I’m turning 40, I’m too blessed to be stressed

Today is August 25, 2021, the 40th anniversary of the car accident that changed our lives. It’s hard to believe it’s been forty years since that day in 1981. But, of course, I will remember this day just by what I’ve learned over the years since then. I hope that I never get tired of sharing my story.

It was on a clear day in Lafayette, Louisiana. My mom Carolyn was driving my aunt Sue around. Aunt Sue was looking for a job, my sister Jamie was also in the car. My mom was 6 1/2 months pregnant with me. When a Mayflower moving van, the size of a small U-Haul hit the car. The front and out of the car was smashed beyond recognition.

My mom suffered a broken hip and a shattered kneecap. Jamie suffered a broken leg and cut on her forehead. I came along about a week later; I was 2 1/2 months premature, at 2 pounds. 12 ounces, and both lungs collapsed. I was so small I had to be fed by an IV, which left a small scar on my left wrist. It looks like God kissed it while smiling. I stayed six weeks at Lafayette General Medical Center PICU.

I respect doctors and their medical knowledge. However, I am so glad that God has the final say. I’m not supposed to be here today. Some doctors said that if I survived. I wouldn’t be able to comprehend anything, let alone speak. I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy occurs when there is a lack of oxygen going to the brain before, during, or after birth. There is no cure.

When I was three years old, I started school at Alice Boucher Elementary. They had an excellent special education program. All of the teachers and staff made learning so much fun. I cried when I would have to miss school due to being sick. Oh, it was nothing serious, just your typical childhood illnesses. As I got older, I started attending regular classes such as math and science. Then I would go back to my special education classroom for the rest of the day. I learned things better and at my own pace when I spent time in the special education department.

In 1985, we moved to Sunset, Louisiana. I still attended Alice Boucher elementary. When I turned ten years old, the zoning laws changed to where I would have to transfer to Sunset elementary.

Let me put it this way. I never did accept the change of schools. My attitude changed; I was probably the most difficult to teach because they had a different way of teaching. I still was a part of the special education department, taking one or two regular classes. I’m so sorry if I made things so difficult for the staff at Sunset Elementary. I never did like change, and I still don’t. We had a lot of disagreements on what was best for me. I never did like the tape recorder idea during my regular classes. Oh, I put up a fuss in high school as well. I prefer seeing my notes on paper, even if it means having someone with me in class taking notes. Sometimes students volunteered to take notes with a special notebook to copy what they wrote without writing it twice. Some teachers made copies of the notes for me. When I graduated eighth grade, I bet both me and the staff were doing backflips in our minds.

High school was even more complicated. I attended Beau Chene High school. I went to the special education department on my first day, thinking I would stay there like usual and attend one or two regular classes. But, by the end of the day, my world was flipped upside down. I learned that I would be taking regular classes all day long with one study hour where I would be helped with my most challenging courses and helped with taking tests. Sometimes I felt like I needed more study time and less regular classes. Sometimes my physical needs got in the way, such as going to the bathroom, because by the time I made it to class, the lesson was over, and classwork had started. I would get stuck bringing classwork and homework home to be done, which made for extremely long nights of nothing but homework. It was a bumpy road to graduation. It took longer, but I have my high school diploma after graduating at the age of twenty—class of 2002.

It hurt very much when I understood what it would take to attend college and get a job. My physical needs and the way I learn things would make it difficult for me to handle college. Yes, I comprehend things, but sometimes I comprehend slowly, depending on what it is. For example, I had a lot of trouble with math in school.

Yes, they have online courses, but I think I understand my limitations a lot more now than I did then. Plus, the whole point was to experience an actual college campus.

My dream job would have been to work with KLFY back in the day; they had some incredible news anchors and reporters. I wanted to learn from the best. I believe I was in sixth grade when my mom got in touch with the news director Dwight Dugas to see if I could watch a live newscast in person. He said yes, it was during their back-to-school supply drive, so we bought many school supplies. Dwight Spoke to Maria Placer. As long as I was quiet, I could watch. I was so excited, and I even got interviewed by Rob Perillo about bringing the school supplies.

I even asked Channel 10 if they could help with school projects. Blue Rolfes helped with a report I had to do on I believe it was my dream job for home economics. It’s been a while since then. So the details might be a little hazy. I know that I got an A and extra credit for showing proof of Blue and me together.

I even got to turn the tables on Rob and interviewed him for a high school English class assignment.

