12/10/2009 News

Booking 2010…Help Needed

I’m actually behind where I should be on booking for the following year. My fall schedule has made it very difficult to stay caught up in the office. But with your help this will be an easy fix. If you, your church, or someone you know would like to schedule me for a concert next year now is the time to contact me. I’m actually a bit concerned about the first quarter of next year. I do not currently have enough dates booked to sustain us. That’s just the bottom line. There is still enough time to promote a concert if you book it now! Call me toll-free at 888-699-4922 or simply reply to this email today. Need I remind you I have a baby that needs to eat! I say that in humor but this is a critical time and your help is greatly appreciated. Via Facebook and Twitter some of you have already stepped up and booked your dates and I thank you very much.

Live Video Recording Scheduled

January 9 my schedule will take me to Knoxville, TN where I will record a live video for the first time in almost 10 years. This should be fun! Also on the same evening Praise, Inc a Texas based quartet (and very good friends) will also shooting a live concert video. Details are below in The Bunch Stops Here section. We need everyone that can get there…the bigger the crowd the better the video. I’ve been told that Praise, Inc will pay $10 for each “glory, hallelujah” shout!

I Won’t Be Long

Now there’s a phrase that captures my attention. And if you have ever attended church these words automatically put you on alert or in some cases asleep. When the preacher says, “I won’t be long”, you might as well take your shoes off and stay a while. Then there is the other infamous statement from the pulpit, “I’m coming to a close”. That just means the preacher has just really arrived at the first point of the sermon but he’s trying to keep your attention and settle your nerves! I love observing the little things that take place during a church service. With all said I announce to you right now “I won’t be long”.

This fall has been one of the busiest on record. With that have come a new balance and a new method of prioritizing life at home with a little one. Emme is about the easiest baby to care for. But even on a good day it’s a lot of work. But a whole lot of fun to see that smile that words can’t express. We are one blessed family. Since August I have performed multiple cities in 10 states. I look back over my calendar and wonder how I held up to do it all. I must confess on a recent trip to south Texas I was exhausted when I arrived and feel as if my performance was subpar. After getting my sound-check that morning I approached a Sunday School teacher to inform her I was finished and she could begin her class. She said to me, “If you want to you can stay and listen or if you want to find a pew, lay down, and nap, that’ll be okay, too.” I knew then I looked as tired as I felt! That doesn’t show very often. But when the body says that it’s time to slow down, it’s time to slow down.

And earlier trip to the Dallas/Fort Worth area for concerts was one weekend I haven’t recovered from yet. Was it that tiring? Not exactly. You see when I’m flying to concerts I almost always ship my CD’s ahead of me about 1 week. This trip was no different but with the exception my product never arrived. It was scanned last in Memphis, TN on October 17 and hasn’t been seen since. I lost nearly $4,000 in product. And just about the time I thought I had a few extra bucks in the bank, there it went. I know what you’re thinking…was it insured. No it wasn’t. It costs approximately $40-$50 to ship enough CD’s for one weekend. Insuring costs about the same. When you live on my budget you have to have the extra money to help get you to the next date. The up side is this had never happened before. And I’ve shipped a lot of CD’s across the country. I guess I can’t complain, but I just did! In November I had the downstairs TV to go out. Power surge took out its power supply & 12 hours later my computer crashed. I was without it for several days. Now I’m done!

Can you believe we have already breezed through Thanksgiving and Christmas is just around the next weekend. Seems like I was just sweating bullets while doing outside chores. And on top of that, the year is basically gone. Unreal. And even more unreal that Emme will be the BIG ONE on January 13. And even more unreal than that…on January 30 I’ll be 36 years old! The BIG 40 doesn’t seem so old now. Funny how that changes?! To help comfort me during this transition, birthday cards with checks enclosed should help soothe my emotional being. And yeah, Emme would like birthday cards, too!

