The World According to Angie

Are there Toastmasters meetings in heaven?

I received an email from my friend (and Toastmasters 2nd Year International Director) Tim Swearingen this morning. It was not entirely unexpected, but is no less heartbreaking:

It is with regret that I share the news that Past District 3 [2003-2004] Governor Joe DeRico passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 10. His sisters Donna and Debbie were at his side

December 30 Joe fell victim to a major abdominal aneurysm from which most would have died instantly; fortunately, he made it to the hospital and was immediately taken into surgery. Unfortunately, during the procedure, Joe suffered a heart attack which, along with additional complications, left him in grave condition and on life support.

CT Scans and EEG results from earlier in this past weekend found that Joe's brain was severely damaged as a result of encephalitis, which in turn, shut down his ability to think, speak, or control motor skills. His organs were so badly damaged that even if he survived, he would only have about 20% of his faculties. As a result of this prognosis and in keeping with Joe’s Living Will, his sisters made the gut wrenching decision to remove the life support machines Sunday evening.

Joe led District 3 to Distinguished District during the 2003-2004 year.  He continued to serve that District well as a Past District Governor particularly with selection and recognition of their Communication & Leadership (C&L) Award recipients and actively supporting our annual officer nominations process. The past leaders in District 3 have already received this information, but if you know others that know Joe, please feel empowered to pass this information along.

Donna and Debbie have both expressed comfort in knowing that Joe's Toastmaster family rallied so well with many wishes, prayers, and positive thoughts. Although Joe will be buried in his home state of Ohio, they will let us know when and where a memorial service will be set for him in Phoenix. We will certainly pass along those details once we have them.

In 2003-04, when Joe served as District 3 Governor, I was a brand new member of the District 50 "trio". As Lt. Governor Marketing, I was excited and overwhelmed, all at the same time. Joe struck me as a solid leader: calm, cool, collected ... when he spoke, I listened. And he had this little gleam in his eye that made me think he was probably a lot of fun to hang with in the hospitality suite.

The members of District 3 are undoubtedly grieving the loss of a solid leader and good man. I send them my heartfelt condolences. But I am convinced that as Joe joins other Toastmasters who have passed on in recent years - like JoAnna McWilliams, Bert Marquardt, David Hostler, and Bill Haas - if there weren't already Toastmasters meetings in heaven, they're certainly holding them now.

2009 World Championship of Public Speaking Recap, Part 2

See Part 1 for disclaimer and recap of contestants 1-5.

Speaker #6:
Herminigildo (Hermie) Garrobo (DNAR)
Lessons From a Broomstick

Kudos to Pat Johnson for her masterful introduction of Hermie’s speech.  It was obvious she was working hard to pronounce his name correctly! I understand he goes by the shortened version of his name – Hermie – so that’s how I’ll refer to him here.

The first thing I noticed about Hermie was his big, infectious smile. This is a man whose face positively lights up when he grins. As for his voice, it was pleasantly resonant, and surprised me – I expected a different voice to come out of such a slight figure.

The focal point of Hermie’s speech was an analogy involving the use of a broomstick to scare away snakes. The cord had come loose, and the branches making up the broom had scattered to the ground. His mother gathered them up, and taught him to wrap the cord “tight & strong”.

Some years later, his mother left the country to find work as a domestic. His family, he said, was like the broomstick: scattered. Then, he had an accident on the rice field that left him with only half a thumb.  He was called names like, “Felix the Cut”, “9 ½ man”, and “Thumbelina”.  He became very withdrawn and shy.  Scattered broomstick (family) … no way to chase away the snakes (his fears and self-doubt).

Until one day a teacher forced him to enter a speech contest.  He realized his own sticks were scattered on the ground, and he needed the cord of courage to wrap them up tight again.

That day, he came in 3^rd place … out of 3 speakers … but it’s that same cord of courage that brought him to stand on the WCPS stage.

Hermie’s got a very expressive face. I wish I’d been able to take photos during his speech; his facial expressions would have made for some terrific shots.

