Well, my Christmas orders have been sewn up & sent off to their new owners...here is a just a glimpse of some of the goodies I whipped up.
One of my New Years Resolutions for 2010 is to make a series of Lyme Art Quilts. I hope to help spread awareness & support the Lyme Disease Bills. My dad was infected with Lyme disease 2 years ago while on a fishing trip to Mammoth, CA. Like most people with Lyme, his Dr. dismissed his concerns (my dad told the Dr. he was bit several times & thought he had West Nile or something), didn't test him for Lyme, and was later misdiagnosed with ALS. My dad had a PICC line put in & was receiving IV Rocephin, until his insurance company pulled his meds, despite seeing marked improvement with the antibiotics.
The more I researched Lyme, the more I found! I started joining the yahoo groups and was blown away at the number of people who had the same sad story as my dad. I watched the IDSA hearings & participated in the twitter "lymewatch." The next day my dad told me that his antibiotics were cut by his insurance! I was burning with passion to get involved and make a positive change. Then I started reaching out to other Lymies on Facebook. I watched "Under Our Skin"...bonus footage and all. I am compelled to DO something!
me & my dad, Easter 2009
The suffering that a Lyme patient goes through is incredibly painful & consuming. I see how my dad struggles to rise from a chair & walk just a few feet. He can no longer work, help around the house or care for his beloved dog, Bo. Lyme disease has totally rocked our world. He now has Life Alert, so he can get the help he needs when he falls & is alone. He had a stair lift installed, so he can make it upstairs to his room safely. He winces in pain with each step he takes. He spends hundreds & thousands of dollars on supplements, medications & treatments intended to improve his health.
This has compelled me to start Project Lyme Art Quilt, a series of collaged pictures that are sewn & quilted together from Lyme patients around the world.
Please include your contact information, in case I have any questions about your photos.
***You can UPLOAD YOUR PICTURES HERE: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1330619@N23/
***Add me on Facebook & post your pics to my wall...pics will be added to the Lyme Art Quilt album.
***Mail me your pictures & small Lyme-related objects which can be sewn onto the quilt as well. (Think the size of a pill bottle—not the size of a wheelchair or walker!)
Items can be sent to:
Nani Luculescu
P.O. Box 2404
Cypress, CA 90630
My intention is to create impact pieces that will bring more attention & awareness to Lyme disease. I've found some common themes among the Lyme stories I hear about & want to bring them out into the open...this is a partial list & work-in-progress. Some of the themes I am planning are:
1. Faces of Lyme - I'll use the faces of real Lyme sufferers & stitch them all together
2. Cost of Lyme - pics of medicine, syringes, supplements, etc.
3. Lyme Dreams - prayers, dreams, hopes for a life after Lyme
4. Awareness & Prevention
5. Misdiagnosis
6. Poor testing
7. IDSA conflict
and so many more!!!!
1. Faces of Lyme - I'll use the faces of real Lyme sufferers & stitch them all together
2. Cost of Lyme - pics of medicine, syringes, supplements, etc.
3. Lyme Dreams - prayers, dreams, hopes for a life after Lyme
4. Awareness & Prevention
5. Misdiagnosis
6. Poor testing
7. IDSA conflict
and so many more!!!!
If you'd like to make a donation to help with the cost of making the Lyme Art Quilt series, you can do so here. Thanks so much...every little bit helps!
Please check out my writeup on the CALDA website blog: "Touched By Lyme".
Your dad is so lucky to have a daughter like you, my family has nothing to do with me and I with them. it is horrible enough when you have to go through having lyme disease at late stage along with co-infections. My husband is my caretaker and we are getting help, still battling after 12+ years. You bring me almost to tears. Such a big heart. You go girl:) Dee<3
ReplyDeleteOh Dee, thanks for the sweet comment. I don't know how anyone could turn their back on their family knowing what this disease is capable of. I think most people just don't realize how devastating it is.
ReplyDeleteMy dad was using a cane to walk in this picture but is now wheelchair bound...it just breaks my heart to see him this way. He is my hero & has the biggest heart of anyone I know. I just hope I can help others to prevent being in the same situation as he and so many others are in.