Through Channel 10, I connected with a relative on my mom’s side of the family. We had no idea; I just knew that I was her biggest fan. I love this story. Mike and Lori (Meaux) Steele were doing a series of reports on their wedding preparations. First, they showed a video of Lori’s grandmother picking out a dress to wear to the wedding. So my mom says, hey, that’s Mawmaw Eula’s Nanny (godmother.) 

I got creative, made a tape of Lori’s favorite songs, and sent her the cassette tape as a wedding gift. That’s what happens when you watch the news in the morning. You get to know everyone involved because they have so much time to fill. They end up talking about themselves between news segments. We met in person at the Acadiana running of the ducks. If you are familiar with Lori’s personality on TV, you get that bubbly personality plus she enjoys being around her family. She is very down-to-earth. 

I was so excited that I shared that it was my birthday on September 2, and they were getting married on September 8, 2001. I shared my story with Lori, and she wrote back and asked for my address because she and Mike wanted to invite me to the wedding. It was at the wedding that it dawned on everyone. Hey, we are related. It was fun meeting family. I hadn’t met before.

Mike & Lori 2001

Special thanks to my Aunt Donna for taking me to the wedding. My mom is usually the one with me at events, but she had broken her ankle and was in a cast at the time.

Today I still care about the local news, I still care about Channel 10, but I also have a new favorite news station. KLAF News15 NBC. Jeff Horchak has always been a favorite of mine to watch. The man has so much positivity. I’m wondering where he stores it all. He always made me smile when he worked the morning show at KLFY News 10 when he said good morning, sunshine. As much as I like to keep up with my favorite news anchors and reporters, sometimes, I take a break. I think everyone’s brain needs a break from the news every once in a while.

I left the best for the very best, my friend JayCee, oh once I get to know someone. It’s hard to stop talking to them. Our friendship is so meaningful, I’ve always known that I could speak my mind, but I never really had a trustworthy platform. Facebook is fine. I wanted a place where I could write as much as I wanted. So one day, I decided to share a little bit of my story on Facebook. JayCee Facebook messaged me and asked if he could share my post. So I thought, here’s my chance to expand on my story. So together, we turned it Into something that everyone could share.

https://999ktdy.com/words-of-wisdom-love-and-faith-from-a-friend-too-blessed-to-call-herself-handicapped/?fbclid=IwAR1nk8p8F99JtDsYJ3QC0V71bNc1-O-i3Xd1Xe9yJjjg6oBmqSZxpc9ONAw

The link above is the original article posted on KTDY’s website. Unfortunately, some of the pictures are not available. It happens the older the article gets, but the story itself is still there.

I got into blogging right after the article. Unfortunately, I think I started way too fast. I wanted to do one a week, which caused me to burn out.

Fun facts about me, you know how little kids get fascinated with the weirdest things. My fascination was doors. A family friend told me that she would tell my future husband that he better put a louver door in my house. I loved playing with all kinds of doors. I even loved being the one to cause automatic doors to open.

I’ve been wearing glasses since I was six months old.

I am the middle of three children whose names all start with J. Jamie Jessica Jeremiah.

Throughout my life, I’ve enjoyed going to several concerts. The first concert I ever attended was Michael Bolton at the Cajun Dome. I got to give him a rose while he was singing on stage. Some big men had to lift me and my wheelchair up so we can reach each other.

Here’s another favorite concert experience.
Loretta Lynn

We have a huge extended family. We used to have Thanksgiving and Christmas at my house. Finally, It got to the point where we had no room to move around.

I am an aunt and a Nanny (godmother.)

I still watch the New Orleans Saints every Sunday during the regular season. I’m still waiting to watch them get to another Super Bowl game and possibly win.

I still read/listen to the Bible. I still attend Crossroads Church. I miss being there in person. But, I am grateful for the online services. I’m not going to mention why we don’t attend in person anymore. The evil, destructive bully doesn’t deserve to be mentioned. Just know that my family and I are being cautious. That’s all I want to say about that.

My favorite author is Karen Kingsbury. I also enjoyed reading the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross. Audible is my favorite way to listen to audiobooks.

 I love streaming old shows such as Touched by an Angel and Murder, she wrote.

I love movies. I prefer going to the movie theater when it’s a really good movie. I love to watch some of the classic movies I grew up watching, especially some of the Disney classics.

Last but not least, I talk on the phone once a month with my friend Georgette. We talk for at least an hour to an hour and a half. 

