Sorry I'm not arround...

I haven't been arround lately because I don't feel well. The pain in the hip has return and over that I'm going through one of my depression state. ALready taking max doses of antidepresant, pain killers and other medicines and it's not fun.

Have lost all the energy. I even pass the days just staring at the shuttles and books but no inspiration or desire to work in anything.

Last visit to my rheumatologist he told me that he suspect of avascular necrosis of the hip, due to the Lupus and DVT's (Deep Vein Thrombophebitis) and years of steriods treatments (and over doses) for the asthma and lupus. So now what? Hip replacement? Goosh! I hope not. I had a MRI yesterday and the results will be ready tomorrow and then visit again the doctor Monday. The next 3 weeks are already full of doctors appointments. *sigh* Just when I was thinking things were going to be better.

But no, I can denie that things have revert. Also I'm loosing again most of my hair, specially the back of my head and a little of the butterfly rash appears everytime I go outside (even with sunscreen). The heat is driving me crazy, even if is less hot than in Egypt. Above all this problems having my husband away and also with depression (the death iof his dad was to hard on him) and having also money problem is not helping.

I have some exchanges pending and an order of two from my shop also pending. Please give me another week to see if I can get out of this. I'm feeling even numb. There are no words to describe this...

Public Apologize

I want to publicly apologize for a mistake I made a few days ago. I posted on my Etsy the barefoot sandals for sale without asking permission from the designer for it. I always ask permission to a designer when I'll sell something that is not my design but last week having migraines and asthma constantly it slipped from my mind to ask permission.

I, myself, am a designer and I know how it feels when someone post some of your own work without permission or without giving credit. I don't pretend to imitate anyone either. I think I have my own style and those of you that have my books can notice my tatting style.

Anyway, I already sent a short apologize to the designer and it won't happen again.

On another note... The Etsy shop is not doing well anyway so I will close it at the end of May. All the inventory on the shop, the sales will go completely to the LFA. I'll keep the free webshop.

Lupus Awreness Month and Sale - Please read and share

This month is Lupus and today in specific is International Lupus Day. Here is a very interesting article about this illness that is not commonly known thus over a million of American (specially women) suffer from it.

Public Lacks Awareness of Lupus and its Life-Threatening Complications - May is National Lupus Awareness Month

May 6, 2009

Most women likely can describe warning signs and health risks associated with breast cancer and heart disease, but according to a recent online survey relatively few are aware of another potentially fatal disease that disproportionately strikes young women between the a

ges of 15 and 44. The disease is lupus.

Although more than 1.5 million Americans have lupus, the public mostly is unaware of the potentially disabling and life-altering health effects of lupus. According to a national online survey conducted for the Ad Council, eighty percent of young women in the United States say they have little or no knowledge of lupus, yet eight in ten new cases of lupus will develop among women of childbearing age.

Lupus develops when the immune system goes out of balance, causing it to become destructive to any major organ or tissue in the body, including the heart, lungs, ki

dneys, brain, skin, and joints. Its health effects include heart attacks, stokes, seizures, and organ failure.

May is National Lupus Awareness Month. Now in its thirty-second year, Lupus Awareness Month is observed to disseminate medically sound inf

ormation about lupus, increase public understanding of the physical, emotional, and economic impact of the disease, and provide support, services, and hope to all people affected by lupus. As part of Lupus Awareness Month, the Lupus Foundation of America and its chapters, and nearly 100 lupus organizations from around the globe, will observe May 10 as World Lupus Day, to highlight lupus as a worldwide health issue that affects people of all races and ethnicities.

Here in the United States, lupus is two to three times more common among African

Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans than among Caucasians. While lupus strikes mostly young females, males and females of all ages can develop the disease.

What is most troubling about the lack of awareness of lupus is that early diagnosis and proper medical care often can help to prevent or reduce serious health complications, such as heart attacks, strokes, seizures, miscarriages, or kidney failure. That is why public recognition of lupus signs and symptoms is so important to the public -- awareness of lup

us helps save lives.

Recently, the Ad Council launched its first-ever national public awareness campaign on lupus. The campaign is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH).

"The new Ad Council campaign addresses the critical need to raise aware

ness among the public about lupus, and ultimately increase early diagnosis to prevent the life-threatening consequences of lupus," said Sandra C. Raymond, LFA President and CEO. "We are pleased to be the founding partner with OWH and the Ad Council for this significant campaign."

The goal of the new campaign is to improve early diagnosis and treatment of lupus. The disease can be difficult to recognize for several reasons:

• young people may assume that their health problems are temporary,
• symptoms often come and go and change over time, and
• initial symptoms of lupus often are dismissed as nothing serious.

