Thursday, November 26, 2009

Get Up and Go


Leclerc skein winder for winding yarn for quills - and a couple of proto placemat warps in amongst the rubble

For the past few months I have been 'suffering' from a serious lack of get up and go. I've been blaming this lack of energy on a whole list of things - the unremitting stress in my life, my health issues, adverse drug reactions, yadda, yadda.

Whilst whining about this last night over coffee with a friend and moaning about the diuretics and Plavix - the current suspected culprits - she commented that her mother had taken diuretics for much of her life and found that she very quickly became deficient in potassium and had to supplement it. My friend also said that if that was the problem, it would become very apparent very quickly once I started supplementing potassium.

As it happened, I had some bananas at home, so I ate one last night. This morning I was reasonably productive but was reluctant to give too much credit to one small banana. :}

However, feeling somewhat better, I decided to pick up some potassium supplements while I was at the store this afternoon and took a first tablet with dinner.

And have been working steadily for two hours getting quills wound for the kits. Plus I don't feel so fuzzy headed and - well - squashed is about the only word I can think of to describe how I had been feeling.........

My bp continues to fluctuate and spike for no real reason, which is worrisome but not terrible, so I won't think too much about it for now. If it continues to be this erratic by the time I see the doctor in January, I'm going to ask about changing out one of my bp meds and try something else. You know - the one that causes weight gain as an adverse effect? I'd sure love to lose some weight and nothing seems to help. So right now I'm blaming those pills......... :^)

The colour gamp kits are nearly ready to ship - should be able to get most of them into the mail tomorrow. After that I will start working on the afghan warp for the AVL, finish the rayon chenille warp on the Fanny (two more scarves), then begin making placemats. And start back on transcribing WeaveCast episodes. I've gotten very far behind on those. :(

I haven't seriously made placemats for many years - people still come up to me at the craft fairs and say their 20 year old placemats still look like new - but this year I had people coming looking for them so I guess it's time again. Perhaps people are wanting a new colour, if nothing else?

Currently reading The Night Visitor by James Doss (gave up on 13 1/2 by Nevada Barr - too gruesome for me)

7 comments:

Sandra Rude said...

Hurray for bananas! Glad the potassium is helping.

Anonymous said...

Be very careful with self diagnosis and supplementing with electrolytes. Most diuretics are now potassium sparing which means that they do not deplete your Potassium. Too little or too much potassium is very dangerous and can cause cardiac issues. Please call your Doctor and have your electrolytes checked.

A concerned reader,
Boni RN

Laura Fry said...

I did notify my dr that I'd added a tablet of potassium - but I'm already feeling *so* much better - more energy - and my brain seems to have come back. From where ever it went without taking me along with it. :}

The diuretic seems to be doing a number on me in various ways, which is one reason I want off it - asap....but I'll probably have to wait until January when we do my next blood work. Unless I hear back from the dr before then.

Cheers,
Laura

Holly said...

Boni is correct -- get your electrolytes checked. If you want to keep taking the tablets, be sure you always take them with food. A potassium rich diet may be better and there are lots of foods with more potassium than bananas. Check http://www.weightlossforall.com/potassium-rich-food.htm

barbara said...

Regarding new markets ...... I wish we could convince shop owners to purchase our woven items wholesale. Instead, most bring in handwoven from India/Asia etc. Hard to compete with their prices. If only we could convince the general public that "purchasing local" is the way to go. We need steady, year round places to sell our work.

Hopefully, once we get out of the recession things will look up.

Weaverly yours ..... Barbara

P.S. I always wondered if one sent their product to Martha Stewart - perhaps she might think "it was a good thing", and your work could take off that way!!!!!

Laura Fry said...

Stewart or Oprah Winfrey - before she retires. Maybe we should start a grass roots movement???

cheers,
Laura

barbara said...

Martha is more likely to do a show on how the textiles are made, and where they are made; etc. You start out there on the West Coast Laura ........ we will follow through on the East Coast later. How's that for a challenge. Perhaps if you are really, really successful, you will hire some of us to weave warps for you ...... look at the big picture, success across the country. Who says we can't stand united.
Weaverly yours ....... Barbara