Speaker #7:
Stephen Cornwell (Region V)
The Choice

Stephen is gifted with a penetrating gaze and a sweet southern drawl, both of which he uses to great effect as a speaker.

This is another one where I’ll say “watch the video” – rather than giving up too much of his punch-lines. But the basic gist of Stephen’s speech was that we’ve lost the true meaning of the word “love”.  We tell someone we love them, and in the same breath, we love hamburgers.

“Love has become how people and things make us FEEL,” he said, “instead of love being what we give.”

Watch for the words of wisdom Stephen’s father shared with him and his masterful delivery of the lines that follow.  He absolutely nailed it, and the audience was howling.

Stephen’s overall message was that we need to learn to love ourselves before we can love others, and to truly get to the heart of what it means to “love”.

Speaker #8:
Mark Hunter (DNAR)
A Sink Full of Green Tomatoes

How can you not like Mark Hunter?  Seriously, I don’t know that I’ve ever met anyone who didn’t like – or outright adore – this man. He’s competed at the Interdistrict contest six times, and this was his third trip to the World Championship.  In 2007, he took 3^rd place, and I’ve never seen anyone so happy to receive a third place trophy.  Seriously – check out the photos - http://blog.angiekey.com/photos/2007wcps/3hunter.html - he positively radiated joy.

This year, Mark came out on stage and delivered a message of such significance, one that touched both our heads and our hearts, that there was really no question; he was going to be our new World Champion.

If you’re unfamiliar with Mark’s story, you should know he was paralyzed at the age of 22 during a waterskiing accident.  (I hope I’m remembering correctly; if not, Mark, please correct me!)  He’s confined to a wheelchair, but the man is NOT handicapped.  In fact, he proved during his speech that being in a wheelchair can actually give you an edge in delivering a speech.

Mark opened with a quote from Don Quixote, and said he wanted to ride off on his trusty steed. As he delivered that line, he pushed his wheels and then used his hands to mimic holding a pair of reins, and bounced up and down gently … it totally looked like he was riding a horse.  Try doing that while standing without looking like a moron!

Mark used his wheels again when he delivered a quick interjection of “Yee Haw!” and actually popped a quick wheelie.  (I thought Jim was going to wet his pants, he was laughing so hard.)

And in his conclusion, as Mark was speaking with deep power and conviction about “if we are to change the world”, he was rolling across the stage from right to left, and executed a quick spin on the word “change” so that he was then zipping from left to right.  “If we are to change” – SPIN – “the world…”  Dude, it gave me chills.

I cannot emphasize enough how much you MUST see the video of Mark’s speech.  He proved that a wheelchair isn’t a handicap to a speaker; used correctly, it can be something amazingly powerful, and you can do things with it that a speaker simply could not do on two feet.

And then, there was his message.  Mark talked about how at 22, he suddenly saw the world from a new angle – “that of a consummate navel gazer”.  He retreated, and wanted to become invisible.  He asked himself, “Do I want to fit in, or stand out?”

And then he went to the source of all answers … his Nana’s kitchen.  (Watch this section especially for his masterful use of humor.)  The nutshell version of the story is that she had a sink full of green tomatoes soaking in water, and one bright red apple rolled off the counter and dropped in the water.  His Nana said, “look at the sink – tell me, which would you rather be? Just another green tomato or that red apple?”

His response?  “I want to be … the water.”  Which, of course, made us all laugh … but then he explained.  The water embraces and encompasses all – both the tomatoes and the apple.  It’s like love … “liquid love”.

And as Mark said, “when we love with the intimacy of water, our differences don’t exist.”

“From that ordinary kitchen,” he concluded, “came an extra-ordinary lesson.”

WOW. Wowowowowowow … wow.

Speaker #9:
Mary Cheyne (Region VII)
Nellie

One of Mary’s natural gifts as a speaker comes from the initially jarring yet ultimately fascinating effect of an Australian accent coming out of the body of a Chinese woman.  Indeed, that’s a point she directly referenced during the opening of her speech.