Some of you know that I have dystonia. I don’t speak of it often but I will share where I have been lately with this neuro-muscular disorder. Dystonia is the involuntary movement of muscles, creating spasms that don’t release themselves. As a result over the long-term I have tendons & ligaments throughout my body that never grew/stretched to normal lengths. Since I was in the 12 years old I have never had a day without pain. Unfortunately I never received a diagnosis or proper treatment until 7 years ago. My normal regimen consists of daily medications and going about every 3-4 months for Botox injections. These injections are in my neck, shoulders and back. Botox forces the muscles to relax. At the time of my first treatment I had lost almost all use of my right hand. And being a pianist, well, that’s not good. The spams in my shoulders and neck had begun to restrict blood flow to my brain causing me to black out with little to no warning. Over the past several years there have been a lot of ups and downs with my mobility and function. Last year I was carried out of the house to the ER because my entire body went into spasms. That alone put me in bed for about 3 days. Recent months have very difficult. But with the aid of my acupuncturist and pain management doctor and approximately 200+ steroid injections over a 3 week period, I have once again regained daily function. Most people will never see me suffering the aftermath of a rigorous road schedule. However, my family does. Melissa married me knowing of this disorder and that it is degenerative. Where will I end up? I don’t know. I simply must put my faith and trust in God and know that He will do what is good & right. (Now I promise I won’t write about this again for a long time. But thanks for listening.)

I have two more weekends to sing this year and then we are off to Dallas for Christmas. My in-laws put on the best Christmas anyone could ask for. The food is great, the conversations are deep (sometimes so deep I must wear knee-high boots, if you know what I mean), and now there are 10 grandchildren. I believe 8 of the 10 are under the age of 5. It is non-stop when we are all together. Memories are made. That’s for sure!

Merry Christmas to all y’all! We love you BUNCHES & BUNCHES more each year!

Shannon, Melissa, Emme & don’t forget our Cairn Terrier, Walter!

Home Sweet Home!!!

We are finally home.  Dr. Kelly came in this morning and released us to leave the hospital.  Over the last few days, I wasn’t quite sure if we would ever return to the comfort of our own sheets and showers.

Emme is doing well.  As expected, as soon as we got in the car she went sound asleep and has not woken yet.  I expect her to sleep quite a bit for the next week or so.  The good news is that she is still sleeping at night, so I hope her sleep patterns continue to be good.  If you didn’t know, Shannon and I were blessed with a baby who sleeps through the night, usually 11 hours.  She looks better today than ever, it’s amazing from one day to the next the difference.  She hasn’t had any pain medicine since around 11:30 last night, so my suspicion is that she is comfortable.  In fact, she is completely off the hard stuff and only taking Tylenol now. 

I must say I almost killed a nurse last night.  Emme went sound asleep around 9:30 and I was right after.  Around 11:30 I hear her screaming so I look up and the nurse has decided to do a “neuro” check which means she wanted to shine a flashlight in her eyes.  Emme was not amused and neither was her Mommy.  Our plan was to let her sleep and if she woke they would come and take her vitals and do the “neuro” checks and anything else.  Apparently this was not communicated very well to her nurse who had a different plan.  So, after Emme refused to open her eyes (good girl!) she was allowed to go back to sleep- until around 6:00 this morning when her nurse decided Emme needed to be weighed.  Are you kidding me?  I almost lost it, but instead just paced the hallways until they were done.  Where is the common sense today?

We arrived home around 10:30 this morning and I have been a busy girl getting unpacked and showered.  Shannon cleaned the house last night (good boy!) so we would rest comfortably when Emme came home.  He’s putting the finishing touches on the house while I write this update.  Emme’s sleeping in her swing and I hope she stays this content so I can take a little nap myself.

