Storms of Life

By James Wyckoff

The book contains stories of suspense, drama, joy, sadness and triumph. These stories come straight from the heart of these individuals in their own words. They encourage, they inspire and they have the ability to lift ones spirit and forge a path that is sometimes hidden or wrapped up in misfortune and unexpected grief.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665513449

James Wyckoff

The author is an architect by training and facility manager by profession whose life experiences have taught many lessons. These lessons range in scope from the minute to the super grand in scale, all with a common thread. They teach, they humble, they inspire. He was an officer in the military, a draftsmen, a planner and a program manager.

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© 2021 James Wyckoff. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  01/19/2021

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1340-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1344-9 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in

this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views

expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version

(Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic

Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version.

Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New

International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International

Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

CONTENTS

Introduction/Preface

Chapter 1   A Fighter Since Birth: Samisha Bledsoe Hamler

Chapter 2   Crisis In Sicily

Chapter 3   Another Chance-Cardiac Arrest: Shelley Wyckoff

Chapter 4   Cancer Sage: Juanita Sales Lee

Chapter 5   A Silent Voice: Shelley Wyckoff

Chapter 6   An Unusual July: James Wyckoff

Afterword

INTRODUCTION/PREFACE

Storms are characterized by disturbance and upheaval. Disturbance and upheaval does not respect race, social status, age or any other human frailty. The act of living sets everyone up for the potential of storms in our lives. These storms can have a tendency to affect every aspect of ones existence. This book contains stories of life upheavals that have invaded the lives of individuals at various stages of their careers and how they responded.

These are stories with a practical message of hope: examples of people, who have encountered and continue to encounter difficult times in life, but who have looked inside and decided to pursue whatever this life has to offer. Lessons are told from the perspective of a university professor who fell ill and stranded in a foreign country, who loses her voice as a result of surgery to remove a lump in her throat, experiences sudden cardiac arrest, then is diagnosed with vascular dementia from a accident; a young newly-wed struck with MS (multiple sclerosis); and a lawyer dealing with Cancer just when she is flourishing in her field.

Their stories offer lessons learned on the power of hope, faith, and individual resolve. The storms have come unexpectedly, without explanation or warning, and seemingly with great cruelty and coldness. Yet these heroes have developed ways and means to cope, knowing in some cases it’s only a temporary fix. These stories offer hope for the hopeless and strength for the weak who may be struggling with their own life storms. Offering hope and strength makes them special. Listening to their stories gives everyone encouragement and support.

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CHAPTER 1

A Fighter Since Birth:

Samisha Bledsoe Hamler

I WAS BORN PREMATURE. THAT KIND OF put me in second place, right? Since the day I entered this world, fighting was my mantra. Doctors and nurses alike gave little hope for my survival, but instinctively I fought. My mother gave birth to me after twenty-six weeks of gestation. Truthfully, yours truly was barely viable outside the womb when she went into labor. The German doctors did all they could to stop her labor (to no avail) and I made my debut October 15, 1983, in Heilbronn, Germany. Immediately, I was rushed to the high-risk nursery for evaluation and stabilization. My mother was left with doubt and uncertainty. The doctors told her not to get too close, as it was highly unlikely that I would make it. They warned her that my twenty-ounce body would get even smaller. They advised her to rest, as there was a long journey ahead. She was given one glimpse of hope: if I made it seven days, my chances of survival increased exponentially. Guess what? I passed that test because I’m here to tell the story!

I wouldn’t say that every day since then has been a struggle, but many of those days tested me more than I liked. I believe I fell victim to my parent’s excitement that I made it and resulting over protectiveness. Whenever I didn’t meet a milestone, it was of course because I was premature. When I didn’t walk at the same time as my peers, it was because I was premature. If I didn’t read as well as the others in my class, it was all because I was premature. I was never pushed harder because I was premature. It always seemed to be a logical excuse.

Even though I often missed certain achievements, I was a happy child and I seemed to thrive socially. I had tons of friends and loved being around others. As I grew older, I began to reveal a natural excellence in athletics. Now, instead of being behind my peers academically, I was miles ahead of them athletically. Softball was my sport of choice, mainly because I had family members who also played but also because I was very dominant in the sport. When I asked my mom if I could play in our local Little League, she didn’t hesitate to sign me up. Unbeknownst to her, I was great! She was uncertain as to how I would be treated on the team because I was the youngest girl and it was my first year. But I picked up the fundamentals and strategy quickly. Even though I was the youngest, I was a key player on my team.

I was eight years old when I fell in love with softball. Man, that was twenty-five years ago. My love for the game changed my life! While I never thrived academically, I soared in softball. I was a pitcher in an all-black Little League. No one ever gave us a chance. They counted us out immediately. Their opinions were quite the contrary at the end of the game. When I was too old to play in Little League, I played on the varsity team at my high school. Most of the time I played in the outfield and rarely got an opportunity to pitch. It seemed like there was always someone better, someone more experienced. My senior year, our team was left with just two pitchers. Whether I was experienced or skilled no longer mattered—, I was needed. To the surprise of all who watched, I was good. I dominated the mound. I have a great fast ball, and because I am left- handed, my pitches broke in the opposite direction, confusing the batters. After that season I was on the All Bi-City and All State teams and broke several records at my high school. I ended the season as the Most Valuable Player.

I’m not really sure when college came into the picture, but I knew that softball was my ticket. I left high school for Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My freshman year was quite the experience. Leaving a predominantly white high school for a Historically Black University was eye opening. I found and embraced a new love for my blackness. I was on a full scholarship to play softball. My freshman year I led the Lady Jaguars to the Southwestern Conference Championship, made the All-Conference Team, and was named the Southern Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player. I went on to have four successful seasons at Southern University, leaving with a multitude of wins, titles, and awards— but most importantly, with a Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation and Leisure Studies.

Shortly after graduation, I got my first real job. I was working for the State of Georgia as an activity therapist. That career was short-lived when my first love, softball, presented me with a great opportunity. I was asked to be a graduate assistant and assistant softball coach for Grambling University. While there, I earned a Master of Science in Sports Administration. After I completed graduate school, I returned home to Columbus, Georgia.

I worked at our local hospital and coached softball. That’s when my story really begins. For the first time in my life, I was having major digestive issues. Because I worked at a hospital, I got a friend to perform an ultrasound on my stomach. She advised me to go to a physician, as there might be issues with my gallbladder. Heeding her advice, I scheduled an appointment, and before week’s end, I was having surgery to remove my gallbladder. I thought I would see a significant difference, but I didn’t. My digestive issues seemed to get progressively worse, and I visited the gastroenterologist regularly. I received colonoscopies and endoscopies quarterly and ultimately was given an unofficial diagnosis of what could be Crohn’s Disease. While I wasn’t sure what Crohn’s was and how it would impact life, I felt like I had overcome the worse. I knew I was a fighter. No one could have expected what was about to come— it was truly a surprise.

Every year we take my niece out to dinner