10/27/08
9:23 AM
Page 1
friends & family
Keeping the Faith After finding out that she had a tumor on her brain, Sheila Jordan learned that her faith, a positive attitude and the love of friends and family would see her though the tough times that lay ahead. by Judy Floyd Smith
I
In the spring of 2008, Sheila Jordan developed headaches that progressed to excruciating pressure in her head. In addition to the pain, she had moments of confusion and memory loss. Sheila realized that something was wrong but couldn’t isolate a cause or pattern to the symptoms. This was both frightening and puzzling to this mother of two small children. One day in April, Sheila recalls becoming very confused and disoriented. “I wasn’t sure where I was and became more confused about where I was going. I thought I might be having a stroke. My face felt as if it was falling on one side. I looked in the mirror and could see no physical change in my facial features, but the sensation that something was happening remained,” Sheila recalls. Afraid and confused, she called a friend and former business associate, Dr. Kevin Sattele. When Sheila explained her symptoms, he directed her to stay where she was. While on the phone, Dr. Sattele’s sister and Sheila’s friend, Kelly, beeped in calling to invite Sheila to join her for lunch. She realized right away that something was terribly wrong and immediately drove to the salon where Sheila works. There, she found Sheila in her car and realized that she didn’t know quite where she was and was unable to figure out how to get out of the car. Kelly immediately called her brother and told him what she was witnessing and he advised her to take Sheila directly to the hospital emergency room. Sheila spent several days in the hospital where Drs. Booth and Farrell diagnosed her with Acoustic Neuroma, a benign tumor on the brain. She would later make a decision to go to MUSC in Charleston for further tests. Once there, she learned that the tumor was connected to her facial and auditory nerves. The doctors explained that it may have been growing for four or five years and would require surgery for its removal. After consulting with neurosurgeon, Dr. Patel, and Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist, Dr. Lambert, a surgery date – June 30th – was set. “They told me it would likely take ten hours and I was very concerned about the outcome and for my small children,” Sheila explains. Before returning home that evening, Sheila’s husband, Jay, wanted to take her out to dinner. They chose Hyman’s Seafood Restaurant, a well-known estab-
photo by Collin M. Smith
82
Sheila Jordan pictured with her husband, Jay, daughter, Chandler and son, Cameron.
The Jordan Family lishment in the heart of downtown Charleston. While there, Sheila noticed a frame on the door of the ladies’ room that read,“Hyman’s Seafood Motto.” As she began reading its message, she was “very moved and inspired.” “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day, regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past.We cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have – and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it. And so it is with you – we are in charge of our ATTITUDES.” - Pastor and Author of “Attitude,” Chuck Swindoll Sheila and Jay returned home and she went back to work the next day. She also began making plans for how to manage the situation she was facing. Sheila says, “It was Friday the 13th of June and standing at my chair in the salon, I said a prayer seeking answers from God and asking for the strength to deal with whatever I was facing. The pain in my head was horrible and I knew at that point that I couldn’t go on like that. I was unable to focus on my work and I felt that I couldn’t properly take care of my children.” Sheila believes God answered her prayer when about ten minutes later, she received a call from MUSC. Her doctors in Charleston were able to clear an earlier date on their calendars and the surgery was moved up to June 16th. Upon receiving word that the surgery had been moved up, Sheila, Jay, their children and the remaining members of their immediate family packed up and left for Charleston. “We wanted the children with us and we also wanted them to be surrounded by family members who could make their stay as normal and as much fun as possible. We settled in at our motel and prepared for the
long ordeal of the next day. On the morning of my surgery, Reverend Robert Griggs was waiting on me at the hospital. Reverend Griggs has been a part of my life since childhood; he was my school principal, my pastor and a mentor to me throughout my childhood, youth and into adulthood. I felt such peace and comfort in his presence. I knew everything was going to be alright.” The surgery was long and tedious, but successful. Sheila was told that a full recovery would require extended rehabilitation that could last up to eight months. The surgery left her totally deaf in her left ear and with a ten-percent hearing loss in her right ear. As a result, she had to learn to balance herself and to walk again. “I was determined to succeed. The Lord brought me this far, surely I could move forward from this point and return to a normal life with my family. Instead of just walking down the corridor of the hospital with my physical therapist, I asked if I could climb the stairs in the stairwell. I knew that if I could balance myself stepping up and down that I would certainly be able to learn to walk again.” Sheila left MUSC after a few days to recuperate at home in Lynchburg. Surrounded by her husband and their two children, Chandler (5) and Cameron (4); her parents and her husband’s parents; her family and friends, she made a miraculous recovery. With a positive attitude, a strong faith and determination, Sheila returned to full-time work in her salon within six weeks. She remains grateful to all her friends and family who made phone calls, visits, brought gifts and faithfully kept her in their prayers. “I am especially thankful for my physicians, Drs. Booth, Farrell, Patel and Lambert, for their loving care and professional expertise. I appreciate so much Dr. Sattele and Kelly for coming to my rescue in an urgent time of need. I want to thank Reverend Burton Welsh and the wonderful people of the Sardis Baptist Church in my community for sending cards, telephone calls and for their prayers. To all my family and friends, thank you all for your loving support during this difficult time in my life. I thank God for His hand in this and in all of my life. Always keep the faith.”
Judy Floyd Smith is employed by Florence School District One as an Assistant Director for Special Needs at the Florence Career Center. She has been a professional educator for the past 36 years primarily working with special populations. Judy hasf two grown sons, Robbie (Mary) age 37, and Kevin, age 32, and the grandmother of Amy and David. She enjoys good literature, writing, and music and is a life long member of Central United Methodist Church.