Next up for me is some “me” time.  When time and money permit, I plan on taking a full day to myself (I haven’t had one of those in almost 6 months) to feel pretty again.  I plan on a manicure, pedicure, eyebrow wax, haircut, and color.  I get to do this about once a year and I always look forward to it.  It make take a month or so for me to be able to do it, but it’s gonna happen.  I have been growing my hair out for about 1 1/2 years now so that I can donate it to a charity.  I found a charity through Pantene that can use my hair for adult women cancer survivors.  So that’s where it’s going

Shannon will be back on the road in about 2 weeks.  His schedule has been tough this Summer, so I’m hoping that his next trip will be good.  If all is going well with Emme, we plan to be on the road with him.  It will be a week long trip to Ohio and then on to Branson, MO.  As soon as that trip is over, I go back to school.  It feels like I haven’t had a summer, but that’s okay- I have a healthy baby. 

Keep praying for us and we will do the same for you!

Blessings,
Melissa

Hopefully our last night at VCH…

Today was pretty uneventful, but last night was a bit scary.  Emme began rolling her eyes in the back of her head (yes, she’s a girl, but too young for that yet) about 11:00 last night and things just looked a little weird.  Our instinct was that she was tired, and as all played out, we were probably right.  Just in case, she had a CT scan this mornig and earned herself another night in the hospital.  Obviously, when you have been here a week, you get a little weary.

Our day was blessed with more visitors and we are grateful for each.  Everyone who has come to see our sweet baby has been so kind and full of blessings.  If I don’t have the opportunity to thank each one of you again, let me say tonight that I feel the love of God more than ever.  This has been a long, tough week, but we have endured it only by each and every one of you and your thoughtfulness and kindness.

Other than the eyerolling last night, every other aspect of Emme is back to normal.  She is smiling and happy, which makes us happy.  We were really concerned that the surgery might change her loving, sweet personality, but we were wrong.  She’s just as sweet as ever, maybe even more!  Emme’s appetite is still a bit decreased, but she is gradually getting back her hearty appetite.  I’m just happy she’s drinking her formula again.  Tomorrow, we might add back in her fruits and veggies. 

Shannon’s home tonight cleaning the house and preparing for Emme’s arrival.  His Dystonia makes it very hard to sleep in these uncomfortable beds and I am more than happy to stay here.  I hope for a day that he doesn’t have to worry about pain anymore. 

I guess that’s about it tonight.  I will eventually load up some more pictures, but I am beat tonight! 

Blessings,
Melissa

Still in VCH #5423

Still in VCH #5423

I didn’t post anything yesterday and had planned on posting last night, but it was such a busy day that I was tired! 

Yesterday was our best day by far.  Emme’s eyes are fully open and she has her same sweet smile and laugh back.  She’s playing with all of her stuffed animals and charms all of the nurses and doctors here.  She is still taking quite a bit of pain medicine which is keeping her comfort controlled.  We tried to back off on the pain meds a little bit yesterday, but she didn’t like that too much.  So we are back to every four hours, but maybe today we can try to back off again.

Shannon and I had a lot of visitors yesterday.  Each visitor was special in their own way and we continued to be reminded of just how blessed we really are.  It seems like each time we have a need, God meets it through a special person.  Thank you to all who have come by and shown us God’s amazing love.  On that note, I haven’t really answered to all of our comments on Facebook, MySpace, Shannon’s website, or Twitter (we are too technologically in tune I think) but please don’t feel that I haven’t read them.  I have read them all and they each mean something special to me and Shannon too. 

Emme rode in a wagon yesterday for a little bit and she slept very peacefully through the night.  She gets a little agitated when the nurses come in during the night to take vitals and administer medicine.  Each time she gets irritated, I pull out my phone and turn on some of Shannon’s music and she calms right down.  She ought to know the words to Beulah Land, He Set Me Free, Amazing Grace, etc. by heart by the time we leave here.  It really is quite sweet how she reacts to his voice.  She is definitely a Daddy’s girl. 

Shannon went home last night and I stayed with Emme.  He should be back to the hospital soon (but we all know Shannon’s sleeping habits J) so he can get a glimpse of his little girl bright and early.  The resident came by just a little bit ago and said we would definitely be staying another night.  I’m hoping to get moved to another room this morning on the regular floor.  I love the care in the ICU, but selfishly we would like to have a bathroom in our room, as many visitors as we want at a time, and to be able to eat without having to go somewhere else to do it.  The hospital was full yesterday so we didn’t get moved, so we are keeping our fingers crossed for today. 