The core message of Mary’s speech involved overcoming the voice of your inner critic.

She told us the story of her childhood friend, Nellie, who helped her acclimate after moving to Australia from Hong Kong when she was seven.  “As a child, she was my friend,” Mary said. “As an adult … she was judgmental.”  When Mary wanted to pursue her dream of moving to America, Nellie argued with her and told her she’d fail, just like she’d always failed.

Nellie, it turns out, was Mary’s inner critic. After seeking wise counsel, she learned Nellie was like a computer program created by her past negative experiences.  This is another one where I’ll say “watch the video” – she uses the triad of “Stop! Reset! Continue” to great comic effect.

Mary has an extremely expressive face and a true gift for humor.  She also tapped into some seriously gut-wrenching emotion as she talked about fighting her inner critic, and the audience was both moved and inspired by her message.

Speaker #10:
Maureen Zappala (Region VI)
Bless, Not Impress

Before she even opened her mouth, Maureen impressed me by her poise and carriage.  She practically glided across the stage, a tall, slender brunette in a gorgeous black suit.  (Okay, so that’s the woman in me talking … but she cut a beautiful figure on that stage!)

Maureen talked to us about playing hide & seek – she asked, “do you hide behind pride, or do you seek to serve?” I love the way she put it: “Have you ever met someone who is so impressive – to themselves – that they imply they’re God’s gift to you?  But have you also ever met someone who is so gracious, they imply you’re God’s gift to them?”

Let me tell you, the audience totally went “ooooooh” at that moment.  That’s some good writing!

Maureen talked about hiding behind makeup. Lipstick was her armor of choice.  “I had an I problem,” she said, “and a person wrapped up in themselves is a very small package.”

Rather than standing out from the crowd, she challenged us to sit with the crowd and bless others. “Can we stop hiding?” she asked … and promptly wiped off her lipstick.  Talk about great use of an unlikely prop!

Maureen’s message truly blessed me … and I heard a lot of women talking about wiping off their lipstick later that day, so I know I’m not the only one!

The Ultimate Outcome

I must say that I’m glad I wasn’t a judge this year!  Of course, I tend to say that every year, don’t I? But speaking of judges, here’s how their decision stands:

3^rd place – Erick Rainey

2^nd place – Mary Cheyne

1^st place – Mark Hunter, the 2009 World Champion of Public Speaking

Congratulations to all ten of this year’s contestants. I learned something from each of you last weekend, and you’ve inspired me in a variety of ways.  For that, I thank you.

To all my Toastmasters friends, I hope you've enjoyed this recap; it's been "The 2009 World Championship of Public Speaking, According to Angie." And if you haven't ordered your copy of the DVD yet, do so NOW. (Bill Stevens Productions is the place to order it; 2009 isn't listed on the website yet, but should be soon.)  This is definitely one you'll want in your personal collection!

2009 World Championship of Public Speaking Recap, Part 1

Saturday, August 15^th, 2009, 8:45am EDT:

Toastmasters from around the world poured into the ballroom at the MGM Grand Casino in Mashantucket, CT to witness history in the making. Within just a few short hours, Toastmasters International President-Elect Gary Schmidt would announce the name of the 2009 World Champion of Public Speaking.

When I blogged my recap of the 2007 Championship I was overwhelmed by the positive impact it seemed to have on Toastmasters the world over. Though I missed the 2008 contest (something about a wedding and a honeymoon, hmm…) I vowed I’d do my best to provide a recap of the 2009 contest.  So on Saturday morning, it was with notepad in hand that I took my seat next to my husband, Jim, and his fellow champs.

Which leads me to my disclaimer: what follows is my take on this contest.  It represents my opinions, my feelings, and my observations.  It is not my husband’s.  I don’t know how to say that any more clearly. Jim does a great job speaking his own mind, thank you very much … so remember: although I am the wife of a World Champion, I only speak for myself.  Not Jim, and definitely not the other Champs.

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way … here’s what I saw from those ten talented contestants.

