Great Wave Stitch-a-Long, part 26

Hi everyone! I kinda can't believe that this is my TWENTY-SIXTH check-in on this project. That's a loooooong time. Clearly the speed of my progress has varied, with some check-ins having shown a lot of progress, and some not so much. Nevertheless, she persisted...

Here's where I was last time, when an enforced rest kept me seated and stitching: 

And here's where I am now:

Another full column completion, along with much of another column! 

That means that I only have a bit more than two columns left to do (the last "column" is only 3 stitches wide). Of course, now that I'm moving more steadily -- and able to walk 2+ miles at a time! -- I'm stitching less often. But I also know that, when I feel close to a finish, I'm like a horse who sees the barn, and I speed up. I know that there's a ton of sloooooow backstitching ahead of me, but I think I will be mostly done with the cross stitching by the time of our next check-in in three weeks. 

Until then, why not check out the projects my fellow stitchers are working on: Avis, Claire, Gun, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Heidi, Jackie, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen, Connie, Cindy, and welcome back Mary Margaret!

Great Wave Stitch-a-Long, part 25

Hi everyone! The good news is that I made a lot of progress on my Great Wave piece in the last 3 weeks. Here's where I was last time: 

And here, happily, is where I am now:

I finished the cream on the previous two columns, and did another two full columns!

Now, you may be wondering how, in the peak of summer, I've gotten so much stitching done. Well...

Knee troubles had me cancelling weekends away and spending a lot more time on the couch. But let me back up a bit. 

My knee started hurting at the end of March. I didn't do anything -- that is, I don't remember hurting it. But I woke up one morning after a run and could barely bend it. At first I figured it would just get better if I rested it. But after three weeks it was still painful and keeping me from going on my long walks, so I tried to see my doctor. Unfortunately, the first "non-emergency" appointment was 7 weeks later. 

In the meantime, I self-referred myself to an orthopedic surgeon, who I was able to see only 3 weeks later. He said, well, insurance won't cover an MRI until after I complete 6 weeks of physical therapy, and it might just be "runner's knee", so I should start there. 

I've had runner's knee before, and knew that this wasn't that, but tried to get into a physical therapist. That took 4 weeks to start. So, finally, at the very end of May, I got in to see my doctor and the physical therapist on the same day. 

Again, I was told that I should just do PT and after 6 weeks we'd be able to get an MRI. So I dutifully did the exercises and hobbled around. One Sunday afternoon I was on a short walk in the neighborhood by myself, and all of a sudden my knee was so painful I couldn't put any weight on it. I was three blocks from home and had to call my husband to come and get me. 

Luckily, I had just been approved for the MRI two days before, and I was able to get in to have one on Monday evening. The results came back on Wednesday, and all of a sudden my case was an "emergency", and I had a torn meniscus. 

A friend of a friend recommended a different orthopedic surgeon who happened to have an appointment on Friday. Doc said, yep, that's a bad one, but he had openings for his surgery schedule the next Tuesday. I went in, had the surgery, and have been feeling better and on the mend since then. 

 

It was an all too common story -- long waits for appointments, insurance approvals, etc. But to be honest I got really lucky with my surgeon and I'm happy to be on the mend. As long as I take it easy I'll be running again by the early fall. 

Of course, that probably means that my stitching will slow down again, but it will be worth it!

By the time of our next check-in, in three weeks, I hope to complete one more column. And be able to walk 2 miles at a time. 

Until then, why not check out the projects my fellow stitchers are working on: Avis, Claire, Gun, Constanze, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, Heidi, Jackie, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy, AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen, Connie, and welcome back Cindy!