Mountaintop Experiences in the Valley, 2nd Edition
For those who have lived a lifetime in the valley
by
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Prelude to From Valley to Valley—pain and illness When I wrote the chapter from Valley to Valley, I had just been told that they had found a mass in the head of my pancreas. As a nurse practitioner and with a history of cancer, my first thought was that this mass could mean I had pancreatic cancer. I was well aware that pancreatic cancer had only few survivors. In addition, I knew that it was an excruciatingly painful disease. As a widow with my children in college or married, I felt very alone during that time. Besides, I did not want to worry my children with the thought that I now might have pancreatic cancer. They had been through too many trials in their young lives already. I wanted them to have a chance to enjoy their youth before they would have to face another parent’s death. At that time in my life I was very weary of the journey. I had no fear if God chose to take me home. Yet, I could not imagine my children going through the trauma of worrying about my health or possible death. For that reason I had to shield them from my being sick as long as I could. They had already seen me going through chemo only a few years earlier while they were still in high school. My husband and their father had died tragically in 1994. Though a brilliant surgeon, he had suffered from a bipolar disorder which had led to many difficulties in their own lives. Yet, that is a different story. In 1997, I decided to get my Master’s Degree in Nursing. So with the permission of my children I began the two years of commuting from Dexter, MO to Nashville, TN. I left on Sunday night and returned on Friday evening. Despite my calling my sons every day from the dorm, I missed out on a lot of their high school events. Yet, I continued because I believed that my furthering my education would ultimately be for the good of the family. In December 1998, I was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of breast cancer. So I had undergone a mastectomy with tram-flap reconstruction which was followed by chemotherapy. I was in a trial study and the drugs I received were toxic to the neurological system as well. Anyone who has undergone chemotherapy could appreciate how tough chemotherapy can be. I pressed forward through school because I knew that if I quit, I would not return. Beyond that if I stopped school my school loans would be placed immediately into repayment mode. Money was tight as it was with my not being able to work during the chemotherapy (The hospitals refused to allow a neutropenic nurse around patients.) There was no money to pay the school loans. Besides, I had two sons which I needed to somehow get through college. Three to four months after completing the chemo, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. My ulcerative colitis remained in constant flare despite diet, massive steroids, and medications for over a year. There was no choice at that time but to have my colon removed and have a pouch reconstruction. By the time I underwent surgery in late 2000, I had already developed the severe side effects of the steroids. I was very cushinoid, including the fact that I had a full beard and mustache. My large muscles were so weak I had to pull myself up the stairs holding tightly to the rails so as not to fall. Despite the severity of my illness, I was able to continue working to try to support myself and my sons. This I did more by God’s strength than by my own. Following the surgery the steroids were stopped, so then I had overwhelmingly severe fatigue which I had to fight against. It took all of 2001 to begin to recover from the steroids and get accustomed to my new intestinal system. Then about March 2002, I was told that I had a mass on the head of the pancreas which needed further workup to determine whether it was cancer or not. That was when I wrote From Valley to Valley. For those of you going through illness, I have blogged about the illness in greater detail on my website http://www.myglorytoglory.com. In the website blogs, I describe all the pain and the sorrow and the suffering that I felt during those years. By 2002 I was extremely wearied from the journey and I needed to know that God had a plan.
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About the Book
Mountaintop Experiences in the Valley was originally written in 2003 when the author began with asking God "Why so much pain?", "What do I do with this despair?", and "How can I be a testimony to Christ in the midst of all this?" Her initial writing was one to find the answers herself. This second edition expands the books purpose to include you, the reader. This was done by adding too elements to the original version. The author with great honesty reveals what pains or sorrows had lead up to each chapter and what steps you can take if you find yourself in the same trial. This is a must read for anyone who has faced deep despair, loneliness or guilt over a sense of being a failure. This book delves deep into the heart of God through an intense review of scripture dealing with each subject addressed. With each subject addressed, it also gives a step by step guide to how to overcome that trial in your life, so that you may find true joy no matter what the circumstances that surround you.
About the Author
Effie Darlene Barba has lived through many valleys that included breast cancer, ulcerative colitis, abusive relationships, multiple surgeries, widowhood, financial disaster, failures, and chronic illness with autoimmune chronic pancreatitis. She speaks with sincerity of heart and frank honesty about her struggles with the emotions that surrounded her in these valleys. Her insights have come from years of experience in painful trials. She was born in Poplar Bluff, MO; and raised on a small farm just outside of Dexter, MO. During her adult life she has lived in multiple states within the United States and also lived in the heart of Mexico. She would quickly smile and tell you that her greatest earthly joys have been her children. She currently resides in Orlando, FL where she continues a challenging career as a Cardiology Nurse Practitioner. She is the manager of allied health for Florida Cardiology, PA and continues to work a schedule few young people can manage. She would be the first to tell you that this could not be possible without the strength of God to sustain her. Her joy shines forth through all the stormy days as she cares for her patients with a tender, gentle smile that truly understands their agony because she has been there.