Gaberlunzie

You are still n our thoughts and prayers, Gabby. Thank you for taking the time to let us know how things are going. Somehow you will emerge a stronger person. May the Lord grant you His strength and comfort continually.

Take care!!

When I first read of your situation I was devastated but I do read of improvements along the way. Keep your chin up, the battle isn't over yet.

My prayers and thoughts are with you, always.

Gabby, I am still sending thoughts and prayers your way. I am cheering for you. Chin up girlfriend.

Val

My dear friends, this is a quick update.
I'm here in rehab for around 2 months now and as I see it I will be here for another two months.
My days are more or less the here; different kind of therapies keep me busy until the late afternoon.
One new improvement is that I can go to bed all alone now. The nurses used to lift my legs into bed because I'm not able to lift them high enough. Well, I thought of a way to handle them anyways just by moving my butt backwards as much as possible, and then my first leg is almost in bed then. I simply grab it then and lift it where it belongs and I'm doing the same with my other leg. I'm able to put off my shoes and to undress. The biggest problem were the socks but I found a way to put them off though. So this is a big step to becoming independend again.

You see, the will can move mountains, so they say at least. In my case it can move legs. :-)

I know that many of you are pulling for me, and again I can only say thank you for your permanent support from all my heart.

Have a nice weekend and you all stay safe!

Blessed be,
Gabby aka Petra

Thank you for the update, Gabby. You are right! We ARE all pulling for you. May this Christmas season bless and strengthen you more than ever! Keep fighting on!

Lord bless you and Merry Christmas!

Wonderful news! Keep working at the therapy. As boring and often painful as it is, your independence depends on it. I don't know you, but keep in mind, I'm praying for your recovery.

This is some very good news Petra. You have a wonderful attitude about it all. Keep it up. Thanks for posting and letting us know how your doing.

Slainte

You go girl. That is wonderful news. Still sending my strength and prayers your way.

Val

Just keep working at it. Little things add up to big things.

Merry Christmas

Oh Gab! I had no idea. I'm deeply sorry for being away so long and missing my chance to support you in the darkest times. It comes as quite a shock, but it's very heartening to hear of your battle for recovery. The battle doesn't matter, and the time taken doesn't matter. What matters is that there IS recovery.

Many of us have known how you figuratively got yourself and your family back on their feet over the last few years, and so we know that you WILL pull through again. You're a pro at this, and I have faith in you!

This says it all.

No matter what, you keep your humour in these times. You are without a doubt an inspiration, girl. The Reeves family here will be pulling for you, and I promise to check in here every day to hear of your path to certain victory.

We send our best wishes this holiday season.

-Adam and the family

glad to here of the progress ... you will be dancing in no time...

Gabby just wanted to say I'm thinking about you today. Sending healing wishes your way.