Our prayer request for Emme today would be that she will begin to take her formula again.  She has rejected her formula since surgery.  If she doesn’t start drinking her formula, we will be here longer.  I think she got a taste of apple juice and pedialyte and has decided she likes that much better.  Today my plan is to show a little tough love and not give her anything else (within a reasonable time limit) and somewhat force her to drink the formula.  If she gets hungry enough, I’m hoping she will do it.  If not, the plan is to mix some formula with rice cereal really thin and try to get it in her that way.  I’m hoping!

That’s about it for now.  I’m going to also upload many new pictures to all of our sites so please be sure to go check out her progress, you’ll be amazed!

Thanks for praying for us, supporting us, loving us, calling us, letting our dog out, cooking for us, and all of the other things I know I am forgetting.  We are so grateful for everyone, but God first. 

I’m off to watch our church service online, and I can’t wait.  Have a great day!

Two updates in one~!

06.25.09 Update from VCH #5423 I guess I can start by saying that I am exhausted. I think everybody here is. I stayed home last night and Shannon stayed at the hospital with Emme. It was bittersweet to leave because I knew I would get some time with my Mom, but wasn’t quite sure if I was ready to be away from Emme.

There were many triumphs today. First, the doctors removed the drain tube that was inside Emme’s head. To some this may not seem like a big deal, but to us it was huge. Once the drain tube was removed, we knew we would be able to hold Emme. I went first because Shannon was out of the room. When he returned he held her for quite awhile, then we handed her over to my Mom- Emme’s Nonna. Shannon and I went on a mission to find our friend Makenzie (a young lady I teach at Stoner Creek) and her Mom Kathleen (Makenzie was here today doing blood work because she has stupid cancer) while my Mom was holding Emme. When we returned back to the room, the area where Emme’s drain tube was removed was oozing blood and fluid. It was a little scary, so we decided that we would limit holding her today.

Emme also opened her left eye partially. This was shocking to us because we didn’t anticipate her eyes to open until at least Saturday. She has been very agitated today, so they finally decided to give her some medicine to calm her down. This is normal because babies (or anyone really) would be very frustrated not to be able to open their eyes and not know why.

06.26.09 Morning update from VCH #5423

Sorry I didn’t get to post last night, I got to writing and was so tired that I couldn’t finish. Yesterday we also got to see Kathleen and Makenzie which was great for me. Kathleen thought of so many “little” things that I didn’t think of to help Emme feel comfortable. Makenzie looked GREAT! This morning, I feel well rested and am ready to tackle the day. We are hoping that Emme opens her eyes more today than yesterday. I can tell you that her little face is starting to look like my sweet girl again. I was relieved to wake up and see some of her features back.

Shannon has a doctor’s appointment today for pain management. He has waited on this appointment for nearly 6 months and I told him not to cancel it. His Dystonia has really pushed him to the limit in the last several months so I hope that this appointment really helps. He hopes to get some steroid injections to hold him through until his next round of Botox. With all of that being said, he probably won’t be to the hospital until this afternoon. He plans to stay tonight and I plan to go home.

 The doctor just came by and said that Emme’s looking really good. She only has one I.V. in her hand and they will probably take that out today and start giving her oral antibiotics. If Emme opens both eyes today, they will move her to a regular room and out of the ICU. This is bittersweet because when she goes to a regular room, she won’t have as much attention from the nurses. I’ve really enjoyed the nurses here and all of the attention they have paid Emme.

 Emme also is eating solid foods again. Well, by solid I mean applesauce, peas, squash, sweet potatoes….All the typical baby foods. She still refuses her milk, and is still loving the apple pedialyte. What will we do with this child? That’s about it for now, I will try to update later.

