more importantly, I want my funeral, etc, planned out.  I don't want anyone having to do this after I pass away in the heat of the moment.  I want them to call and it is done.  So that part I will be working on.

I know this medical stuff will do me in.  People have said, "Good thing you don't have diabetes..."  "At least you don't have cancer..."  "You are young, you will be fine - at least you are not as old as me..."  Drink this or take that, it cured me/my brother/my sister/my grandma, etc."  

I am glad I don't have diabetes, or cancer - that is true.  But what I have there is no cure for and no hope for a cure.  It is inevitable, it will eventually kill me because I cannot fight any infections without intervention and if the intervention doesn't work, my body surely won't.  Most people's bodies help the antibiotic, or chemo, or insulin fight the disease.  My body is incapable of helping at all.  Zilch.  So while I am glad I don't have this or that, I sadly think, "but what I do have there is no hope for and no help for".  

The likely hood of me growing old is... well, according to NIH, they don't know WHY I am still alive, so maybe I will surprise everyone and live a long, ripe ol' life, right?  What I am trying to say is, everyone has their own burdens.  Don't diminish them because you may not know (or understand) the entire story, and maybe what you are seeing is "the mask"; the survival mask that we wear to put one foot in front of the other.

My motto is "Keep on Swimmin'!"  I am more bobbling now, but I am definitely not yet belly up.  The fight is real.  Please continue to pray for me.