Pursuit with Purpose

[sc name=”Affiliate Disclaimer”]

In this blog post I will be answering 4 questions that talk about Pursuit With Purpose. I was listening to a podcast and what the speaker was saying really made me think about why I started my business and what I was trying to achieve through my website Jo’s Crafty Hook. The purpose of my website is to give other Scoliosis Survivors hope as they cope by doing Crochet. In pursuit of my purpose I want to share what Scoliosis is and the effects it has on Survivors. Also in pursuit of my purpose I want to share ways for us to cope through Crochet.
The podcast I was listening to was by Melyssa Griffin. It was the very first podcast in her “Pursuit with Purpose” series on iTunes.   

I met Melyssa when I enrolled in her course called Pinfinite Growth where she teaches how to get more out of Pinterest when growing your business.  Melyssa teaches entrepreneurs and bloggers how to grow their audience and skyrocket their income.   Melyssa is celebrating the 1 year anniversary of her “Pursuit With Purpose” podcast series.  By celebrating the anniversary she asks us to listen to the very first podcast called “My Story and How I’m Infusing My Life and Business With More Purpose.”  In the podcast Melyssa has us asking ourselves 4 questions.  These questions are to help us focus on our goals.  She wants us to really think about what that purpose might be for us and how to bring it into our life and business.   You can swing by iTunes and listen to this for yourselves or listen to it right now to see why I am sharing this post or to help you focus on your purpose.  You can also find out more about Melyssa at and her podcast series here.

Now we come to the purpose of this post, to answer her 4 questions and to give you a little bit more insight into why I share my story with Scoliosis and my love of Crochet.

The first question Melyssa asks is:  “What fired you up in life, what was super fun for you?”  The things that fired me up in life was my family and experiencing the things we did together is what made it super fun for me.  When I was growing up it was just me, my sister, and our mom.  My parents divorced when I was 3 years old, so I didn’t have a “normal” family upbringing.  Because of this I always told myself I would have a “normal” family setting when I had children.  That is exactly what I did.  I married at 19 and had 2 children by age of 22.  The super fun part was keeping my children busy doing things they enjoyed and living their experiences through their eyes.  My husband and children were what fired me up and still are!  My kids are now 26 and 23 and even though they are grown they are still my main focus in life along with my hubby.

The second question was “How would someone in your life describe you now?”  They would say I have slowed down and I don’t get out much.  That I spend all my time crocheting, which in my eyes is NOT a bad thing.  lol  They would say I do for my children and husband when needed and asked.   They would also say I am in pain all the time and try to take care of things when I can.  The people in my life have seen what my disease, Scoliosis has done to my life.  They experienced all the pain and suffering right along with me.  They have even experienced the achievements I have made during my struggles with Scoliosis.

The third questions was “Why do you feel like you were born?”  I have asked myself this questions so times throughout my life.  About 18 years ago I finally figured out why I was born, it was to share my experiences with Scoliosis.  It was to let others know that even though we get knocked down in life, we do get back up.  When I ask myself this question now it is the same thing but there is another reason I feel I was born and that was to share my LOVE of Crochet.  People still ask me “What does Scoliosis and Crochet have to do with each other?”  Now I can tell them exactly what they have to do with each other in my life.  Scoliosis and Crochet can offer hope and a way to cope.  I want to give Scoliosis or Chronic Pain sufferers hope.  I want to tell them how Crocheting for me is such a HUGE part of my life, not in just creating things with my hands but in having a coping mechanism to help me get through some of my worst days.  I want to share my trials and triumphs.  I want to give them a way they can use Crochet to cope!

The last question has me really thinking about where I am at with my purpose.   Melyssa has us asking ourselves “In your current life are you not living in alignment with your purpose?”  ” Where are you living?” ” What needs to shift?”  “How can you bring more of that into your life today?”  These questions really got me thinking about what I am trying to accomplish with this blog and sharing my love of Crochet.  I have to say these questions really get you thinking.  I am just starting out as a blogger.  I have barely begun reaching for my purpose.  I know that in order to get where I need to be I have to spend more time learning and that I have a long way to go to bring more into my life today.  I need to learn more about blogging for one.  lol  I need to do more research every day on Scoliosis so I can supply my audience with the right information about it.  I need to learn how to draw in more people so they can learn about me, my projects, and my life with Scoliosis.  Lastly,  I need to learn how to keep myself happy so when I share a story people become informed and that they want to come back for more.  I have along way to go but in sharing this story with you today is a step in the right direction!

