Columns

MysonOscarhashadanawful sinus infection this week. I gave it to him, we’re sure, but there’s nothing that prepares you for the feeling of watching your child suffer without being able to do anything about it. And this is mild, I know, a far cry from scalded skin syndrome, that my niece, Hazel, went through. But it is a heartache like I’ve never experienced. As if that is not enough, every few hours we hold him down and suck his nose out with what I can only describe as a torture device. Okay maybe not that bad, but it feels barbaric. He thrashes and squalls, to the point that I’d really rather not do it. However when we finish, he can breathe again! And after a couple seconds, he’s our happy boy again. (He’s handled being sick much better than me. I’m in the foulest of moods, my wife can attest.) So every few hours we break out the snot sucker and do battle with our son, but every time it helps him breathe better, sleep better, and be happier.

The Wellspring hosted the East Carroll Parish SAFER (Stopping Abusive Family Environments Rural Services) Task Force meeting Wednesday, March 18 at First Baptist Church in Lake Providence. The meeting focused on stalking.

I have actually seen some who thought they were dying from the common cold. Have you ever watched a commercial on television trying to sell you a prescription drug for a disease you’ve never heard of, and yet when they list all of the symptoms, all of a sudden you feel like you have at least half of them? They talk about leg pain.

Let's talk about your blood pressure. None of us really like taking medicine.

Growing citrus in Louisiana has been a real struggle the past couple of years. Our recent winters have brought intense, though short-lived, arctic blasts that have damaged and even killed citrus trees.

I was recently seriously traumatized by a roll of toilet tissue at Kitty Degree Breast Center in Monroe. Yes, you read this right – a roll of toilet tissue.

My husband stayed at our house during the first, and worst, night of January’s ice storm. The kids and I were at my brother and sisterin- law’s with a generator.

Is it possible to be content? My son Oscar is 19 weeks old now. We just started on solid foods. So far, sweet potatoes, avocados, prunes, apples, and now carrots. If you were wondering, they are very helpful for a constipated baby. He’s fighting naps really hard, but is sleeping through the night most nights. The world has come to life around him, and he wants to see it all. Though being unable to move or even sit up is making his life frustrating. And he likes to tell us about it. He just learned to roll, but sometimes at night will roll onto his belly and cannot get back! Luckily, he knows how to call for assistance, and the help line has never failed him.

The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles announced that it has officially transitioned its website to www.expresslane. la.gov. The domain change from an .org address to the .gov domain strengthens cybersecurity protections, reinforces the agency’s official government status, and improves online visibility for residents seeking trusted information and services.

This past week was so emotional and hard for me. I think most of the week I was caught between despair and prayer, knowing full well that with the latter, I shouldn’t have been experiencing the former. But my brother, Keith, is in the hospital, and for most of last week, he was in intensive care. He had a kidney transplant. We have been waiting for the call they received at midnight for almost four years. They have been hard years. I have watched him get worse and finally be dependent on dialysis for his life. The transplant was a success, but he has had several setbacks, including several strokes, which have brought their problems. It is difficult knowing that someone had to give up their life to save your loved one, and it is almost impossible to put it into words. My sister-inlaw did it much better than I could have, so I am going to let her say it: