Day 34 - New friends...

Sunday 27 June 2010

I feel pretty good this morning.  Pain was still there but felt a little more controlled.  Got up, freshened up and had my breakfast.  The Dr came around with his children and felt that he would do the exercises tomorrow. 

Thinking of everyone at church today so I pulled out my daily devotion and bible and started reading.  Was falling asleep as I was reading but I felt good about my message.  At the same time my roomies were talking about what one of the patients was listening to on their T.V. – Bishop Brian Tamaki.  It was interesting to hear the other patients views.  I don’t know what it is but with this illness I feel more in tune with things.  More so when conversations are about God.  Last time I was in hospital I was thinking that I should try to talk with other patients and use my time in hospital to witness to patients.  So here I am trying to get to know other patients.  One in particular is the patient that was questioning her faith.  We touched on a few things and about her faith but didn’t get as far as to talk more personally.  She left today with her partner and with some hope that she may one day have children again.  She has a 4 year old daughter.

I am now rooming with the other two patients – Nettie a 72 year old European woman with cancer who is going to be discharged later today and is waiting for her only daughter to arrive from Sydney to take care of her. 

Nettie

Nettie looks so well for someone her age.  She looked like someone ten years younger.  We talked briefly about her family life.  Nettie was a lovely lady.  Her daughter arrived in the afternoon.  Fresh of the plan from Sydney.  And even she looks great for age (50).  Definitely runs in their genes.  Nettie looked happy to go home.  Good for her.

Yanis

There is power in the blood of Jesus Janet finally cried 3 years after her husband died.  A husband who had waited for her since she was 25 until she was 43 to marry her.  John had asked Yanis' mother for her hand in marriage when Yanis was 25 and her mother said no because he was always drunk and not good for her daughter.  Yanis' mother passed away and Janet had turned 43 before they got married. J

The year that John passed away it was 2000.  He was making a trip to Rarotonga because he wanted to visit his mother’s old house so they could see it.  He was not well during the 10 day trip.  On this way back to New Zealand he had pneumonia and leaving the aircraft John had a heart attack.  Throughout the day Jan had a gut feeling that something was not right .  That came true when Yan was called into an office and a police officer had confirmed that her husband had passed away.

It was so nice to hear her story.  Her story of a love so strong and true to the meaning of “two halves making a whole”.  Hollywood come up with so many movies that describe the perfect romance but nothing is more perfect that hearing a story told by the surviving half of the day her other half had left her side.  To this day Jan continues to wear her wedding band.  Without all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood the story was perfect to me.

I love the way our elders share stories of their past.  They tell it in such a way that it makes you feel like you are walking alongside them as you walk through their past.  Though it was just myself and the two older patients I was so blessed to have been given an opportunity to hear their stories.

Joe came to visit today which was such a surprise.  I hadn’t seen him for a while.  He stayed with me for at least an hour and talked about everything.  I was surprised that he stayed so long.  I could tell that he wanted to really talk.  So we did and I’m glad.  I encouraged him to spend some time with Dan ‘cause I know that he could do with a break and with his cousin.

Sally

Sally joined us in the ward today.  She is a young first generation asian mother of two children.  Sally was a lovely person and enjoyed her time with Yanis and I.  We got to talk a bit ourselves.  I was surprised I had even said hello.  I think my talks with Yan and Nettie all day has helped me to relax more in the room. It’s amazing that when you have a strong personality in the wrong mix it can really influence the atmosphere.  I have enough experience to recognise that.  Sally had only stayed with us for 3 hours but I hope it was 3 hours that has brought some new thinking in her life.

Yan encouraged me to read parts of my journal which I felt really good about.  And so I did and again I started to cry as I always do.  I remembered the sermon that mum gave last week which I must get more information about.  She talks about the Prophet Jeremiah who was known as the weeping prophet.  Her message was about the power in shedding our tears.  God knows our hearts and wipes our tears.  I love that.  Everyone knows me to be a real tear-jerker when it comes to things I am very passionate about and tonight I shed a tear while reading my journal.  And I feel so blessed...

Yan noticed something different about me and mum yesterday and she described us as being “gentle” which I thought was a nice description.  Interesting that I had been thinking for sometime that when people look at me who or what do they see?  Do they see a kind hearted person or someone with issues.   This day has been such a great day today to be able to talk with people about the goodness of our Lord without actually having to talk about Him.  And in the same token we are being healed.  And like I say to myself Healed by the Spirit, then the Mind and the Body will follow.

Angel had texted me saying that she was going to deliver some food to Dan.  Wow this woman is so great!!! God bless her family and strip away the illness from her body!

Called Dan.  He felt really pleased about his message of Not Giving Up.  I could hear it in his voice.  I’m glad that he felt good about his sermon.  He has been feeling down about work, me and his dad so to have something that brings peace to his heart by his own doing is great.  

At the end of another day in the life of the “mystery” patient I can say I actually enjoyed today.  Sharing with people I had never met before.  Giving a piece of myself to them while taking on a piece of them.  It’s such an amazing thing to share your life experiences.  We come to know so much more about the person that walks by on a busy street.  It brings comfort to know that not everyone comes from a bad place.

Dan told me that a song was dedicated to me at church by one of the women in our congregation.  A traditional samoan hymn that sings about Jesus being the foundation of your life and having faith in him in all your circumstances.  At the end of the day it is our faith that keeps us going.  Without that how can we see beyond today.