Thursday, July 20, 2006, 10:09 a.m., D.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

I am about to roast here! Man, it's been HOT!! Temps in the nineties to near 100's, and high humidity levels--it may be Tennessee, but it feels a lot like Louisiana....

Hi! This is your (sweaty) gal pal, Ronee'. I have been doing okay, but I got stung on Sunday morning (bee thought I was a sweet-smelling flower, so it stung me, right on the arm!), and I ended up going to the emergency room because I had some difficulty breathing, which is what happens when I get stung. Thank GOD I had my Epi-Pen with me...if it were not for that thing, I wouldn't be alive, writing this down...

ANYway, I went to the E.R., where I got a shot of epinephrine and got some oxygen, which helped a lot. I ended up staying for a few hours, but I got to go home in the end, which made me very happy! However, thanks to the Benedryl, I was wiped for a good portion of the day, so I missed church. When I got home from the hospital, I went immediately to bed, and I slept until Monday morning. It was NOT a good day for me! :(

A lot of the country has been feelin' the heat, not just us. We have been in the grips of a massive heat wave, and there are indications that it may ease up soon. I hope so because I am about to WILT (and THIS comin' from a Cajun girl born in Louisiana! LOL)!! I have been doing LOTS of swimming, and I have been drinking LOTS of water or Gatorade to keep me hydrated!

In a little less in  a month from now I will be on my camping trip. Every August I go to arthritis camp, which is put on by the local chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. I have been going to this camp since I was six years old, and I always have the best time there. At camp, we play games, go swimming or on hikes, tell ghost stories, roast marshmallows, and have a talent show, among other things. I have made a lot of friends at Camp SteppingStone, including my best friend, Nicole Aldape, who lives just a few blocks from me. She and I are really tight, and we spend a lot of time together.

I do  have some sad news to report: my brother's girlfriend, Rebekkah Rachel Cohen, has been in the hospital, but yesterday, she got to come home, and she is recovering from surgery. She had to have her other leg amputated. She has pain insensitivity disorder, and she is prone to injury or infection if she falls or bumps herself or burns herself by accident. She got a bad infection in her leg, and it wasn't getting any better, so this was why she had to have it taken off. I feel so bad for her.

Losing one leg is bad enough, but BOTH?? She is going to have to make a lot of adjustments on her part, and her recovery isn't going to be easy; but if I know Rebekkah, she will be back on her "feet" (prosthetics) before too long. She is one determined little girl! :)

Susie Jackson had surgery, too; this is why I hadn't heard from her. I don't know the exact nature of why she needed surgery, but like Rebekkah, she faces a long recovery period, and she had to have rods put into her back, long ones. That means she has to wear a body cast, and I am sure that in this heat, she is miserable! I hope she makes it too! I will have to send her a get-well card, and one to Rebekkah, too...

Maman is in California, where she is staying with Rebekkah's mom and pop, Naomi and Micah. They are really nice, and I met them when I was in California last year. She will be gone for several weeks at least, and I miss her like CRAZY!!

Daddy has been runnin' the show, and so far, other than my ending up in the E.R. on Sunday (and missing church), nothing bad has happened. I hope and pray this continues! At least daddy has help with the kids, thanks to my grandparents on my maman's side, and also my older brothers and sisters, so he isn't doing this ALL by himself. It has been nice having him home, and he has been enjoying his time off from his job. (He took a temporary leave of absence until maman comes back from California.)

Well, I am going to go now. I am going to the swimmin' pool in the back yard and do some serious swimming before lunch! Take care, try to stay cool, and C ya later alligator! Aaiiieee!!

~Love, your friend, Ronee' Le-Anne ("Gonna' try to relieve myself from this heat!") Reaux. :D