Day 10...

For each of my chemo rounds, I kept a daily journal of my symptoms as I progressed through the days following the infusion.  I did it the first time at the suggestion of my oncologist's nurse.   It was helpful for them because knowing what my symptoms were, they had ideas on how to minimize them in the next rounds.  I applied their ideas, and they helped.  My oncology nurse also told me that many times people's bodies adapt to the chemo, and the first round is the worst.  I will say that was true for me - whether it was my body adapting, or me applying their suggestions for my symptoms, or both.  While none of the symptoms were pleasant or exactly easy, none were as bad as they were the first time around.

When my second round of chemo came around, I distinctly remember looking back at my account of Round 1 and noticed I stopped writing anything after Day 9.  Wondering why I would do that, I made a mental note to keep going with it for the full 21 days.   

And then I got to Day 10 on the second round and I realized I felt practically normal, and there really wasn't anything to write.   I was no longer taking any medicines to counteract symptoms because the worst of the symptoms had pretty completely passed at that point.  What a relief that was.  It made the next two sessions loom much less large in my mind.  Not that it was nothing, but my chemo protocol and side effects weren't as terrible as I imagined it all would be.

Today is Day 10 of my last round.  I'm happy to say I once again feel practically normal, except for some fatigue.  Well... and the fact that I had a minor mishap a week ago which led to a finger getting infected this week, so now I'm on an antibiotic for that.  It's not that the mishap was significant, but rather that my immunity is so compromised that my finger developed an infection.  Under normal circumstances, an infection wouldn't have set in, I'm positive.  Mostly that has been an annoyance, but within 24 hours, the antibiotic has started helping my finger feel less sore, so I'm hopeful that will soon be history too.

I mentioned in an earlier post that some motivation for creative activities has returned.  I'm happy to say the feeling is staying with me.  Here are just some random things I've been doing as the spirit strikes:

Knitting fresh dishcloths in fall colors makes me happy.

Stitching on my Quaker sampler continued.

Zentangling the cover of a birthday card 

for youngest son made him smile.

Collecting slow drawing "inchies"

They're actually 2 inch squares.

Auditioning some fabrics for a scrappy autumn stitch

And starting a collection of fabric yo-yo's

 for future slow-stitching projects

None of it is exactly impressive, but it's satisfying to see I at least kept my hands busy during so much down time in recent weeks.

A beautiful autumn is settling in here in central Indiana.  I hope you're enjoying whatever the season brings you.

Discarded or set free...

 Scrolling through YouTube shorts recently I came across this short video:

It's just 45 seconds long so not a big investment of your time, but I'd love for you to watch it and comment below after reading my thoughts.   I'm not particularly enthralled with what was created by this gal, but then again we don't get to see the ultimate finished garment.  What I am fascinated with, though, is the idea of taking individual pieces that someone else created and making something brand new out of them.

But the inspiration for this post was that I found myself surprised and a bit disappointed at the number of comments that expressed sadness that hand-made items were donated to a thrift store.  "Discarded" as if no one loved the items enough to keep them and use or display them.

To be honest, when I was younger and before I got back into crocheting, knitting, and cross stitching I may have felt similarly.  On the other hand, I know in my younger adult years I also donated things I had spent hours making when I no longer wanted them.  Some I kind of regret not having now, but that's not the point of this post.  

I'm pretty sure that today, with full knowledge of the time invested in hand-making items, I always find it kind of wonderful to see handmade things sometimes making their way into a thrift store or a garage sale or a flea market.  I don't think of them as being discarded, but rather set free for someone else to love them, to maybe display or remake them.

I actually have a small box that contains things I've made with the hope and intent that someone will discover it one day when I pass.  I sometimes use the items, but there are a few things in there that I'm pretty sure I won't ever use.  I might donate some of the items myself if there become too many to save, but for now I take pleasure in the thought that someday someone else may be tickled to uncover these things.   I'm thinking of putting a note in the box saying something like "Take and use as you wish, or feel free to donate" - just to alleviate any sense of guilt someone might feel about "setting them free".  Or maybe I should just verbally tell my kids now that after my passing, family should feel totally free to do whatever they want with any of the items I've made over the years - preferably donate rather than throw away items no one wants.   I was thrilled when after Hub's mother died in 2020 to be encouraged to go through a bag of crocheted doilies and such things that his grandmother had made many decades ago, and I also brought home some unfinished items my mother-in-law had begun, with the thought that I might finish them someday.  But if I don't, I'll eventually donate them and "set them free". 

Many readers here are (or have been) creators of various hand-made items.  You may be an artist, a seamstress, a woodworker, a crafter...   Whatever you call yourself, you know what I'm talking about.  You have creations in your home that you've invested hours in making.  How do you feel about the idea of those things eventually ending up in a resale shop?  

And regardless of whether you're a maker or not, how do you feel when you see something hand-made being sold for relatively little, knowing the time that went into making the thing? 

Another related question is... Do you struggle donating an item that was hand-made by a loved one, even if you don't want to keep it?

Any other thoughts on the topic are welcome, too!