When I first shared my story. I said I wouldn’t change anything, which is still true for how I came into the world and grew up. However, I would eliminate the evil, destructive bully wreaking havoc on everyone near and far.

I have to share something that has stuck with me, watching Touched by an Angel, you can learn a lot. Monica was struggling with a case. She thought she messed up. She wanted to quit being a caseworker for God. The angel counseling her said do you know why God put the faces on the front of people instead of the back? He wants you to face the future. The past is the past. He doesn’t want you to live in it.

Let me tell you. I stopped wishing things were different a long time ago. But, yes, I still have some bad days mixed in with the most fabulous days ever.

One day I will be free of this earthly body, but I will continue to share my miracle story until then.

God’s word: I found myself again.

Limitations 3:33 The Lord doesn’t enjoy sending grief or pain.

Dear Uncle Raymond,

It’s been 258 days since my world fell off of its axis.

It’s been 258 days since my heart shattered into a million pieces.

It’s been 29 days since I started feeling like myself again.

 

I thought I was fine, but my mind and heart were not in sync with each other. My heart knew that you were in a better place. However, my mind kept focusing on the negative, the pain-and-suffering that you endured. Instead of continuing to focus on how blessed I am to carry all of these memories you left behind.

In December 2019. I decided I had enough wallowing in grief and sorrow. I made a New Year’s resolution to reconnect with God through the Bible. I know, I’m kicking myself for disconnecting from the Bible. I can hear your voice saying, why did you do that? I don’t have the right answer to that question. The devil made me quit is not a good excuse.

I have learned that once I reconnected with the Bible spiritually. I allowed God to put my heart back together and get my mind and spirit on speaking terms again. Not having you here still hurts, I’m learning to live with it while living my life the way it should be lived being happy and continuing to love the people I can see here on earth. I still love you with all my heart, along with those that have gone before you. I can’t keep dwelling on the fact that lung cancer ripped you from our lives, I know that you would agree with me on that one. Please remember that I was never angry at God for calling you home. I’m glad that you are in heaven, your earthly body was too sick to carry on. You are doing more important things up in heaven.

Let me tell you what else got me out of my grief. Listening to uplifting songs like these.

 

Every morning I play the songs in this order, then I am ready to conquer the day. Oh, but I am not done yet.

I still attend Crossroads Church, they are my second family! Sometimes things come up to where I have to miss the sermon in person, but I can watch it online.

https://vimeo.com/makeconnection?fbclid=IwAR0LY4mwt2Pe71Iwrhnvky2cYori5hdFLui1ol6-yw3vSkYQL5lvqPMYFZ0

 

I also follow an out-of-state church called Elevation Church.

 

I still struggle from time to time, when the Saints played their first game of the season. That was emotional when I realized you wouldn’t be texting or posting your thoughts to anyone.

All of this plus the Bible has gotten me back to where I want and need to be. So I can continue to strengthen my faith, so I don’t fall back into grief mode.

 

Well, until I see you again, continue resting in peace.

Love always and forever, Jessica

 

 

 

 

God provides

I was born without the ability to walk, but I can move and feel my entire body. I can only imagine what it might feel like to stand and walk. I used to dwell on why God let me live like this: what was I supposed to do what my purpose was?

Imagine being a healthy baby, no physical setbacks, and you have your whole life ahead of you, nothing can stop you. Then one day, you or someone makes a decision that changes the rest of your life in the blink of an eye.

This beautiful mountain in North Carolina was the scene of a life-changing nightmare for my friend Roger Queen 13 years ago. After walking away from a disagreement with his wife Chrystal, Roger decided to go and let off some steam on an ATV ride with clouded judgment and anger Roger didn’t notice how close he was to the edge of the mountain. He ended up landing on his feet at the bottom, causing spinal cord damage, which leaves him paralyzed from the waist down.

Meanwhile, his wife was at home taking care of her daughter Sierra and expecting their son Tristan. Now Roger had to depend on her to take care of him. Crystal continues to stand by Roger, lovingly taking care of him through sickness and in health.

Roger struggled with depression and addiction to pain pills after the accident. Crystal realized they needed a fresh start and made plans to move the family to Lafayette, Louisiana, to be closer to family.

Fast-forward a little, with the help of a stranger walking into iPhone repair for less to pick up his phone. Roger realized he needed God in his life, giving up the painkillers and attending Crossroads Church with his family.

Roger still deals with infections and sores, leading to hospital stays.
Not to worry, though, we have the best church family ever. Everyone rallies together in prayer and encouragement. Sometimes they go above and beyond prayer and support.

Where they see a need, God and his warriors provide. Roger has gone from sitting almost all day to standing when he needs to take the pressure off his body.

 

 

Pastor Jeff Ables of Crossroads Church and The Standing Company work together to make it happen!

Along with some church members eager to help with the cost, Roger was able to have his wheelchair the week of Thanksgiving.

Old chair

New Chair!

The possibilities are endless!

Pictures are from Roger’s Facebook page with his permission.

God bless, thanks for visiting, happy new year to all who read this!

 

When God speaks you listen

I don’t like change, I could say that until I’m blue in the face but guess what things are changing as I speak. Do I have to like what’s happening? No, I have a right to my own opinion. I must learn to be respectful of change and choose my words wisely when voicing my concern even when I am alone because God can hear me.

I am a Christian, as you all may remember, I attend Crossroads Church with my mom. I love the church with a passion. We have some excellent pastors speaking the word of God.

Lately, whenever our lead pastor Pastor Jeff Ables has an announcement during service, it most likely has to do with change within the church. Honestly, this last change within the church turned my world upside down. I was being tested, and I failed miserably.

Our discipleship pastor Pastor Paul Burke is now the lead pastor of Glad Tidings Church in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Here’s where I confess publicly, after my mom and I left church the day it was first announced that Pastor Paul was leaving. I threw the biggest temper tantrum. I wanted to pull up stakes, I’ve seen many pastors other staff members and people within our congregation come and go over the years that I’ve been there. I couldn’t stand it anymore, another one of my favorite pastors left.

Over the next 24 hours after that day, I could hear God say Jessica stop! First of all, there will always be change within any church, no matter where you go. Whether it be building maintenance, department changes, or service changes. Second of all, Pastor Paul deserves to lead if you love him, let him go with grace and prayer in your heart.

I promise from here on out I will listen to my heart before reacting to any type of change within the church.

The second most significant lesson I’ve learned through this whole situation is God’s word and promises will always be the same no matter who comes in and speaks it.

This past Sunday, our new discipleship pastor Pastor Brody Lantier introduced himself and spoke about his family and how they came to be a part of Crossroads Church. Toward the end of his sermon, I started bawling my eyes out, thinking you would have missed out had your heart stayed closed off to this change.

Later through messenger, I learned that Pastor Brody was having a tough time with Pastor Paul leaving. They have become such good friends.

Which brings me to my third lesson, I am not the only one being affected by the change. How childish of me, when did I become so narrowminded. God has never given up on me. How dare I even think of giving up on my church family.

My fourth lesson is at least Pastor Paul has not left this earth unexpectedly. He gets to continue sharing God’s word wherever he goes.
My mind has been on the sudden passing of UL Lafayette baseball coach Coach Tony Robichaux. I’ve said this on my Facebook page, and I will repeat it. I have never met him, but I could tell that he was a man of God, he has left a significant impact on me through the words he spoke during news interviews and snippets of press conferences. Always talking about being the best man in life, not just the best baseball player ever.

You never know how and when God will call you home to be with Him Coach Robichaux always seemed to be aware of that fact.

It’s a shame sometimes we all lose sight of the blessings God has bestowed on us.
I lost sight of one major blessing, I am a member of a church that has accepted me the way I am with all of my emotional scars.
Thank you, Pastor Jeff and those on staff past and present for making Crossroads Church feel like home. Last but not least, thank you, God, for the pep talk.

My heart has left me.

Has anybody ever been jealous of heaven?
I am so jealous right now because heaven is the most exciting place right now because this man, Uncle Raymond, is there right now.

Raymond Paul Lanclos July 24, 1948 – May 16, 2019

I have no doubt that this man has been in my life since the day I was born. Let me explain a little bit about our special relationship. He was not my mom or dad’s brother, he was a long distant cousin on my dad’s side of the family.

Uncle Raymond lived across the street from my grandmother on Marcelle Drive. I along my family was part of the close-knit neighborhood for a short while before moving to Sunset Louisiana

You might be wondering if he is not your uncle, why are you calling him Uncle Raymond? It’s as simple as this, one day I believe I was at my grandmother’s house, and he walked in, and I said hey Raymond, he looked at me and said you can call me Uncle Raymond. I also know that’s what Cajuns verbally adopt the people they love as nieces and nephews.

Lord have mercy, he could make me laugh so hard I cried, I mean can’t breathe, muscle spasm kind of laugh.

