Too Long

It’s been too long since my last update. All is well with the Bunches! Emme has grown substantially. She is a pistol! This has been perhaps the busiest year to date. Concert schedule has been mostly full. But with Melissa & I having taken off so many weeks this year, due to Emme’s birth & surgery, it’s been difficult to keep up financially. But God has provided for us and always on time. Our friends & family have stuck with us & we are grateful. SHANNONBUNCH.com is getting a new look coming in January 2010! I’m excited about that. Keep us in your prayers and hope to see each of you soon.

Need a Getaway? and It’s FREE! Be Our Guests…

As I mentioned in the previous B-List I will tell you how to receive a free getaway for a few days. Melissa and I are owners in Bluegreen, which is a time share company. Already I’ve lost some of you, but wait. We toured numerous timeshare companies and found Bluegreen to be the best on the market. Bluegreen allows us to travel with some of the best perks in the country. I would like for you to visit one of their many locations across the country as OUR GUESTS! All you need to do is email me you & your spouse’s (if applicable) names, mailing address, email address and preferably two telephone numbers. It’s that simple. Melissa and I will get you signed up ASAP! All you’ll need to do is spend 90 minutes with a Bluegreen representative and review the program. Encore Rewards & Bluegreen will determine location & incentives on an individual basis.

Email me your info today, shannon@shannonbunch.com.

Emme’s Surgery Journey Video

Emme’s Journey

New Room, New Attitude #8301

Well, it’s 9:00 and Emme’s asleep until they wake her up.  Today was uneventful, yet full of milestones.

My day started by watching our churches service online.  We attend Cornerstone in Nashville and today was their big 4th of July celebration.  It was good on screen, but I’m sure it was phenomenal in person.  Pastor Chris has been here all week for visits and he did a really good job today.  Who knew he could dance like that?

First, we had to devise a plan to get Emme to take her formula.  The nurse in ICU decided that it was time for a little “tough love” and I decided to take her advise.  We had brought Emme’s own bottles in after the advise of a friend, but she still wasn’t taking the milk.  So today, she got nothing to eat, except milk.  We decided that if she got hungry enough, she would take it, and she did!  So far we are up to 24 oz for the day which isn’t bad considering we had nothing except applejuice and Pedialyte for the past week. 

Next, we moved up to the 8th floor.  After 5 days in ICU, it was a pleasant change of scenary.  Don’t mistake me, I was thankful for the constant care that the ICU provided, but it’s a little overwhelming to see trauma after trauma.  There are a lot of hurting folks here at Vanderbilt Children’s.  Please keep them all in your prayers. 

After moving up to the 8th floor, Shannon went to fetch us some lunch from Jason’s Deli.  I was so thankful to eat, since it had been almost 24 hours since my last real meal.  In the ICU, you can’t bring any food back to your room so you have to leave to eat.  Here on the 8th floor, you can bring food into your room which is nice.  We have enjoyed snacks all day from some friends who visited yesterday. 

Lunch was great, then two of my students and their parents came to visit.  I’ve never worked somewhere that has shown me so much love.  My Stoner Creek family is amazing.  I guess when you go through something like this, you just realize or put into perspective the important things in life. 

After our visit, Shannon and I snuggled ourselves onto the lovely twin and a half pull out sofa.  I can’t say that it was too comfortable, but while you’re here you just don’t even care.  Emme slept and so did we for nearly 2 hours.  Well…Shannon got 3, but are you surprised?

Emme got up and I fed her a good bottle, then we took her out for a walk in the hospital.  We took her out to a play area on the 6th floor, to the fish pond on the first floor, and for a little piano playing on the 2nd floor.  Daddy played and Emme sat and smiled.  We’re almost back to normal.

We should be leaving here either tomorrow or Tuesday.  I have a good feeling about it being tomorrow, but we will see.  Shannon says he’s ready to get home, and of course I am too, but I don’t want to jump the gun.  We will do what Dr. Kelly thinks is best. 

I guess that’s about it for now.  We are signing off and going to bed. 

Emme Update

All is well. Emme had very smooth night. It appears that NO ADDITIONAL swelling has occurred over the past several hours. I’m relieved.

More on Emme’s Surgery today…

Written by Melissa on 6.23.09

Thanks to everyone who has followed our updates today and for all of the prayers and support. Emme’s surgery went very well today, “textbook” to be exact, and we are so grateful again for such a good team of doctors here at Vanderbilt Children’s.

