Dear First Responders,

I know many times you know nothing about your patients when they roll through your doors, or the outcome after their discharge. I wanted to thank you for the excellent care my husband received when he was a patient this spring....... from my point of view as a wife. 

Thank you for all you do from the bottom of my heart. I know you are overworked and under appreciated. Words are not adequate to thank you, but here goes....

April 11, 2015.....It was opening day at our community ballpark. My oldest son, Kohen, loves baseball. We were excited about the new season. Some of the parents decided to play a game that evening. Zack decided to suit up and play ball. 

A few minutes after I arrived at the park, he walked off the field and towards me........ "I don't feel so good.....I think I hurt my arms when I was up to bat, "he said. He very pale and diaphoretic. Then he heaved as if to vomit....... Time stood still........my mind began to race.....part of me was stunned and in disbelief.......another part of me suspected he was having a heart attack.  But, that makes NO sense. He had no cardiac history and had never had ANY chest pain or other cardiac symptoms. Zack was very calm, I was calm....... everyone was very cool and collected as we waited for the ambulance to arrive.

I followed the ambulance and when I arrived at the hospital, I was immediately greeted by the patient rep and escorted to another room. Then.......I began to  PANIC 😖😬 a bit,  on the inside. I was not sure what to think............

Everything was happening so quickly.....The rep took me to see him, the MD then informed me he has was INDEED having a massive heart attack and he was going to the cath lab ASAP.

There were so many staff members in the room scurrying around. The only faces I remember seeing are those the doctor, the patient rep, and that of my husband.

One minute we were enjoying a nice night at the park and the next, my husband was telling me there was some cash in his truck at the park "in case anything happened." He had 100% occlusion of his LAD (a major coronary artery known as the widow maker) and some less severe blockages on the front side of the heart. Dr. Laney eventually concluded that most likely scenario was a piece of plaque ruptured while he was playing ball and caused the occlusion.

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. God was TRULY watching over us that day in so many ways. Zack was at the park with plenty of people and not somewhere alone. We reacted quickly and he received immediate medical attention. He received excellent care from everyone involved; the fire department,  HEMSI, and the Huntsville Hospital staff. 

Since that day, there have been some major lifestyle changes. Zack, in his own words," has gone from 21 cheeseburgers a week to 2. He has made some huge changes in his diet. He recently graduated from a cardiac rehab exercise program. His cholesterol is now114. He is not only as good as new, but better. We are so blessed and thankful that he is! 

He is many things to many people. He is a high school sweetheart turned husband to me, father to our two boys Kohen and Caleb, and our spoiled rotten dog, Lacy,  the only living son of his parents, a quiet, easy going friend, a hunting and fishing buddy, owner of a small family business.......

Again, I wanted to thank you all for the amazing care he received that day. Also....to let you know a little bit about whose life you saved that day and that he is doing great. 

 

Forever grateful, 

Alicia James

 

 

 

 

 

 

She is Redeemed

She Revolution 2014

These past few days, I have been totally wrecked and undone. SHE (Seeking His Embrace) Revolution, the annual women's conference at my church, was this weekend. This year's theme was, "She is Redeemed."

Words cannot begin to describe how truly life changing, encouraging, healing, and refreshing this weekend was for me. I may give it a shot after I have some time to absorb it all. It was like the whole conference was tailor made just for me. For now though, I simply want to share some pearls of wisdom from the speakers.........

Pearls of Wisdom

Jeanne Mayo

"Right choices eventually bring right emotions."

"A man or woman wrapped up in themselves makes a very small package."

"What you cry for today you may cry about tomorrow." 

Holly Wagner

"Your past can help give someone a future."

Sean Smith

"You gotta know the difference between being knocked down and knocked out."

"It's one thing for you to have emotions. It's another things for your emotions to have you." 

Welcome baby Caleb

Little Caleb Harrison James arrived on the scene Friday October 21 at 5:45 am weighing in at 5 lb 10 oz and 18 1/2 inches in length. It was a memorable delivery experience. I was close to delivering without a physician, but knew I was in great hands. We had a wonderful experience all around! It was so good to see everyone I used to work with. Made me miss my days of being a Labor and Delivery nurse.

Kohen was so excited to meet his little brother! He is such a helper. He enjoys holding and feeding him.

We are so thankful and blessed to welcome him to our family.

Beyond Blessed

As I sit here, reflecting on the past five years, there are so many emotions that surface. God has blessed me with a healthy, happy child that brings me so much joy. I am so grateful Zack and I were chosen to be his parents. Not that it is not a huge challenge at times, but it is SO worth it. I am so thankful that I have been blessed with such wonderful friends and family to look to for support and advice along this journey that we call parenthood. It means more to me than you will ever know. I love you all and am so grateful to have friends like you in our lives

I have also had a lot of grief and suffering over the past couple of years also. The loss of my Dad was at times more than I thought I could bear. I miss him so much. Days like today especially. He loved Kohen so, and was a proud "Popsy". I know that he is in a better place, and that he is looking down with that smile only Kohen could bring to his face.

