The Deadly Wreath

Dear friends….this is a post on my facebook page March 20, 2016…As I sat in my recliner (as usual) the anger, frustration and unknown got to me….It was too late to help myself but maybe I could help others who work with this product.  

After many suggestions, I went online (what would we do without Google?) and found the CPSC. . Consumer Product Safety Commission…They had a form for me to fill out with all the information on my complaint. .Listed the burlap ribbon purchased from Walmart and the effects it had on me and that it could have been pevented if the rolls of burlap had a warning label to wear a mask when using….I heard back from them almost immediately. They assigned me a case number and told me they would contact the supplier (Walmart) and manufacturer  (a company in China)

Within few days, they received a message from Walmart asking for me to contact them…Which I did and to make a long story short….Walmart wanted to send a insurance adjuster to my home to ask me questions and take pictures…. At this time I was advised by many to get an attorney. ….Which I did……

Enough for today…I am exhausted.   Thanks for reading and Blessings to all of you. . . . 

I just want to thank everyone for reading my posts.  Hoping it will help others…I have had a few questions….friends that want to see all the posts…If you read the first one “The Deadly Wreath” on the bottom of the post it should lead you to post #2 …2 should lead you to 3 and so on…

Also, I have had friends ask for my address..Brenda Gail Dyer  280 Lantis Drive   Carlisle, Ohio 45005.

Your comments left me up everyday…Blessings to all of you. .    I will continue my posts later today…Got to tell you about my Shih Tzu Dog  and his somewhat friend and housemate the Pit Bull…..

Hello, if you don’t mind, I think I will just talk to you today…..

I have been in Carlisle, Ohio for 15 months now….I do not know anyone here and I can’t get out to meet anyone..So my days are some what lonely….My daughter and son-in-law have already gone to work by the time I get up…So..what do I do all day long?   Well, let me tell you…

I wake up around 9am. I thank the Lord for giving me another day,  I lift bradley off the bed…yes, he sleeps with me every night.   He lets me know when it is time for bed by standing on the steps to the bed and barking…and doesn’t stop until I  lift him on the bed…sorry, back to my day..after  Bradley is down, I make my bed.  My mother taught me this..if your bed is made, your whole house seems clean…going on, I fix myself a hot cup of tea, turn my oxygen intake to 4 liters, and take Bradley up 13 steps and let him out into the fenced in back yard…he is joined by Madusa, my daughter and son-in-laws Pit Bull. I  will tell you about Bradley and Madusa’s relationship later.  After walking up 13 steps, dragging my oxygen hose and getting the dogs outside, I am exhausted.  I sit until they are ready to come back in…

I have done the necessities.  Now I have the whole day ahead of me…now what to do.  I  just finished a 2000 pc puzzle, only took me 4 months to finish….well, Sandy comes downstairs and guess what she has….Another 2000 pc puzzle.   This was last night, so today I started working on it…when I get tired I will sit in my recliner and read my bible, then check my facebook then watch TV for awhile..Love Hallmark channel, ID channel and any other crime type show.   Also all sports..

I love getting mail, look forward to the mailman even if it is only bills.  I walk up the 13 steps again to let Bradley out and then walk back down the 13 steps..the reason I am telling you this, that it totally wears me out…I have to rest for awhile before I  can do anything else…the rest of the day is eat, feed Bradley, watch some TV and then go to bed….Sandy works long hours, gets home about 8 pm.  She comes down to see me.  We visit for a few minutes, then off to bed….

This condition is horrible..has totally changed my life and not for the better….Next post I will tell you all about Pulmonary Fibrosis and why it is killing me.

Thank you so much for letting me rattle on and on……Blessings to all of you. 

Good day to you….last time I talked to you I was in the car heading for Ohio…..

On January 17, 2016, I arrived at my daughters house in Carlisle, Ohio along with Bradley, a moving van and a trailer.  Made the trip on one canister of oxygen…..I was settled in and the boys unloaded the van and trailer.  Everything was taken down 7 steps to my Mother in law quarters. I was upstairs in my bedroom for the next 6 months or so..when I was able to help, we set up my home…..I have my own privacy, bathroom,  bedroom with a walk in closet and a wall of book shelves, livingroom with fireplace,  kitchen area and another area I use as dining room, craft area and where I work my puzzles……Love my area, just wish I didn’t have to be here…

I had a visit with my new doctor a few days after we got here….She arranged for me to continue my physical therapy at home.  Physical therapy twice a week, occupational therapy twice a week and nurse twice a week.    They kept me very busy but I looked forward to their company….a reason to get up, dress and make myself presentable  (as best as I could )  My walking was getting better and I could get out of my chair easier.  All the things we take for granted each day. 