Speaker #1:
Chakisse Newton (Region VIII)
Happily Never After

 

Chakisse is a statuesque, graceful woman with a naturally commanding stage presence. I first saw her compete in the 2005 WCPS in Toronto.  She looked a smidge different this time, given that she’s about six months pregnant (and beautifully so, I might add!).  But “poise” and “polish” are two words that immediately come to mind when I think of Chakisse.

Her speech centered around the idea of not waiting to be happy, but instead, finding your happiness in the moment.

Chakisse told us the story of her younger brother, Robert. At his birth, she said her “life went from fairy tale to fairly terrible.”  No longer an only child, she resented the infant with curly black hair, big brown eyes, and a huge smile. But over time, he wormed his way into her heart.  And then, she said, her world caved in: Robert had a condition that only affected one in 10 million people.  He’d never walk, never talk, and probably wouldn’t live past his first birthday.

But he defied the odds, living to adulthood.  Chakisse told us how he had “setbacks of surgeries and seizures” but still, he smiled.  While she was waiting for her “happily ever after”.

You’ll have to watch the video to see how she pulls us into her conclusion with both humor and gut-wrenching sorrow, but in the end, you’ll agree: we can choose to be happy now … never “after”.

Speaker #2:
Byron Embry (Region III)
The Only Thing Standing

Although Byron hails from my home region, this was the first time I’d seen him speak – or seen him at all, for that matter – as I didn’t attend my Region’s conference this year.  I’d heard rumblings, though, about a young man who seemingly came out of nowhere – a young man with a lot of charisma.

Byron speaks very quickly, and it took me a moment to settle into his speech and for my brain to “compute” what he was saying. But man, can he deliver a punchline!

His speech asked the question, “Is the foundation of your love unconditional?”

Byron’s opening story talked about his mother’s home being hit by a tornado.  When it was over, nothing remained but the foundation. It was a beautiful metaphor he used to great effect as he wove a tale about his mom.

A policewoman by career, he called her “the hurricane” – because when she arrived, things got very quiet … and you knew you needed to evacuate or take shelter immediately.  As he told us tales of youthful hijinks, he said he was “grounded 25 years to life – and the only reason” he was there to speak to us? “On parole.”

He talked about rejecting his mother’s presence in his life during college, but several years later, finding his life had fallen to pieces around him – but she was still there.  “All these years,” she told him, “you thought I was the storm … but really, I was the foundation.”

Byron’s got a great future as a presenter as he continues to hone and polish his skills. During the interviews, he shared with us that he’s been a Toastmaster for less than a year and has struggled with a speech impediment since childhood … that somehow miraculously disappears when he’s giving a speech.

I’m looking forward to hearing more from this young man.

Speaker #3:
Jack Ackerman (Region IV)
Listen to Your Heart

He might take offense to the characterization, but when I saw Jack take the stage, I couldn’t help but think he was just downright cute.  He’s an older gentleman from the central US (Iowa, I think he said?) and he tells a story with this little twinkle in his eye that … well, it just makes me smile.  He’s simply cute.

His message was that we should listen to our heart and do for others; that the more we give, the more we get in return.

Jack told us the story of his first love – the Ackerman family car … an old, black Ford.  He used hilarious – and effective – physical delivery to illustrate how they had to drive the car up hill in reverse so the engine wouldn’t stall out.

He went on to tell us about how his father chose to give away their car to another family who had lost everything.  It was a story of self-sacrifice … and as teenage Jack argued with his dad about giving away the car, he said, “Every time I make a decision in favor of giving, it works out.”

Some months later, the Ackerman family received the unexpected gift of another car – and this one could be driven uphill going forward, instead of reverse!

“My dad lived it, I learned it,” Jack said.  And in his closing, he told us “Life is like a boomerang: what you give is what you get.”

It was an adorable speech with a heartwarming message. I am truly a better person for having heard Jack speak!

Speaker #4
Erick Rainey (Region I)
Feed the Right Dog

Erick is another speaker I’d seen on the “big stage” before. He competed from DNAR in 2005 and came in 3^rd at the WCPS. Erick may compete from a different area (he moved somewhere in Region I) but he’s got the same great smile and the same passionate conviction I remember from his previous run.

