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This is my story.
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Here goes….
Is there any hope after two crippling strokes?
Through God’s grace, there definitely is! Psalm 39:7 ‘My hope
is in You’
Do I have to spend the rest of my life like this?
Or could it be like this?
Canal boating with my home group
To see Swallow Falls in North Wales
Arriving on Snowdonia
Snorkelling in South Africa
I knew that in all thingsGod works for the good of those
who love Him. Romans 8:28
The choice was mine!
Either I could accept my paralysis and hold a pity party…
Or I could choose to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to heal me!
I chose to trust our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
I also knew that I had to do my part by working very hard, enduring a lot of pain and many challenges
I would not be able to do it on my own but know that in Philippians 4 :13 it says ‘I can do everything through Him who gives me strength’
The Lord would also send me many human angels to help me along the way to recovery
I hoped I would be able to smile throughout, constantly giving praise and thanks for my countless blessings
I also knew that if I was to be healed completely it would only be if it is in His will and in His time so I need to be hopeful and patient
My long journey begins!
On 28th March 2007 just after 6am I collapsed in the shower and then crawled to my bed
I somehow got onto it and lay there as the stroke rapidly spread throughout my brain paralyzing my entire left hand side
Several times throughout the day I tried to phone for help but somehow could not get through
I lay on my bed all day until a friend, Jean phoned at 10pm and sensed there was something wrong
Jean suggested I phone 999 but I did not think there was anything wrong saying ‘I am just feeling a little drowsy’
Jean then incessantly said she would be driving over a distance of some 35 miles
Knowing that Jean was on her way I thought I would go downstairs to make a cup of coffee. I then fell onto the floor and was unable to get myself up
I struggled unsuccessfully until Jean arrived shortly after 11pm
Jean called 999 and soon I was admitted to Hemel Hempstead diagnosed with having had an ischemic stroke. It was now after midnight
I have no family in the UK and I feel that Jean was in my life for a season and a divine reason and also my first human angel
A few days later I went for physiotherapy and was still able to maintain a sitting balance and only needed a standing hoist to get up from my bed proving that through the grace of God I had come through this first stroke reasonably well
my second angel, my sister from South Africa just happened to be on
her first ever visit to the UK
The Lord’s timing was just perfect having my sister at my bedside for the first two weeks while she was
supposed to be on holiday
Two weeks later I started feeling extremely tired and on 16th April had a second haemorrhagic stroke which was more crippling as I could now barely move and had to be transferred by means of a sling hoist
The next 5 weeks were the worst and was probably like living in hell. This part of my journey is described
in a book I am working on. Some chapters now available online at
www.hofland.co.uk
my third angel, my youngest son Warren arrived from South Africa as I was being transferred to St. Albans
I was glad to have Warren to comfort me
My first night at Holywell neuro unit at St. Albans city hospital
My 4th angel, my eldest son, Darrel arrived 4 weeks later
The stage is set and the hard work begins!
Learning how to get out of a chair
Daily physiotherapy
And arm stretches
My one and only time in the hydro pool on my birthday (27th June)
Relearning how to walk
Learning to drive an electric wheelchair
Relearning to get into a car
Relearning how to cook simple meals
After a few weeks I did not seem to be getting anywhere?
I was told certain negative assumptions by the human
professionals
I felt dejected
Everyone felt dejected at the dining table
In walked Leah Mtembu
Leah asked the matron if she could pray for us
Leah then held me by my left arm and prayed for all of us
Leah then quoted Hebrew 10:38 ‘Now the just shall live by faith…’
Leah gave me renewed hope!
Matthew 14v6 ‘with man this is impossible, but with God all
things are possible’
I wanted to publically thank and praise the Lord and needed to go
to church
The nurses allowed me to phone for a taxi
Enabling me to give thanks and to praise our living God
15 weeks after my stroke I was discharged
And moved into a respite home in Welwyn Garden City
Our church administrator set up a roster of volunteers to bring me
to church each week
Regular physiotherapy would now cease
With odd visits by therapists the real hard work begins with Christ
aided self motivated daily exercises
Standing in a standing frame supplied by the NHS and stretches
Daily short walks
With my Lord Jesus Christ’s wisdom and understanding of my
neurological condition I set myself small but achievable daily
targets
Soon ready for a few challenges
When still in hospital I was told that I probably would not be able to get upstairs in my former home
so could no longer live there
Three months after my stroke accompanied by my niece and
her fiancée Tom
I got upstairs to where it all began!
I was told that I probably would not be able to drive again
But during a trip to SA in early 2008
The journey had not ended as my healing was not completed
My Christ motivated work continues….
I thank God for providing man with the knowledge to develop technology
to aid the healing process
Use of a Saebostretch to fool the brain that my arm should be
straight
Nightly use of a splint to prevent muscle shortening
Daily stimulation of nerves with a Microstym
Encouraging my toes to lift with a FES (functional electronic
stimulation unit) when walking
Wearing a splint to help against permanent footdrop
Regular arm stretches to slow muscle shortening using a pulley
supplied by REMAP
I thank my God for providing human angels for volunteering to
help me
Yvonne Gee for loosening up my shoulder to assist me in balancing and so soon able to climb stairs
Melinda Ward for doing upper arm stretched and preventing too much
muscle shortening
Jack Bourner for doing arm exercises and wrist stretches
Peter Lagden for supporting and encouraging me throughout my
long and arduous journey
I thank God for the people of St. Paul’s St. Albans for their support
and encouragement and being my ‘family’
I especially thank God for providing human angels giving me the strength and perseverance and for healing me
this far
In His strength my healing continues...
Thank you for looking at the presentation
The end