Update from VCH #5419 6.24.09

I’m writing from the PCCU room # 5419 this morning.  It’s been a good morning overall.  I woke up early, around 7:00 a.m., and feel rested. 

Shannon, my Mom, and Shannon’s Mom got here about 10:00 a.m.  When they came in the room, Emme was crying for the first time this morning.  I know that was hard for them.  Coupled with her swollenness and sad face, it was a hard thing to walk into.  Shannon broke down and cried, as did his Mother.  I tried to forewarn that her face would be very swollen (even more than yesterday) and that it might be a little hard to take, but I don’t think it’s reality until you see it.  I haven’t broken down yet, but every time I get close, I remind myself that this will all be better in a week or so.  There are many children in this unit that don’t have such a good outlook.  It really puts life in to perspective. 

I want to express my gratitude to all who have prayed, sent well wishes, and called.  Many have asked how they can help.  It used to be hard for me to ask for help, but I’ve learned that it’s okay to accept love from those who extend it.  I know several of you are planning meals for when we get home from the hospital, but it occurred to me that it’s going to get very expensive here at the hospital eating out for every meal.  So, with that being said, if you want to come and visit and would like to bring a meal for us, we will accept.  Shannon’s cell phone number is 606.524.8028 if you want to call.

Tomorrow will most likely be the hardest day of our vacation here at Vanderbilt.  Emme will swell even more and she will become fussier because she is unable to open her eyes.  So far she has exceeded my expectations in the fussy area.  She has been very calm and only cries when it’s time for more pain medicine.  I tried again to give her formula this morning, but so far she only wants the Pedialyte.  As far as I’m concerned, she can have whatever she wants.  I do hope, however, that she decides to take some formula soon.

Shannon’s Mom plans to leave tonight and my Mom will be leaving on Saturday.  Both have taken time off from work to be here (I know they wouldn’t have it any other way) which can be very difficult.  I would like to express my gratitude to Muratec, First Baptist Church of Garland, and all of my Mom’s extended family for being so thoughtful.  Also, thanks to Shannon’s Mom’s clients who rearranged their schedules to allow her to be here with us.  Of course all of our family and friends have been great too.  It’s always hard to pinpoint who to thank, because you always leave someone out.  So with that being said, if I left you out, know that we still appreciate you.

That’s all the news for now, I’ll try to update later.

Three Branson Appearances Scheduled

It has just been officially confirmed that I will make three separate appearances at the Branson Gospel Music Convention. Join me Tuesday @ 6PM as I will take the stage as the soloist I am. On Wednesday evening @ 6PM I will perform alongside Kenny Bishop, Rod Burton, and Kirk Talley for what is being tagged as The Solo Quartet! This could be the highlight of the week. However, I could be offering a biased opinion! Then on Thursday from 11AM-4PM I will host the FREE afternoon concert! That’s right, FREE! All of the afternoon concerts are FREE and open to the public. Each evening there is a Meet & Greet 4pm-10pm, Booth 248: Info & Tix: www.bransongmc.com or 708.960.0111

UPDATE: My booth location has been changed from 611 to 248. I will now be closer to the concert hall entrance. I hope this makes me more convenient for you to access.

To learn more about Branson GMC and the city itself go to www.bransongmc.com

Update: Emme’s Surgery

Written by Melissa on 5/26/09

Well, let me start by saying I had a little bit of a meltdown today.  Vanderbilt called and told Shannon they would be rescheduling Emme’s surgery for August 11th.  What?  So he sent me an email at school and told me about the new date.  I immediately picked up the phone and got the numbers for the doctors office.  When I called, the lady seemed quite unmoved by my plea for an earlier date.  After a few tears (well more than a few), an explanation of my job (I’m a teacher), Shannon’s job (he’s on the road most weekends and is scheduled months and months in advance), and letting her know we couldn’t make it without my income if I had to take off of work in August; she said she would see what she could do.  Two hours later, she called back to let me know that another family had volunteered to let us have their surgery time for June 23rd and they would take August 11th.  Praise the Lord! Problem solved.

