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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

PLENTY OF PRINTS

Created an Etsy Treasury called Plenty of Prints using the printed work (printed artwork, fabric and other mediums) to showcase the FAB work of the artists of the SF Etsy Team. Hope you enjoy viewing the great work!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Quiet time on my blog in the past 3 weeks

My time has been spent in the hospital at U.C.S.F. for the past three weeks. Despite my being overwhelmed with treatment schedules and various other medical events, I have managed to continue making  jewelry to keep my hands busy and my mind creative. I miss painting and creating 3-D items for the home but I know that this is just not realistic when living in a hospital room. The jewelry does make me happy and somewhat satisfied and even more so when someone buys on my Etsy Store http://www.etsy.com/shop/estudiomartita?page=1.

This last chemo series is the final long term treatment I will be receiving where I will be staying over 3 weeks at U.C. What a relief. My final chemo series consist of 4, one week stays. After that I will be out of the hospital and taking oral meds. I'm not sure how long this lasts.

This last series has left me very, very tired. I feel very weak and know that my recovery time will take more than a few days. I'm at home now and happy to be here.Doctors at the hospital told me I would have to return in one week for my first of the one week series. It seems so soon to me but I guess I'll have to deal with it.

Did I say I'm very, very tired? I guess I did. I miss my studio and doing my artwork. Time I believe is on my side. I look forward to finishing my hospital stays. I look forward to being in the studio again.

My New Orleans friends Csaba and David have offered their vacation apartment(s) for free whenever I can come to see them. I'm hoping I can do this in the Fall. I so miss New Orleans. I love that town and manage to think about it every day. In my life there has never been a city that has effected me so strongly as New Orleans. I am in love with the city. As I've said so many times before, I hope to have a second home there. From my first visit there in 1988, I fell in love with it then and my love affair has never wavered.

I am hanging on here. The hospital staff at U.C. has been great. I am in great hands. I do however want my life back. I am remaining strong. This last series of chemo was the most difficult with the most side effects. On top of that, I caught a virus, a stomach flu, at the hospital which made my condition even weaker. It was pretty terrible. I was able to weather the chemo plus flu somehow and managed to be discharged at least a week early. I refuse to give in to the hardships I face.

So that is life as I know it on May 25th, 2011. I am in recovery mode and will recover soon.

I will be back, strong and in good health. This I know.

hugs,
Martha

p.s. If you'd like to see some of my jewelry from the month of May, please view here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2073398036570.2127314.1293498494


http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2016336370064.2124793.1293498494

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Its May, already??

Spent two weeks home from the hospital and managed to thoroughly enjoy myself. Between Easter Egg Hunts, visiting with friends and family, I had myself a good time. I also managed to make some new jewelry for my Etsy site plus connected with a store, Green Zebra, at the Crocker Galleria here in San Francisco. They now have some of my jewelry on consignment. Ya-HOO!!!

Tomorrow, I go back to the hospital for my final long term chemo treatment. After this visit, I have four short term visits lasting one week each. I'm feeling the same anxiety I usually experience the day before or the day of my hospital return. I'm nervous about getting the meds. This chemo therapy is the most powerful of all (I already went through this once) and has the most side effects. I suppose I'm better prepared for it this time. Whether I develop side effects this time will remain to be seen. I am preparing myself for whatever I'm faced with.

On a happier note, my sister Diane, brother-in-law J.D. and mom Helen came up last week to visit. Hubby Gary, myself and daughter Gaby took them to The Ramp at the end of Mariposa. The restaurant is built on an old pier. It overlooks a shipyard where you can see any large ship in need of upkeep being worked on. There are also some great views of the East Bay. We had a great lunch then lounged around in the sun enjoying the views and talking and laughing. A great time!



me and my mom Helen at the Ramp


and a picture of the Rodriguez / Fusco's: sister Diane, mom Helen, daughter Gaby and me 



Happy May 1st, May Day, International Worker's Day, happy festival of Beltane, Walpurgis Night.and.....