Louisiana Sandusky writes to her newest friend in the adoption community she belongs to. Her friend lives in Smyrna, Georgia.
Saturday, November 5, 2005, 10:20 a.m., C.S.T.~
Dear Donna~
Thank you for your letter; it was good to have heard from you again! I was so sorry to learn of M'Bute' 's mental state, and I was also sorry to learn of Bethlehem's injuries; how very sad! Of course, I will be praying for both your girls (and for you too!)!
Well, you asked me if any of my other children have gone through difficulties besides Johnny and Ronee'; and the answer to that question would have to be a resounding "YES". I have a daughter (Deborah, now a pretty teenager) who was born with spina bifida that left her lower half paralyzed and she was also born withOUT arms OR hands. She also has severe bronchial asthma and is often on oxygen because her breathing gets so bad sometimes. She was adopted at the age of eight years, and she has been the target of unwanted redicule because of her obvious physical disabilities and also because she had been born in Iran and had previously been a Muslim. (She is now a Christian.) I also have a son (Jo-El) who is often stared at (or teased) because of severe facial deformities due to burns (he'd been injured in a devastating house fire that killed his family when he was but an infant; he also lost his toes and his hands in that same fire), and he faces years of plastic and reconstructive surgery. I also have two children (Jodie and Todd) who are profoundly mentally disabled in addition to being seriously physically disabled. (both are now teenagers as well, but both require round-the-clock medical care, and both are tube-fed). Until Bill (my husband) and myself adopted them, they spent just about their entire lives in a hospital (or institutional) setting. We also had a child (Rachel) who had full-blown AIDS, and we took care of her until she died at the age of two years. We also have a daughter (Melizza) who, until several years ago, was suicidal, and she'd try to take her life several times. (She is bi-polar and schitzophrenic, but she is now doing quite well, thanks to a regular regimen of medication and regular mental health counseling.) We have a son, too (Richard) who was physically abused as an infant, and now he has to breathe and talk through a trache tube in his throat, and he has some serious emotional trauma; but like Melizza, he is benefitting from regular mental health counseling, and he is turning into a personable young man.
So Johnny and Ronee' are NOT the ONLY ones who have turned our hair grey. Hospital calls (or calls to our local 9-1-1 system) are quite common, but I am a nurse, so I know exactly what to do lest one of my children were to unexpectedly fall ill or get injured somehow. Sure, these events are often unnerving, but all I can do in any emergency situation is help my child through his (or her) crisis, get in touch with the local EMS unit, and stay with my child (and try to reassure him or her) until the ambulance/police/fire unit(s) come and during the trip to the hospital. I can remember calling for an ambulance for Roberto, Melizza, Jodie, Todd, Gemini, Barbara, Andre', Starlight Melody, Deborah, Rhiannon, and Anh Kim, not just for Johnny and Ronee'.
But today I am happy to say that a call for an ambulance is NOT in order. My kids are healthy (for the most part), and they are now eating their breakfast or are getting dressed for the day. They will probably watch tv, play with their games or toys, or go out and play with friends (as long as Bill and myself give the "okay"). It is a beautiful, if slightly warm, early November day, and I plan on getting outside and work in the yard myself and get rid of the vegetables in our garden and get it ready for winter. Bill will also be cleaning up the yard and Richard, my son, will be mowing the leaves off the grass. Some of the kids will also be picking up the trash and the weeds that we pull up. I love the fall time; it is so pretty, the way the leaves have changed, and with the longer, cooler nights (and the pleasant day time temps). We had rain a few days ago, but we may get some more tomorrow (thanks to a cold front), so we might as well get the yard work done before the wet weather comes back.
Yes, unfortunately, we DO have fire ants here. In fact, they are getting bad, and I worry so much about my kids with asthma, for fear that they will have an anaphylactic shock reaction. In fact, we have had to call for an ambulance because our youngest at the time, Enriquesa, got nailed by fire ants, and she had problems with her breathing, and it was very scary. We also have had to call for an ambulance for Ronee' (she has serious allergies to insect bites or stings, so any bite or sting is dicey for her) and for Johnny (he has some allergies to bites and stings too). I think fire ants are nasty, and we have tried everything to get rid of them (but without success; so we often rely on the services of an exterminator or some fire ant killer for our yard).
We did have a good Hallowe'en; we had a Fall Festival at our church, and for several days before Hallowe'en, the city put on a haunted house for the hurircane victims, and we had a wonderful time. The kids did go trick and treating, and they made a haul in their candies; I never saw so many goodies in all my born days!! LOL They will be feasting on Hallowe'en candy for WEEKS or even maybe a few MONTHS at the rate it is going now! LOL I am glad you had a good Hallowe'en! As for Thanksgiving, we are going to take it easy, but we are going to go out to eat at the Golden Corral for turkey, stuffing, and all the "trimmings". We will also come home, rest our full bellies, and just laze around for the rest of the day before we start hitting the shops for the start of Christmas season (but I have already started our Christmas shopping; we start in August, and we finish just before Christmas! We have to, to shop for our brood! LOL And that is NOT even counting the grandkids OR our other family OR our friends!!). Our girls who are out of state (Steffi, Dwerlina, and Tanya) will be home from college during the holidays (or for a home visit, as in Lightning's case); and I will get to see (and spoil) the grandkids again!! The only time I ever get to see them is during Thanksgiving or Christmas! I sure do miss them when I don't see them! (Lightning and her family live in Colorado.)
Well, Donna, I will let you go now; I am going to get ready to work out in the yard. I will write again another day (and try to get to my other letters; I am so far behind now it isn't a BIT funny!!). Until next time, take care, and God bless you and your family! Please send me a picture of your family and yourself; I would love to see what you look like!
~Love, your new Tennessee pal, Louie May Sandusky. :)
This letter has taught me that there is an added danger to a child who already has a disability, that being insect bites. Constant supervision seems to be necessary and monitoring their time spent outdoors as well as indoors. Insects can cause quite an allergic reaction and sometimes can be deadly. Thanks for the info in the letter today, Karen Lynn.
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?
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?
