Thank you to everyone who responded to my cry out on the foot cramp in the middle of the night thing. I think a combination of everything is in store for me starting today. I need to make a trip to the store, and I’ll be picking up tonic water,I had heard that before…
But isn’t it amazing all the knowledge of the world that can come through comments? according to several of you, the following can help my situation:
- vitamin D and calcium with magnesium and zinc.
- a magnetic wool underlay, one with strong magnets, works miracles with legs cramps
- calcium, but you also need magnesium & potassium in the mix
- Magnesium, that is what my doctor told me to get rid of them, she said 400mg a day
- have you tried putting a bar of soap at the end of your bed between the top and bottom sheet?
I think I’ll try the calcium, magnesium, potassium ---- I’ve heard people talk about magnets because they do work on the iron in your system, some people put magnets in their shoes, etc. I’m not sure about the soap thing it said anything but ivory! I wonder why that is brand specific? What’s in that that makes it work for foot cramps? But I tell you what, if the minerals and tonic water don’t help --- I’m going to try anything!
I do have orthotics in my shoes, so my arches are supported --- I wear good supportive sensible shoes. Gone are the day of cute flat shoes or daring and trendy high-heels making a fashion statement. Fashion stops BELOW the KNEES for me ---
So what have I been up to? Quilting the LAST quilt for the next book! And writing my brains out to the point where I have to step away from the monitor. Not a lot to show you there!
My adventure with taming the strip bins is still in full swing. I’ve tackled the 2.5” bins, both the color and the neutral. I’m now working on the 2” ones.
A whole drawer of neutral 2” strips was tamed down to THIS…..THIS is all!?
The quilting machine is occupied, so I’ve been ironing them and draping them over the back of a chair. It’s amazing how much you can go through with some netflix on! Some of these fabrics….JEESH! How long have I had these? But you know, I love them…there is so much history in them.
I can just tell you that there will be a whole lot more quilts designed with the purpose to USE this stuff in my future!
And a special thanks goes out to Dianne L of White Rock BC ----
For the darling Christmas card, and a hunka chunka MILLENIUM FABRIC! LOL!! Guess what I get to replace the blacks that we used in the Orca Bay Mystery with? Thank you Dianne!
While I’m pretty much living down here in the basement, I do get visitors to keep me entertained ---
Emmy Lou takes up residence on one chair…((That’s her towel there…the girl LOVES towels! She will plop herself down on any surface that has a towel on it!))
Jeff and Sadie have occupied the other chair and keep me laughing! Good news on the job front for Jeff, looks like he might have found a place of employment at the local pizza/pasta joint. Fingers crossed on this one folks, we really need him to get a J.O.B.!! And I can tuck this in the bottom of this post, because I know he doesn’t bother to read my blog ---Love you so much it hurts son!! Just want to see you pushing forward into your life with some joy and determination! xoxox
Better get back to the machine…..and I’ve got binding to prepare for this quilt when it’s done being quilted….tonight? More binding in the recliner? Hope so!
Happy Sunday, Everyone!
31 comments:
I get those too! I find I get fewer when I am walking and exercising more... but I know you already do that. My MIL does the tonic... mmm. GIN and Tonic before bed??? I'm there!
let me know how it goes.. I'm printing off the suggestions.. will let you try the soap first.. wink!
Despite the middle-of-the-night foot cramps, you're staying busy... and getting lots accomplished thanks to your trusty basement companions!
Good luck to your dear son... he looks like a keeper to me!
Sounds like you are having a great December! Hope the leg cramps go away and your son gets the job. Seeing you sorting the strips into color families makes me think that is a good idea. No more shuffling through everything to find a certain color. Thanks for the inspiration.
Bonnie,
The soap under your bottom sheet does work for restless legs! I thought my mother was crazy for even suggesting this but I gave it a try and I rarely have restless legs...if I do get to moving my legs a lot, I will seek out that bar of soap and just put my foot or feet on it and they go away! I have know idea why but it seems to work. I don't know about leg cramps and the bar of soap...try it, it might work or not. Hoping you get some relief soon!
Alice
amiddlem@gmail.com
Yeah, I'm surprised at how little those piles of 2" strips are, too! You must have been very busy in that bin with your last few quilts! And I just love that you use your wall quilts as bulletin boards! Ok, probably not for the heavy stuff, but perfect for that little note you just have to see! I love that! Hope you can get a full nights sleep soon....cramps totally suck!
Bonnie, just wanted to add a suggestion for the cramps. I get them fairly often, and often have a low sodium issue. when I get cramps, I'll pour about a teaspoon of salt in my hand and eat it. Needless to say, I follow that with water, 'cuz it's not necessarily fun to eat salt. LOL!! But it really DOES do the trick, and is a simple and quick 'fix'. Hope it helps.
Eve in GA, piquilts@bellsouth.net
I am so happy things are looking up for your son. Whenever things are right with my kids it's such a relief to me.
One last leg cramp cure: My mom eats half a banana and drinks a glass of orange juice every day to keep her potassium level up. If she doesn't, she gets leg cramps. Just a thought.
--C.B.
