with confidence and hope, through all crises.
That Zimmerman chick might have known what she was talking about. I think this sweater, Ariann, saved my life yesterday. But first, the surgery went fine and G now has an approximately 8″ gash along his side and he’s quite comfortable actually and we don’t know anything. They told us we’ll know something between Xmas and New Year’s – like two weeks. The torture continues.
I knit A LOT on Ariann yesterday – I finished the sleeves and added a few repeats to the body and joined the whole thing up and knit the first set of decreases for my size. I’ve got a lot more to do but I want this sweater DONE. It’s incredibly tantalizing to be almost there so I keep knitting and knitting. Yesterday this sweater felt like my only friend. I’ve waited for G to get out of surgery many times before – but those were always orthopedic surgeries where they come out and tell me he’s got to do PT and he’ll be fine. This was SO MUCH different. First of all, I was alone. Which was my own fault because I had lots of people offer to sit with me. I just thought it wouldn’t be a big deal since I’ve waited out surgery alone lots of times. I had my knitting, right? Man was I wrong. This was the absolute worst. The waiting area was huge and packed with families all waiting and I overheard what felt like a hundred awful stories and everyone is so anxious it’s like the AIR is anxious and it’s noisy and crowded and it was all I could do to keep my head down and knit and knit and knit. If you should, god forbid, ever have to wait out surgery in a cancer hospital, my advice to you is to bring a friend.
But it’s over now and the waiting at home continues on and January One can’t come soon enough. If I’m lucky I’ll have a beautiful new sweater and a healthy happy family to go with the day. We continue to appreciate and thank you for all your good wishes. Thank you. Thank you.
Wishing you peace and good news.
I thought about you both a lot yesterday. And this morning, too. Thanks for the update. Hugs all ’round.
Thinking about you!!!!!
(and Ariann is looking lovely.)
So lovely to be able to knit something so completely gorgeous out of an experience that is so completely wretched. Knitting can be salvation sometimes, and I’m glad you had it, though I hate that you were otherwise so alone.
May good news be just around the bend.
What Carole said!
I hope the wait for the good news you’re going to get goes by really fast for both of you.
New year, newfound health to you and G.
It really irritates me that those people on CSI can have test results in seconds, but real people have to wait ages. I hope you have something waiting in the wings after Ariann, to keep you occupied.
First Battle – conquered! Congrats.
I hope the time flies and the news is all good. Crossing my fingers and keeping you in my thoughts.
Glad to hear that he is ok and comfortable for now! I love EZ, she even talks in the Knitters Almanac about the best way to nap in a car while waiting for the husband. The sweater is looking good!
Glad to hear everything went well. I knit a lot during my mother’s hospitalizations and procedures. Kept me sane and productive. Arianne looks lovely.
Look how much you have knit! I’m slogging on the first (which should be the second sleeve). I have every confidence that you will finish the sweater and everything will be fine with G. January One will be a good day to celebrate.
Thinking of you and G.
Hugs and prayers and good wishes and hopes for plenty of pain meds coming yours and G’s way!
I remember sitting in the waiting room while my one year old was in surgery and there are all these other parents in there waiting for their kids surgeries to be over and it’s just a terrible feeling. I think I knitted a hat because that was all I could concentrate on! I hope everything is well with your husband in the new year!
Oh man! Waiting is the worst! Ariann looks absolutely gorgeous, though.
I’m happy to hear the surgery went well. Happy thoughts for you and G!
All the best for you and your man. I think Bonne Marie would be touched to know that Arianne helped you out with a stressful day. I worked on a sock when I was waiting for my sweetie to go through eye surgery. He was the only surgery scheduled at all because it was July 3rd and I was all by myself waiting for him. It definitely helped to have a sock keep me company.
I know a bit about what you are going through. I had surgery for a possible breast cancer on December 7 – 10 years ago – I knew on the 10th that it was cancer, but now the wait to see exactly what I was up against and what would be the outcome. It was after the new year that I found out, but it was not an easy Christmas. However, for me things have worked out well and I am healthy – just swam 1 mile and water walked for 40 minutes this am and I am 66! Life will never be the same again, but it will be sweeter! Hang onto each other and it will work out for you! Scary though!
A year ago this New Years my Fiance’ had a ruptured appendix, The day before he went to the ER he had picked out some chunky sage green baby alpaca. And in the fear and stress of that hospital waiting room as he sat in the ER and was operated on in the OR I set aside my current knitting and started a scarf. By the time I finished the scarf it was 10 PM and he was tucked into a hospital bed safe and not too sound. With out my knitting I probably would have fallen apart. that Zimmerman Chick knows what she is talking about, knitting does soothe the troubled soul.
I cannot knit through many of my crises, so it makes me really happy to hear that you can. It’s a great solace to have something creative and beautiful to turn to. I’m so glad to hear that G is safely through his surgery. I will be sending my best thoughts to you guys.
Love, J
Glad to hear he came though ok. The anxiety in the air of the hospital was palpable through my computer screen, and I even got teary with the pain of your wait. I hope you never go through that alone again!
Waiting is so hard…both yesterday and for the next couple of weeks. Wishing you good news.
Ariann is amazing and you and G. are, too!
Sending you positive thoughts and keeping my fingers tightly crossed that the news is good. I’m glad G came through the surgery well and that he’s comfortable.
Hopefully the worst is over. Continued good wishes.
In my experience, it’s harder to be the one waiting than the one in surgery. It’s harder to wait and wonder than to know. I hope that soon the hard times will be behind you.
Your Arianne is going to be lovely — such a hopeful color!