His message centered around feeding yourself encouragement and ignoring your inner critic.

The title came from an anecdote he shared about two dogs in your head: one is panting like a big, sloppy Laborador – “You’re great! You’re awesome! I love you!” – while the other is growling like a Doberman, full of negative self-talk.

Erick’s delivery of that anecdote is one you’ll want to watch on the video. He did such a great job illustrating the two dogs – and changing from one to the other in a rapid-fire manner – that it not only got laughs, but it made his point.

“Life is not a dress rehearsal,” he said, as he told us a story about following his dream to audition for a show.  He had a good conclusion with effective call-backs to previous portions of his speech.

And I must say that one of Erick’s strengths as a speaker is, by far, his voice.  The timbre of his voice is powerful without him having to shout or be forceful.  Very impressive!

Speaker #5:
Carl Walsh (Region II)
In Search of the Bunny Badge

I felt an immediate affinity with Carl when, in his opening, he told us about his Army officer father.  (I’ve got one, too!)  What amused me even more is that Carl’s experience with learning to swim is awful similar to the way my dad taught me.  (Watch the video, you’ll understand…)

Carl’s message didn’t come into full focus until the conclusion of his speech. He wove a tale of a father who poked and prodded (and pushed) him to be better. While attending a Cub Scout awards ceremony, his dad said, “Hey, look – he’s a Wolf, and he’s a Bear, and you? You don’t even have a Bunny Badge!”

(Suddenly, the title of his speech made sense.)

With the youthful fervor of “I’ll show him!” he earned his badges, and presented them to his father … only to be told, “Now, don’t you feel good about yourself?”  Carl had an epiphany, and called that feeling of self-confidence a “bunny badge”.

He transitioned his speech into adulthood, and shared with us the high of being married and expecting his first son … to his wife’s miscarriage at 6 months and her death just 5 weeks later.  He said “life threw me in the deep end. It was sink or swim. And I chose to swim.”

Admittedly, there’s only so much you can do in 7 minutes, but it felt awful quick when Carl told us his first wife’s friends set him up with the woman who’s now his second wife. It was nice, however, to know he’s got his happy ending.

And speaking of endings, that’s where he gave us the core of his message: “we can control our lives, or let circumstances to it for us … because the power behind your Bunny Badge is you.”

 

As long as this has become, and given I've only just finished the first 5 of 10 contestants, I'm going to break this post into two. Stay tuned for the second half of my recap of the 2009 Toastmasters Insternational World Championship of Public Speaking (speaking-peaking-eaking...)

It's coming - I promise!

It's Sunday night at almost 1:30am (well, okay, that makes it Monday morning) following the 2009 Toastmasters International Convention. I spent a whirlwind four days with Jim in Connecticut, capped off with the World Championship of Public Speaking.

In case you haven't heard, Mark Hunter is our new Champion!

Photograph copyright 2009 Angie Key. All rights reserved. For usage permission, contact angie@angiekey.com

I took copious notes during the contest, and I have both photographs and synopses of all 10 contestants and their speeches, respectively.  I promise that a full recap of the WCPS is coming to this very blog, very soon.

But little things like unpacking and laundry have gotten in the way.  (Which is why I'm still up at 1:30am, but that's another story.)

My goal is to get that blog post up and online before I head in for surgery on Wednesday morning. 

Yeah, surgery... I've mentioned it a number of times on Facebook, and in a previous post... basically, I've been fighting a disease for the better part of 18 months. My May surgery gave us a firm diagnosis, and after much prayer and counsel, I decided to go with the surgical solution.  Surgery's Wednesday morning, I'll be in the hospital until either Friday or Saturday, and then I'll convalesce at home for six weeks before returning to work.

I've set up a private blog where I'll chronicle that particular battle - anyone wanting the link and login credentials should contact me  ... not a big deal, but it's not something I want to blog about here for general consumption.

