Louisiana finally manages to add some new entries to her journal after several months of not being able to. She lets us know what is up with the Sandusky family.
Wednesday, January 28, 2004~
Happy New Year (LATE)! Also a belated Merry Christmas!
I am sorry for not being able to write in my journal until now, but life for me has been one hectic mess! I am so busy I barely have time to go to the bathroom, let alone, take care of MYSELF!
I am still busy, busy, busy, raising our family, working at the hospital as a nurse, and touring the southern part of the U.S., promoting my book, "A Family Made out of Rainbows and Miracles: The Sandusky Family Story--A True Story of Love and International Adoption" (WHEW! Whatta' title, eh, folks?? LOL). So far, since the latter part of the year, I have been to bookstores in Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and of course, Tennessee. The book has been selling surprisingly well, but it is no giant bestseller, if that is what you are thinking; but at least it is selling! I am waiting to see what some of these big shot reviewers will say; I am kinda' worried that they will tear it up and not like it, and I am kinda' worried about what my reaction will be if that were to happen! Still, I AM happy that it is selling, so I shouldn't worry TOO much!
The kids are all growing like weeds; it seems like every day, I notice subtile changes: they are older, taller, more mature; yet in my heart, I still see them as little ones, and I wish I could keep them little forever! It will be soon enough when they become old enough to spread their wings and fly, and before I know it, our house, once full of love, joy, noise, and chaos, will then be quiet, and Bill and I will be left to ourselves. I try not to think about that time, but it is hard NOT to when a fifth child (Stephanie) is fixin' to spread her wings by year's end! She will be starting college in the fall; where she will go is anyone's guess right now, but she IS going to go to college. She wants to work with children with special needs as a teacher.
Ronee' has recorded her second CD; she just got done with it last week, and she is now back home, where she is back in school--and enjoying it. She has really missed her friends, and she has missed us. Well, it works both ways: we have missed HER, too! Home is NOT the same without Ronee'! (Her second CD is called "I'm Cajun [And I'm Proud!]" It's on the Swallow record label out of Ville Platte, Louisiana, and as soon as copies are made available, they will be shipped to us, and we will then send them to radio stations throughout the south. Hopefully, she will get some airplay; that will help her exposure!) Her health has been holding out, and she hasn't had any problems since last year, when she had her last asthma attack! She also hasn't had many flares, and her arthritis, for the most part, has been behaving itself.
Johnny, her brother, continues to struggle: he has his bad days, and he also has his good days. He hasn't had many seizures (much to our surprise; it seems that we have finally found a medication to help control them!), but his muscular dystrophy continues to tax his (and our) patience. He needs more help in his personal affairs, and it isn't uncommon for one of us to have to get up in the middle of the night once he calls us, so we can turn him over or put him on the potty, so he can use the toilet. He also has had some trouble with his breathing, and we are fearful that we will find him one morning, dead in his bed. His heart has been acting up too (he gets chest pains from time to time, and sometimes his heart rate speeds up, and this causes problems), and we are so worried that he will need to be rushed to the hospital by ambulance in the middle of the night, when we least expect it. Still, Johnny's attitude remains positive, and he is still a very happy little boy. He is enjoying his Christmas presents (most notably, his remote-control HUMMER), and he is enjoying LIFE, in general!
Anh is still in remission; he also still goes for his monthly checkups, and he still has chemotherapy every week. His hair is starting to grow back, and his appetite is returning, too. He looks healthier than he has in months, but he is still painfully skinny, and he is always cold. We are trying to fatten him up, but the boy has such a high metabolism rate it is hard to get any meat upon that skinny little body of his!
Jodie had a spell right after Christmas with her breathing: she had pneumonia, and she just got out of the hospital last week. She is still pretty puny, but she IS feeling better, and her sunny personality is returning. So I guess that is a step in the right direction! At least she is now able to communicate and let us know in her simple, yet direct way, just how she is doing and how she is feeling when, before, we had to play guessing games.
Lightning is now the mama to another boy: little Dylan Mykelti Williams came to this world on Christmas Day, 2003; he weighed 8 pounds and five ounces (of course, Mama had to have a C-section with him, seeing she IS so little, and seeing she IS severely physically handicapped with cerebral palsy!). Both son and Mama are doing well; but Lightning is STILL rather sore; and so hubby Darnell has had to act as both mother and father to his recovering wife and three active toddlers! Little Andre', Jamee, and Derrick are all getting so big, and they are becoming more and more adorable by the day! Now they have yet another sibling that they can pick on and enjoy--and I am a happy grandmama for the fourth time! And I can spoil him ROTTEN! LOL [No, I haven't seen little Dylan yet, only in pictures; but I am sure I will once Maman Lightning is recovered enough from her surgery! I WILL say this, though: little Dylan Mykelti Williams is a LUMP, and he has his daddy's dark good looks! He is a little looker, even at just one month of age! {Girls, watch out...when Dylan Mykelti grows up, he is going to be a little STUD! LOL)
Bill is doing well, as can be expected. He is still employed at Wal*Mart (next month will be two years he has been there!), and he is for the most part happy. His health has been holding out, and his blood pressure and asthma are finally controlled, thank goodness. He WAS having trouble for a while, but now he seems to be doing okay. As for ME, I am still working with a bum back (guess my back troubles will probably never go away unless I opt for surgery, but somehow, the thought of surgery leaves a bout of nausea in my stomach area!); and I am still toolin' around on my cane; and I am still working hard at my job, even WITH my health woes. My sciatica is still giving me fits, but it is something I have learned to live with and cope with; and I have gotten used to the pain; it's no longer a major issue for me unless I happen to move wrong!
Daddy Armand is doing well, too; he hasn't had any more problems since his heart surgery last year, and his heart is behaving itself. Maman, meanwhile, isn't doing so well: she has had to get an electric power wheelchair because it's gotten to the point to where she can't get around nearly as well as she used to; her crutches are now no longer feasible. She is using the scooter now, and she is getting along quite well now that she has finally stopped running over my toes with the durn thing! *OW* Talk about PAIN LINES! (I already have more than enough pain in my legs and back; did I need the PAIN in my FEET or TOES, too??)
I shall write more later; I have to tend to the kids; they are due home from school anytime now. I also have to get supper on, and I have to tend to a hungry crew! Will see you later; until next time, take care!
(((((((Karen)))))
This is an excellent piece...
God Bless
~Michelle~
Reviewed by P. Michaels
1/29/2004
Karen, I don't know much about journal writing. I started one once, did it for awhile. Then, I read it and ripped it up. Guess this journel is made-believe. Doing a make believe one wouldn't be as hard as writing about oneself. Your Journel writer is a very busy person. How does she deal with her suffering and all of the children's? Have your tried writing a novel? In a novel you could show how she manages to do it all.
i enjoyed reading about louisiana's family--busy, busy, busy, she's got too many pans in the fire :) needs to learn to r e l a x or it's gonnacatchuptoher. :)
It's almost Christmas. Lynn Basil is writing her last book about a secret entrance into the magical doll land of Sha Bebe that she loves so much. Bagannos have taken over the world! Lynn finally meets her dolls in real life. Can she write in a Secret
A wicked Cajun Fairy named Robes Pierre entered the impenetrable Magical doll land of Sha Bebe. Queen Faustina, the ruler of the doll land, thought she had destroyed him, but he's back! Will the doll land survive his evil ways?
