Safai Kids Play SetWell, it's been 2 years since I wrote in my blog.  The last time I wrote here, I was waiting for my husband to get his chemo port put in.  Well, he is in his third year of chemo.  He had 2 years of an IV drug, Turacel and after the second year the cancer was showing up in other places in his body, so the Dr decided that Greg needed to go on an oral drug, Sutent.  The only thing about this drug is that it's very expensive, a 30% copay of over $4,000 from a special pharmacy.  And that was for only a 1 month supply.  So Greg filled out some paperwork, signed a couple forms and we sent the drug company our financial statement and we got the drug supplied from Pfizer for free.  So far, the Sutent has cleared up a spot on his cheek that a biopsy had shown was kidney cancer.  Also, he had fluid in his right lung, probably caused by the nodules in his lung.  Hopefully the Sutent will clear up that fluid and he can then breathe easier, literally.

Since I last blogged, we became grandparents on Feb 24, 2014 by way of our youngest daughter, Kerri Lynne Liu and her husband Joe Liu.  His name is Oliver Gregory Liu.  He is the most darling, cutest little boy that you ever saw!  Of course, Grandma is prejudiced and so is Grandpa or PaPa which is what little Oliver calls him.  Anyway, I took a break from my charity and shop knitting to crochet and knit a play http://www.redheart.com/books/safari-kids  These animals in the picture are what I have finished so far.  They're about 6" tall with the exception of the parrot on the left end.  I've finished a zebra, an elephant, a lion, a tiger and a giraffe so far plus the parrot.  I'm currently working on a second parrot with an orange body and head color scheme.  Ollie and his Mom were over the other day and I showed the collection to him.  He loved all of them!  They were a hit!  Well, I'll close this session of my blog!  Hopefully I'll be back soon to continue!  Bye for now!  Blessings!!!  Safari Kids Play Set  This is the pattern from which I'm making the play set.

Waiting

Here I am at St Alexius, waitinng for the orderly to

come and get my husband for his procedure this morning. I knitted with Edna last night at Starbucks til before they closed, went home and went to bed. But, I couldn't go to sleep, it seemed like. I finally got up around 2:30AM and didn't feel a bit tired. But, it'll probably catch up to me later. I brought my fish hat to knit while I wait. I got a Nook for Christmas and I've had a lot of fun with it! I've put a lot of my patterns on it and a few books. But enough of that, back to why we're here. My husband has Renal Cell Carcinoma or in other words, Kidney Cancer. And today he's getting a port put in to faciliate his chemotherapy treatments. He's had 3 chemo treatments so far. He's weathered the treatments fairly well, but the last treatment has started to give him side effects. His Kidney Dr had ordered a routine scan of his left kidney(his right kidney was removed about 6 years ago because of RCC) and the lower third of his lungs was caught on the scan. The scan was done last summer. The Kidney Dr found a spot on his lower right lung and sent him to a Lung Dr who ordered a PET Scan that found 3 nodules, 2 in his rt lung and 1 in his left lung. All of them the size of a pea. 2 CAT Scans were done in the interim with the last scan showing that one in the upper rt lung had doubled in size. The Dr reading that scan, ordered a biopsy which was done about a month ago. The results were RCC and Dr Y, his Oncology Dr, told him that it was Stage 4 of the RCC. The port was to provide a safe way to draw blood and give the chemo. Now we're in recovery while my husband rests and recovers from the surgery. The nurse told us, we'd be able to go home around 11:00. Then, he's to take it easy and just lay around for the next 2 days. Dr's orders!

Starting Out A New Year

This is a blog to correspond to HeavenSentHandmadeetsy.com shop.  I haven't been very faithful to blogging so I hope this coming New Year will be different.  HeavenSentHandmade is a name given to me by my Lord Jesus Christ.  God has been teaching me and I hope that I am listening to Him.  Sometimes I don't listen and as a result I pay the price.  In this Blog, I want to chronicle God's provision in my life.  Not only in my knitting and crocheting, but to show to my audience that He is indeed my provision.  And that He is my only provision.  This has been a long walk in my life and I know that now my walk is really just beginning.  He has a lot more to teach me and to show me.  I know He will build my faith in wondrous ways and I look forward to see what He will do in my life. 
    I hope to post pictures of what He gives me to knit and crochet to help people and to further His Kingdom.  Right now, I'm starting to do Christmas knitting for my family.  I hope to be knitting new items for my HeavenSentHandmade.etsy.com shop.  I've had quite a run on the Knitted Fish Hat.  I've knit 9 of them so far.  And sold all but one.  They seem to be very popular.  The pattern can be found on www.knitty.cm.  Well, I'll close this post and hope to be back soon!   Nicky Jo