He asked me to dance at my cousin’s wedding

He was the type of person that didn’t want to hear me use my disability as an excuse not to do something. He refused to dance with me in the wheelchair, that’s what makes this my all-time favorite picture. He was holding me up.

I told his niece, Mikki through a Facebook message that he’d made my wheelchair seem invisible.

He owned Video City in Lafayette, where he asked my mom to work with him. I remember going there after school. One day I was sitting in one of the chairs he had, and he squatted in front of me trying to teach me to keep moving my arms.

We always had jokes between us. I will share only one with you. I am not the most graceful motorized wheelchair driver. When he would see me, he would ask where did you get your drivers license Walmart? Sometimes he would change the name of the store to Kmart.

No caption needed here.

He was a Saints fan, hey, he could be an angel on the football field clearing the referee’s vision. 🙂 Ha, you know I had to go there!

 

Lung cancer took over

He was a hard worker, he was always doing for others. So when he was diagnosed three years ago. My mom and I talked about it with each other. He needed a ride to his appointments.

I would do anything for Uncle Raymond, including letting him use my manual wheelchair and my van Dora complete with driver (my mom.)

I am so proud of him for fighting so hard.

May 16, 2019, my world stopped turning,

• I am blessed to have known him
• I am angry at cancer for causing pain and suffering.
• I am relieved that he is no longer in pain.
• I am eternally grateful that I got to visit with him one last time in the hospital on April 10, 2019, before he went home under hospice care.
• I am rejoicing that he has been made new in heaven.

I would like to thank Lafayette General Cancer Center for helping Uncle Raymond fight for as long as he did. You gave us as much time as possible to tell him how much we loved him. My heart overflows with so much gratitude for each and every staff member that came in contact with Uncle Raymond.

I would also like to thank Hospice for caring for Uncle Raymond and all they have done.

Last but not least, all of the prayer warriors who prayed, please keep the family and friends in your heart and minds. We will all be learning to navigate life without Uncle Raymond for the rest of our days.

This song is amazing! I had to share it as a reminder to myself and others grieving for a loved one, such as Uncle Raymond that this life doesn’t last forever. We will be together again, as soon as God is ready.

 

21 gun salute souvenir

Thank you for your time and service in the Navy!

You were the life of the party! You will always be loved, you will never be forgotten!

 

Loving and being thankful

The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.
Henry Ward Beecher

Being thankful is so much better than wondering why things happen. Before having a relationship with God, I often wondered why things were happening to me.

It used to break my heart knowing that I may not have a relationship or get married. I never understood why I couldn’t even get a chance to have a relationship.

I may never have the kind of relationship I want, but God is giving me the type of relationship I need. I feel myself connecting more to God every day. He is letting me see miracles every day; I may not see them right away I know that he works wonders every day.

I used to be shy when it came to talking to God. Now I am learning that there are no right words. You can say anything, and he hears you. You may not get what you want, but God provides what you need at the proper time.

I am learning that as long as you put God first. He will be with you forever and always through thick and thin. As much as I would love a relationship that turns into marriage, God is more important than any relationship I could ever have in my lifetime. If I ever have the chance to be in a relationship, they would have to accept God as well.

I have a lot of work to do, is my relationship with God, perfect? No. I still try to pull away from time to time, especially when I don’t understand what’s going on within my life I always feel the pull between God and the devil. It feels good when God wins over the devil. I feel myself let go and let him hold me in his arms.

I wanted to be like everyone else, now I feel like I’m just discovering how much God loves me. He loves me enough to protect my heart.
He loves me enough to show me that I don’t have to be like everyone else.
I’m so sorry God, you’ve been chasing me for a long time. I want you to know that I’m going to try to trust you completely. I always say I’m going to let go, but I always end up worrying in the end.

Thanks for stopping by today and God bless

 

 

God’s word: new lifestyle

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God.

Unknown

Well, here I am breathing a sigh of relief. Praise God, and his son Jesus. The reason I haven’t been blogging too much is that I’ve been feeling like my health is more important lately.

Ever since I found out that I had a kidney stone in March of this year, I realized that I wasn’t taking excellent care of myself.

1. I’ve learned mom is always right; she would always tell me that I needed to drink more than just two 16 ounce cups of water.
Coffee and other sugary drinks do not count due to the risk of dehydration.

Rule of thumb to how much water you should be drinking at least 2 L a day. I know that sounds like a lot break that down into 4 16 ounce bottles.