So Emme’s surgery will be on June 23rd at 7:30 a.m. and all of her pre-op festivities begin on June 22nd at 8:00 a.m.  We will be at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and Dr. Kelley will be her plastic surgeon.  I have not met the other “team members” for her surgery but do know that they are all great doctors.  It’s a bittersweet thing to know others who have dealt with neurologists and anastesiologists at Vandy.  It means somebody elses kid has been under the knife too, and that’s no good. 

After they rescheduled Emme’s surgery today, I could feel my stress level begin to rise.  I guess the reality is setting in that in less than one month, my child’s life will be in somebody elses hands for at least 7 hours.  However, I know that God is in control and just as someone elses hands are touching my sweet baby’s face, so are His.  That gives me hope. 

I know that I will only get the real picture of what she is going to endure when surgery day comes, so Shannon and I are preparing for that now.  School is finally out on June 6th.  On June 10th we are leaving for Florida for 12 days.  We will spend one week in Holmes Beach and 4 days in St. Augustine.  We are combining a wedding and a road apperance for Shannon in the trip, but most of all we are looking forward to making some great memories with our baby girl on the beach and getting some much needed R&R before a long week at Vanderbilt. 

Please keep us in your prayers as we begin this journey.  Pray that Shannon won’t have to take any extra time off, pray for our surgical team and their precision, pray that Emme wakes up the same sweet girl she is today, and pray that we can continue to rely on God for our strength.  We appreciate all of our dear friends and family.

Emme Scheduled for Surgery

What was first considered only a possibility has now become reality.  Emme will undergo a major surgery June 30th.  She has been diagnosed with metopic craniosynostosis.  The embedded link will give you more detail about the diagnosis and surgery procedure.  Long story short, Emme should have “soft spots” but does not.  The cranial plates of bone have already fused together.  Melissa and I just say she has a hard head.  In my opinion, she got that from her Momma not Daddy!  Please keep us in prayer as this time gets closer.  Emme will spend nearly 6 hours in surgery at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital here in Nashville.  She will have a complete pediatric surgical team ranging from a neurosurgeon to a plastic surgeon, anesthesiologists and nurses.  Post-op will be two days sedated in pediatric ICU and then 5 days in a regular room.  She will have head and facial swelling for a while which will constitute her sleeping in an elevated position for a few weeks.  Total recovery time is estimated at 13 weeks.  Vanderbilt’s team of doctors expect her to make a full and recovery with no physical or cognitive delays.  We’ll keep you informed if there’s any new development.  In the mean time, new video of Emme will be posted on www.youtube.com/shannonbunch no later than tonight.   Check it out, she is the sweetest baby ever!  And a couple new photos can also be found at www.shannonbunch.com.  Just follow the gallery link.

Nominated for TWO Diamond Awards

Nominations are in for the 2009 Diamond Awards.  I have nominated in two categories, one of which I was hoping for and the other I did not expect at all, Soloist of the Year and Christian Comedian of the Year!  Isn’t this the biggest hoot you have heard all year long?  I still can’t figure out this one.  Just to think that my fan base is large enough to get me into the top 10 list is awesome!  So you have until April 24, 2009 to cast your vote.  At this time you can vote for 5 artists per category.  Of course, I hope that you will vote for me in both of my nominated categories.  I have many friends who are nominated in other categories as well and I don’t want to show favoritism in vote casting, BUT…Beth Glass of the Telestials, who I use to work for, has been nominated for the Living Legend Award.  Out of the list of nominees I feel she is most deserving.  She has kept her family group on the road for over 40 years.  Her efforts to continue singing the Gospel for many years merit this recognition.   Congratulations to Beth!  Telestials lead singer, Scott Lucas is also nominated for Sunrise and Male Vocalist. 

 

To vote, go to http://www.diamondawardsonline.com.     Remember you only have until April 24 to vote.