Back from the brink…on the road to recovery…

Day by day I made more and more progress. 

One of my favorite treats in those days was ginger ale in the ice chips the nurses gave me – first okayed by my Doctor.

In walk two student nurses and it’s time to take the staples out – all 68 of them (cringe).  My mum stayed with me the whole time for which I was very grateful. 

A lot of prayers had been lifted up for me and were continuing to be lifted up.  While wrestling with my spirituality one day I got a card from one of the families at church which said that they pray for me every night – I was overwhelmed and grateful to these precious children that I decided to remain with the church and not find a new one.

As I continued with my recovery I met the wonderful people from Physical Therapy – my support team in more ways than one.  I worked really hard at all the exercises they gave me to do and they always encouraged me.  I very much looked forward to their visits even though it was extremely painful at times.  Learning to walk again was no easy task but my goal was to walk on my own two feet to the hospital chapel (a distance of more than 500 feet).  Easter Sunday arrived and they took the IV tube out – I felt like I had been resurrected.

My next “home away from home” was a rehabilitation center where I learned to walk again and even climb stairs.  The greatest joy for me about this center was that one of my dogs was allowed to visit.  Cuddles just quietly sat down next to my wheelchair.  Seeing him rapidly improved my recovery process. 

An urge to attend church struck me one day and I begged the church secretary to give me a ride to church.  The psalm for that day described my situation – Psalm 116.  In the New Living translation it reads as follows: “I love the Lord because he hears and answers my prayers.  Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath.  Death had its hands around my throat, the terrors of the grave overtook me.  I saw only trouble and sorrow.  Then I called on the name of the Lord, Please Lord, save me!  How kind the Lord is!  How good he is!  So merciful, this God of ours!  The Lord protects those of childlike faith…” 

Back in the nursing home I had a dream where I was walking.  Several other people passed me.  Up ahead there was a very steep hill that I had to climb.  I prayed for help and felt the hand of Jesus on my shoulder.  He quietly said that he could help me.  The next day I could still feel his presence.

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Back From The Brink – A second chance at life! Part 1

I wanted to share the following story to give others hope and encouragement – the story is true although names may be changed to protect the innocent.

I don’t remember much about the day I went into the hospital. I remember the ambulance, the oxygen mask, the nurse telling me that she would put my checkbook and money in an envelope in safekeeping till I left the hospital….but I am ahead of the story.

It all began after the lead role of a play – I had 412 lines to memorize. In the play I was an aging old lady named Margaret Mary and had to use a cane, then a walker, then a wheelchair in succeeding acts of the play. Little did I know then that I would need these items in a couple of years to help me get around. I was getting sicker and sicker – losing a great deal of weight except in my abdomen which turned out to be a tumor. Coworkers and friends at church begged me to go to a doctor but because of childhood experiences I was petrified of any western medicine, yet at the same time I knew I needed help. I went online to countless prayer circles and psychic healers that helped to a small extent but did not heal.

After a home visit from my church pastor I agreed to go to a doctor. I contacted a Christian Science person and began to immerse myself in the study of Mary Baker Eddy and Christian Science healing techniques but was still declining. One of my dogs went to my work bag and retrieved the bottle of Advil for me because he knew I couldn’t get them – to this day I will never know how he was able to do this without any training. On Christmas day of 2004 I fell and had difficulty getting up. A few weeks before this I had fallen out of bed and broke the glass end table when I hit it with my head.

Everyone (it seemed) kept asking me when my baby was due. I stopped going to church and participated in as little socializing as possible. I still devoutly listened to Christian Science lessons and stories of healing that were broadcast on the radio – too ashamed and embarrassed to be seen in public. I stubbornly held to the belief that I could be healed through prayer and study alone. The main story that gave me hope was of a schizophrenic woman in New York. One of her personalities had a malignant breast tumor but a different personality manifested no such tumor.

After a fall at work I was badly bruised and called my healer who said words to the effect that I was a whole, perfect child of God right now, and that no error could come to me. After shouting at me the next day I was stunned but the day after that the bruises were gone. More proof to me of the power of prayer. To be continued……