A JOYFUL NOISE

Backstory: I can remember it like it was yesterday.   They were ALWAYS there for me Every.Single.Time. Every.Single.Surgery. It didn’t matter to them what was on their agenda, I was their “princess” and I was important enough that they would be there for my surgeries, not only to see me before surgery, but after surgery.   I’m also sure they were there for my parents.   This couple, Warren and Erma Johnson, basically adopted me into their family. They were considered my Virginia grandparents. Warren knew that every surgery brought so much fear into (back then) a little girl’s heart.   I mean who wants to be poked, especially when a little girl faced surgery 2-3 times a year back then?   Warren did what he did best: held me, hugged me, prayed with me, and never let me go until the “sleepy med” got a hold of me.   But he also did one thing that I will NEVER EVER forget…..He ALWAYS sang to me. Oh, how I loved his voice of comfort. I loved how he sa...

Several of you   have asked me how I have been doing and wondered about my health and especially wanted to know the details about my incident at the hospital a couple of weeks ago ( June 19 th ).   I’ve finally gotten a chance to sit down and gather my thoughts together to write up an update.    So here’s the scoop: For a while now, the pain on my right lower quadrant has been extremely high.   Due to scheduling issues between myself, my parents, my doctors, etc., I had to wait a while to receive another pain block injection.     I was finally able to receive the pain block, last Monday ( June 19 th ). I’ve received several pain injections before and have had zero complications.   Because I have been getting these injections about every 4-6 months, my pain management doctor decided to use all the same medication ( PLUS an added steroid ); however, he used   somewhat different method.   Instead of burning the nerve, he would a...

It was the end of my first year at Blue Ridge Community College (I went there first before I transferred over to JMU); I had just finished a grueling 8 weeks of summer school taking College Physics I & II, and I thought to myself that it was a very good time to just relax, take it easy, and enjoy the rest of the summer.  Back then, I was able to do more, plan more, and enjoy life more because my health wasn’t like as it is now.   I remember that summer, after my classes were over, a good friend and I and another friend decided to go enjoy a day of fun at Kings Dominion.  I had already made myself clear to my friend that I was under no circumstances going to ride any rollercoasters because I do not like speed and I do not like steep hills, nor do I like being turned upside down!   This happened sooooo long ago and I really don’t remember much details on how he ended up actually getting me on to the Rebel Yell--one of the roller coasters.  But I...