On my first trip out, Sandy took me to Walmart  (BIG MISTAKE) I did ok in a wheelchair. .Enjoyed the trip very much..but..a few days later I was in the hospital with pneumonia AND the flu…….So much for being out in public..

I see my lung doctor every 6 months for CT SCAN and breathing tests.  So far I am holding my own.  I see him again May 19th.  I don’t feel good about this appointment.   

I believe I have brought you pretty much up to date….I will post again later in the week.   Remember the main reason for this post….A simple warning to wear a mask when working with this burlap could have saved my life…and I could go back to before, happy in my little old house, walking Bradley and making my wreaths….Thank you for reading..Blessings to all. .

Good morning…Hope you all had a wonderful Easter.  I started my day watching a wonderful message on getting my fix on (with Jesus) from Life Church in Cookeville, Tn.

Now, I have a secret….I am addicted to jelly beans…So what does my daughter get me for Easter?    A 4lb container of Jelly Belly jelly beans. “49 flavors”.      Needless to say, I enjoyed those jelly beans until I had a stomach ache.  Now I have to hide them from myself. (Good luck with that.).

Ok, let me get back to how using the burlap ribbon that was made in China and sold at Walmart, totally changed my life…..This is my home that I loved..Built in 1878 by a doctor.  After I bought it, I restored it to the original as best as I could.  I removed the carpet to find the original heart pine wood floors.  The upstairs was the servant guarters.  The homeowners were wealthy and would have girls from the country come to town and live with them to be housekeepers for room and board and be able to go to school.  A friend of mine, her mother was one of these girls and she said she had washed these windows many times.

This was my home and I loved it.  I had wonderful neighbors and Bradley and I enjoyed our morning walks in town..  I had a craft room to make my wreaths in.    I miss spring time with all my flowers in bloom.  I had worked very hard to make this old house beautiful again and I did not plan on leaving, but this health problem would not let me live there on my own… (more about this later)

 As Bradley and I  got into the car to travel to Ohio,  I believed that when I got better, I would come back…..

Tomorrow I will tell you about my new life starting in Ohio…Blessings to you all.

I will pick up where I left off…..After 18 days in the hospital,  I was transferred by ambulance to a inpatient rehab facility.  I was there for 35 days.   They worked with me everyday.  They taught me how to walk again…After 18 days in bed, I had lost all muscles in my legs….They taught me how to do laundry, do dishes, get in and out of a bathtub.  Of course, in my mind, I knew how to do these things, but my body was too weak.

The people there were wonderful !!  Loved them all, physical therapists, nurses, aides, shower ladies,  all were great…I got to see my dog Bradley,  he had a bad experience while was  in rehab…He almost lost his eye.   Thanks to the Vet,  he healed and is fine today.  We were apart for 53 days..

Only bad thing  about being there for 35 days was Medicare would only pay  for 20 days and I  have to pay for the extra 15 days. (Still making payments) and got pneumonia for second time and started antibotics.   All this on Christmas Day and because there was no warning label on the burlap to wear a mask when working with it….

My daughter came from Ohio where she is the supervisor for the Victoria Secret Call Center.  She, along with my other two daughters, finished the wreaths I was making and set up at Santa’s Workshop for me.  They did great and sold all my items…

on January 7th I was able to leave the rehab facility. ..I had my oxygen and my walker…Boy, was I ready to go…..the next 10 days were very busy…Kind of enjoyed it tho…I got to sit in my recliner and tell everyone what to do……

In 10 days my house was for sale (I will tell more about my 139 yr old house later) and with the help of family, friends and church family…I was able to pack up my belongings..selling the items I  could not take,  giving away a lot, loading a moving truck and a large trailer, I was on my way to Ohio to live with my daughter and son-in-law.   They had a mother in law quarters for me to live in…..

As you can see…not only was my health affected, but my whole life and my way of living was changed….ALL BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WARNING LABEL TO WEAR A MASK WHILE WORKING WITH THE BURLAP.

I know you are getting tired of reading this and I am very tired from writing… (truth be known it has taken me 2 days to write)     I have so much more to tell and I will post again soon…Thank you and Blessings to you all.

