not much has changed....but yet so much has

not much has changed here in lincoln, al. i am still battling the stomach issues...no need to go into that cause it is really gross. but one thing has changed...my thankfulness...for all the people that have gone out and helped the tornado victims, that have raised money through very creative ways...for alot of things. i am not physically able to go out and do what i want to do...this really makes me mad...but i will get back to that point...it is just amazing to me that as divided as our state is - UA vs AU - that we have all pulled together and started the recovery process. it makes me so proud to be from Alabama....that's all folks....

the good, the bad, the ugly and the rest of the story...

so if you have been following this saga...you can tell i have had technical difficulties with posting pictures...i have come to the conclusion that if you use pics from your i phone then it does not transmit like your camera...anyway...on to the real reason for this post....

so we left on saturday, april 30, and spent the night in augusta, ga. it was cool...got to go by the masters...even though barney fife would not even let us put our feet on the ground...had to take the pics from the window...oh well....

got to charleston on sunday...the place we stayed was absolutely awesome...well i should say where stephen got to stay cause i had an extended hospital stay....so here we go...

we get to the hospital on monday, met with the doctor, discussed what we were going to do and on to pre op did i skip...yes i said skip...they looked at my veins and asked where my port was...i just kind of laughed...they took me on back to the anestheologist (i don't think i spelled that right) anyway...yours truly ended up with an iv in her left foot...let it be known that i did not cuss nor take the Lord's name in vain....i did call on Him, His mother and any other saint i could think of....the doc looked at the nurse said...you know she has a fever...i think she needs to stay overnight...nurse says no she does not have a fever...doc says she will in a minute cause i am not going through this again tomorrow....i loved this doctor...had my first procedure...nothing noteworthy...stayed the night...so on tuesday we had the big test...the ERCP...it showed that my pancreas was working beautifully...we were very scared that it was not working...it seems the problem is my stomach...you know that big thing i carry around....anyway when i eat food it stays in my stomach anywhere from 24 to 48 hours after it is supposed to have you know gone down the toilet...look i told you this was ugly....therefore, it rots, makes me sick, puts me in pain, yeast grows which is even worse...then when i am so sick that i go to the ER the pain meds they give me make it worse...it just makes my stomach slower...so i am in a pickle...what do you do....

there are some meds out there...i am taking one, but it has some side effects that i am scared to death of but have not had any of them - yet...there is another drug that is approved in canada and europe but of course our fda won't approve cause there is no money to be made it it...but i digress...

so our next step is to go to the university of missississippi...there is a doctor there, Dr. Thomas Abelle....he invented the gastric pacemaker...it is a modified heart pacemaker but it is surgically placed in the stomach to stimulate those nerves to make that nasty food move on...

so we have some answers and that is what we prayed for...so we journey on...

Journey On - Ty Herndon

Sometimes the mountains tower high above you
Sometimes the currents just too fast to swim
Life can carry you all kind of places.
Journey On.

Sometimes in the moment of your weakness
When you're on the edge of giving in
You hold your heart before it falls to pieces.
Journey On.

Journey On - hold your head above the water
Journey On - you can weather out this storm
Journey On - there's a better day coming
A better world than you have ever known

Journey On - someone's waiting by the river
Waiting there to take you by the hand
So make the most of all that you've been given
Journey On.

Anybody's ship can take on water
You gotta make the choice to sink or swim
Just grab a piece of rubble from the wreckage
Journey On.

Too many times your heart will leave you stranded
You bear the scars of where you've been
Don't be afraid to ask for new direction
And Journey On.

Journey On - hold your head above the water
Journey On - you can weather out this storm
Journey On - there's a better day a coming
Oh, a better world than you have ever known.

Journey On - someone's waiting by the river
Waiting there to take you by the hand
So make the most of all that you've been given
Journey On.

Journey On -
Journey On.

Roll Away Your Stone...

This song is by The Mumford Sons - I think I spelled it right...I borrowed this from someone else, but after all that our state has been through I just think it is perfect....you can google it and hear the song....



Roll away your stone, I’ll roll away mine
Together we can see what we can find
Don’t leave me alone at this time,
For I am afraid of what I will discover inside
You told me that I would find a home,
Within the fragile substance of my soul
And I have filled this void with things unreal,
And all the while my character it steals
But darkness is a harsh term don’t you think?
And yet it dominates the things I seek
It seems as if all my bridges have been burned,
You say that’s exactly how this grace thing works
It’s not the long walk home that will change this heart,
But the welcome I receive at the restart
Darkness is a harsh term don’t you think?
And yet it dominates the things I seek
Darkness is a harsh term don’t you think?
And yet it dominates the things I seek
But darkness is a harsh term don’t you think?
And yet it dominates the things I seek
Stars hide your fires,
And these are my desires
And I will give them up to you this time around
And so, I’ll be found with my stake stuck in this ground
Marking the territory of this newly impassioned soul
But you, you’ve come too far this time
You have neither reason nor rhyme
With which to take this soul that is so rightfully mine

Charleston Part I

Well we have made it to Charleston, SC, and we are staying at this quaint little place called Shem Creek Inn. It is on Shem Creek which is a major shrimping area. Very interesting place. We have eaten at some pretty cool places. We stopped in Columbia and toured the campus of The University of South Carolina. Let me tell you...it is pretty but it is NOTHING like The University of Alabama. The stadium is like 5 miles from campus. We could not get there because of construction. People have been very nice, and we hope to make another trip up here for a real vacaation. Here are some pics....sorry they are so small...I am having camera issues....

A week in review...

This is a southerner that just learned to love Yankees - THE Yankees - for their contributions to the recovery efforts. Considering how many folks from bama have gone to the NFL, MLB, NBA, even American Idol - I hope that those organizations step up as well. Also Beth Moore, one of my spiritual eartly heroes, has sent $10,000 to the relief efforts. Our state has been desimated. My family was so very blessed that we did not even have a branch in our yard. Yes we did not know where some family members in Tuscaloosa were for a while, but we found them. God is so good.

My uncle's cabin in Shoal Creek got damaged pretty bad. I could not get those pictures to upload. That little community was hit hard. There was an assisted living out there that I worked with alot. It is completely gone. The owners and all the Residents were killed. It has been a very stressful, sad, awakening week for us. But the sun is shining today, and God said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." For those who have lost everything and family members just know that God is still there. He has not left your side.

Peace and blessings....









I borrowed these pictures from my friend Rebekah Gilbert whose husband grew up in this town.