I had spent almost 2 weeks at Monash Hospital, in the High Dependancy Stroke Ward, before moving to Rehab at the Kingston Centre in the Melbourne suburb of Cheltenham.
When I arrived, I was in a wheelchair, as I still had no movement on my right side, and I needed 3 nurses to help me with even the simplest tasks, including going to the bathroom.
On that first day, I spoke to a number of patients, and my first question was always the same, how long have you been here. The answers varied, but many were between 4 and 6 months, this was in the first week of August 2021.
That night I called my wife and said, if I'm lucky, I might be able to come home for a visit at Christmas time.
Amamzingly, after a week, I began to get some movement on my right side, and so began the process of learning to walk all over again.
Speech therapy, Physio, gym work, and Occupational Therapy, learing how to improve my fine motor skills.
Then the miricle happened, I seemed to improve daily, and then on my birthday, the 24th of August, I walked out of rehab and headed home.
Over time, as I got stronger, I slowly began continuing my role as a Celebrant, but with a new sence of purpose.
When you have been given a second chance at life, you seem to have a clearer understanding of all aspects of life, including end of life.
With this in mind, I found myself performing many funerals, and being able to comfort families and loved ones at such a difficult time, was so rewarding, and gave me a great sence of purpose.
Today, I have recovered to such an extent, that the 25th of July 2021 now seems like a distant bad dream, and one that I am so grateful to have woken from.