Well, I did it, I beat the flu - finally, after three weeks - with only a residual scratchy throat to show for it. But... and it's a BIG one
For two weeks before the flue, my right shoulder and forearm were really painful. I woke up with this pain and though it was to do with sleeping wrong but it didn't go away in two ro three days like my usual shoulder spasms have done. However, when I had the flu, the pain was gone. (or maybe the flu was so bad I didn't notice it...). Anyway, once teh flue was gone, the pain was back, with a vengeance. I couldn't sit or stand comfortably, I couldn't find a place where the shoulder didn't hurt and the arm pain was constant. I finally caved adn called my doctor. Was sent for X-rays (no bone abnormalities) and physical therapy started last week.
It appears that I should have listened to my Mother all those years ago and "sat up straight" but the cause the shoulder pain is likely cervical, due to poor posture. And could be exacerbated by my tendency to stitch in bed and watch television from be in the evenings (wrong neck position. The arm pain, coincident to the shoulder, apparently, is tennis elbow. I don't play tennis, or golf - the alternate name for the symptoms so it might better be described as blogger's elbow as the therapist said it was probably fro using the computer!.
It's probably too soon to say but I think the therapy is helping --- the pain is lessened by evening and I have no issues sleeping but when I get up in the morning, it starts to ache again - not as bad as it was, but still uncomfortable. I am doing the exercises and hoping for the best.
But, like I said above, the way I stitch, with my neck forward and looking down, is a no-no, at least for teh time being. I can't see myself holding my stitcher at eye level while sitting up straight so another hold on returning to stitchery! Just as the left wrist was behaving and strengthened enough to hold the frame (the therapist's tests show my grip is now stronger on the left than on the right - and I'm a right-handed person: bad sign that the tendonitis in the elbow has weakened my right hand.)
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Question of the month: Talk to us about your longest-running WIP or UFO.
My longest running WIP is "Palm Tree Elegance", a needlepoint (tent stitch) panel begun back in November 2010 on one of our travels and last stitched on in July 2016:
For two weeks before the flue, my right shoulder and forearm were really painful. I woke up with this pain and though it was to do with sleeping wrong but it didn't go away in two ro three days like my usual shoulder spasms have done. However, when I had the flu, the pain was gone. (or maybe the flu was so bad I didn't notice it...). Anyway, once teh flue was gone, the pain was back, with a vengeance. I couldn't sit or stand comfortably, I couldn't find a place where the shoulder didn't hurt and the arm pain was constant. I finally caved adn called my doctor. Was sent for X-rays (no bone abnormalities) and physical therapy started last week.
It appears that I should have listened to my Mother all those years ago and "sat up straight" but the cause the shoulder pain is likely cervical, due to poor posture. And could be exacerbated by my tendency to stitch in bed and watch television from be in the evenings (wrong neck position. The arm pain, coincident to the shoulder, apparently, is tennis elbow. I don't play tennis, or golf - the alternate name for the symptoms so it might better be described as blogger's elbow as the therapist said it was probably fro using the computer!.
It's probably too soon to say but I think the therapy is helping --- the pain is lessened by evening and I have no issues sleeping but when I get up in the morning, it starts to ache again - not as bad as it was, but still uncomfortable. I am doing the exercises and hoping for the best.
But, like I said above, the way I stitch, with my neck forward and looking down, is a no-no, at least for teh time being. I can't see myself holding my stitcher at eye level while sitting up straight so another hold on returning to stitchery! Just as the left wrist was behaving and strengthened enough to hold the frame (the therapist's tests show my grip is now stronger on the left than on the right - and I'm a right-handed person: bad sign that the tendonitis in the elbow has weakened my right hand.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Question of the month: Talk to us about your longest-running WIP or UFO.
My longest running WIP is "Palm Tree Elegance", a needlepoint (tent stitch) panel begun back in November 2010 on one of our travels and last stitched on in July 2016:
It resides in my travel kit and is taken out whenever we are long term guests of friends or hotels. The likely next stitching episode, assuming I am recovered by then, will be early June on a road trip to Myrtle Beach, SC where husband will be attending a daylily conference.
I have a palm tree theme in my bathroom - embroidered on towels and shower curtain, framed cross stitch on the wall, and a set of decorative boxes papered in Palm motifs. This, if and when finished, will eventually join the framed cords-stitch on the wall.
My oldest UFO is a pair of crewel pillow tops, started in 1988:
I have a palm tree theme in my bathroom - embroidered on towels and shower curtain, framed cross stitch on the wall, and a set of decorative boxes papered in Palm motifs. This, if and when finished, will eventually join the framed cords-stitch on the wall.
My oldest UFO is a pair of crewel pillow tops, started in 1988:
The one on the left is the unfinished piece. (the color would be the same in both but do to bad light when these were taken... These, along with a number of other unfinished pieces (some of which I HAVE since finished), were packed away in one of our many moves and only resurrected when we unpacked at this, our final location (I hope!) in 2003. The wool is still useable and someday, if I get motivated, I may get back to this. I have to say, though --- my tastes have changed since 1988 and I'm not so much into flowers. Also, having crewel pillows in a house with three cats with needle-like claws is NOT a good plan for their (the pillows') survival!
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My progress in my 2018 resolution to clean up my craft space did make a little progress, however. Remember that pile of speciality threads from various projects that needed to be sorted adn refiled. I had done all the Rainbow Gallery threads back in March but that left a huge jumbled pile of Gentle Arts Sampler and Shaker Threads, Carrie's Crreations, Weeks Dye works, Dinky Dyes, Stranded by the Sea, Needlepaints, Caron Watercolors and Waterlielies, Kreinik silks, SanMan threads and more that, when sorted, spread from one end of my cutting table to the other!
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My progress in my 2018 resolution to clean up my craft space did make a little progress, however. Remember that pile of speciality threads from various projects that needed to be sorted adn refiled. I had done all the Rainbow Gallery threads back in March but that left a huge jumbled pile of Gentle Arts Sampler and Shaker Threads, Carrie's Crreations, Weeks Dye works, Dinky Dyes, Stranded by the Sea, Needlepaints, Caron Watercolors and Waterlielies, Kreinik silks, SanMan threads and more that, when sorted, spread from one end of my cutting table to the other!
On April 24, I sorted by brand and placed each bunch in it's respective ArtBin box (or a zip lock bag when I ran out of boxes!):
I need to inventory the colors but that can come later, when I decided on a better way, if any, to store these.
Meanwhile, my cutting table is now relatively clear on one end, with only a large grocery bag full of unsorted DMC threads to work through.
Meanwhile, my cutting table is now relatively clear on one end, with only a large grocery bag full of unsorted DMC threads to work through.
Needless to say, I consider that the most daunting project of all and is probably why it was postponed to the very end of the thread sorting! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So there you have my April report. I can only say it HAS to get better!
So there you have my April report. I can only say it HAS to get better!
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