Slainte

Hiya to all my dear friends,
don`t be shocked, it`s only me . I know I haven`t been here for long month but there have been complications and I wasn`t able to get into the internet for months.
Well, during the time I was in rehab I got bedsore. It was quite a big ulcus and it needed to be removed. First of all this shouldn`t have happened during a time of very intensive nursery care. Bad luck. So two days after Xmas I was transferred to a nearby hospital and got the surgery done. A few weeks and I was supposed to be back for my rehab. But the surgery went wrong, and I mean wrong when I say wrong. They removed too much of surrounding skin etc. and finally left a hole/wound that had 30 centimeters length and 15 centimeters depth. The other bad news is that the wound got infected and they wasted 2 weeks when I was lying in hospital with high temperature of 40°C and more. I got weak, too weak to press the button for the nurses to show up and I couldn`t eat anymore, no food besides of yoghurt.
Let me tell you about one night which was very dramatic, the night I almost died there. As I said, I was awfully weak and this night I had the feeling that all would end for me if I only closed my eyes and told myself to do so. I saw a light so brightly and beautiful that I will never be able to find words to do it justice. Brightly and so warm and it was calling me. I wanted to go there; what I could feel to come from there, the message was pure and unconditional love coming directly from what one could call the Divine Source. I was about to close my eyes and to enter the light when I saw my granny there, surrounded by the light, part of it. My granny died in 1977 and we have always been very close. She looked at me with eyes filled of light and only gently shook her head like she wanted to send me her love and to tell me it wasn`t my time yet. My eyes were filled with tears and I told her I so wanted to go but when I said so in mind I suddenly heard my kids` voices calling me, not with the voices they have now as adults but with those they had as little children. I got a kind of virtual slap from my chosen sister Mona who is my soulmate sending me the message what the heck I was thinking I was doing there. Suddenly I was willing to fight for staying alive, first because of my family, my kids, then because of all who are dear to me and would have been awfully sorry if I had went into the light. So I fought a battle during the whole night thinking of all my beloved ones and knowing if I closed the eyes I would cross the border to Otherworld.
Well, I`m writing here today which means I have won this battle, one of many but still not the war.
Fortunately I was transferred to the hospital I have been for the last 6 months and where I will still spend a few more. The doctors here are specialised on this kinds of surgery and everything that is related to spinal marrow issues. I hope you know what I mean. They did a miracle on me being able to clean this horrible wound. I arrived a Friday night and got a surgery on Saturday morning. Usually the doctor should have been already home and off for the whole weekend. It was my luck he was still there and that both were willing to do the surgery the next day. If not I wouldn`t have survived the weekend due to a bad sepsis. I had 9 more surgeries in the meantime and at least one more to come but this hole is covered now and there`s only one more small spot which needs to be corrected again.
I had to stay and only to lie in bed for more than 4 months. It was a very hard time to bear. The first 2 months I was in a very poor condition but I have been fighting back, I even can do exercises again and again things improve. We are exercising to stand with support and many other kind of things so my condition is already better than it was during my time in rehab.
It might sound funny to you but many good and positive things came from this disease. My whole family got so close together. My sons had to learn to be all indepedent and they did a great job there and still do. They are caring for me and looking after me like I used to do for them for all their lives so far. "Now it`s our turn Mum" they use to say. I`m awfully proud of them and it`s good to know they are able to handle everything in case I wouldn`t be there.
I learnt a lot about myself, about what I want and don`t want anymore. I learnt patience and that times doesn`t matter, only success. I have faith that everything will become as well as possible. I``m not pittying myself because I know that there are no coincidences but that everything happens for a certain reason and makes sense and if it`s in hindsight in a few years. It`s a lesson in life and I`m supposed to learn and to learn the right things from it. As I said, many positive things have happened since so even if I won`t be able to walk again - it doesn`t matter too much. Life is a gift and challenges are part of life.
I have asked the Great Spirit ever so often to make my ears sharp to hear and my eyes sharp to see. He is doing so, diseases are chances to reconsider, to learn and to feel thankful and in peace and balance. So do I. As funny as it may sound but I have never been so happy before with my new knowledge and all the love around me from family, friends and the man of my heart who is always so close to me even when we still live in different countries. He told me one of the most wonderful things I ever heard and this is that love is unconditional and nothing matters but the person. He says he loves me for who I am and how I am, of course he wishes for me get into the best condition that is possible but he would have wanted to be with me and to live with me even if I would have stayed bedridden. Unconditional love is a rare thing to find and to receive and it is a mutual thing. I had to become 50 yrs old to find it and to get this precious gift.
So you see that finally I`m doing well, I have a positive sight on things and I`m blessed with the most precious and wonderful things and gifts a person cann get.
So again, please forgive me that I haven`t posted earlier but I didn`t have access to the internet before. I`m sending hugs and my love over to all of you, please stay safe and may you always walk in peace!
Gabby

Gabby,

Don't sweat the small stuff.

So good to hear from you and about your recovery. It sounds like you have had an amazing journey. Continue to get better. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Made my day when I got a chance to chat with you the other day. We were all concerned that nobody had heard from you in a few months. Keep up the hard work and I'm cheering for you every step of the way.

I'll direct everyone to this thread, as you asked.