I hope you take the time and listen to Melyssa’s podcast because later in the podcast she gives us some pointers on how we can reach our purpose and implement them in our life or business.   The information she shares can help you to become who you want to be.  We all want to become a better person, we still have goals in our lives no matter where we are at in life.  Please take the time and stop by Melyssa’s website or subscribe to her “Pursuit with Purpose” podcast series.  Her podcasts have already helped me to focus on my purpose!  She can also be reached on Instagram at @melyssa_griffin.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post.  If you have any comments or questions, I would LOVE to hear from you!  You can post your comments below or email me directly at jo@joscraftyhook.com.

[wpforms id=”1309″ title=”true”]

If you would like to have my posts sent right to your inbox please fill out the form below.  I look forward to hearing from you!

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ title=”1″]

Scoliosis and Crochet

[sc name=”Affiliate Disclaimer”]

 

Some of you who have visited my website might be asking “What does Scoliosis and Crochet have to do with each other?”  “Why are you selling Handmade Crocheted Creations and writing about Scoliosis?”  Well if you are asking these questions or ones similar this is why, I am a 45 year old woman, married with 2 adult children, I have been Crocheting for over 25 years, and I have Scoliosis.

If you have read my previous posts, then you know my life with this disease, yes Scoliosis is a disease, has not been a pleasant one.  I have undergone 5 surgeries on my back and I suffer from chronic pain.  I just seen a Spine Specialist who says I have Severe Scoliosis and I need to see another specialist who deals in such deformities.  I can’t say I’m surprised by his diagnoses.  I was 13 years old when they found my Scoliosis.  I know I have a deformity because it causes me grief daily and I have to look for ways to distract myself from the chronic pain.  That’s where Crochet comes in.

Crocheting for me is my life line.  It has been something I have enjoyed doing for over 20 years.  I was taught by my Gran and my Mom when my kids were in school and I needed something to do to fill the time.  Crocheting did not start out as my lifeline, it was just something I enjoyed doing while I had free time.  In 2000 I went through a really rough time.  I had my second back surgery and I was struggling every day with pain.  I felt like I was fighting for my life.  I had 2 young children to take care of, I had a husband that needed me, I had other family that I used to see once a week, and I had a job in the church.  I desperately wanted to get back to all of them.

During the last months of 2000 I was bedridden.  I couldn’t walk let alone move without serious pain in my back and shotting down my legs.  I didn’t know it at the time, but the surgery and the instruments installed during the surgery were causing damage to my spine and nerves.  So I had to find something to do to get my mind off of all of these issues!  This is where Crocheting started to become my lifeline.  It was where I learned to endure my struggles; where I learned to cope with the pain; where I learned that I could survive the challenges I was facing in my life.

Now, 18 years after that horrible surgery and the consequences of it I have turned what I love to do into a business.  The business is a way for me to use my suffering.  I have found a way to turn it into an opportunity, to share all of the lovely things I have made into something that could benefit me.  I did this by opening an online shop at Etsy called Jo’s Crafty Hook.  Over the last 3 years I have Crocheted enough items to stock the shelves of my shop.  I have turned pain into pleasure for others.  My customers get the finished product of my coping with my disease, something beautiful or beneficial.

I have used my lifeline many times over the years.  I underwent 3 more surgeries and thousands of procedures on my back.  I am still battling my disease today.  I am facing the possibility of not being able to walk; of having to undergo yet another surgery; of not being able to interact with my kids and husband.

But I use my lifeline everyday. I carve out time to crochet every day.  I have learned that I can be productive, that I can make others happy, that I can share my experiences by letting others know there is a way to survive Scoliosis.  I want others to know there are ways for them to endure and cope no matter what struggles they face.

So I hope I have answered your question on what Crocheting and Scoliosis have to do with each other.  Crocheting not only helps you make beautiful creations, but it helps you overcome and cope with the struggles you face every day no matter what they are.  Crocheting for me is not only something I enjoy doing but it is a way for me to use my struggles to make others happy when they purchase my products.

Feel free to check out some of the Handmade Crocheted Creations I have made and listed at my Etsy Shop by clicking on the page from my website.  You can also check out my shop here.  You can also find out more about Scoliosis and my survival with it by clicking on the Scoliosis Awareness Page at the top of my website.  As I tell my customers “be sure to pop back every once in a while to see what my Crafty Hook has created next!”

I would love to hear from you.  If you have a story or want to share information about Scoliosis I welcome your feedback!  Just fill out the form below and I will get right back to you!

[wpforms id=”1309″ title=”true”]

If you would like to receive my posts sent right to your inbox, please fill out the Opt-In form below.  Thank you!

