The Upside

I figure I better hurry up and write the upside to all of this before too many people feel sorry for me (although, of course, I really appreciate the thoughtfulness).  :)  I just don't want to feel like I pity myself, because I really don't (or at least, try really hard not too).  I'm not sorry that everything happened the way it did.  There are too many really scary what-ifs to wish it had gone any other way.  I have to tell myself that I was meant to pick up that can and that it was better me than any of the other alternatives.

At the hospital was really hard, I missed my daughter who stayed with my sister, and I had a 4 month old son who still needed me.  But the biggest issue was how incredibly uncomfortable I was, my skin was so sensitive, everything I touched was painful.  And the hospital grade blankets were pretty scratchy to say the least, I remember joking with my husband that you'd think they would have softer blankets in the Burn Center of all places.  So when I got home that's what I decided I wanted to do, make blankets for the kids at the hospital.  I think I've been searching for a while to find a way to help others, and here was the perfect opportunity.  I remember seeing a little girl with bandages on both legs trying to walk down the hall with her mother and it broke my heart.  I can't imagine having to watch your child go through the kind of trauma I myself was having a hard time dealing with, not to mention the pain and recovery.

I didn't know how I was going to sew a blanket, so I spent a lot of time stumped on that one, funny quilting never even occurred to me!  For a while now I've wanted to have a website, start my own business or start a blog.  I found Blogger and decided to just take the leap and do it....and what did I find, but tons and tons of AMAZING quilting blogs!  So I've got my answer, I'm learning how to quilt so that I can make blankets for the kids at the Burn Center.  I have been able to collect donations from my family and friends and brought bags and bags of crayons, puzzles, books, coloring books and beads for crafts for the kids, until I can bring in some blankets.  I want to do so much more.  I'm working on my second charity quilt (the first was kind of a practice), and I'm going to try to enter it into the Craft for a Cause Contest with Joanns.  The prize is a gift card to Joanns, and with it I could make a LOT more quilts. :)

So, it's all working out.  There's still a lot I'm dealing with personally, but I've got some great goals to look forward to.  :)

Thanks for all of the wonderful comments and support.  The whole blogging community has been such a wonderful place to find, it has opened up my little world and has provided so much joy and inspiration.