More than half of the people with lupus suffer from symptoms for four or more years before they are diagnosed.

Early warning signs of lupus can include sudden and persistent joint and muscle pain, overwhelming fatigue, skin rashes on the face, scalp, and arms, hair loss, and persistent fevers. The new Ad Council campaign message, "Could I have lupus?" urges individuals who may be experiencing symptoms to ask their doctor about lupus. The LFA

website, lupus.org, has a symptoms checklist that individuals can complete and take to their doctor to help determine their risk for having the disease.

The LFA also has launched a new education series of booklets and fact sheets in both English and Spanish, and enhanced its network of health educators to assist people who are seeking information and referrals to local services. Working with renowned l

upus experts, the LFA has compiled the latest information to answer questions about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options. The Foundation’s nationwide network of chapters, affiliates, and support groups also will be conducting outreach activities to raise awareness of lupus within local communities.

Additional information about lupus is available through the LFA website at lu

pus.org. To obtain free information on lupus symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options by mail, call the LFA toll-free at 1-888-38LUPUS (888-385-8787) or contact the nearest LFA office. A list of offices appears on the LFA website.

###

About the LFA

The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. is the foremost national nonprofit voluntary health organization dedicated to finding the causes of and cure for lupus, and providing support, services, and hope to all people affected by lupus. The LFA and its national netwo

rk of chapters and support groups operate programs of research, education, and advocacy.

Also to commemorate the awareness in Lupus I have a special sale on my Etsy Shop and Web Shop. From each sale during this month 40%will be donated to the LFA. Please go and cooperate. Each cent, nickle, dime and quarter help the LFA in the search of a cure. Why I'm making so much emphasis? Well, there is a LOT of awareness and campaigns about Cancer but not about Lupus. If you sum all the deaths caused by heart diseases, cancers, diabetes, etc., you will have the total of people that die and have complications with Lupus.

For those of you that don't know a lot about me. I was diagnosed with SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematous) in 1996, having to quit my job as an Oncologic Nurse. But the symptoms of Lupus go way before 1996. For my High School graduation (1988) I already lost most of my hair and strange strong pains in my joins. My Lupus went on remission around 2003 but this spring (feb, 2009) it came active again. Lupus has affected my heart and liver, my hair and skin (though not as strong as with my cousin). In my case Lupus seems to be hereditary because me, a cousin and an aunt suffer of Lupus. In fact my aunt die 2 years ago on Father's Day due to Lupus complications. She was in her early 50s.

RIP 2007

Tatting thoughts

I spend a lot of time along with my tatting. Hubby works far from home so he stays a few nights at work. Last night and this morning was one of those days that I tat a lot. Tatting is my therapy and companion. I don't know you, but when I'm tatting, specially a pattern that I know by memory, I tend to think a lot. Different things, thoughts, plans, dreams... Some times I feel like my brain is running 100 mph! lol Some times I even have to stop tatting to write down a note, idea or a quick drawing for a design.

Some of the things I thought this morning are:

1. Decided that I'm not going to use a pattern from a designer for my 40th BD souvenirs. But I'll make my own design (as I do every BD).
   
2. Also won't use HDT. Though the HDT are so beautiful I will need a huge amount of it for the BD project. So I'll be using a thread that I can find without any problem. Probably will make it with El Beida (the Egyptian thread I use).
3. I'm in the "angry" phase of the griving process about my Lupus exarcebation (sp?). Still in pain, meds don't work good and I'm angry. So, sue me!
4. I got an idea about a book to get donations and awareness about Lupus. I got the idea from a book in Annie's Attic for Breast Cancer and a blog called "Stitch Pink". The title will be "Wings for Hope". The color of Lupus awareness is purple and the symbol is a butterfly. What you think? The month was change from October to May. So that leaves me 2 months for designing, proofing and publishing the book.

I already have a few motifs designed that I can include in the book. Need to contact the LFA (Lupus Fundation of America) to get a simple "What is Lupus" for the book and to see how to establish the donation thingy with Pay Pal on my site and web shop. Probably will sell the samples also. In the last few years I have been getting more active in geting people know about Lupus. Nobody can imagine how difficult is this illness. *sigh* OK... I'm not going to start rambling about it. At least not now. ;-)

Well, those were my thoughts this morning. The photo are the motifs I have finished already for decorating my headscarf. I still need to make 6 more; 3 with pink beads and 3 with green beads. I'm thinking also in making the 1st round only for "filling" motifs and probably will make a edging too. I just need to decorate one end of the scarf because the other gets hide in the wrapping.

I will breakfast now and will take a break from this motif and tat something else. See ya later!