But enough about that: I just wanted to reassure everyone that my summary of the 2009 World Championship of Public Speaking is coming. Stay tuned!

Don't ask me if I'm pregnant.

I'm headed to the Toastmasters International Convention with my sweet husband in less than 24 hours. As the clock ticks ever closer to our departure, I find myself filled with a feeling I wouldn't have expected:

Dread.

I love Convention. I'm excited about heading to the beautiful state of Connecticut. And I'm practically jumping out of my skin with anticipatory joy of seeing old friends.

But I'm dreading the questions I know I'll have to field from well-meaning acquaintances who lack what I call a "socially-acceptable" filter.

When you see me at Convention, you can come up for a hug. Feel free to ask how my flatulent dog, Eddie, is doing. But whatever you do, do NOT ask me if I'm pregnant.

For some reason, Toastmasters - and yes, I'm generalizing here - seem to feel comfortable saying all sorts of things most people in their right minds would never dream of uttering.  For example: I was at a district or region conference with Jim a little over a year ago where I had the privilege of delivering an educational breakout session. Afterwards, a young man approached me, introduced himself, and said:

You know, when I saw you last night, I thought you were just the World Champion's side piece. But now, I find out you're a Distinguished Toastmaster, and you're a Past District Governor, and you can actually speak!

I'd like to believe he meant it as a compliment... but c'mon - seriously?!?

And I don't know why, but some Toastmasters seem to think they have a deeper personal connection with you and that it's okay to ask questions you should reserve for close friends. For example, at a recent event here in my home district, I was asked a well-intended but wholly inappropriate question:

So, are you and Jim expecting, or are you just gaining weight?

I laughed it off, and said, "Oh, no, you know how married life is, I'm just fat and happy..." But I found myself thinking about that comment - and hurting - for days.

I know that people want to be happy for Jim and me.  And it's natural when a couple is newly-married to go on "baby watch".  But please ... please ... PLEASE - don't ask me that question!

In the interest of public safety, I should disclose this ... if I am asked if I'm pregnant, I am likely to do one of three things:

1. Burst into tears.  Which will embarrass you and - I promise - really make my husband angry.
    
2. Bite your head off.  Which I'll immediately regret, and then I'll probably burst into tears. (See #1.)
    
3. Give you an honest answer. Which goes something like this:

No, I'm not pregnant. I've gained weight since our wedding in part because I'd rather cuddle on the couch with my husband than go running, and in part because of a major medical issue. Oh, yeah, and that issue makes it so I can't have children. Ever. Not that we were planning on it anyway, but let's just say it's a bit of a sore subject for me right now. Especially since I'm extremely freaked out about the major surgery I'm having next week to solve said issue, and I'm doing my best not to think about it, because that makes me panic. But thanks for asking!

So for those of you I haven't seen in a little while, don't be too surprised to see me a bit more voluptuous, curvaceous, and Rubenesque than when you saw me last. But do us both a favor and don't ask me if I'm pregnant.

Please.

Update on LaShunda: she's out of ICU!

Boy, oh boy, do I have an update for you!  At least, for those of you who have been following the story of 2008 World Champion of Public Speaking LaShunda Rundles.  (See the entire chain of update here.)

I visited her last night along with my husband and 1995 WCPS Mark Brown, who was in town on business.  (We went to dinner with Mark after our visit, and spent something like 4 hours at the Iron Cactus ... I would say "talking", but truth be told, with those two men, it's hard to get a word in edgewise! ... so it was more "listening" for me.  But, I digress.)

After 69 days in ICU, LaShunda has been moved to a private room!  Not only is this a sign that her condition is slowly improving, but it's a tremendous blessing: it will allow her to get more restful sleep, which she desperately needs.  She said the nurses come in every hour to check your vitals in ICU, and that it’s impossible to get any rest.

LaShunda looked exhausted, but so much better than the last time I visited her.  She's got her color back, she had smiles for us when we arrived, and even showed some of her spunky spirit as she observed her room had quite the view of downtown.  She did tire quickly, though, and we added our knots to her prayer quilt before we left her to rest.

