Saturday, September 1, 2007, Nashville, Tennessee~
Dear Journal~
Bill Sandusky here. Sorry if I haven't written, but with my wife being relegated to the bed (she can't get up except go to the restroom; even then she needs help, and if she DOES get out, she has to use a wheelchair; explanation posted shortly), and having to tend to the kids, I don't get to do much. The only break I get from my family is when I go to work.
Still working at Wal*Mart; now that the back-to-school madness is about over, we can concentrate on the next thing: setting out Christmas stuff, which starts in a few weeks. It won't be long before the Christmas cards or the decorations start coming out of storage; by October it looks more like Christmas than before Thanksgiving. Crazy!
Anyway--the reason Louie can't get out of bed is because she's on bedrest (doctor's orders). The doctor doesn't want her walking (in case she should fall), and she has gotten so big of belly; she may only be six months along, but she looks more like nine, like she's ready to pop any minute. If she IS up, she has to use a wheelchair because it is getting so hard for her to get around. She looks rather uncomfortable at times. I feel sorry for her.
Glad it's her and not meeeeeeeeeee...*grins* Boy, that would be something if I got pregnant! LOL
The kids start back to school on Tuesday, the day after Labor Day. We are going to do what we have done for the past seven years: spend Sunday night and all of Monday at the local tv station, helping out for the Muscular Dystrophy telethon, answering phones, raising awareness of the forty neuromuscular diseases that strike people (particularly children). Muscular dystrophy is a cruel, cruel disease; it cuts lives short, and it causes nothing but grief for the families affected.
I know. We have a son (Johnny) with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (diagnosed when he was a year, at about the time he was learning to walk), and his health has steadily deterioated to the point to where he needs an electric wheelchair for mobility, and now his breathing has become affected. He is on oxygen a lot of the time now, and he is getting more and more unable to care for himself. It's really heartbreaking.
I am surprised Johnny has lasted this long: usually people deterioate at a much faster rate, but God has been good to Johnny; however, the other shoe is ready to drop, and we'd best be ready for that day when the medical crises start coming fast and furious. We are going to have to have to put 911 on speed dial before the next time we call for an ambulance on Johnny's part!
Ronee' broke her foot on August 1; she has been on crutches exactly one month now. She broke it when she fell while getting the mail; she stepped in a hole. She is doing quite well, but she is already looking forward to when she will get back to her canes; she hates the crutches. Having used crutches most of her life, she enjoys the freedom that the canes provide for her.
Ronee' is nervous about starting high school; she is afraid what the kids may think when they see her. I tell her she is being silly, but it is important to her. Typical pre-school jitters. And she's right: a lot of the kids are bigger nowadays than they used to be; some of the school kids look like bona-fide adults, even by the time they get to junior high school, topping the five foot mark easily! Some are even six feet tall! No wonder Ronee' feels so--small.
Our little foster child, Vincente, came to us a week ago, and he is a sweet child. Definitely Italian; he came to us from New York, and he has never had a family; he is with us for a short time so he can have experience of knowing what being in a family is like, and so far he has been a rather delightful child. He does have night terrors at night, so I'm up with him; don't get much sleep anymore. I am so tired I don't know whether I am coming or going half the time!
Vincente is six, as I just said, and he is in a wheelchair due to CP. He cannot walk or talk, but he can let his feelings be known from his noises. He is very cute. I just hope that whoever adopts him after he leaves us will be good to him; it shouldn't hurt to be a child...(Vincente was abused; this is why he is in the foster care system. His parents didn't want anything more to do with him because of his disabilities. They couldn't handle the responsibility of caring for a child like him, so they abused him. It's very sad.)
Well, Louie has been having some problems with Audrey: they got into a big fight, and now Louie feels she was responsible, so she is trying to make amends with Audrey. She wrote to her; don't know if Audrey will write back. It's been rather interesting, to say the least. Speaking of Audrey, her daughter, Susie, had another setback: she had an emotional collapse and is currently recovering in the hospital. She has had this on her mind as well, so her moods have been wild lately: happy one minute, crying her eyes out the next.
