Two weeks later, the headache continued and Earl suddenly had half of his face become paralyzed.  We quickly tracked down that correct phone number for the neurologist and got in to see him right away.  The doctor ordered various MRI scans and said he would see Earl again on Monday (this was Thursday.)  After the scans, the nurse said that we were to return to the office the following day (Friday) instead.  This should have been a huge red flag, I suppose.

The next morning, we sat in shock as the neurologist explained that Earl had bilateral dissections of the internal carotid artery.  In plain English, the main artery going into the brain on both sides had dissected - the lining had literally peeled away from the artery walls - and a blood clot could be thrown to his brain at any moment, killing him instantly.  It was explained that dissections typically occur from trauma - a car accident, etc.  To have it happen spontaneously - and on BOTH sides - was almost unheard of.  The doctor referred to Earl as a “unicorn.”  He was about to be come even more of a rare case.

We were sent back to the hospital for another scan, this time a CT of some type with contrast.  This confirmed the carotid artery dissections, but also showed that he had bilateral dissections of both vertebral arteries!  Four very important arteries, at the very base of his brain, could clot at any moment.  Inoperable.  He was a ticking time bomb, and his high blood pressure was not helping the matter.

We were almost home,when we received a call telling Earl to immediately return to the hospital because he was being admitted.

Saturday we were supposed to have a booth at the Pendleton Fall Festival.  NOT HAPPENING.

Earl was in the hospital for a week, to stabilize him on blood thinners (to reduce the risk of clotting.)  The day after he was discharged, we had to travel to Winston-Salem to Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital to meet with vascular specialists there.  Fortunately, the Bells Palsy went away in a matter of weeks.

His activity is very limited now - the doctors have said no lifting of anything over 5 pounds and no stressful activities at all (due to his blood pressure, which is not controlled by medications.)  He’s been told he can no longer work and that they essentially want him sitting with his feet up, trying to remain calm.

They still have not discovered the cause of his dissections.  From the research we’ve done, there could be a genetic component, but no one really knows.  He’s still a regular at Wake Forest and will be for the foreseeable future…

I’m happy to annouce that the shopping cart on the site is finally LIVE!  Sorry for the delay in getting it set up…  Between homeschooling Alyssa and sudden health issues with Earl, it has been a busy few months and although I’ve been making product, the website fell to the bottom of the list.  The cart is operated through PayPal, but you do not have to have a PayPal account to place an order.

One new addition to the site is the ability to purchase gift certificates!  Perfect for the holidays (although anytime is a good time for soap!), this may be just the ticket for last minute gifts.

Sign up for the Southern Sundries blog and post a reply to this message to be entered to win a scented candle (fragrance of your choosing!)

Thanks for reading

Christy

P.S.
A variety of our products are now available at The Quilt Shop in Anderson, South Carolina.  If you live in the area, please drop in and let me know what you think!

Coconut Lime Verbena, Macaroon, Warm Vanilla Sugar, Tea Rose

I haven’t lit them yet, but judging from how they smell cold… YUM YUM YUM!

These will be available for purchase in 3 weeks.

Christy

This formula has the same ingredients as my previous mocha lip balm that came in a pot, but has been firmed up for use in twist-up tubes (as a result of the poll I posted previously.)  It leaves a light gloss to your lips and will be available in the following flavors: watermelon, strawberry, honey, peach, coffee, lavender, mint, and unflavored.

It’s almost time for the Lincolnton Farmers Market to start for 2009!  This means I’m going to be making lots of soap over the coming weeks, as well as salves and lipbalms.  I plan to work on redoing photos for the site soon and will post pictures of items as I make progress.  I have some wonderful lipbalm flavors to test out - including a honey one that is to die for.  Seriously.  I want to drink the bottle!

Spring has sprung here in Lincolnton and I’m trying to get a new vegetable garden established.  I’m going to plant some calendula and lavender, as well as other herbs that I use in salves and soaps (and herbs I just plain like or like to EAT!)  I have two new apple trees in the ground, three blueberry bushes waiting to go in, and two red raspberries as well.  Wild blackberries are taking over my backyard, too!  With the economic downturn, I’m trying to plant items that provide food, not just landscaping.

If you haven’t already, please take a moment to subscribe to the new blog.  This will allow you to receive notifications when updates are posted, so you’ll be in the “know” when products become available.

Thanks for stopping by!

Christy

So!  Here’s what I have coming next week sometime…

Tonic -  A very appealing spa-ish scent.   Astringent, fresh and green with a sweet floral heart of geranium and rosemary.  Like the Clarins brand.  Unisex.

Malabar Peppercorn - A pungent, exotic blend with notes of Black Pepper, Elemi, Nutmeg, Ginger, Juniper Berries, Clary Sage, Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang, Cypress and Musk.  Masculine fragrance.

Mayan Gold - Exotic, sweet as honey, warm as the sun, this mesmerizing fragrance has a blend of spices, woods and fruits.  Unisex.

Blue Sugar - A masculine scent blending toasted caramelized sugar, woodsy Cedar, warm Tonka Bean, Patchouli, Licorice, French Lavender, Heliotrope, Coriander, Italian Bergamot, Mandarin, Star Anise and Fresh Ginger.

Zen Tea - A fragrance with notes of honey, sweet fresh tea, a little bit of floral, citrus and light woody notes. (I’ve made this before and sold out!  So now it’ll be coming back!!) 

The other four batches are cut and curing and I hope to make a few more batches this week to share with you!

Soon to be sniffing bottles of fragrances,
Christy

I currently have four batches in molds!

These first two are ready to cut this evening.  They are Satsuma Guava (pink) and Coconut Lime Verbena (green).  They’re a little rough around the edges, but will be lovely once cut and trimmed.

Next up, Lavender (purple) and Southern Iced Tea (brown).  The lavender has ground up lavender buds in it and the southern iced tea really DOES smell like iced tea!  It’ll be interesting to see how it smells as it cures.  These will be ready to cut tomorrow sometime.

I’m going to try to get two more batches made tonight or tomorrow morning.

YAY for soap!!

Christy