For the first time in years, I was truly happy.
It had been several weeks since I was admitted to the hospital. I was there so long that I forgot what home was like. My wife and I gave up our apartment and our savings account was quickly disappearing. My son was staying at my mother in laws house in Newport. We thought it would be best for him because of all the uncertainties.
My faithful wife had stayed by my side and slept in a chair during this whole episode. It was made clear by every doctor involved that I was very fortunate to be alive. However, it was also made clear that I would never walk again or use my left side. I would stay paralyzed because the extent of the damage caused by the stroke was too extensive.
There was an unbearable amount of pain in my un-paralyzed leg, caused from the blood clots damaging the tissue and a pulled muscle. I was on morphine and could not move it because of the blood clots. I would only sleep a short time, awaking in extreme pain. After about a week of this I decided that I had enough. I told the nurse that I would take no more morphine or any other drug for pain.
"It is in your hands God!" I yelled.
Two days later the pain went away. My wife and I prayed night and day through this time, mostly just thanking God for getting us through everything. Even the doctors called me the "miracle man". They asked my permission to do a medical journal on my condition. The medical team said that it is rare for someone to survive such a large episode of blood clots and a huge stroke.
Even though I was thankful for being alive, I still did not have complete faith in the Creator. One morning, I started thinking about my son and all the things I would not be able to do with him. I was angry because I was still paralyzed and it looked like I was going to have to live in an assisted care facility. There was no way that my wife could take care of the baby, work a job, and take care of me.
I failed understand why I did not die. I shouted, "I will never walk with my son or teach him how to run and play!"
My wife said, "If you believe in the Lord anything is possible, after all, you are alive aren’t you?"
I replied, "I wish I wasn’t. I will never walk again. The doctors are right!" I started weeping. I was tired. It had been over five weeks that I was in the hospital.
Then my wife jumped up and said, "How dare you, after everything that God has done for you! Where is your faith? I know in my heart that you will walk again. You would not have survived for nothing."
The sun was just starting to rise and the light was coming in through the window behind my bed, shining into the room. Her blue eyes were bright from her tears and reflection of the light. She picked up my paralyzed foot and started rubbing it. "You will walk again." She cried again, while holding my limp foot.
A tear- drop fell of her face and landed on my paralyzed foot. At that exact time my foot started to move - first the toes, then up to the ankle. She ran out to the nurse station and they all hurried back into the room. By that time I could lift my leg up off the bed and bend the knee.
"It’s a miracle!" The nurse shouted. The neurologist performed an examination a short time later. His expression was one of shock as I lifted my left leg off the bed. The doctors could not explain the recovery in my leg. They called it a "fluke" and told me that it could go away.
Another picture was immediately taken of my brain - it still showed a large area of dead tissue from stroke. With help from a physical therapist, I took my first step about a week later.
I looked at my wife and said "Thank you for your faith in God. Thank you for your faith in me."
I underwent two weeks of full rehabilitation, and regained a small amount of use of my left side. This included being able to bend my left arm and walk as far as twenty feet with a cane. My left hand was still paralyzed, I had a speech impediment, and memory was partially gone.
The time had finally come, sixty- four days later, to be released from the hospital.
"I am going to walk out of here." I said with a smile on my face. The furthest I'd walked before was about twenty-five feet or so. The exit was at least three hundred feet, but I knew that I could make it.
When I walked through the door the warm sun felt so good on my face and the air smelled wonderful. I fought the biggest battle of my life and won.
"I am alive!" I yelled out. "Thank you!" I said, looking up into the sky. "I’m going home."
It took two years of intense therapy and rehabilitation to recover from the stroke. I worked very hard with outpatient physical therapy every day to get well. I have now recovered almost 100 %.
I now make music and have the privilege of sharing it with others. My son and I are very close; we have a bond that I can’t explain. He understands the importance of being grateful for every day and respecting the gift of life.
I do not know why I am healed while others are not, I guess it is the grace and mercy of the Creator. I do know that it is important to be thankful for my life. There are so many things that our modern culture takes for granted. Also, I learned that the true riches in life cannot be bought; things like our health, family, and time, are gifts to be cherished. Time is something that once lost, it cannot be relived.
Every morning, I kneel to the east and thank our Creator for another day. Grandpa Sun rises up and blesses us all again and again, following his instructions. I hope that my story helps you in some way. Thank you for taking the time to read it.
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