ROANOKE CO., Va.—
A popular radio DJ is back on the air after a near-death experience.We caught up with Robynn Jaymes on Thursday morning during her first full day back at Star Country.
Jaymes' fans are happy to hear her again, but no one may be happier than Robynn herself.
"Fantastic. exciting. And I've been waiting a long time to be back," Jaymes said.
Ten months to be exact. Last fall, Jaymes found out she had pancreatitis, an illness that nearly took her life.
"I had a lot of complications, went to the ICU. Had a doctor ask me what my end of life choices were. It was very sobering and very frightening," Jaymes said.
Frightening because she's had a total of four surgeries. Not to mention, she had to have a feeding tube and lost 70 pounds.
Jaymes was so sick she couldn't work, and couldn't even get out of bed.
"There were days that honestly a card or an email from someone got me through the day and so the community support and encouragement went far and above anyway I'm ever going to express my thanks and gratitude for," Jaymes said.
Jaymes returned to work this week, on a shortened schedule. Next week, she plans to be on the air from nine until two.
She still has her sense of humor but she admits she's a different DJ and a different person.
"More grateful, absolutely more grateful and an interesting and strange way, more at peace," Jaymes said.
Jaymes will have pancreatitis the rest of her life. She is on a restrictive diet; no alcohol and nothing fried.
These days she eats a lot of fish and chicken.
