Well, apparently, I knit faster when I’m anxious. I finished 10 rows in the newer, bigger, circular-needle version of the Beehive Hat while I was waiting for my cardiologist to show up in my chilly little examination room and explain the results of all my previous technology-infested tests. All I could think about was: My dad died of a heart attack at age 44. Now *I’m* age 44. Two of his brothers died of heart attacks. His surviving brother has had quadruple bypass surgery. My *mom* has had a heart attack, QUINTUPLE bypass surgery, and a femoral artery replacement. The circulatory systems are not great in my family.
The various docs scared the beejabbers out of me at an earlier appointment by telling me that I had a “prolonged Q-T interval” in one EKG they did. Then I read the very sad news that my employer’s daughter died earlier this month from Long Q-T Syndrome. Eh, say what? I don’t mean to take away from their grief or my sympathy from them, but part of me is shrieking, “IS THAT WHAT I HAVE?!!”
The good news for me personally is that … after an anxious testing period … I am okay. I don’t have that syndrome. I don’t even have a particularly long Q-T interval (the time between the Q and T squiggles on my EKG); it was a difference between the settings on my ENT’s machines and my cardiologist’s machines that indicated there might be an issue. There isn’t. I just have to come back in a year for another checkup, given my family’s history of cardiovascular disease.
Oh, and lose weight. But he didn’t really have to say that — I already knew it!
Hey, some good news, though: On the Recent Sinus Surgery Diet (in which nothing tastes good and all you want to do is sleep), I’ve lost 7 pounds in two weeks. Hmm. Now that’s $13,000 for the surgery and $6,700 for the doctor’s fee (thank God for insurance) … if I keep trimming on the old schnozz, I’ll only need to fork over another $391,186.31 for the complete weight loss package.
That, or *shudder* diet and exercise.
Hmm. I think I’ll think about knitting instead. Variations I’ve introduced into the Beehive Hat include:
- Using circular needles
- Casting on 96 stitches for the entire hat instead of 36 stitches for each of two sides that are seamed together for a total of 72. (I tried 112 stitches but could quickly tell that was going to be a Papa Bear hat that would be waaaaaay too large. So I pulled it off the needles, popped it onto my head and determined how much to trim, and continued frogging until I had a nice neat ball of yarn again. And off I went.)
- Making the 1×1 ribbed bottom edge 20 rows deep instead of 10 rows,so it can be worn folded up more easily.
We’ll see how it goes!
I’ve also finished the bee for the comically small version of the Beehive Hat and have attached it. Now if I can just get my older daughter to e-mail the photos I took to me. (My USB port is broken and hers isn’t.) Hint, hint, eldest daughter.
Technorati Tags: Beehive Hat, heart disease, prolonged Q-T interval, sinus surgery weight loss, knitblog, LoopyKnits.com, Carolyn Bahm
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