Thursday, March 2, 2006, 10:27 a.m., C.S.T.~

Dear Donna Sue~

I am so happy to learn that Bethlehem will soon be completing her rehab treatment! That is wonderful! I bet you can't WAIT for her to return to your family! If I were you, I'd be jumpin' for JOY! :) God is sure good, isn't He??

I have read the books of which you spoke of about necrotizing fasciitis. Nec-Fac (what I call necrotizing fasciitis; we nurses are known for shortening long, complicated medical terms! LOL) IS a horrible disease in more ways than one: it completely and utterly devastates not only the sufferer of the disease (that is, IF they are fortunate enough to survive!), but their family members and friends as well.

Not many people understand the ramifications associated with this rare, deadly infection; that is why so many people are still in the dark about it. They hear of it once in a while on the news or read those rag magazines, and they think it is only fiction, but the reality is, it is NOT. It is as real as cancer or the common cold, and in a lot of ways, it is so much worse. It can KILL in a matter of a few short HOURS, and it can cause permanent disability and suffering!

 Ronee' fainted at the doctor's office, after suffering from severe stomach cramps, and she is now home; the doctor told her to stay home from school and stay in bed. She is otherwise okay. She has been having her period for about a year and a half now, and she was feeling crampy this morning; yet we didn't think too much about it. Well, her pains kept getting worse and worse; at the doctor's office, the pain was so intense, she couldn't stand it, and she fainted when she got dizzy from the pains gripping her belly. Bill called me just a while ago to tell me what happened

Other than Ronee' 's stomach pains and her fainting at the doctor's office, she had a good checkup. No new problems to speak of, thank goodness, but I am still upset about her fainting! She has really never had any problems with her "monthlies"; this was the first time she had really bad cramping. I guess it must have been pretty bad, to cause her to faint like she did at Dr. Emmons' office! Sheesh!

Johnny has his doctor's appointment tomorrow: he sees his muscular dystrophy specialist at the MDA clinic, to see how his disease is faring. For a long while now he has been holding his own; you never can tell if he has gotten worse or not. That is the worst thing about this MD diagnosis because the outlook for Duchenne's (the type he has) is often so poor.

I am also upset because a man I had been taking care of died just about an hour ago, and we worked on him for over an hour, to try to bring him back. It was just as well that he passed on; he was suffering from multiple organ failure, and there wasn't much hope in his surviving any longer. He had terminal cancer, and he was brought to the hospital by his wife after he started showing signs of both liver and heart failure; he'd been on a steady downward track since then, and today, God mercifully took him home. He was only in his sixties, but he had a whole host of serious health problems. No matter how often I deal with a patient's death, I still can't shake the sadness that grips me, and I wonder if we could have done anything more to help him live just a little bit longer!

Nashville IS a nice place in which to live: it is a big city, yes, but it also has plenty of "small town charm", and a lot of her people are friendly. I also like the fact that there is so much to do here; the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and Music Row is just a small PART of what a city like Nashville has to offer, and there are activities geared for the entire family in mind as well as the grown folk.

Yes, I HAVE been to Hurricane Mills; but that is something like forty miles UP from us. My daughter, Ronee' (the one who fainted today at Dr. Emmons' office), is a HUGE Loretta Lynn fan, and it is because of her that we have gone to Hurricane Mills to Loretta Lynn's Ranch. We have been to her house, and we have also been to her museum. Loretta Lynn so happens to be one of the nicest people we have ever met, and even though she is a superstar, she hasn't forgotten her roots! That is so nice to see; so many other stars are so full of themselves it isn't a bit funny!

Donna, the weather HAS warmed up here. Today the highs are supposed to be in the fifties; we had been in the thirties and forties, and I am glad for the warmup. Don't forget, I am a Louisiana gal; we Cajuns just DON'T handle the cold very well! :) I am glad that the weather there is behaving itself! Nothing like a little stormy weather to make things interestin', eh? LOL

I wish I could pack you up into my suitcases, but we aren't packed yet (remember, our cruise isn't until October; that is still seven months away; we still have a while to wait!!)! I wish you could join us in Alaska too, but Cozumel and Playa del Carmen sound nice as well.  I wouldn't mind a Mexican cruise for my hubby and myself! :) Ahh, all that warm sunshine, walking hand-in-hand on a beach and listening to the gentle waves slapping the shoreline, watching the birds wheel above our heads, and just enjoying life--sounds like my kind of trip! :) No kids to worry about, no distractions---*sighhh* Maybe Bill or I DO need a trip to Cozumel or Playa del Carmen! :)

We may just be contacting Carnival Cruise Lines and prebook a trip to Cozumel and Playa del Carmen, Mexico--just as long as it is CHEAPER than Alaska! :) Maybe we could go there next year for our wedding anniversary; wow, what a GREAT present THAT would be for my hubby and myself! :)

Well, I am going to go on break; will write again later on in the week. Take care, Donna, and give your family our love! Tell Bethlehem that we are still praying for her! God bless!

(((HUGS))) and much love, your Tennessee friend, Louie May. :D