Sundancers, Wild Women and DreamWeavers

My Story - Celebrate with me!!

After 15 years of being locked out of my studio by my own body and an incredible amount of unawareness in the medical community, I've just found out that the culprit is untreated hypoglycemia. This diagnosis came from a caring, observant woman friend. Why am I not surprised? I've been walking around in some sort of sugar shock for 15 years - unable, usually, to balance a checkbook.

I was classed as borderline in 1967 & again in 1975, told "not to worry" - no cautions or information. The "good doctors" fluffed it off, so I did, too. After all, I was 30, energetic, still believed I was immoratal, and had 2 busy kidlings at home. I just continued to almost drop to my knees every afternoon at 2:00 and grab the nearest Twinkie.

In brief, this is what happened:

I began to suffer bouts of depression, thoughts of suicide were not uncommon. Finally had the good sense to divorce joyless husband #1.

Began having mini "blackouts" - loss of consciousness - at busy intersections & was told by my "good knowlegable" family physician: it's probably "Just Stress", but you have all the classic signs of a brain tumor. Let's check it out. (That thought was soooo relaxing!) No bloodwork was done or any reference made to any other possible condition.

I endured 3 weeks of cat scans and waiting for results. Then was sent home with a well known tranquilizer they assured me was non-addictive. Well, people, it wasn't addictive when I swallowed it. It didn't turn to qualudes until it hit my stomach.

In total panic, I ran away from Colorado. I was divorced and suddenly had no insurance. My parents were retired and comfortable. They'd spend their last penney for me... I knew there was something terribly wrong with me - and I wasn't about to put thier hard earned security in jeaprody.

Fact: During medical training, the current curriculum calls for only 36 hours of drug & alcohol training. The standard PDR is not a drug analysis reference book. If you want to really know if a Rx is addictive, ask a pharmasist who has time to look up! Every pharmasist has the correct reference book within arm's reach.

Beware of drugs that are coated to protect your stomach, many have addictive drugs in the coating.

If there is any history in your family of drug/alcohol abuse or dysfunction of the metabolic system, be very careful about giving addictive drugs to your children, especially codeine. There's no alcohol history in my family, but many diabetics.

Fact: Addiction in some places, (including Denver, Colorado) is being treated as a physical metabolic disease that can be helped (not cured) by adjusted nutrition. The diet appears to be almost identical to diet for low blood sugar or diabetes. There is every chance that the elusive "addiction gene" is related a family history of glucose related conditions.

If you have tried unsuccessfully to quit smoking, if you or someone you love is in addiction recovery, enduring terrible cravings or trying to find the door, you need to read "A Better Way to Treat Alcoholism", ( or any addiction) an article in the February, 2004 issue of Alternative Medicine Magazine.

This does not eliminate the need for AA! The idea is: body first, then the wounded soul.

This a link to About.com's Hypoglycemia information page.There's a list of symptoms there - most of which look pretty unimportant. It takes some medics forever to catch on..."duh!" (Walk in and tell him/her what you think you have.) One common sign is missing from About's list: if it takes you 2-3 groggy hours to wake in the morning & 3-4 cups of real java, you very well may be low blood sugar! You should know that the standard 8hr. glucose test is not valid for low blood sugar. Spend $100 in your own favor and do the one that requires a glucose meter and sacrificing your finger for 1 or 2 weeks.

The story got uglier and wilder, so let's cut to finish:

Today I finished testing to determine how best to treat my glucose condition - the scene's been somewhere between mayhem and murder. I'm a very lucky lady, hypoglycemia is controlled by diet. I also now have a really good reason to break my nicotine addiction.

Last September I celebrated 10 years in recovery with the help of AA and the loving friends I met there.

I've been in loving care of my "Witchdoctor" (phychiatrist whom I met in treatment 12 years ago) for Van Gogh's condition - manic depression. A lovely, creative condition to have, but grossly heightened by use of alcohol.

My devoted companion and gentleman guardian angel for 11 years, Skip, is getting "geriatric", needs my care. I am "really here" and able to give it. Kewl Beans! The old bum is getting 2 massages a day & developing an addiction to my medicinal peanut butter.

**April 29 - diagnosis is now diabetes (also treatable with diet in my case). Diabetes is what happens when low blood sugar is untreated for too long... Oh, well - it's still a lovely good ending to the story.

Cheryl Rae: introducing myself

I earnestly tried handweaving, but was frustrated by the constraints of warp and weft thinking. I like to work "here" and then "there".

When I happened on Wilcke Smith's work, I knew I had found my "Yes!". Finally "extreme"
texture, color, and a free-wheeling means of design, leaving the yarns really free to speak.

The desert and canyonlands of New Mexico, along with the mix of cultures, are a constant
theme. I celebrate life, the land, seasons, myths, and the magic.


Along the way I also became a printmaker. And, finally, turned to the computer.
My contemporary fiber work can be seen at RareAir Designs 2. It's an overview of 35 years.