Hum.....Bonnie, just thinking out loud here... Hum...maybe those leg cramps would stop if you let up on the machine throttle a little. You know what I mean...the lead foot syndrome....I can just envision you sitting at the machine crunching down on the foot peddle to the point of almost standing, sequencing up your face, eyes bulging, saying "gotta beat this deadline...gotta beat this deadline..." LOL You have to know I'm just teasing here, but absolutely could NOT resist!!!! BTW...I'm LOVIN' this mystery quilt!!!! It's my first one with you, but I'm hooked! THANKS. :-)
I know you've probably received advice to last a lifetime on the foot cramps, but I thought I'd add my two cents since my whole family gets them. We discovered early on that for us it was a potassium issue and by eating bananas it significantly decreased the cramping episodes. Another issue is that most people stretch with their toes when they do a whole body stretch lying down. Try it. You'll see what I mean. If you do this while you sleep, it can bring on cramps. I had to learn to stretch with my heals instead. I practiced a ton while I was awake so now it is natural when I sleep. I don't get cramps in my sleep anymore. Who knows?
I don't know if anyone suggested this or not but Morton's Light Salt is good for leg and foot cramps because it has potassium in it. Tastes like salt too.
It sounds like you have plenty of advice for the leg cramps. :-) I was going to tell you to have your son check Target for jobs. I heard on the local news they were hiring a bunch of people and I think for stocking at night. Just a thought to help.
Regarding your strips. I remember you said the plastic is not good for the material. Why not roll them like jelly rolls?
My husband has worn inserts in his shoes for years but the trend right now is to wean people off them because they are not doing the job they are suppose to be. Maybe a confab with a specialist on whether or not they are doing any good, maybe they are causing the cramps to be worse?
Jeff needs a job as badly as you need him to have a job. His sense of self worth and ability to grow depend on it. I wish him well. My daughter who suffers from depression always does better when she is working and making her own way. the last 6 years she has only suffered 4 months of unemployment and the company had layoffs and she found her new job herself.
Good Morning Bonnie--
My cats love to "hang around" with me in the sewing room too and they both have a STRONG attraction to quilts and towels...LOL
Well you can never deny that boy, he is the spitting image of you! What a cutie! Don't forget to try holding your breath for a bit when you get a cramp to see if it helps. Makes mine stop immediately.
Bonnie -- one thing that works for me on foot and LEG cramps, which, for me, can go on and on for up to 4 hours: drink more water! I find that if I get dehydrated, I get them. In summer I drink up to 8 cups a day, in winter I drink less, but at least 4 cups. Also, if you can, try not to point your toes down toward the foot of the bed. Keeping your soles parallel to the end of the bed seems to help. Now how to maintain that while asleep I haven't yet figured out.
Bonnie, you seriously have to take a bunch of panoramic shots around your basement/sewing room! In the pics I'm seeing bits of beautiful quilts on the walls, cute little cubbies for rolls of paper type items... I want to see more! LOL (see, another blog post idea for you) :0
I hope some or a few of the remedies suggested help with your leg cramps.
*hugs*
That is the millennium fabric I used in this mystery quilt! Glad to see some other folks still had some in their hoard...ah, rather stash!
I had the leg cramps for ages & finally mentioned them to my dietician. She asked me to show my toenails - full of white spots - definite evidence of magnesium deficiency. I take magnesium & if I forget I know immediately!
I also take potassium, calcium, zinc & vitamin D & C.
I buy my supplements from the health food store cause the amount of active ingredients is really important - if you just buy the supermarket type you may as well not take anything.
Good luck with the cramps & the binding :)
Lush
London, UK
Two friends of mine swear by dill pickle juice for immediate relief from leg cramps. Haven't tried it yet.
Leg cramps make me jump out of bed in my sleep and do the "cha cha" for the pain. Doctor told me to eat more bananas and drink orange juice and it has worked. But if I get busy and lax then I am falling out of bed and the have that new mile high mattress set and it can get dangerous half awake.
Hi, Bonnie! Sounds like you've gotten a lot of leg/foot cramp advice, and I don't have anything good to add there, but I hope those go away for you soon.
But, about the strips... can I throw out one idea? I do something similar with mine to what you're doing in the baggies, ie. stack them neatly and fold to fit the container. (Plastic shoeboxes in my case. I HAVE to keep scraps tidy and compact bc I don't have space for big bins.)
I find that if I spend a few more minutes up front and fold each strip separately, THEN stack, that it's a whole lot easier to get to strips later than if the whole pile is folded all together. Folded separately, you can just flip through like cards in a filebox, and you can easily select individual strips without unfolding a whole bundle.
Of course, I have a lot fewer strips overall than you do, which makes a big difference. To each her own, of course, but it's just a thought that works well for me. Good luck with your ongoing project!
Hi Bonnie , One thing no one suggested is mustard I get up many times during the night and have to have a tablespoon of mustard or take it before I go to bed.
I have found that if you sleep on your belly with your toes extended that can cause foot and leg cramps. I have to make sure I keep my toes pointed toward my nose! Debbie in WV
Hi, I laughed and laughed when my friends told me about the soap at the foot of the bed for leg cramps. But do not laugh at such an "old wives tale" because I am a believer and when there is no soap, I get a cramp actually a few through the night. Best cheap treatment ever. Amazing how it works.
Try it and let us know. Need to give it time too.
I have a quilty friend who swears by the bar of soap under the mattress for preventing leg cramps. One time on retreat, she woke up half the group with her screams of pain. Fortunately, I was sleeping in the basement and never heard a thing. But, she says no more cramps since she started using the bar of soap!!!
Diane in Minnesota
I had completely forgotten, but when my grandmother died a little over a year ago we were packing up her place and we found a bar of ivory under the sheet on the opposite side of the bed where she slept. I had never heard of the practice, but she was a believer!
After reading your post and all of the responses I guess I am just thankful that I don't experience the night leg cramps. However, there are plenty of other issues that wake me up in the night.
I've been making these blocks out of 2.5 strips-
http://debrowden.blogspot.com/2011/11/cat-and-mice.html
the blocks are BIG but really fun!
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