Hugs for PD and save some for Hannah - Joyce Johnson's Blog

A big hug to you PD and I thought you would like to hear about Hannah.  Hannah
 is my eleven year old great granddaughter.  I have written many poems about
her.  Two weeks ago she and her mama and grandma and other relatives  went
up into the high mountains for a week of horseback riding and adventure. 
They left their own horses at home and were given the ranch's horses and
mules to ride.  They had a wonderful time, the scenery and climate was wonderful.
Until the sixth  day when they were leaving.  Hannah woke up feeling rotten
and throwing up.  They had sixteen miles to ride out on horseback, no vehicle
could traverse the rough terrain.  Hannah could eat no breakfast and kept
feeling worse with a bad pain in her tummy and non-stop throwing up.  Then it
started raining and thundering and lightning and a fierce wind.  The horses
were veterans and were calm but the riders were really nervous because
trees were toppling and falling across their paths.  Meanwhile Hannah was
almost prostrate on her horse and throwing up into his mane.  She could no
 longer hold the reins and her grandma had to hold the reins and lead the
horse from her seat on a big mule.  Sixteen miles of torture for Hannah. 
They got home late at night.  Mama thought she was a wee bit better and
would be okay by morning.  Not so.
She was worse Saturday morning and she was taken to the emergency. 
After hours of intense scrutinization it was decided that she had acute
appendicitis and should be operated on immediately.  Hannah was eager to
have the operation, she thought that would put a halt to her misery.  They
had trouble getting her blood pressure up and she developed an agonizing
headache that wouldn't quit.  By this time she was whimpering like a hurt animal,
and our Hannah is not a cry baby.  The doctors decided she should go to the
 pediatric hospital in Seattle for better care.  Sixty miles in an ambulance and she was awake and in agony from her operation and her intense headache.  In Seattle they
got to work to figure out her headache, all the time pouring antibiotics into her
little body. The move was on Sunday.  The headache did not let up until Tuesday
when they decided it was the pain killers that they were giving her that was
the cause.  They took them all away.  The pain eased, she finally got some sleep.  Wednesday she was sleeping and better so they said she could go home Thursday
(yesterday) with her side open and a tube for antibiotics that she still needed. 
Mama will administer them.  Her senses are so heightened that she is agitate
and still wants no visits from her friends.  She is taking some nourishment. 
We think we will have our Hannah back soon, but imagine those sixteen miles
of torture on horseback.  Please send Hannah hugs.  Love, Joyce

Cyndi Macmillan Date: 8/2/2012 12:49:00 PM OH SWEET MERCY! I had no idea that your poem was THIS true to life, Dear Joyce!!!! I just scrolled down the blog list and saw this!!! You captured all this in your poem so well. Poor wee Hannah! What a trooper. Please let her know that someone thinks she is made of some pretty tough stuff. In fact, she'd make a great heroine for a horse book! Like Flicka! xox Cyndi Login to Reply

Rhonda Johnson-Saunders Date: 7/28/2012 10:05:00 PM What an awful ordeal for a child to endure. I hope she is on the mend and feeling better soon. Hannah is on my prayer list. Love and Blessings, Rhonda Login to Reply

Andrea Dietrich Date: 7/28/2012 6:12:00 PM Poor Hannah, what a time that was for her. I sure hope she is recovering nicely, Joyce. Login to Reply

Joyce Johnson Date: 7/28/2012 9:36:00 AM I am going to print this off for Hannah and let her know about all the good wishes from you wonderful people. She is on the mend and I am sure will be back to her happy self soon. Thank you dear friends. Love, Joyce Login to Reply

Poet Destroyer A Date: 7/28/2012 2:27:00 AM Thank you Joyce... your story about Hanna, had me at heartache... nothing I'm going through compares to the scares of internal pain. I don't like the thought of my kids being sick or in pain... I know how it is, when a young one I's sick or in pain... and one just hopes and prays it's all gone by morning... sad when situations turn for the worse... poor Hanna... I'm sending her lots of hugs... I'm also sending you hugs... your a brave poet in my book... always looking forward to reading reality through your poems....Joyce...ii. hope Hanna will recover soon...and yes horseback riding under pain.... sounds painful enough... hugs love And prayers.. to you Hanna ... xox..pd Login to Reply

Francine Roberts Date: 7/27/2012 10:33:00 PM oh that poor kid, you are all so lucky the appendix didn't burst, when my ex was a child his burst on the way to the OR and he was dead for a minute or two, My daughters also burst as she was headed into surgery, as awful as her experience was it would have been disasterous if the appendix had burst while she was off on horseback far from a hospital. Login to Reply

Kim Merryman Date: 7/27/2012 7:12:00 PM That poor little girl! I can't even begin to imagine the agony she suffered. I pray that she will recover quickly and be back to her usual self. Sending lots of hugs your way, Hannah! Get well soon! Love, Kim Login to Reply

Carrie Richards Date: 7/27/2012 7:08:00 PM Oh dear Joyce, there is no pain in the world than seeing a child suffer so! Poor little girl, I have two grandchildren who are both 11 years old...a boy and a girl, so I know my heart would break to watch them go through this ordeal. I hope she recovers quickly, (thankfully children are resilent! ) I have many Grandma hugs stored up, so I am glad to share them with your Hannah, and PD, and anyone who needs a little extra TLC! Login to Reply