Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Speechless!

 

Welcome to my blog! Above is a Primitive Gatherings wool project that I have had almost finished for several months. I needed a little wool to complete a couple flowers. I even had the binding on it! I quilted the fabric with straight lines before I appliqued the wool in place, which is easier for me since I am not a not a quilter. (I hate to say that out loud)

I have never spoken of my voice problems on my blog, so I thought I might explain what is going on with me. Over the past three years my voice has become increasingly high pitched and scratchy. It began when I was recovering from a flu bug of some sort. The kind that leaves you coughing for months. My voice never really recovered. Finally I saw my doctor about it and he was confident that it was a result of acid reflux. I never realized I had that problem, but he started me on medication. I also saw an ENT who scoped down my nose to look at my vocal cords. Oh well, you probably don't care about all the details, but I saw the ENT again yesterday and he says one of my vocal cords is immobile and dry, this leaves the cords without the ability to vibrate and make sounds. All of this has resulted in my inability to teach or speak at functions. In fact, it is difficult to have conversation at all. My voice is but a whisper at times and it is a strain to speak. I have been referred to a different specialist who may inject my throat with something to stimulate my vocal cords. 

Meanwhile, I was referred to a speech therapist who gave me the best advice, and things my doctors failed to mention. Number one on the hit parade of advice was that I needed to drink more water to hydrate my entire body. I drank a lot, but mostly diet coke, which I found out is a diuretic, as are other caffeine drinks. They don't hydrate. I was using anti-histamines for post nasal drip and to help me get to sleep when necessary. Also a big no-no as they cause drying, as do the menthol cough drops I was using. Luckily the post nasal drip has subsided, as has the coughing, so that is helpful. So I am drinking lots of water, avoiding caffeine, and anti-histamines, and using fruit flavored cough drops when necessary. Since this problem seems to be affecting more people than I realized, I thought I would pass along what I have learned and maybe you can take steps to avoid going this far down the road.  Not looking forward to the injection!

On a side note, I am scheduled to teach at an event in October in Hampton, Virginia at the Coliseum Convention Center. It is Expo II-2012, sponsored by Bella Fabrics. For info, follow the link. They have a great selection of teachers. So after that great build-up on my voice, let me assure you that I will have a microphone! I will be teaching an all day class on my Old Elegance quilt.Come join the fun if you are in the neighborhood! Save the dates October 13th and 14th, 2012.
 Pattern available at Patchalot Patterns!

Here is my bio:
Like most quilters, Marcie is addicted to fabric. She thinks it must have first occurred the moment she was born and was wrapped in a nice soft cotton blanket. As a child she watched her grandmother and her love of sewing, and realized that she wanted to do that also. She began sewing with cotton prints and sewed through the evolution of fabric as polyester blends and then double knits became popular. Now she has come full circle and she is the grandmother, and she is sewing with lovely cotton prints again; only this time she is making quilts!  
Marcie's passion is scrap quilts. She has a large fabric collection focused on reproduction prints. When she makes a quilt, she draws from what she has on hand. She models her designs after traditional quilts and tries to add her own twist to make it unique. She sells her patterns under the name Patchalot Patterns, putting her last name in play.   
She is happy to say that she has had her quilt designs published in several wonderful magazines, including McCall’s Quilting and McCall’s Quick Quilts; American Patchwork & Quilting, Fons and Porter’s Love of Quilting and Primitive Quilts and Projects.   
Spending time with her family takes priority over all and in order to see them she must travel, as they live in several different states. She is blessed with four wonderful children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. They all know that when she comes, she needs a sewing machine, Diet Coke and Hershey’s Kisses! It’s a family joke—quilts, coke and kisses! Life is good!  www.patchalotpatterns.com
Oh dear, now I have to dump the diet coke reference! But life is still good, and we move forward trying to dodge obstacles that are placed before us!


12 comments:

onlymehere said...

I have a recent diagnosis of fibromyalgia and diabetes and water seems to once again be just the ticket to keeping my blood sugar under control. I don't drink much...I'm a sipper...and in the summer I get addicted to Coke to keep me going as I don't handle the heat well at all with my fibromyalgia and thyroid disease. Sigh....Coke had to be given up and water had to take it's place. I must admit that after a few weeks I do feel much better not drinking the Coke. I still have to force myself to drink the water as I tend to forget. Amazingly though it really keeps the blood diluted and flowing better so it must water down the blood sugar too! Good luck with your voice. I'll keep you in my prayers for a fast recovery.
Cindy

Ruth said...

May I comment on the acid reflux problem and your voice? I just came over from joscountryjunction. I have had voice problems too, checked with that scope the ENT puts down your nose. The ENT Dr. said a portion of my vocal cords had atrophied. "We usually see this in acid reflux patients. The acid sits on the vocal cords during the night and causes them to atrophy."
I immediately went out and found some bed lifters to raise the head of my bed!! I knew I wouldn't be able to stand the full six inches recommended, so I started with 3 inches. They are wooden blocks from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Later I found copies of the same paperback book and put them under the wooden blocks so now I am at 4 1/2 inches. I also started on Nexium pills at night, so they are full strength and keep that acid away from my vocal cords. I hope you have been able to get some of your voice back. Good Luck!

Deb said...

I understand where you're coming from on the Diet Coke. I recently had to stop drinking Diet Pepsi, because of blood pressure problems. I've gone to drinking water, Crystal Light, or Propel. It hasn't been too bad with the Crystal Light and Propel because it has a sweet taste.

julieQ said...

I sure hope it gets better soon, Marcie...you have a whole lot of teaching to do!! Love the quilt you are teaching!

*karendianne. said...

Marcie, wow. I'm sending a hug for all you've been managing. This is a lot but you know (correct me if I'm wrong) but it reads to me like you have a really good medical TEAM here. You can't heal without that. ---
I can't imagine how fun it would be to have you as a teacher. Well actually I can and I'd love it! What a treat.

Thank you for sharing! *karendianne.

Polly said...

I like your bio, I might just hang on to it, it might come in handy in another 25 years or so. I am glad you went to the ENT again and hope he can make it easier for us to talk on the phone so I'm not the one doing all the talking. I wish I could go to your class, it's time for me to start sewing again and I am getting excited. I might start simple though with a runner like the one on your kitchen table that you posted 2 posts ago. I love the new plate you got in Pillager.

Libby said...

I gave up sodas (Diet Dr. Pepper) a little over a year ago. At first I didn't know how I would make it through the day. Now I don't even understand what all the hubbub was about if I take a sip of Hubby's diet Coke.
I used to get terrible headaches - the kind that just put me to bed. Now that I am a dedicated water drinker, that is gone. Amazing - that was the only change. On the rare occasion that I feel a headache coming on, I know that I'm getting dehydrated and ramp up the water *ta da*

sewprimitive karen said...

Hi, Marcie, you're getting some really good suggestions here. Hydrate, hydrate. When I think of the decades that I drank one diet coke after another and really hardly any water, I'm surprised I don't have your problem as well. I hope you can coax your voice back, dear Marcie!

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

I have been thinking about you a lot lately and sending up prayers for your voice. Hydration... wow, how simple and also how vital; it makes sense and it can't hurt! Your wool applique piece is charming. Wishing you well in October; oh, how I would love to get up there and attend!

Lori said...

I hope you start seeing some big improvements, Marcie. I love that quilt and I'm sure the class will be a big hit!

Ruth said...

The owner of a quilt shop near where I live has vocal cord problems and has had to have several surgeries on them, after which she is not supposed to talk at all for a while. I really don't know what her diagnosis is, though. I switched from iced tea to water because of attending weight watchers, and I still drink mostly water. Diet coke, or any diet products have aspertame in them and I stay away from that because of a member of my quilting guild who got brain damage from the aspertame in diet coke. She was a doctor and drank LOTS of it while working. Most people probably don't drink that much, I hope. But it is a substance that is not good and shouldn't have been approved by the FDA, imho. Good luck with your class! We have to travel to visit our kids also - from Oregon to Florida and now to Alabama, where we are headed today.

Heirlooms by Ashton House said...

Hi Marcie, I was sorry to read about your vocal problems but glad to hear that you've gotten in touch with right people who can help and are on the road to recovery! I, too, used to drink lots of Diet Coke, which caused a different problem for me—kidney stones! A very good reason not to drink much of it anymore! I thought because it didn't have any calories, it was okay. Now I know better.