Tuesday, January 10, 2006

So Tell Me

Why is it every winter, just when I’ve got some free time to spend in my studio, I get sick? Explain this to me, please. Am I unconsciously sabotaging myself somehow? I’m still dizzy today but I don’t have any other symptoms. I feel fine other than the fact that I can’t walk straight and the world makes strange dipsy-doodles on me. I can barely navigate the stairs and I’m holding onto the walls everywhere. I had to hold onto T-Man’s arm yesterday when we went for a walk, though it didn’t feel too bad out in the fresh air. Today I’m spending most of my time sitting down because I’m afraid I’m going to fall. It’s not even funny anymore! Next question: how long before I make a doctor’s appointment? I don’t want to bug him unnecessarily and I’ve already discussed this with him at the end of November (though it’s worse this time). Will this go away by itself again soon? Please? At least it gives me a good excuse to spend time on the computer. Gotta see the upside somehow.

The upside is that I can get my email read, my blog posted, and some knitting done. I’ve forced myself to leave off the new pair of socks to go back and finish some old stuff. First under my hand was the Topknot baby hat in purple Lanett (superwash wool) so I’m knitting on that. My tension is crummy but hopefully it will even out in the wash. I’m using one of my 2 sets of casein needles for this, the 3 mm. The other set I got is a 2.75 mm. I originally got them for knitting socks with handspun yarns, hence the particular sizes of dpns I chose. These are kind of strange needles. Casein is a hydrolyzed milk protein that is used in paints and glues and also a dietary supplement. It looks like plastic (my needles are tortoiseshell brown but they also come in pearly colours) and is warm and smooth. I don’t recommend putting the needles in your mouth though because they taste chemical-y (formaldehyde used to harden the casein) but they’re supposedly safe. They were hand-manufactured by Swallow in Australia and seem to be still available there, but the Canadian distributor Elann has very few sizes left and don’t seem to be getting in any more. Maybe they weren’t very popular? I like them but I can’t imagine they come in very small sizes because they would be too flimsy. The ones I have are very flexible. The website recommends keeping the moisture content in the casein steady by not letting them dry out. In my climate that hasn’t been a problem even though I don’t store them in a sealed bag. I do keep them out of the sun though. I haven’t broken any and I’ve had them for years.

Sorry I can’t take pictures today but maybe when the world stops rotating without me. Or I stop rotating faster than the world — whichever applies.

2 comments:

Aleira said...

Hey, is this like the inner-ear problem I had in 2005?

That was yucky!

Hope you're doing ok mom and can still do lunch on Friday!

Darling Daughter

Anonymous said...

I've had a similar problem and it was caused by an inner ear infection which must be treated. The vertigo is very unpleasant and there is a pill called zerc that stops it quite handily and isn't even expensive.

Please see your Dr....
Hugs, Susan