The past six months have been more than difficult. As many of you know about two and a half years ago, a cholesteotoma (benign tumor) was discovered in my ear. I have had extensive surgery that included prosthetic bones and cartilage. When my ear began ringing six months ago, I had no idea what the next few months would entail. After numerous doctors visits, cat scans, medications, injections, I began to lose hope that anything would bring relief from this noise in my head.

I am a positive person. I tried not to let it get the best of me, but some days it did. I had reached the point if I did not see a light at the end of the tunnel, I was going to go over the edge.As I was on the edge of sinking into a deep depression, I went and tried a brand new device to help cope with the noise. That night was my night to keep the nursery at church. I SO wished I could have gone to the service that night. Anyway, I got a text message from my dear friend Melanie about 30 minutes into service. I did not check it until after church......It said which ear bothers you? After church I called her. She said that Pastor Rusty stopped the service and began to talk about someone in the church that was suffering from ringing in their ear. She said he described everything I had been through over the past few months. He prayed for healing and relief. The next day when I woke up, it was like someone had taken the volume switch on the ringing and turned it WAY down. The device now totally blends with the ringing and all I hear is a sound like static on the TV. I am SO thankful! God is so good. I feel like my old self again.

I just want to say thank you to all of you that have been there for me during this difficult time in my life. Honestly, I do not know what I would do without such great friends in my life. You guys lift me up when I am not able to do it myself. Words are not sufficient to express my appreciation. I am beyond blessed to have you in my life.Thanks so much for being there!


And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

Joy of Spring by David O'Whalen

Spring morning
A warm Breeze
doves cooing softly
Pollen dusted trees

A few brave violets
A red streaked dawn
A very early robin
Earthworms in the lawn

Spring peeper frogs
Smell of dogwood blossoms
Nature’s petroglyphs in muddy bogs
Footprints left by possums

Easter eggs and bonnets
Chocolate rabbits, Missing ears
Jelly beans and sonnets
Spilled Easter baskets, children’s tears

Parades,
leafy bowers
Lemonades
Spring showers

Spring mornings
Warm breezes
Deep breaths
Allergic sneezes

Smell of Fresh coffee
Sound of birds as they sing
Joy of life.. joy of being…
…Joy of Spring

Time of Refreshing

Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in the day to day business of life, and not take time for yourself. I am definitely guilty of this on many levels. More so since my Dad died. I have really been struggling with my temper, being patient, and truly appreciating those that God has placed in my life and not taking them for granted.

This past weekend we had the opportunity to go on a couples retreat with our church. It was such a blessing to me. We stayed at Covenant Cove, what a great name for a place to have a marriage retreat. Covenant Cove is located on Lake Guntersville neighboring the Top of the River restaurant. We had the opportunity to learn more about our pastors and their marriage playing the newlywed game, which was a great icebreaker. I would tell you more, but what is said in Guntersville stays in Guntersville.LOL! We also enjoyed getting to know some other couples at church in a more relaxed setting. We took a personality test and the love language test and discussed the results, which was both interesting and enlightening. It required some thought and reflection, which I know I need. I think we all do at times. It gave me some insight as to how I relate to Zack as well as to others.

Spring and fall are wonderful times to reflect outdoors with the beauty and wonder of the seasons. If we want to truly be our best, we must take care of ourselves, so we have more to give to others. I hope you all are able to take some time, whether it be an afternoon or a long weekend to recharge, relax, and reflect and refresh. Relaxation awaits!

I included links to Covenant Cove and the test we took. They will take less than five minutes total. You might learn something about yourself!

http://www.covenantcove.com/

http://www.oneishy.com/personality/personality_test.php

http://www.afo.net/hftw-lovetest.asp

Simple White Envelope

Just wanted to share this. What a wonderful way to honor the true meaning of Christmas. I am making an effort this year to honor Christ and not "get all caught up." The little shopping I am doing has been mostly online. Instead of getting wrapped up in Christmas cards, I am going to enjoy every moment with my family and friends. I am going to take my time, and do New Year's cards. What would you do with your white envelope? Not sure yet, but I am going to start praying about it. I would like to do this in memory of my Dad........ You are going to love this.

Alicia

SIMPLE WHITE ENVELOPE

It's just a small white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.

It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas --oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it -- the overspending, the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma -- the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.

Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties, and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended.

Shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church.

These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.

Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.

Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, 'I wish just one of them could have won,' he said. 'They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.' Mike loved kids -- all kids -- and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball, and lacrosse.

That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition --one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning, and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents.

As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always. God Bless! -- pass this along to those friends and loved ones who you know are the givers who understand the true meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas.