A lot of you know my friend Kathy Krivitski from Seaside Stampin’ Ink – or you may have seen her at shows in the eastern half of the country. She comes with a tough outer shell, but a sweeter lady you will never meet – and I love the way she describes herself. These are her words — “a little more biker chick than Vera Bradley girl … although I do own a bunch of them. I guess you could call me an oxymoron. Likes Harley’s, Longaberger Baskets, and Vera Bradley Purses.” To which I responded — “Birds … you forgot birds.”
To be precise, macaws. Kathy and her husband Joe do a show near their home in Ocean City, MD every year – and I still remember the first time she walked into the building with one of those birds perched on her shoulder.
Kathy has been having health issues for several years. Until a couple of weeks ago, her major fight was with Transverse Myelitis – it’s an inflammation of the spinal cord that has caused permanent numbness in one of her legs, and if it returns could affect the other one as well. Her doctor says she’s lucky to be walking at this point. But she continues to travel to shows.
And right now, that’s the least of her worries . . .
Kathy has a blood clot and plaque in the posterior basal artery in her brain – and if any of it breaks off or moves, it could cause a significant stroke. It’s large and dangerous – and it’s inoperable. So far, she is being treated with blood thinners and cholesterol meds – and the neurologist at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore told her she needs to stay calm (oh,yeah) and not lift anything heavy while the specialists decide what to do next.
I asked Kathy if I could share her situation on the blog . . . explained what support from you folks did for my mom and how much it meant to her (and me). Kathy is a firm believer in the power of prayer, and says that notes of support really cheer her up. So I hope that you’ll come through for her like you did for Mom and me – please remember her in your prayers and if you have a few minutes send her a note at kathyk@seasidestampin.com
Thanks!
I will gladly add Kathy to my prayer list Greg, and will light a candle for her at Mass on Sunday. Hugs, Squirrel (UK)
Offered up a prayer for her-what kind of person can't spare a moment to reach out to another person.Thanks for being such a wonderful friend to help her.
Just sent her a note introducing myself, and telling her I would add the name "Kathy" to my prayer list. Thanks to you for being such a good friend to Kathy. It is a refreshing thing in this world we have today, that someone would show this caring. Good for you, and don't stop being that way. Happy to hear that your Mom is doing well.
Still thinking about you and keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Hope you're feeling better. Will miss you at the shows. My friend and I always do the Michigan one. Edna
Greg, thanks for letting us know about Kathy! If you see her, give her a hug for me, and tell her I still carry the altered tote that I made with her oceany stamps!
Cat
Thank you for sharing this, Greg! The power of prayer is awesome!!
The last time I went to Stampfest-Orlando I spent a lot of time at Kathy's table, watching her demo one technique after another. And, we visited for a while at the end of the day when the crowd thinned out. She not only shared a couple of her samples with me, but also shared some of her medical history with me. She is an extremely talented, kind, sweet lady who has gone through a great deal. I'm including Kathy and Joe in my prayers. Thank you, Greg, for being such a good friend to her and for letting us know what's going on.
My friend, Rachel, and I always stop at your booth and usually buy more than we thought we wanted! You inspire us to be more than we were before we met you.
We will pray for you. With your spirit I believe you'll strive for the most positive outcome. God is the great healer and we pray that He gives you the special blessings you need.