Today started very early. We left the house about 5:00 a.m. and headed to VCH to check in. Shannon’s Mom, Barbara, said she couldn’t remember ever being up that early in her life. I felt rested and I think Shannon did too.

Shortly after we checked in, a pastor from our church came by to pray for Emme. There were also two ladies who came to sit with us while she was in the operating room. Cornerstone is such a wonderful church and we are so thankful for the people there.

Right before they took Emme back to the operating room, she fell asleep. As they wheeled her back to the O.R. she was peaceful and calm. Those to words are how I felt today also. Neither Shannon nor I shed a tear (not that we didn’t want to) and we both seemed to handle the stress of the day very well. I will admit, seeing her after surgery was a great feeling. Although she was swollen and stuck with I.V.’s everywhere, she looked beautiful to me.

After touring the PICU, Shannon and I decided that we would take shifts at the hospital. We had first intended on both staying the night, but there is only room for one in Emme’s room. The hospital does have family rooms, but they usually reserve those for out of town guests. We are so lucky to live in Nashville and not have to worry about where we will sleep during Emme’s stay here.

Emme is doing so awesome. As I type this she is sleeping peacefully. She only gets a little fussy when she’s hungry, and don’t we all do that? The nurse quickly learned that Emme’s appetite was way bigger than anyone could imagine. They gave us these little bitty bottles (kind of like what they use in the nursery when you have a baby) to begin feeding Emme with. In 15 seconds she had the whole bottle finished and was asking for more. After a few rounds of this, big bottles showed up!

She is opening her eyes off and on, but her face is getting more swollen as the minutes roll by. I anticipate by the morning her eyes will be swollen shut. Please don’t let this scare you, they will reopen in a few days. Until her eyes are open and she is eating well (we all know that won’t be a problem) she will not move from the PICU. Her room number here is 5419.

Speaking of her room number (5419), visitors are welcome. I was a little unsure of who would be allowed to come back into the room, but she can have up to 3 people in her room at a time. So, if you want to come by, even if it’s just for a few minutes, please feel free to do so.

Many of you know that I teach elementary school P.E. and this year I had a student who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Her family has been such a blessing to Shannon and I by giving us all the details and ins and outs of VCH. Their daughter will be here on Thursday to have some bloodwork done and they plan on coming by to see Emme. We are so thankful to have such a huge support team and don’t know what we would do without any of you.

I’m going to sign off for tonight, I’m sleep deprived and I think I better take the chance to rest up now before it’s too late. I’ll try to update more tomorrow.

Emme’s Surgery Complete

Emme has completed surgery with flying colors & almost 2 hours ahead of schedule! Dr. Kelly, the plastic surgeon, said it was “text book perfect”! Melissa & I are so thankful for your continued thoughts & prayers. Hospital stay is still estimated to be 7 days. Pictures will be posted to the website soon.

Emme’s Surgery Tomorrow

Today, my Mom, Emme, and I went to her pre-op appointments at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.  We visited with her plastic surgeon, Dr. Kevin Kelley, had blood drawn, looked at “what to expect” pictures, and learned what we could and couldn’t do post-op. 

Emme’s surgery for Metopic Craniosynostosis will be tomorrow (June 23^rd) at 7:30 a.m.  We have to be at the hospital at 6:00 a.m. to prepare her for surgery.  She will be in surgery for 6-7 hours.  After surgery, she will be in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for at least 2 days, possibly longer.  They will move her from PICU after her swelling has gone down enough for her to open her eyes.  This may take up to 3-4 days.  After she leaves the PICU, she will be moved to a regular room for several days.  Overall, her stay will be at least one week. 

I would like for everyone to know that visitors are welcome tomorrow at the hospital.  I’m not sure if Emme will be allowed visitors after surgery, but please feel free to come and keep Shannon and I company throughout the surgery.  My Mom (Patti) and Shannon’s Mom (Barbara) are both in town and will be at the hospital with us.  After Emme leaves the PICU, I believe she can have visitors to her room.  This should be around Thursday or Friday.   Please know that if you come to visit, Emme will be quite swollen and may not look like her usual self for the first few days.  I want everyone to be prepared.

For updates on Emme’s surgery tomorrow, please check Shannon’s website: www.shannonbunch.com Shannon and I both have “twitter” accounts that run a live feed on his homepage.  We will be sure to keep everyone posted throughout the day.