Oh, I so hear you. My son’s first surgery was 5 or 6 hours, and Grant and my folks were there, and also my sister, I think — yes, she was there. Tells you what state of out of my mind I was in. Anyhow. I’m glad G’s surgery went well and I will continue to think good thoughts.
I’m so glad the surgery went well and G is feeling fine. I’m sorry you were alone, but thank god for your knitting. Your sweater continues to look fabulous and I’m sending the best thoughts I can think of to you.
Just received your fabulous note cards – thanks again!
In my house, we have knitted objects that are attributed to various crises … like the triple bypass Elizabeth Lavold sweater, for example. That was finished 12/10/03, and the recipient is still wearing it the minute it gets cold enough for him to do so –
all the best from our house to yours…
Hope he’s feeling better.
xo
you are amazing, the sweater is stunning, and I’ll continue to think only the best….take care.
Knit on girlfriend….knit on. May all be well.
I’m glad the surgery is over and you can relax just a little bit. Thinking about you alot!
hooray! you’re almost done with the sweater and G is out of surgery. two things to smile about 🙂
Holy f*ck, and JFC, and every other exclamation typical of me you can think of — THAT IS A LOT OF KNITTING. Even if I had to knit through a crisis, I don’t think I could get that much done in a day — EVER!
Fingers crossed.
Oh, dear, sitting all alone? You brave soul. I am glad to hear that you both got through that surgery. Best wishes to G on a speedy recovery!
may you have good luck and success and happiness in all ways and for always
-from dear flair vol.1, as written by flair’s mom, june 1967
(((Hugs))) Glad to know the surgery went well. Sending good thoughts for a speedy recovery! Please remember to be kind to yourself while waiting, wating, waiting.
Ariane looks great. When I do waiting room knitting, my gauge varies a lot, so I can never work on anything where consistent gauge matters.
Thinking of you, of course, and sending every good wish for your family.
I saw a lot of that Zimmermann chick’s work today — man oh man. Knit on, indeed.
isn’t the waiting room the worst? especially at 6am. i sat thru 4 surgeries for my husband alone last year, just me and my knitting, but this time i’m going to have his mother wait with me.
my heart goes out to you and G. remeber to take care of yourself, too, so that you can take care of him.
Your sweater is looking gorgeous. Glad that G got through surgery fine – just a couple more weeks of waiting. We once had to wait to find out if our unborn baby was going to be OK during that time – it is torturous. We went to a lot of movies during that time to get through it! Thinking of you two and wishing you all the best!
C & G: caring thoughts and best wishes for a fast recovery and great knitting!
Glad to hear he made it through o.k. Strength and patience vibes for the next two weeks … the waiting is the worst.
I am thinking about you both – best wishes!
(and Ariann is lovely too – what progress!)
Thinking positive thoughts. Stay strong.
Memorial Sloan-Ketting isn’t on anyone’s list of favorite destinations, but it is (for all that) a place of grace and hope. Knitting does help. You have inspired me to try Ariann.
You and G. are both in my thoughts.
hope G recuperates as easily as possible – his surgical site is probably lots more uncomfortable than mine was – keep a good book handy for when you need to rest those fingers AND use those fingers to give G’s shoulders a good kneading – good for your fingers and good for his relaxation. januaryone will be a great start to a great year – I just know it!
I’ve been out of the loop for a few days, but I was wondering about G’s surgery. And now, I’m still wondering. 😉 I hope you get the very best possible results, and I hope you won’t have to wait too long for them, either.
It’s zimmermann, with two n’s.
We’re continuing to hold good thoughts out here for you and G – that the only thing remaining is the 8″ scar, and no trace of anything else.. may he heal quickly and effortlessly.
Yay yay yay for “surgery went fine”!!!
I know this is going to sound odd, but since my trip to Barcelona, I’ve been thinking a lot about you. Maybe because I was working on my almost-solid Pomatomus then, after getting infected by your post about them, or because that is where I discovered that delicious yogurt with honey on the side that you talked about a few posts ago…but for whatever reason, you are stuck in my head.
I’m glad everything went well and that you at least had your knitting to keep you company. I am sending positive thoughts your way everytime you pop in my head, which is waaay too often lately! And that includes right now. Hope your husband is feeling better already.
ps. Ariann, what a beauty!
We all have waiting room stories. Last year, by myself, in Utah, wondering if my husband’s leg would ever be normal. Not cancer, but life-changing.
Cara-I know what you are going through. I spent 6-years running back & forth from our home in Illinois to Rochester Minnesota. My husband was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 40, which was unheard of at that age. But, I spent the 1st. surgery with my mother inlaw, bless her heart. Thank god she was there. The surgery took 14-hours & I think I would have gone mad if I had to endure it alone. The 2nd surgery I was alone, my mother in law had passed away with cancer of the pancreas. Thank goodness for knitting! Unfortunately my husband passed away Jan. 30, 2003 at home. It has been very difficult moving forward alone. There is one thing I learned by being at Mayo’s-no matter how sorry we feel for ourselves, there is always someone else worse off. Spending time up there somewhat grounds you to reality. Enough of that-
I love your shawl! Maryann has dyed some gorgeous yarns. I just finished my shawl, I did it in Maryann’s huckleberry. I had purchased 2-skeins of it from her about 2-years ago, not knowing what I was going to knit. Once I saw Sivia’s Diamond Fantasy shawl pattern, I realized that was the yarn for that pattern. If you would like to see the color, let me know & I can mail you some. A few years ago Maryann had quite a few yarns that I loved, but she hasn’t had any of them on her site for years. You almost have to remember her color combinations & tell her what to dye. She definatly has some wild color combinations. If you ever need anyone to talk to I am only a click away. Candee