[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″ title=”1″]

Signs and Symptoms of Scoliosis

[sc name=”Affiliate Disclaimer”]

 

Signs and symptoms of Scoliosis may include:

  • Uneven shoulders
  • One shoulder blade that appears more prominent than the other
  • Uneven waist
  • One hip higher than the other

If a scoliosis curve gets worse, the spine will also rotate or twist, in addition to curving side to side. This causes the ribs on one side of the body to stick out farther than on the other side.

Causes

Doctors don’t know what causes the most common type of scoliosis — although it appears to involve hereditary factors, because the disorder tends to run in families. Less common types of scoliosis may be caused by:

  • Neuromuscular conditions, such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy
  • Birth defects affecting the development of the bones of the spine
  • Injuries to or infections of the spine

Risk factors for developing the most common type of scoliosis include:

  • Age. Signs and symptoms typically begin during the growth spurt that occurs just prior to puberty.
  • Sex. Although both boys and girls develop mild scoliosis at about the same rate, girls have a much higher risk of the curve worsening and requiring treatment.
  • Family history. Scoliosis can run in families, but most children with scoliosis don’t have a family history of the disease.

Complications

While most people with scoliosis have a mild form of the disorder, scoliosis may sometimes cause complications, including:

  • Lung and heart damage. In severe scoliosis, the rib cage may press against the lungs and heart, making it more difficult to breathe and harder for the heart to pump.
  • Back problems. Adults who had scoliosis as children are more likely to have chronic back pain than are people in the general population.
  • Appearance. As scoliosis worsens, it can cause more noticeable changes — including unlevel shoulders, prominent ribs, uneven hips, and a shift of the waist and trunk to the side. Individuals with scoliosis often become self-conscious about their appearance
  • Mayo Clinic

 

The reason I am telling you my story is that not everyone hears about Scoliosis.  If they do it is because their children had to have a screening or someone you know has Scoliosis.  I am just one person who has suffered through some horrible things because of this disease.  Yes it IS a disease, it changes a person’s outlook on life and they undergo some major trials as they become a “Scoliosis Survivor.”  Every day for me with Scoliosis is a challenge.  Not everyone has gone through the things I have and not everyone diagnosed with Scoliosis will.  I am just 1 out of the 7 million people affected with the disease.

I am a Scoliosis Survivor because even though I am in Chronic Pain I still get up every day and endure!  I endure Chronic Pain every day. I endure my body’s ever changing shape. I endure walking slowly or not at all.  I endure my clothes not fitting right. I endure living every day of my life with not knowing what my tomorrow may be like.  “Will I fall again? Will I be able to make it to the bathroom without pain? Will I be able to crochet anything today? Will I be able to feed myself today?”  These are just some of the questions that constantly go through my mind while I survive Scoliosis.

If you are a Scoliosis Survivor, I would LOVE to hear your story, so please feel free to share it with me by filling out the Comments section below.  If you don’t want your story shared on my post, you can email it to me and I will be happy to read your journey with Scoliosis.  You can email me at jo@joscraftyhook.com.  I look forward to hearing from you!

[wpforms id=”644″]

 

More About Scoliosis

[sc name=”Affiliate Disclaimer”]

In last weeks post I gave you some basic information on Scoliosis.  Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a person’s spine has a sideways curve. Scoliosis is something I feel strongly about because I have Degenerative Lumbar Scoliosis.  This means I have a ‘C’ curvature in the lumbar region (lower area) of my spine and it is causing my spine to deteriorate.  The deterioration is causing my discs to wear out and is causing the bones of my spine to rub together.  All of these things cause pain.  I have been suffering with Chronic Pain for over 25 years.

I also said last week that I would add to ‘My Story’, the telling of my tale with Scoliosis.  If you didn’t get a chance to read it that’s alright, you can go to my post here and read it when you have time.

My Story Continues …….

Not long after the birth of my son I was in a car accident in the winter and hit a patch of ice on a bridge; slammed into a concrete divider;  was hit in the rear end of my car by a dump truck;  was then thrown across 2 lanes of traffic and came to rest with my front end stopped by the rail of the bridge facing oncoming traffic. While driving I was not wearing my seat belt, so I was thrown around the car pretty good.  My head hit the windshield; I was thrown to the right and broke the gear shift beside my seat; and hit the driver’s side door before the car came to rest.  I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and released a couple of hours later.  I had a cut over my left eye; I was banged up and bruised; and I hurt all over, but other than that I was fine or so I thought.