Good Morning,   I have shared with you my story leading up to November 14, 2015..  I will now bring you up to date…..

On November 14, 2015, I was as usual, working on my wreaths,, not feeling very well, I called my daughter to bring me some cough and cold meds.  I was sure that would cure me…..when she saw me, she wanted me to go to the hospital.  I told her I would tomorrow if I  didn’t feel better..  later that day I just had a strange feeling and by night it was getting really bad..at 11:00 that night, I finally got scared, got into my car and drove myself to the hospital.  Luckily I lived less than 2 miles away and no traffic that late.

When I  got to the ER, it was packed and I almost left…They saw me and took me straight back.  No signing papers, nothing….my lips were blue and oxygen level was 72.  I was put on oxygen (and have never gone off since)  They did X-Ray and CT Scan.    When ER Dr came in he said my lungs were worse that he had ever seen and wanted to know what I had been doing, told him making wreaths with burlap.    They admitted me and hooked up up to meds, etc.   I also had a bad cough…Even with oxygen and meds I continued to get worse and was moved to ICU..

I was in ICU for 5 days and in the hospital for 18 days.  In those days, I was not out of bed, Nurses and Aides did everything for me…I don’t remember very much, but I remember in ICU, I had a near death experience.  My oxygen level dropped into the 50’s.  I was put on prayer chains and had people Praying for me.  I could see myself sitting on a stainless steel table, a bright light in front of me and envelopes with Prayers written on them.   The envelopes had wings and were flying around me…..I believe God saw all the prayers and let me come back……I remember the Lung Doctor at my ear telling me..”if this burlap does not kill you this time, it will the next”

I know this is a long post, but I need to do this for myself and all my friends and those fellow wreath makers…

I was in the hospital for 18 days, and in inpatient rehab facility for 35 days.  I had to build my strength up and learn to walk again..

I think I will stop for now….I will let you know how my life is now later.  Thank you and Blessings to all of you! !

Hello friends,  my story continues…….sorry late but basketball, April and my 2000 pc puzzle has kept me very busy lol…..

After finding this very popular material (burlap) I went wild making wreaths.   From March to November, 2015,  I made 175 wreaths.  I was invited to many shows, barn sales and festivals and Santa’s Workshop. You can see my wreaths on my Facebook page Creative Designs by Ms Gail. 
I started having shortness of breath in July. I had at this time been working with burlap for about 4 months.   I saw my family doctor and he sent me to a Lung Doctor. She checked me out and sent me for a CT SCAN, thinking I might have a blood clot in my lung…She also scheduled a overnight pulse oxygen test to see if I was getting enough oxygen when I slept….. Everything came back fine….No blood clot and my oxygen levels were nornal when I was sleeping.  YEA ME!!  So what did I do? …

 I CONTINUED TO USE BURLAP TO MAKE MY WREATHS !!!!!!  Only from August til til November, I worked full time getting ready for Fall Shows and my biggest and best show…Santa’s Workshop. 

Now as I walked my best friend, Bradley (my Shih Tzu Dog) we walked everyday….I noticed the shortness of breath was getting worse.  I had to stop to rest more often and our walks became shorter and shorter, to the point I was only able to walk him around the yard instead of the mile we did everyday….Having no idea why I was so exhausted, I would still work burlap, take a nap and continue to work burlap.   UNTIL  the night of November 14, 2015….

Sorry I have to stop now,  I need my nap…..Will continue after..Thank you and Blessings to you all. 

As I said in my previous post, I loved making my wreaths. Being a widow for 15 yrs and living on Social Security, the extra income was helpful…

I had been using grapevine and greenery wreaths as my base….but around February, 2015, I saw this new material being used and thought I would give it a try…

This material was Burlap Ribbon and it is what is killing me……After making my first wreath with burlap..it was such a hit…I started making all my wreaths using this burlap..little did I know what I was doing to my lungs.  

I sold these wreaths as fast as I could make them…The prep work was easy,  I would sit in my recliner with a towel on my lap (it was messy) and work for hours cutting the burlap into 6″ pieces and fraying the ends.  I always had my ceiling fan going…the reason I mention the fan, is it stirred up all the fibers from the burlap I  was shredding.  

These fibers are what I was inhaling and did not know it….ok, enough for today..time for my nap…have lots more to share..Blessings to you all. .