Help is needed before 10th of September ....

Good Morning Ladies.

Please read the end of the post in how your help is needed. Thank you

As you can see I have not posted anything in the last few days.  Beside the tension headaches and migraines I have been suffering from I decided to give my house a spring clean in readiness for my operation that I am due to have next week. After the operation I am aware that I won't be able to do a lot until i reach full recovery .

 My youngest son came to stay with me for a week. Well in all honesty even though he helped me with some of my chores,(like taking heavy boxes up the attic)the house still looked like a bomb had dropped by the time he left.

 I find it extremely difficult to craft when he is here. He constantly looks for my attention and creates chores for me. He has always been a demanding child but a loving one too. I love him to bits and wouldn't change him for the world. We spent the week bonding and sorting out our differences. It was great to have him home even if that meant no crafting.

So starting back at the beginning, (of my spring cleaning,) (only this time with a few hospital appointements added to take up my time.)I managed to achieve a lot in a short time. I even managed to sort a lot of my stash out to make crafting easier for me, after my operation.

 First I had to have some pre-operative tests done. These tests were done to ensure my body is physically capable of handling my upcoming surgery procedure.

I had an Ecg - this test is done to test for electrical signals from your heart (such as your heart beat).

This is followed by some routine blood tests that measures the levels of various chemicals in my blood, such as sodium, potassium, and glucose.

and a blood count is done to test my


Platelet count: This test is performed to make sure my platelet levels aren't too high or too low. Too many platelets would put me at risk of forming a blood clot in a blood vessel and could be a sign of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Too few platelets puts me at risk of uncontrollably bleeding during surgery because there aren't enough platelets to clot the blood.

" Blood smear: This test looks at the shape of my blood cells under a microscope. Usual blood cell shapes can signify diseases such as leukemia and sickle cell anemia.

" White blood cell count: If my white blood cell levels are too high, this can signify a bacterial infection. This is because white blood cells protect against infection from bacteria and viruses and will increase when an infection develops.

" White blood cell types: This test checks six different types of white blood cells for abnormal concentrations of each in the blood. The purpose of this test is to obtain information about my immune system to help identify infections, diseases, or allergies.

" Red blood cell count: Too high a level of red blood cells signifies that my body isn't getting sufficient oxygen. Too low a level means I am at risk of a condition where my red blood cells will clump together, blocking my smaller blood vessels.

" Hematocrit: This test identifies how much space  my red  blood cells take up in the blood. Low levels could mean I am anemic. Of which I know I am as I have been suffering from Iron deficiency Anemia for years.

" Hemoglobin: This test is performed to see how much hemoglobin is in  my red blood cells. Hemoglobin carries oxygen. A low level of this substance is an indication that my blood isn't carrying oxygen as well as it should be.

Red blood cell indices: This test measures the size, amount, and concentration of hemoglobin in my average red blood cell. This test checks for a number of things, including anemia

The tests revealed that my hemoglobin count was dangerously low. So I was asked to visit the hospital to give another blood test. As soon as they had the results, I was asked to visit the pathology lab straight away.
During this appointment I was given a pint of iron via an intravenous drip. This is not the first time I have had to be fed iron via a drip. I have to go back again Tuesday for more iron to be administered to enable me to have the operation.  The consultant said I will need more iron after the operation, but my haemoglobin levels should be high enough for me to have the operation. Of course I will have to have another blood test before the operation.

The operation is too remove my varicious veins as they cause me a lot of discomfort especially as I stand a lot when crafting. And that wont do at all.Lol I was tempted recently to just give all my crafting materials away as the pain was too much to handle at times. I was suppose to have the operation in April but only now are the hospital able to fit me in. The timing is actually good because My dad is now on his way to a full recovery and has been able to drive me to the hospital.

My dad had the same operation in Feburary and is only now fully operational. I was told I was going to have Laser treatement hence the wait, but apparently this is not the case. I am having what is known as vein stripping. This generally produces significant post-operative pain and bruising, and usually requires a lengthy and uncomfortable recovery period. So this I am not looking forward to.

So if I am absent from my blog for a few weeks, you will know its because I am on the mend and will be back as soon as I feel I am able to craft or surf the net.



But my ill health is nothing in comparisment to Lyndall's health.          She has a
georgeous three year old but if fighting cancer from which the doctors dont think she will survive. She needs our support and help.

Please visit
http://mycardmakinghaven.blogspot.com/2011/08/please-help.html


to find out what you can do today. Any help or support is needed before 10th of September 2011.
Maybe all you can do is send a card to cheer this lady up, but all help however large or small is greatly appreciated.

Please check this blog out.

Happy crafting
Julie