Many of you have asked what you could do to help us during this time.  Most importantly, please keep our family in your prayers.  Also, pray for Emme’s team of doctors including the neurologist, anesthesiologist, and plastic surgeon.  Our dog, Walter, is at his “foster” home right now and we plan to get him back to our house on Wednesday.  That goal might be wishful thinking, but I sure hope to see him soon!  We may need someone to let him in and out of our house a few times, but my great neighbors can probably help us with that.  Many have asked if they could prepare a meal for us, and the answer is YES!  I’m expecting life to be a little hectic when we return from the hospital and having pre-made meals would be a great blessing.  If you want to prepare something, it might be best to prepare it to be frozen as I have no idea what to expect when we get home.  Other than those few things, I have no other ideas at this time.  I’m sure plenty will come up, after we get through the surgery.

I just want to say thanks again to all of our family and friends who have supported us, prayed for us, and who will hold us up through this time.  Emme, Shannon, and I truly appreciate everything.

from the B-List, June 17, 2009

Update & Reschedule for Emme’s Surgery

I write to you today from Anna Maria Island, FL. We are enjoying a much needed & much deserved vacation! We’ll post pics after we get home. Due to surgeons & staffs schedules we are now preparing for Emme’s surgery on Tuesday, June 23rd @ 7AM. Due to this change Melissa & Emme will be flying home to Nashville Sunday morning. I will sing in Jacksonville, FL and then drive home that night. Pray for safe travels for them. The only part I don’t like about this is not being able to see Emme experience her first of many airplane rides. I guess you can’t witness it all. I have seen Emme experience the sand & ocean for the first time. And she loves it. I thought she would as she has never cried during a bath at home. Actually, she likes to be right underneath the faucet. That reminds me of an old-timers church saying, “Get under the spout where the glory runs out!” (slight tangent, sorry) And since we have been at the resort, Emme has seen herself in the mirror for the first time. Each time we repeat this “trick” it’s just like the first time. So sweet! Pray for us as we finish our vacation time together and prepare for a long few weeks of surgery and recovery.

Update Diamond Awards

The top 10 nominee list is as far as I got. I just recently learned that I did not make the final cut. While it is an honor to be nominated for Soloist of the Year and Christian Comedian of the Year, I would have rather won! But there’s always next year. Awards will be announced July 16 in Branson, MO during the Branson Gospel Music Convention.

Thyroid Nodules & a Biopsy

Just a few weeks ago I underwent an ultrasound to check for nodules on my thyroid glands. In fact, there are two. One which lies between the thyroid lobes in the area called the isthmus. This nodule measured 4cm and was solid. The other nodule is in the left lobe and measured 1.3cm. However, biopsy results showed these to be benign. My thyroid will monitored by both my primary care physician and an endocrinologist.

Check out www.shannonbunch.com for more upcoming events.

If you or someone you know schedules artists for your church or community events pass my name and website along to them. I have a few choice dates still available for 2009 and 2010 is already booking. Call 888-699-4922 or email today to reserve your date.

 

Join Shannon in Branson & Receive Discounts to Silver Dollar City Attractions

The Branson Gospel Music Convention and Silver Dollar City Attractions have teamed up to offer those attending the brand new Gospel music event a terrific opportunity to enjoy the sites and sounds of the world famous Silver Dollar City properties. Fans who purchase reserve tickets to the convention will receive great savings to Silver Dollar City, White Water and Showboat Branson Belle.

“We have packed the Branson Gospel Music Convention with music every day from morning until night,” says Kelly Burton, Program Director the Branson Gospel Music Convention. “But we concede people might need something to do on Monday or Saturday, and we are so happy to link our ticket holders to more of what the wonderful city of Branson has to offer.”

Cindy Thomas with Silver Dollar City Attractions added, “Silver Dollar City Attractions is thrilled to offer special rates to the Branson Gospel Music Convention. We are proud to support programs that praise the Lord“.

The inaugural Branson Gospel Music Convention will take place at the Branson Convention Center on July 14-17, 2009. Artists such as Blackwood Quartet, Chuck Wagon Gang, Florida Boys, The Stamps, The Paynes, Kirk Talley, Kenny Bishop, Crossway, Young Harmony, 2nd Generation, Rod Burton, Shannon Bunch, The Nelons, and Wendy Word + Forgiven, as well as many others, are scheduled to appear. Tickets are currently on sale.

Information will be provided with tickets on how to take advantage of this offer. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.bransongmc.com, or by calling 708-960-0111.