Disclaimer I am no expert by any means. I did my research and most important of all; I listened to my urologist’s advice and knowledge.

My food Do’s and Don’ts.
1. I do eat more fruits and vegetables.
2. I do drink fresh diet lemonade. (In moderation). Thank you, Chick-fil-A
3. I do monitor my portion control even more now than before. I limit myself; I don’t ask for seconds. Nine times out of ten I am successful.
4. I stick to the serving size when it comes to eating snacks.
5. I am still learning about healthy dairy habits and portions.
Note about number 5 I was cutting out dairy because I thought it was hurting my stomach come to find out I wasn’t eating it the right way. It all stems back to portion control.
6. I am eating less salt, I have switched to baked chips, and I have stopped eating microwavable dinners.
1. I don’t drink sugary drinks anymore. I mostly stick to water — no more coffee drinks.
2. Ladies and gentlemen I have decided to give up all chocolate related items. It’s my personal decision after examining my diet and researching the Internet. I started noticing that I was putting away a lot of chocolate at certain times of the month. After taking chocolate entirely out of my diet, I feel less sluggish and bloated. I don’t know if chocolate was one of the causes of my kidney stone, but I have learned from Google that chocolate is right up there with spinach causing kidney stones.

3. I no longer eat fried or greasy foods. The list is way too long.
Note I may have forgotten a few things, it’s a lot to take in.

You may think my God; she must be depressed. No, having a kidney stone is much more depressing not to mention extremely painful.

I also started a new daily regimen this year prescribed by my doctor. Potassium citrate and B6 I do take them as directed.

Some of these changes took a while to discover, and others fell right into place right away.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Southern Urology Dr. Chris Fontenot, and his staff has been taking care of me ever since the beginning of my ordeal with kidney stones this year.

I am incredibly excited to announce that I am on autopilot until next December, meaning everything is looking good which means goodbye, Freddy Krueger that is the nightmarish name I have given to having a kidney stone because it felt like Freddy Krueger was inside of me scratching my insides.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read this, God bless you all have a Merry Christmas and happy New Year!

God’s word: blessed to be here

Hello to all who reads this, I’ve been on hiatus for a while. I didn’t want to force a blog entry out of nothing. So I decided to lay low until the time was right.

Tomorrow August 25, 2018, marks 37 years since my life changed even before entering the world. The earlier years had many obstacles and mountains to climb. I struggled to fit in. All of you know my story by now, thanks to my wonderful friend Jaycee.

I am slowly learning that it’s okay to be me. I’m not supposed to follow the world I’m supposed to obey God. I’m not supposed to do everything the world does. I’m not supposed to believe and accept everything the world does. I’m supposed to love the world, just as God does.

I used to scream and cry, why me, why did this happen to me. Every time something went wrong, or I couldn’t experience life just like everyone else, I would wonder why, instead of being grateful for what I had.

I made all kinds of plans in my head and when they didn’t turn out the way I thought they should. I got angry. I went in the wrong direction for a long time. I didn’t look to God for guidance.

Today I thank God for all the blessings he had bestowed upon me through the many hard lessons in life, even when I didn’t deserve them. I’m sorry that I didn’t trust you in the past. I’m sorry that put all my trust in what I could see instead of God who was looking for a place in my heart. I shouldn’t have to see to believe in what my God can do.

Today because of God’s grace I can say I am blessed to have cerebral palsy because God is using me to show what he is capable of doing. God loves and protects his children even the broken ones.

I may not be able to walk, but I can talk.
I don’t have to walk to communicate.

I may not have a college degree, but I have my high school diploma.
I don’t have to go to college to prove that I have an education. Some people can handle college others cannot, and that’s okay.

I may not be a part of the workforce, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have the determination to live life to the best of my ability.

I may not have a husband and children to love, but I am a daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin, aunt, Godmother friend, and a kind stranger. Isn’t that amazing I don’t have to be in love to show love.

The moral of this story is we all have our way of living life; we shouldn’t have the desire to be the same as someone else.

Thank you for joining me to celebrate my 37th year of surviving the car accident. If you don’t know the story, feel free to click the link below to learn more.

http://999ktdy.com/words-of-wisdom-love-and-faith-from-a-friend-too-blessed-to-call-herself-handicapped/

I wish I could thank everyone individually who made my life what it is today. The best way to do that is to say thank you for being a friend.

 

 

Corey Newsome

Published on Feb 8, 2011, Youtube

Gods word: I’m surviving

I have been surviving in this world since my premature birth in 1981. No one knew what I was capable of on day one, but God knew, and he still knows even before me or anyone else.

