Precious and Rare”

Some of you may have noticed the rather infrequent blog posts of late. The truth is I simply can’t be the creative bouncy person you have all come to know and I hope love (if even just a little) when I am going through the mill – yet again!. To cut a long story very short my rheumatologist and I have been steadily working through why my CRP has been steadily rising for the last three years (its up to 40 now, a well person would generally fall between 1 and 4 it signifies inflammation) and why my IL6 blood test came back showing a very high result. Along the way we have discovered the Fibromyalgia and the Polymyalgia, the Restless leg syndrome, of course there has also been the Atrial Flutter and the hypothyrodism and lets us not forget – as if we ever could – the Alopecia Universallis.

Well, I had a positive result a couple of weeks ago, one that I really did not want to be blessed with, but one that both my rheumatologist and I have been waiting for. I came in sero positive to rheumatoid arthritis. I am thinking of taking the seat in Mastermind with “autoimmune diseases I have known and loved!”

I am glad to have a result, its been a long time. At least I know why my knee’s are shot to hell and I struggle both up and down stairs, why my ankles sometimes hurt, my shoulders play me up when I lean on them, especially whilst leaning on them whilst trying to sleep (at times I feel like I am trying to dislocate them!, which wakes me up in agony) and why my elbows play me up at times. I am looking to keep moving and remain very positive and there are plans afoot to keep the positivity going which I shall reveal in due course.

However, on hearing this news I slipped and lost my footing and whilst in my deepest of darkest of holes and lets face it, I have decorated and furnished some of those during the last three years, my old friends kept an eye on me. Either through emails, private messages or phone calls which I was extremely grateful for. Just knowing people are there for you can be very healing. I am still in a pretty dark place but lets just say I can see a brighter place, its just over the horizon.

And whilst in the deep dark place, I received this.

A beautiful shawl knitted by Diane. (Ishbel shawl designed by Ysolda Teague and knitted in The Yarn Yards Ochil)

I was completely bowled over, I don’t think I could speak for half an hour, I absolutely love it. So many emotions flooded through not least that a good friend had taken the time to sit and knit me a shawl in my favourite colours. And also knowing full well that this lovely friend has had an aversion to knitting lace through most of her knitting career – she is a very accomplished knitter – and she put that to one side to knit me something beautiful to sooth me and help me to heal.

I think its very beautiful and it will go perfectly with a brown jacket for spring.

And then the next day whilst at knitting Carie whipped this out of her bag (it was beautifully wrapped of course) and after I had unwrapped it, sticky tape can be a bit tricky at times, I found this. My eyes nearly exploded out of my head because I recognised it as the fibre that I had started to spin at Carie’s house but my knee’s and muscles wouldn’t let me progress. (at least we know why now!) Carie had spun it up for me just so that I could have it to stroke whilst gazing at its beautiful colours. Although how she found the time to spin and ply with a baby that is only a few months will forever mystify me and knowing how many hours were also put into this I am very touched. Of course I will knit with it, eventually!

I love it, it is just so pretty with all the various greens, browns and yellows blending with each other.

I have already had an idea of a hat which I am sure will do this lovely yarn justice. The yarn is Blue Faced Leicester, which is gorgeously soft and there are 110 yards and 94 grams.

So, due in no small part to my dearest friends, normal service will be resumed.