Tour des Quilt Shops

I don't think my French is correct, but this is my blog, so I can write any way I want--so there!



The first shop I visited while following along with the cyclists was The Crazy Quilt Shop in Roslyn: address 104 E Pennsylvania Ave 509-649-3777 Website http://www.thecrazyquiltshop.com/. Very small shop, with a good selection of mostly country/traditional, but I did find some Robert Kaufman peace symbol fabric. They have a retreat center which sleeps ten, but has only a 4 person minimum. This is a pretty shop, with a reading corner and coffee, which should keep spouses happy.



The next shop, The Quilt Crossing in Odessa on state route 28, was my favorite of the trip. Address 4 W First (you can't miss it, it's on the left, one block from the supermarket). 509-982-2194 No website that I can find. Large, well lighted shop with lots of batiks, Kaffe Fassett, probably every Moda Marble, some reproductions, but mostly a Brights shop. Fabrics $9.50 or less. Owner says people call from all over the state to order fabric.

More shops later.

Half way done!

When I finish radiation today I will be half way done with the whole thing! Yea!!! I am now using the Charmin and the Immodium, but nothing else bad has happened. The long waits (sometimes and hour before I get nuked) are annoying, and the drive is a drag, but otherwise things are going well. I'm managing to get a little sewing done, mostly pot holders, but I also finished a little quilt top from some charm squares I bought at the quilt shop near Newport, WA, and I've started on the table topper for Baby from the fabrics Marilyn Harkins brought me.

First week of Radiation

I made it through the first 5 days without anything bad happening. I did buy some Charmin Toilet paper in preparation for future side effects. I'm already tired of going downtown every day, though I treated myself to a trip to Undercover Quilts in the market, where my friend Karen Nyms was working that day--she's a great hugger. People have been bringing us food! Nancy Gleason, a former co-worker of Noel's, brought cookies and a wonderful lime curd tart. Clarissa LaGrange brought chocolate Chicken (mole), and Mary Wright sent home Thai coconut chicken curry. Isn't it wonderful to have friends who are VERY good cooks? I feel very fortunate to have so many wonderful friends.

I'm tired and crabby, but otherwise doing well. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and kind thoughts.

Cindy

good health news

I had 2 CT scans today, and the contrast one showed no lymph node involvement--good news! I have to have the staging one repeated on Fri, because it was flawed. Then I have the final CT and tatoos next Thurs and begin 6 weeks of radiation on Mon, July 12. I should feel well until the 3rd or 4th week, and then only minimally ill. Timmy, one of the Big Riders, called his mom to find out the name of the Patron Saint of cancer she always prays to: it's St. Peregrine, like the falcon--it's true, I looked it up. I feel truly blessed to be included in all your prayers and thoughts--keep praying!

We leave on Fri to go to Pt Townsend for the weekend. Our son-in-law, Mead's mother has invited all of us. She must be feeling very strong. Noel and I will sleep in Baby, and I suppose the rest of the kids will be in the house. I hope to stop in LaConner to see the Japanese quilts and textiles, IF we can get a reservation on the Keystone Ferry.


Cindy

June 29, 2010

We arrived home last night from Republic, where we stayed at a very nice campground at the fairgrounds 3 miles south of town. Stopped to see our friends Dawn and Terry in Marblemount, but didn't stay long, both because we wanted to get home before dark and because Ter has pneumonia.

I saw the radiation oncologist today, Dr. Michelle Yao. She agrees that radiation alone is the best option for me with the knowledge we have now, but has scheduled a CT scan with contrast to see if there is any lymph node involvement seen in my pelvis. This will take place tomorrow, along with a staging CT without contrast, and a visit with the RN. I hope to have the rest of the week off and begin again after the 4th. I spent the rest of the day napping. I think the driving home was much more tiring than following the cyclists.

I'll write more later about our trip and about the "tour de quilt shops.:

Cindy

Today (June 18) I saw my surgeon and and the oncologist. The outcome of this is that we will leave on Monday, the 21st, as planned, but will only travel as far as Sandpoint, Idaho. We will return home by the 28th for my first appointment with the radiation oncologist on the 29th. I will have daily radiation for 6 weeks, then an internal radiation treatment for one day. I will be taking a progesterone, Megace, for probably 5 years. I have endometrial carcinoma, Stage 1, grade 1. There is definite spread to the lymphatic system on my uterus, and maybe to the pelvic lymph nodes or to other lymph nodes. I had a chest x-ray today to look for other metastases. Chemotherapy has not been proven to be effective for my disease. I'm not feeling too great right now. Please pray for me.

We both wish to thank all of you who contributed to Noel's ride. You all contributed a total of $17,000 to the American Lung Association Washington. We have donated some of the amount above our required $9,000 to other riders who were having difficulty raising funds. Noel will use $3,500 to climb Mt Rainier for ALAW this summer. The remainder will be banked by ALAW for next year's ride. The oncologist assures us that I will be around next year, and Noel will be able to ride with a couple of his biking buddies who couldn't make it this year.

We are both disappointed not to be traveling this summer, as we had planned this as our "trip of a lifetime," continuing north from DC up the coast of Maine and on to Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, then home across Canada. I think that we have both accepted our situation. Noel is looking forward to climbing Rainier for the 15th time, and I am looking forward to a very nice, restful vacation at some luxurious place after radiation is over.

I will keep you all posted on my condition through this blog.

Cindy

WELCOME TO NOEL AND CINDY'S FIRST BLOG

We have raised enough money, and then some, so we are officially "in". We thank all of you whole heartedly for your generous donations to make this possible. Noel has been frantically fixing up Baby (the trailer) in preparation for the ride. We have new wiring, including more than one outlet, drawers in the closet and a new closet door, new brakes, new cushions. I will soon be working on new curtains and a bug tent that connects to Baby.

My hysterectomy has slowed things down a bit, but I hope to do a little sewing (or maybe just cutting) today. I have a long list of things to do before we leave: today I am ordering new batteries for the house alarm system.