Living at Pohlen Hospital

Continuing on from my previous posts

1. My Journey of Faith
2. My Life Changed
3. The Road of Recovery - Part 1
   
4. The Road of Recovery - Part 2 

I do not hesitate to share with people the reason I am like I am today or all along this journey because people need to know there is proof in the healing love of God. There is no denying I was being prayed for constantly by people here in Tirau, my daughter's church family in Hamilton, my parents church family in Wellington, friends and family all around New Zealand and the world, some of whom have never met me. Each time something happened I would pray and send out a prayer request or an update on Facebook and people would pray, God would know and hear and heal. 

When I was due to be transferred to rehabilitation (mid October) I was told at my appointment, there were no beds for me in that ward so I was sent back to Pohlen. As much as I loved being there, I didn’t get the intensive support I would have got had I been in a ward specialized for rehabilitation. But here I tell you of the amazing hand of God on my body and life. .

And the proof was confirmed in the constant times medical and care staff would be amazed at my healing and my attitude and with that I would tell them it was God. There was no other reason as to why a person my age with all this, would be doing so well

One time I got an infection in the long wound on my upper leg. The nurse was so afraid to remove the stitches as she was scared it would burst open. If this happened, she had said, I would have to return to Waikato hospital. 

This nurse had openly said to me she didn’t believe but she said to me, "Pray to whatever you pray to." 

I did. 

But when I had prayed, I wasn’t sure what to ask. 

Did I want to go back to Waikato? or did I just want the wound to heal? 

What was God’s plan? 

When she returned after consulting with a doctor still hesitant, I said to her, "Just do it, I have prayed."

And as she removed each stitch fluid seeped out and the swelling was relieved slightly with each removal. I was taped up and the healing began. 

I realized God’s plan was for me to be there. God needed her to see His power. 

Other times I knew I was being a voice of God there. 

One lunch time a carer asked me for everyone to hear, "What is the real meaning of Christmas?" 

I said. “We need to be saved and God loves us so much He sent His son, Jesus, as a baby, to save us and He came as one of us. So, we celebrate His birthday. The wise men brought gifts and so we give gifts to those we love, just as God loves us and gave His son” I shared about Christmas trees, the 12 days of Christmas and boxing day. 

Then she asked, "What was the most important scripture in the Bible for today?" 

Now that’s a biggy!!

"Lord," I prayed, "What do you want me to say?" and in the moment of waiting the scripture 

“Be still and know I am God”  

I explained that with everything that is going on in the world (Covid, wars etc) and our own lives, if we can just stop, be still and know that God’s got this. If we know God, we find peace. 

I figured I had ‘preached enough’ but one of the male residents clapped and said “Well done.” 

I realized that it had all flowed well and that the words just came to me by the power of the Holy Spirit. After lunch as we all stated going on with our day the man came up to me and said he wanted to chat with me as he knew as soon as I said what I said, he knew I was born again and just wanted to talk with me. He didn’t like being there as he felt there was no-one to talk to. I would often go and talk to him and go and see him each time I visit. He is now with our Lord.

The day after this the reading in The Word For Today was 

Psalm 46:10 !! It says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be honoured among the nations. I will be honoured in the earth." 

I just smiled knowing how much God is in control of my life.

Another resident in the room through the other side of our ensuite died while I was there and in his final days a local minister came one day and was reading scripture to him. I’d been to the toilet and felt this really uncomfortable feeling of needing to pray for him even the words to say. I'd got to know him a bit and would tickle his toes and share my chocolates with him. The hard part of being there was that most of the residents are there for the end of their lives. In the end I just had to, so through the slightly opened ensuite door I prayed about Jesus preparing a room for us and when I had finished the minister was saying Amen, Amen, and I just knew that I had been obedient to Gods prompting. I was also asked to pray after the resident had died and was leaving the hospital and again at the lunch for all the other residents. I became the person different carers would come and talk to about issues they were having and I would pray. 

Who would have thought that the reason for being there was to minister to others! 

I’m not saying it was all plain sailing. 

There were times when I was quite despondent and I just wanted to be better and go home. Four months and a week is a long time. But every time the reading for the day either in The Word For Today or something I read in the book I was reading was God talking to me. 

Like the day I woke after learning to start walking again with aids and felt sore and wondering if it was going to get any better than this. There had been talk of maybe going back to Waikato to have some of the plates removed at a later stage if it was hindering the walking. I wasn’t sure how I felt about going through all that again. The title for the reading that day was “God’s Got This!” I prayed “If you’ve got this God, please reassure me – I feel I’ve lost the race to recovery.” The message talked of a ‘command’ to take stock and stand on God’s word, tell Him your concerns and trust Him 

Philippians 4:6-7 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

And after a little conversation with God, he said to me. “Don’t fret the ‘What if’s’ I’ve got this. I hold you in the palm of My hand My child. Trust in me” He even understood me in my low places.