It’s never easy to explain my story to someone new; some people don’t even know what cerebral palsy is others have their ideas of what and how I should be experiencing life. Some people ask if I do anything special during the day? My answer is no; I’m your typical run-of-the-mill 36-year-old. I may be physically unable to move the way you do, but I have fun my way in my own time.

I spend a lot of time on my computer reading/listening to the Bible, I have trouble holding a book up and following what I read with my eyes, but there are ways around it. If I make what I am reading on the computer big enough, the lines separate far enough for me to concentrate on one line at a time. As far as books go, I like the audio versions better than print. The same goes for Facebook and other favorite websites such as this blogging website.

I listen to Christian music and my fantastic friend Jaycee in the afternoon on KTDY. Jaycee is the one who sparked the realization that my opinion matters. How I feel, how I cope with life matters. I was celebrating 34 years of surviving a car accident when I told my story.
I go to my favorite place of all time, Crossroads Church, I go to the movies I sometimes go shopping, I like dining out at handicapped accessible restaurants.

I think it’s worth telling my friend thank you over and over again for the rest of my life for waking me up and helping me realize I have a voice. I love sharing my story over and over again to help people understand that I may be different, but I am me!

What sparked this blog entry, I’ve been meeting new people in the medical profession due to my recent kidney stone craziness. I’m not blaming anyone, they each had their questions, and knowledge about people in wheelchairs. When I talk in public, my physical feelings and words might not match up correctly to what they think and know. For instance, my kidney stone was on the left side, but I was feeling the majority of the pain on the right. The pain would ping-pong back and forth each time I moved a certain way, which confused some. To help you understand. I do feel when someone grabs my hand or touches any part of my body. I have something called startle reflex, which means my body reacts to unforeseen situations such as noises, loud voices and unexpected taps on the shoulders or arms. Sometimes I feel like if I wasn’t seatbelted into my chair. I would be 10 feet in the air. I experience countless situations where I hit my hands or knees under tables. I feel every bump in the right place.

The reason I felt like writing this. Some people confuse cerebral palsy with being paralyzed; I experienced lack of oxygen to the brain, not a spine injury. I’m able to think for myself, I have muscle weakness, and my arms and legs are tight, meaning I can’t straighten them all the way out. Not all cerebral palsy cases are the same. Some can walk, talk and work others are way worse off than me. It takes a village to lift me up without my ceiling lift. 3 or 4 women depending on how strong and if they are used to picking up people that can’t move or help themselves. It takes about two strong men if they can get in the right position without hurting themselves. I’m very grateful for all the healthcare workers in and around the hospitals. It’s tough to get an accurate examination in the doctor’s office because of some tests require me to be on the bed or table. It’s getting to the point where the x-ray technicians at Lafayette General Southwest know me, and I remember their faces as well.

After explaining all of this, I realize that my life story will never end with, they got married and lived happily ever after. Someone fearless, patient and willing would have to be a part of my life. Sure, I fantasize about the perfect guy willing and able to be with me what girl doesn’t do that. Give it time it will happen, yeah it could happen. I dare a single available guy that would typically date an active young lady to go up to a disabled person and start a conversation in front of the parent and caregiver.

Just thought I would share, thanks for listening and God bless!

God’s word: goodbye March, hello April

My name is Jessica, and I survived my first kidney stone! I learned some valuable lessons through this whole experience.

1. If you’ve never felt the pain of a kidney stone, do not use the Internet to self-diagnose your symptoms.
The reason is your symptoms can match many different diagnoses leading you down the wrong path of treatment.

2. A kidney stone can cause more pain than you ever felt in your entire life.
I know this because I had gallbladder surgery in February 2012. I would instead go through a second gallbladder surgery. Too bad I only had the one gallbladder. Just kidding, I know we only have one gallbladder.

3. The more prominent a kidney stone gets the worst your pain, and symptoms get.
My symptoms started in January with a slight burning in my stomach; I thought maybe it was normal due to working out. I have no idea the acid in my stomach was coming together to form my worst nightmare. I know what you’re thinking, you waited three months?!? Yes, I did, I thought my stomach was being sensitive because I have no gallbladder. After losing your gallbladder, your stomach becomes sensitive to certain things.

My kidney stone waited until after I attended Cajun comic relief on March 10, 2018, to make a bad situation worse. After my mom and I left the Hymen center. We decided to get something to eat on the way home. My stomach was bothering me, but I thought it was hurting from laughing.

