Healed by the hands of god

Ok you might think I have totally lost the plot but I haven’t. I went into the sushi bar in the maul because they make good smithies. I order a mixed berry. As usual I am asked about my injury. I give the usual explanation of having an argument with a rock up at Cardies. I then go over to my table when I am approached by a young girl who sits down opposite me. She tells me how she believes in the healing of God and asks if she can say a prayer for me. I am stunned and unsure what to say I guessed that if I said yes she would leave me alone and pray for me later. I was wrong she moved and sat down next to me and holds me knee and starts to pray out loud. This whole serial experience lasts for about 5 minutes all the time I am unsure where to look or what to do. When she is finished she looks at me expectedly. I guess she wants me to getup run about and claim a miracle has happened. It did not It’s still broken.
Friday. Had physio this morning then meet up with Matt. Matt broke his ankle 8 months ago and has been on crutches since he was with his mate who broke his ankle 7weeks ago so he too is on crutches. So the 3 cripples hobble down the road to the cafe for lunch. We stent the afternoon taking the mickey out of each other before Matt had to go to physio and his mate had to go to have his plaster changed. I then met up with some people from the lodge and we watched Amazing Grace at the cinema. The cinema is really old fashioned and filled with sofas and lounge chairs so it’s just like home really. The film was kina odd but it was good to do something different. Have an appointment to see another specialist on Monday so fingers crossed he will give us some good news.
Ok so I have still not been healed by the hands of god. So I am having to work really hard in physio to improve things. I thought after my years working in hospital I would have understood the meaning of rehabilitation but it sure has been an awakening over the last few weeks. The whole process of learning to walk again with an unstable knee is really intense. It’s harder than any climb I have ever worked on. It takes all my concentration just to stand on it. My hands go white from gripping the crutches so tight and I hold my breath until I am standing on my right leg again, however all the hard work is paying off slowly. I now have a lot more movement I can almost straighten my knee now. It still will not bend mush and has a tendency to swell up if I do too much but am working on it as I have little else to do. I am also building up the amount I can weight it so I should be able to ditch the crutches soon cause they are driving me nuts.
Friday.
Sean decide he didn’t like being my slave any more so decided to have his own little accident. He wanted to go one better than me so decided to bang his head on a rock. This resorted in him having a free helicopter trip to Christchurch hospital and 4 hours surgery. He is now the happy owner of 8 pins, 2 plates and a 15cm cut with blue stitches and a collection of shiny staples. He definitely wins the damage contest. This left me not only worrying about Sean but also how I was going to get to my hospital appointment 3 hours away. My concern for Sean never left me but the trip to hospital was easily taken care of. I am staying in the Albert Town lodge which is run by Rachael and Cyril they are a very friendly couple who have spent a lot of time looking after us all. They kindly offered to drive me. I felt a little guilty about this as it’s a long trip to take in a day but had few other options and they were insistent. Everyone has shown huge amount of support offering lifts to Christchurch and free accommodation and so on, this support has often come from people who don’t even know us. Many people have even been to the hospital to see Sean and support him.
The weekend is filled with texts from Carol and Orla (they are staying I Christchurch with Sean). We transfer information through many messages which works well. I spend Friday night over at the house with Cyril and Rachael drinking a little red wine and talking utter rubbish. This helps keep me sane. The support has been amazing from everyone. Including our 73 year old crazy lady who at 73 is very spritely and is still skiing but has the habit of talking at you rather than with you. You also have the pleasure of hearing the same stories a minimum of 7 times each day. When I told Sean she was coming to visit him. His reply was “shit no I am mentally unstable at the moment, I am on the 3rd floor of this building and will hold you fully responsible for anything I might do to myself, ha, ha”. Not bad from someone who has had major surgery. Bless her, she has a heart of gold.
Monday.
We venture out on the 7 ½ hour trip to Invercargill to see the Dr. We have a really pleasant drive down enjoying the views and talking about friend, family, farming and mush more. I see the doctor for a total of 20 minutes. The specialist didn’t say a lot other than he wanted me to have an urgent MRI. We get back into the car and talk more rubbish on the drive home this include politics and religion. It was like one of those drunken conversations where you try to put the world to rights. Yet no matter how hard you try it doesn’t work. We stopped at a coffee shop which had the best quote ever. “If you think you’re too small to make a difference try sleeping with a mosquito”. Which we both thought was very amusing. We arrived back home feeling pretty fed up of sitting down.
Tuesday.
I was sitting in the kitchen talking with Rachael when my phone goes. It’s the hospital in Dunedin wanting me for an MRI at 3:45 today. I mean I know he said urgent but that was fast. Before I hang up the phone Rachael is on the land line trying to find be a lift. I get a lift with their friend ken that is going to see his daughter. So another 4 hours in the car. I am in and out within the hour. Rachael has arranged for me to stay with a friend of hers for the evening. So I have a change of scenery and some great company plus the added bones of a 3 year old to play with. I am amazed again at the support I have receive in the last few days, I mean these people don’t even know me and yet they invite me into their house feed me and give me the most comfortable bed ever. I am then driven into town where I wonder about for a while until the bus comes to take me back to Wanaka another 4 hours travelling. Rachael picks me up from town then feeds me dinner and more wine. Orla arrives back from Christchurch with the update on Sean. He is said to be doing well and should be coming out of hospital one Monday when his parents get here.
The next few days are spent chilling out. Reading in the sunshine, taking small walks and talking more rubbish. Orla and I decided to go out Friday night for a few drinks. We spent the evening in &bar drinking red wine and playing pool with 2 guys I had bet earlier in the week. We have a great night (the first night I have been out since I hurt my knee). We then decide we have to hitch home. (I’m not up for the 5k walk home) we get to the main road and within moments a car comes so I put my thumb out. The car pulls over and we notice it’s a police car. We both look at each other with the expression of dam it were about to be told off. Instead the driver get out asks us where were going says “we can’t have someone on crutches hitching get in we’ll take you home”. SWEET!! Taken home by the local bobby.

Saturday
the sun is shinning and all is feeling better. the sun just makes such a happy difference.