One day when I was struggling, I just felt so low I didn’t really know what to pray. I just wanted to climb up and curl in God’s lap. But as I have discovered every time I go to God He answers me. The message from the Word for Today had this:

God will pick you up and help you to start again. One mistake – or one hundred – doesn’t render you useless for life. Today, God wants to lift you out of your low place. … You don’t have to go through life being manipulated by your emotions. Your emotions can be affected by your thoughts, and with God’s help, you can change how you think and what you think about!             The Word for Today - 9 November 2021 

On the 24th October it was decided to see if I could stand. I was excited thinking I could do this. But I couldn’t. My legs gave way as I had spent the last 6 weeks bed ridden being hoisted off the bed onto commodes, a wheel chair or lazy boy on wheels, to go or do anything. This meant that the muscles and so strength in my legs had gone. Feeling devastated I cried a little. The following day I opened the book I was reading, Sensible Shoes by Sharon Garlough Brown, and there was a prayer written (I found out later) by one of the carers on a paper towel.

Again, God is good. 

The next day I was able to stand with the mechanical hoist and from there the work begun. 

On the 26th October I took my first steps with the gutter frame. 

And at that very time Harry was doing a window visit and could see me through the window taking steps. God had it all in order. 

Don’t think this was all easy and straight forward because it was slow and painful. But each day as I prayed and read God’s word, He would show me the way forward and encouraged me. 

On the 30th October I had been struggling with the weight bearing when standing and walking. That day the reading from the Word for Today was Luke 10:19.  I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you 

Pain is not from God – it’s from the enemy. God has given us power over the enemy in His Word, Christ’s blood, and the name of Jesus.

I will walk even if there is pain because it will be crushed. 

Nothing will injure me – nothing. 

And more scripture came to me. This battle is the Lord’s [1 Samuel 17:47]. When I am weak, God is strong. His power is made perfect in weakness [2 Corinthians 12:9-10]. You did not choose me. Instead, I chose you. I appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit that will last. I also appointed you so that the Father will give you what you ask for. He will give you whatever you ask for in my name [John 15:16] 

With hard work, a fair bit of pain relief, prayer and carers cheering me on - literally, I learnt to walk, use my hand and in the process give God the glory. 

On 28th November I took my first steps without holding on to anything!

When I got back to Pohlen after 8 days at Waikato undergoing corrective surgery (as mentioned in the second half of this post) the carers had made a poster for me, decorated my room with Christmas decorations and left me a stocking. 

This poster was made by a lot of the residents, with a few of my carers and my two best friends drawn on it by one of the talented carers. She was able to pick out their likeness so you could tell who each one was without the names!

It may appear that my name is spelt wrong but I was known as Finona. One of the nurses had a family member named Fiona, and some of the younger children called her Finona Two of my grandchildren had also called me that too so that name stuck with me too. It would seem that for some children it is hard to pronounce as I remember my younger brother calling me 'Nona'.

I was in isolation for five days in case I had contacted Covid while at Waikato Hospital, but they still made the most of it for me. Fortunately I didn't have Covid (One would hope not having gone from there to hospital and back again!) but because of the nature of Pohlen it was important to protect the residents.

You may also think it odd to be calling Pohlen Hospital 'home', but I had been living there for three months and it was such a safe caring place, that it is was a second home to me and so to, for others that live there. If like me some are there for recovery or maybe some respite care but others get used to it being where they will now live. For most it is their home for the rest of their lives as they will not be going back to their own homes. 

There is a sign in the dining room that sums it up nicely.

Even now it still feels like a special place and I try to do some volunteering once a week to help give back for all the care I had and also as I know how special it was to have someone spend time with me without having to rush off to tend to someone else. 

As I write this it is just on a year that I was living there. Unfortunately some of the residents have passed away but there are still some that were with me and remember me, and I am getting to know some of the new ones. And it is the same with some of the staff. 

In this journey of faith, I realized how close to death I could have been. That I am alive is a miracle. I am constantly in awe of that – that is how much God loves me. I was constantly reminded of God rescuing me in verses I read and so I told my story to anyone who would listen. I am volunteering at Pohlen now and the staff still tell everyone, new residents, new staff members and even others visitors and family my story and I add that it is because of God. I learnt how much He wants me to talk to him and ask Him for what I need. He wants to show me and for me to see, the good things He has in abundance for me. When I struggled with so many unknowns along the way He reminded me He is in control and when I relinquished that to Him there was always calm. 

A selection of photos of my time at Pohlen Hospital