I got home and ate my bacon cheeseburger on toast from Hardee’s. Along with onion rings. Probably not the best thing to do, but it was my decision.

I went to bed because I was planning on attending church the next day. My mom and I remember the time because we were both sleeping. At 12:26 AM the party in my stomach got out of control. It felt like motion sickness. It got to the point where I said mom I have to get checked out. I’m one of those that use the hospital sparingly, so when I say I want to go. I’m not playing around.

My mom drives me to Lafayette General Southwest, probably the best decision we ever made. The waiting room was empty, so there was no wait time between getting there, checking in and seeing the triage nurse. You know that question, what’s your pain level 1-10 it was a ten no doubt about it.

The ER doctor comes in and introduces himself; His name went in one ear and out the other. I feel bad because I remember the triage nurse’s name was Scott. Scott took my vitals, and everything before the doctor came in, so we bonded a little before the action got started.

The doctor started asking me what kind of pain I am in, the best way to describe it was it felt like a cat was scratching my insides. My mom said she could see his face change after I explained the pain. It was like he had a light bulb moment. I’m not kidding when I say the first test he ordered was a CAT scan; next came the x-ray, I believe a blood sample, and then a urine test.

Time passes before the ER doctor comes back and says you have a kidney stone. My mom and I look at each other, and I mean, you’ve got to be kidding me? I’m in disbelief at this moment; there’s no way a kidney stone can make your stomach feel like it is inside out.

The doctor says, we usually would send you home with meds to pass the kidney stone. Considering you are going through motion sickness. I will get you admitted. By this time they were about to change shifts. That’s how long it took; I didn’t mind. I was in no hurry to leave with my stomach acting the way it was.

Plus, to be honest, I was receiving the best care possible, the emergency room staff was fantastic, I was kind of sad when they transferred me up to the 6th floor. Like I said I bonded with some of the people taking care of me. They even made sure my mom was comfortable, which is a significant plus in my book. The ER referred me to a urologist that was on call named Dr. Christopher Fotenot. I also had a hospitalist looking out for me. Dr. Romero

Talking to these doctors was a little funny to me because my pain was on the right, but my kidney stone was on the left. They were a little baffled by that, Dr. Fotenot asked me if my wires were crossed. Meaning if I hit my hand will I feel the pain somewhere else.

I couldn’t blame him because even I was a little confused. I guess I was in so much pain it was hard to tell where it originated.

I stayed in the hospital one night and then I went to the surgical center to get my kidney stone blasted, which is a noninvasive procedure. I was asleep during the procedure. According to the nurses and my mom. I am funny under anesthesia. I will tell you what’s not funny when everything starts wearing off Monday night into Tuesday morning. Yes, the kidney stone was blasted in pieces, but I still had to let it pass through my body.

While recovering from the kidney stone, I developed a cough that turned into bronchitis.

Long story short, I was down in the dumps because I could not recover fast enough it took me about two weeks, not only that my mom got sick bronchitis. I felt awful.

While in the hospital. I kept wondering why I got a kidney stone. My mom looked it up; the main reason is not drinking enough water. Another reason could be some of the foods I eat.

So basically I did this to myself by making poor choices. Honestly, I don’t like water. So I avoided it at all costs, my mom made it available to me, but I would sip it throughout the day. I loved anything but water, anything with flavor in it. I drank coffee in the morning Gatorade and little sips of water here and there.

Going through this process, I found out that drinking 64 ounces of water a day is best.
It breaks down like this.
8×8 is 64. 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water, or you can do like me 4×16 is 64 4 16 ounce cups of water.
Now I drink two flavored glasses of water and two natural glasses of water. The flavored waters help keep me interested in drinking water that and the hope of preventing another kidney stone.

Now, this is not set in stone; some people may need more water throughout the day depending on how active they are or if they are sick. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink especially in the heat; you could be dehydrated before you know it.

I pray that my experience helps someone avoid the pain of the kidney stone. Some people develop a kidney stone because of their family history.

Last but not least I would like to thank the Lafayette General Southwest staff ER, the 6th-floor staff the technicians who took the x-rays and CAT scans.
Dr. Romero
My urologist Dr. Christopher Fontenot, his surgical staff and office staff. Everyone involved in my care was top-notch, Dr. Fotenot is still keeping an eye on me. I will be seeing him again in June. He’s hoping some tests can help me avoid getting another kidney stone.