I read the article about Shikena Wells in the spring issue of Southwest Health. I am so glad she is doing better. It sounds like the rare blood cancer she had, stage III multiple myeloma, was no laughing matter. Not that any cancer ever is.
Thanks to Dr. Ronald Delrie and his competent staff at the Mississippi Cancer Institute, it seems like she is truly on her way to recovery.
Last year, about this time, I was in the middle of chemotherapy at St. Dominic hospital in Jackson. After finding something suspicious in my yearly mammogram at Southwest Regional, they sent me to Jackson for a biopsy. I ended up having a lumpectomy, where cancerous cells showed up in two out of seven of my lymph nodes. Which more or less meant breast cancer.
The same thing happened to me 20 years ago in my other breast, including a lumpectomy. Except back then, the cancer hadn’t gotten into my bloodstream and my lymph nodes were non-cancerous. I did have to have 33 radiation treatments here in McComb.
I truly do not think the chemotherapy would have been so bad except I couldn’t have a certain procedure that I really needed, but St. Dominic said my insurance wouldn’t pay for it. So they gave me injections instead. It was excruciating pain that seemed to last forever.
But finally, all my chemo was over, and I got to take my radiation treatments here in McComb, with Dr. Burnett Hanson overseeing everything. Just as Ms. Wells was blessed to have Dr. Delrie in here life, I feel just as blessed to be in the care of Dr. Hanson. I really don’t think I could have a better doctor, and I thank the Good Lord for him.
I just had a checkup and got an all-clear sign for four months. There is no doubt that miracles can be found, not only in my life but also in Ms. Wells’.
— Debbie Touchstone, Jayess
Solar farms and other topics
Response to your editorial, “Hinds residents fight solar farm,” in the June 6th issue.
The South Pike School District and Pike County supervisors are too quick to support the solar farm offers. Of course the situation provides money, but I don’t think we have studied sonar panel farms to the extent needed.
Public schools need money. Yet the state won’t fully fund public education. I guess since the state can’t do it, the Legislature changed the formula to make it easier.
No solar farms, I say. Good for Raymond. I think Lamar County didn’t want another.
In the fall of 2022, the wind turbines had finally ventured near Lansing, Mich. In fact, one is located near Dr. Pol’s vet office. I recall about 10 years earlier, there were none when I had traveled through that area by car. Traveling by interstate north of Indianapolis, I saw plenty of them. They looked like pictures of the early oil wells so close together. Progress.
Reading is important. I try to raise my voice to friends and social media. I have found so many do not know because they do not subscribe to the E-J. I quit the Clarion Ledger. If they had offered half-price because I was a subscriber for 50 years, I would be one now.
I attended the board of supervisors’ meeting a couple of months ago for the first time because I finally found the time and I am retired from SMCC. I then waited to go to chancery court for the first time to see which attorney for SMCC was going to see if there were a negative response to a loan, I think. How did I know? I read everything in the newspaper, including the legal notices.
I hate the phrase, “The Buick is red in color.” If you are selling 15 cars, you have paid for 30 additional words. Red is a color. I shared copies with my 100 English composition students when we were studying wordiness. I also read how much SMCC is paid from taxes.
I have rambled long enough. I hope the palaver has not been too verbose.
— Dr. Elaine M. Coney, Magnolia