We know LaShunda is a fighter … she’s got a long road ahead of her for recovery, and she still needs our prayers and well-wishes, but if anyone can triumph over this, it’s her.

FOOTNOTE: I found out last night that LaShunda's family is reading these updates here on my blog ... so if you'd like to add your words of well-wishes by commenting on this post, they'll read them directly.  Knowing there are Toastmaster friends around the world praying for her triumphant recovery is a good, good thing.

How's LaShunda? Hear for yourself!

Last Friday, Jim visited LaShunda Rundles in the hospital (unfortunately, I had a doctor's appointment and couldn't join him) ... and he captured an audio recording from their visit.

You can access it and learn more about his visit with LaShunda here on his blog:

http://blog.jimkey.com/2008/11/hear-lashunda-rundles.html

Enjoy!

LaShunda's surgeon: she has to meet us half-way

s promised, here is the latest update on LaShunda Rundles.

Sometime in the middle of last week, LaShunda began hemorrhaging again.  The surgeons had opted to use clamping and "glue" to seal her intestines, rather than stitches - repeatedly perforating her already-weakened tissue with stitching and needles would only make it weaker - and apparently the seal had come undone.  LaShunda's doctors rushed her back into surgery to fix that most immediate issue.

Despite all that, LaShunda had a really good weekend and was responding well to IV antibiotics and nutrients.  Her doctors deemed her ready for another round of surgical repair.

Monday's surgery went well.  The doctors repaired her intestine, and now it's a matter of waiting 7-10 days to see how well the repairs hold up.  Her surgeon told Sonya that LaShunda "has to meet us half-way" and that he is going to remain cautious-to-pessimistic until he sees how her body responds.  LaShunda was in a great deal of pain, so they have her heavily sedated for now.

Sonya told Jim this was surgery #6, and if LaShunda continues to heal, she'll likely require at least two more.

As Jim told me, "the word for now is good, and the outlook allows for hope."  But LaShunda has a long road ahead of her.  Please continue to remember her in your thoughts and prayers.

LaShunda back in surgery

A brief update for our Toastmasters friends around the world ... those who are faithfully following LaShunda's battle ... Jim just spoke with Sonya.  She says LaShunda had a good weekend, and the doctors decided to go ahead and do the surgery on her today.  She went in around 1pm Central time.

Jim will call Sonya later this evening for a further update ... and I'll share the news here.

LaShunda's surgeon: she could make it through this

Technology is an amazing thing.  While I recognize we use it sometimes to keep a barrier between us and other people, eliminating face-to-face interactions, it's times like this that I am thankful for the way it allows us to stay in touch, keep current, and ensure friends around the world are up-to-date on late-breaking news.

Jim received a text message from Sonya early this afternoon that read:

LaShunda is in surgery.  Please keep her in your prayers.

A few hours later, he received this email from a close friend of the family who was at the hospital when the surgeon brought them his report.  Here's that update:

This quick update on Lashunda is just an affirmation of something we all already know... she's a fighter!  Lashunda underwent another surgery today and today the same surgeon who pretty much termed the situation as hopeless came out today smiling and is hopeful that, though still a challenge, Lashunda could make it through this.  I know this doesn't sound like a glowing endorsement but it is leaps and bounds above the news of last week. Surely all of the prayers and well wishes have helped and made a difference. Lashunda will have at least one more surgery probably next Monday to complete the work the doctor started today. Continue to keep her in your positive thoughts and prayers.

In truth, we could not ask for better news.  I mean ... aside from a miraculous, complete healing, of course.  But this is hopeful news.

When she last addressed District 50, LaShunda shared with us her favorite poem - "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley:

Out of the night that covers me,
      Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
      For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
      I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
       My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
      Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
      Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
      How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
      I am the captain of my soul.

There is no doubt LaShunda has an "unconquerable soul".  Keep those prayers, good vibes, and well-wishes coming.  As always, I'll post updates as I have them, and I continue to compile your comments to pass to LaShunda and her family.