Not long after my car accident I was seeing doctors because I was in so much pain; going to physical therapy; getting shots for pain; and doing everything I could to get back to my normal self, but it wasn’t working.  I finally ended up going to an Orthopedic Surgeon who specialized in Scoliosis.  After months of pain with no relief the surgeon suggested surgery.  He told me he could operate and give me a 90% chance of never having pain again or face problems from my Scoliosis.  After many sleepless nights and debates with my husband and family members I decided to have the surgery.  I mean who wouldn’t jump at the 90% chance of no more pain and problems from their Scoliosis??

I had the surgery in October of 1992, I was 19 years old.  I had a Spinal Fusion and a partial correction of my Scoliosis.  During the Spinal Fusion they scraped bone off of my rear left hip, ground it up and attached it to the weak spot my spine where the worst part of the curve was.  During this procedure they straightened out part of the deformity of my spine.  Once the surgery was done I spent 5 days in the hospital for recovery aqnd complications.  I even spent my 20th birthday there.  Finally they sent me home in a back brace with an attachment that went around my left leg because my left hip was weakened from the scraping off of bone.

Needless to say the upcoming weeks and months were difficult and pain filled.  I had never experienced this type of pain before.  I was weak.  I was a young mother and a new wife.  I had to rely on my husband to bathe me and take care of me.  My cousin and in-laws were helping us take care of our son.  There were so many challenges ahead of me that I didn’t even think about or plan through.  After many months and struggles, I did get through the challenges.  We got through the challenges.  It wasn’t just me that was affected by having surgery, it was everyone I was close to that went through the battles and struggles of my Scoliosis with me.

By January of 1994 my braces were off.  I was getting my life back on track.  I had went back to work, I was able to take care of my son, I was learning more and more about being a wife and raising a family.  I found out at the end of 1993 I was pregnant again.  Things were looking good!  I was feeling great!  But things didn’t stay that way.  In the late winter I was getting out of our car in our driveway and I slipped and fell on the ice.  Weeks later I found out that I broke the Spinal Fusion, the bone that was attached to my spine during surgery had broken loose from my spine.  The worst part?  How could breaking bone not be the worst part you ask?  The worst part was there was nothing they could do, I was pregnant.

Being pregnant meant that I couldn’t have surgery to fix the broken bone.  Being pregnant meant many more days and weeks of pain because if anyone knows during pregnancy a women’s hips and sacroiliac joints constantly shift as our body undergo changes.  The shifting of the hips and joints can cause pain during a normal pregnancy and I was anything but normal.  I faced months of pain, bed rest, not being able to interact with my husband and son, and many other problems.  At the end of my pregnancy I even faced problems with the birth of my daughter.

Well I think this is a good place to stop, writing about my Scoliosis is a struggle even now, 23 years after the birth of my daughter.  I thought my writing about my life would go another way, but as all of us know it doesn’t always come out the way we planned.

So!  Stay tuned!  I promise I will finish ‘My Story’!  Awe you say?  I will be writing more, I just want to keep you coming back again and again! lol

Seriously, I will be adding more to ‘My Story’ and I will be sharing more information about Scoliosis.  Please stay tuned!

If you would like further reading on Scoliosis check out the book below


 

Summer Shorts Collection

[sc name=”Affiliate Disclaimer”]

Summer is just around the corner!  It will be a time for sun, fun, and being on the run!  With these things comes swimming, sunbathing, gardening, and maybe keeping yourself from going crazy because the kids are out of school!  If you are like me, a crocheter, than Summer is a BAD word!  It means you can’t crochet or you can’t crochet those bigger projects because its too HOT and the yarn just doesn’t glide through your fingers due to sweat.  I know I was freaking out a couple of weeks ago when it was SO hot here in Ohio!  I was working on a long sweater vest I am designing and the material was just too much!  It was sticking on my fingers, the material was like a blanket across my lap, and I just wasn’t making any progress!  I was walking around the house asking myself “what am I going to do if I CAN’T crochet?!” over and over again!  My husband finally said “crochet with the thread!”  I guess he was getting a little worried about my sanity! lol  Once he said those words I was like DUH!  I told myself “You can work on some of the patterns you have stock piled that call for the thread and the fingering yarn.”  So I broke out my Aunt Lydia’s Crochet Thread and my Fingering Yarn and started making the 3D flowers that are all the rave on YouTube.

If you know anything about Ohio you know that one day it can be 90 degrees and the next 65 degrees.  I took advantage of those cooler days and crocheted up some Summer Shorts.  I absolutely love to take advantage of the FREE Crochet Patterns you can find on Pinterest!  All of the patterns listed in this post were FREE!  The shorts don’t call for much yarn and some of them you can use 100% cotton in place of acrylic yarn.  Using about 1 skein of the acrylic yarn I was able to make a pair of shorts or 2 depending on the size.  Below you will see the different types of shorts I made using the acrylic yarn.

