Quilting By Coincidence

Quilting by Coincidence

     I moved into my new apartment at James Court and started trying to get organized now that I actually have a whole room for my quilting/sewing/crafts and another 'bonus' room for my office.  I had been working fairly steady to get everything sorted and into it's new place.  I used the 'bonus' room, off the patio, for my office/library/music/piano room.  Double sliding glass doors provide lots of light and feeling almost outside. 

     I loved MY summer evening sit outs on the patio in my old Amish built glider and my current John Grisham novel.  I had noticed my neighbor (to the west, rarely used her patio (facing  mine) except for an occasional short break outdoors.  She usually sat a while, bent forward, apparently deep in thought, then retreated inside.

     One evening I was reading outside, when she came out and sat in her patio chair.  I kept on reading.  Eventually, she made a comment and I replied, etc.  So a conversation ensued.  She teaches fifth grade at J.C.  She has a four year old, Josie, who is a pretty special kid.  She goes on to relate that at birth Josie was born with two right ureters. 

    A ureter is the tube that drains urine and runs from the kidney to the bladder. 

Normally, there is a right and a left ureter, one from each kidney.

 Above are the right and left kidneys.  The red vessels are arterial (bringing fresh blood from the heart)

and the blue vessels are veins, (taking blood from the kidneys back to the heart.) 

The yellowish vessels are the right and left ureters, draining urine,

produced in the kidneys to the bladder far below.

Above is a diagram of a double ureter, like Josie's.

     This conversation is definitely moving on.  I relate my first husband had a kidney removed due to a congenital vascular defect and that I've worked as a nurse for 45 years.  From me questions about Josie.  Answers from Kristen.  She was diagnosed at two weeks old, has already had three major surgeries to correct the double ureter.  I'm curious if all this happening at Children's Hospital in St. Louis, and she says, No, actually it's at Mercy.  Interesting, my first husband worked there, known then  as St. John's Mercy.  So she's telling me the pediatric surgeon who specializes in urology is the son of our local SI urologist, Dr. Palagiri.  Next, we're deep into my story about Gary and how Dr. Palagiri (Sr) 's son, Dr. Palagiri (Jr) was working as a resident at St. Louis University Hospital.  Gary's bladder tumor was so rare, he was the first case of Sr. Dr. Palagiri's whole career.  So Sr Dr. Palagiri was telling Jr. Dr. Palagiri about Gary.  He actually knew a professor of Oncology at St. Louis University who had treated a couple of patients with Gary's condition.  So, Sr. Dr. Palagiri (Sr) referred Gary to Dr. Visconti and once while we were at SLU, we actually met Jr. Dr. Palagiri.  Then she says that Jr. Dr. Palagiri has developed new surgical procedures for several pediatric urology abnormalities and a whole wing for kids is named for him at Mercy Hospital.  She says Josie has done so well and has a stent in place.  The extra ureter is gone.  She's due her final procedure in a couple of weeks to remove the stent and have normal kidney drainage.  I'm definitely impressed. 

     After a bit more, Kristen shares that she is really upset.  The first year of Josie's life was very special.  She kept every garment that Josie wore from her first day alive in the newborn nursery.  She had made a deal with a quilter (Ouch, did you hear that word ?  She's upset with a 'quilter' ? ) to take these tiny garments and turn them into a quilt.  (Mercy, Lord help me, here.)  But she cut them up in pieces and generally messed them up and couldn't figure out how to fix a quilt and called Kristen to come back and get them. 

      The disappointment was clear in her eyes and her expression.  I ventured that I wasn't quite sure how she could possibly have messed them up beyond use.  She expressed again her disappointment and just couldn't decide what to do, but had kept them all. 

       Now I hold my breath and dive in.  I tell her that I have done some quilting, no promises, but I maybe could take a look at what she had................. This young woman, who by now had come across the grass and was seated in my swing, shot straight up in the air, "I'll be back in a minute," she flung over her shoulder and disappeared in her back door.

       She soon reappeared carrying a plastic bag full of tiny garments.  "Maybe we should go into the office here to look at them?"  So now we're inside.  If she likes, I tell her, I can show her on my computer, some pics of my work.  She liked this idea and hunkered down for a look.  When we got to Dakota's quilt, actually appliqued and pieced and created from coloring book pages, she jumped up again and took off.  I waited, and she appeared again.  This time she has a very precious four year old Josie on her hip.  We get introduced.  We look at quilt pictures and Josie is intriqued with Dakota and his quilt pictures, especially the one where he's just sitting in the middle of it.

     I think we both know at this point that it's a done deal.  We go through all the garments.  Josie enjoys this herself.  Every one is tagged with a yellow sticky as to the occasion, first day in the nursery onesie, outfit she wore home from hospital, first Christmas, first Easter, first Father's Day etc and on through a whole year including Halloween. 

Oh yeah!  It's a done deal!

     I have a new quilt project.  I have the quilting room all organized and RTG (ready to go !!).  Kristen and Josie have moved but we have phone numbers.  I'm gonna try to get it done by Christmas. 

Wow, what a coincidence!

This blog's not done yet. 

                                                                         Stay tuned. 

                                                                                                                          There's more to come.

JOSIE'S GONNA GET A NEW QUILT !

Copyright  2012  Doris Grant Frey