Being pregnant certainly doesn't help, especially when the boys (yes, boys!) are jockeying for position inside her belly! LOL Our sons are going to be named Ian Charles and Isaiah Cameron; that has already been decided. Such strong, manly names; I am sure they are going to be as good looking as their old man! *grins*
Since having my back surgery, I have been doing great. Not much pain, it's been nothing short of a miracle. Now if only something can be done for the arthritis that's settled in my knees, ankles, feet, hips, or shoulders...*OW* LOL Still using the ol' crutches, but then that's nothing new; been using crutches ever since the ol' knee injury back in high school, but now I use the forearm crutches instead of the regular ones.
The weather is starting to cool; days are getting shorter; sun setting before eight o'clock now. Fall is definitely on the way; but we are in due need of rain; we are in the middle of a hellacious drought that shows no sign of abating, but next year they say our area may be in for some wild weather: more in the way of violent thunderstorms, including the threat of stronger tornadoes. Nice. Just what I did NOT want to hear. Also the Plains States and the Midwest, both who had severe flooding this year, may be under the gun, too, just what they DON'T need. Crazy weather we've been having lately!
Personally I think it's because it won't be long before the Second Coming of Jesus. Jesus can't come soon enough, in my humble opinion; this world is definitely in sad shape; they need a wake-up call; Jesus' Arrival would certainly do it! In any event, come, Lord Jesus; I am more than ready to leave this world and live in Glory evermore!
Church has been going well: we have gained quite a number of new members, so our building is getting a little cramped. They have to have three services on Sunday (as well as services on Wednesday nights), and plus they are looking at starting services on Saturday night, to accomodate all the people. We may be looking into a new building sometime in the next year or so. God is definitely working in the lives of our church family, and the blessings have been coming fast and furious!
We have gotten a new children's minister and a new choir director. Dick Potts, the original choir leader, has stepped down due to health reasons (he has myasthenia gravis; it's been hard seeing his decline), and the children's pastor is moving to Oklahoma (job transfer). Hopefully they will do a good job; we will have to wait and see.
We also have a new associate pastor. Poor Pastor Bilkey has been feeling overwhelmed, so he hired an assistant. His name is Pastor Okumbe, and he is from Kenya, Africa. He seems really nice, and he seems to be on fire for the Lord, which is what our church needs.
Well, gang, this is about it for now. Lots of news on the home front and on the church front. Life has certainly been busy for the Sandusky contingent, and I'm afraid it's only going to get busier once the twins arrive! (They are due around Christmas; this is going to be one Christmas we will never forget!)
We are also going to have to get ready for the city's annual observance of September 11, 2001, which is always a somber time; well, over 1,000 people were murdered in a horrible way, and because of it, our nation will never be the same ever again. We must make sure nothing this catastrophic never happens again on our shores; we must do all we possibly can to protect our nation from further attacks. One September 11, 2001 was enough; we don't need another one!!
Take care, and may we never forget! God bless you and will write in here soon!
You are really on a roll here tonight, tomorrow after church I may have more to post, I have been battling fatigue and pain lately, but God is merciful and I know he will get me through
God Bless
Michelle~
A touching write my friend, tugs at the heart! Life can be full of heartache, but one day we will be able to live in a place of no pain, no disabilities, no troubles, no terrorists...just peace and joy forever more! Touching my friend!
Blessings,
Joyce B.
I don't know how the Sanduskys do it, having children is stressful enough; add disabilities, and the heartbreak is overwhelming: having faith helps. An excellent journaling, and the pic: in a perfect world, there would be no disabilities, no terrorist attacks...already I am dreaming of a world where storm and war can't reach, where peace and love reign, where all are treated equally, with dignity and respect.....hmmmmmmm. Think I came up with another poem, thanks to you! LOL Well done.
This is a very heavy-hearted write. The only small token of humor was in the remark, "Glad it's her and not meeeeeeeeeee...*grins* Boy, that would be something if I got pregnant! LOL"
I know that dealing with disabilities can be hard on the emotions, so that too often there isn't much to laugh or smile about, but your writings often reference the strong faith of your characters. We know that when we're in pain, God is there to rescue our spirit.
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