The shorts above were made following along with a video on YouTube. They use the granny square method of crocheting, but the designer uses 8 corners instead of 4.  The designer uses crochet thread #4 with a 3.5 mm crochet hook,  but I used 4 ply worsted weight acrylic yarn with a 5.5 mm crochet hook.  Professora Simone Eleotério is the creator of this pattern, even though the she was speaking Portuguese, I was able to follow along by watching her as she crochets the shorts.  If you would like to make these shorts yourself you can do so by entering this title into YouTube’s search engine Shorts de Crochê | Iniciantes |6 à 12 anos | Professora Simone.  

[sc name=”Amazon”]

The shorts above are titled ‘G Square Shorts’ and I found the pattern at www.365crochet.com  I used 3 different colors in 4 ply worsted weight acrylic yarn and a US J crochet hook sized 6.0 mm.  These shorts use the granny square crochet method, which I love to do.  My daughter loved my pair so much that she wanted a pair of her own!  The blue and brown are mine and the purple and black my daughters.

Now these shorts above used 100% cotton.  Cotton is a good ingredient to use in Summer clothing, it is lighter, drys faster and is easier to wash and dry than Acrylic yarn.  I started out using another FREE pattern from www.365crochet.com titled ‘Comfy Cotton Shorts.’   These cotton shorts were super easy to make, it only took me 2 days from start to finish!

If you are interested in purchasing your own set of shorts, click on My Etsy Shop and you will see all the shorts you have to choose from!  If you don’t see your size or would like a different color, NO Problem!  Me and my Crafty Hook would be more than Happy to Customize you your own pair!  You can fill out the form below with your shorts order specifics.  You can aslo stop by my Etsy shop and leave me a message there with the specifics of your shorts order!  As I always tell my Customers “any item can be customized to fit YOUR style, size, and colors!”

I hope just by reading this post I hope it has made you cooler!  I look forward to Summer and seeing all of the Handmade Crocheted
Creations I will get to make!

If you would like to comment, I would love to hear from you!

Be sure to stop back by to see what my Crafty Hook has created next! I’m going to sit out in my back yard soaking up the sun while I crochet my next project.

 

June is Scoliosis Awareness Month

[sc name=”Affiliate Disclaimer”]

June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month.

As the month of June progresses I will be posting information about Scoliosis, what it is, who is affected, treatment options and more.  Most of all during the month of June I will be sharing my story and my life with Scoliosis.  Yes, I have Scoliosis and I am a Survivor!

Scoliosis affects 7 million people in the U.S. alone.  Of the 7 million people affected 85% of those are young girls and women.  85%!  It is unknown why young girls and women are affected more, but if young boys or men have it it is less severe for them.

“Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. While scoliosis can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most scoliosis is unknown.”

Most cases of scoliosis are mild, but some children develop spine deformities that continue to get more severe as they grow. Severe scoliosis can be disabling. An especially severe spinal curve can reduce the amount of space within the chest, making it difficult for the lungs to function properly.

Children who have mild scoliosis are monitored closely, usually with X-rays, to see if the curve is getting worse. In many cases, no treatment is necessary. Some children will need to wear a brace to stop the curve from worsening. Others may need surgery to keep the scoliosis from worsening and to straighten severe cases of scoliosis.

[sc name=”Amazon”]

My Story

My name is Joey (Jo) Lea Baird and I have Scoliosis.  I was diagnosed with Congenital Lumbar Scoliosis when I was 13 years old.  Congenital means my Scoliosis is hereditary, that someone else in my family has it.  I was taken to see many doctors with a year of my diagnoses.  I went to a number of specialists and they all pretty much said the same thing, that with staying active, with special exercises, and staying healthy I would be fine.  During my high school years I was able to perform the regular activities in Gym class; I played on an all girls’ Softball teams; I was asked to join Track; basically I stayed active.  I seen a Chiropractor for 3 years and would get routine treatments and adjustments.

I never had any back aches or pain associated with my Scoliosis until I was 18.  When I was 18 I got pregnant and had a son, after that I started having back aches, leg cramps, and muscle spasms.  I never had any noticeable signs in my body until I gave birth and my Sacroiliac Joints shifted causing my spinal deformity to show.  My right hip shifted out, my left hip twisted in, and my left shoulder started curving forward.  The image below shows a pretty good adaptation of what I looked like after the birth of my son, except my Scoliosis curves to the right, not the left.

This should be enough information to get you thinking about Scoliosis and who is affected by it.  Be sure to stop back by for another addition to My Story and more on Scoliosis.

[wpforms id=”1309″]