Tuesday, October 25, 2011
FW:
Phil preparing to walk down the ramp with aide of a walker for the first time!
We admin staff in the office love to look out the window and see the progress Phil is making – he’s so committed and focused it’s inspiring!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Arise and walk!
Last Saturday my sister and my Mum took me to Maidstone park in
Upper Hutt where I walked with my walker for one and ahalf hours
with no stops to sit down for a rest. A couple of days ago my
Physio took me from the GYM' at Laura Fergusson out through the
door and down the wheelchair ramp and down a sloping section of
tarseal and got me to turn around and sit down on the seat that
the walker has and then we walked across a section of grass and
back up the wheelchair ramp again!
Today my Physio took me from the dinning room at Laura Fergusson
out into the carpark and we walked half way down the road that
leads to our home, over the bridge and the steep section either
side of it and over the speed humps, I had to slow down for them
as I was exceed the speed limit, yeah right Phil, who are you
trying to kidd! This afternoon I was on the treadmill and I did
25 minutes with no stops and then another 8 minutes after that
and my legs then needed a rest! A big day and every day is
getting bigger and bigger for me!
I am working towards doing the around the bays event next year in
Wellington and walking the whole way using my walker! God
willing!
The dream of walking again is becoming reality and it is so
exciting and incredible, all the hard hours of exercising day in
and day out are starting to pay of. They used to call me a
hollow man, as a majority of my muscles throughout my body had
wasted away and I have had to work to restore all of them back
again! My Physio used to say that it takes every grain of sand to
make a beach and the same with muscles for the body, they all
need to be working together to allow you to stand and walk! We
are amazingly designed creatures and to have the freedom to move
around on your feet is no small thing! Take it from me, it is an
incredible priviledge that many have never experienced and
probably never will either! There life is living in a chair and
bodies are not designed to sit in chairs all day and every day!
Upper Hutt where I walked with my walker for one and ahalf hours
with no stops to sit down for a rest. A couple of days ago my
Physio took me from the GYM' at Laura Fergusson out through the
door and down the wheelchair ramp and down a sloping section of
tarseal and got me to turn around and sit down on the seat that
the walker has and then we walked across a section of grass and
back up the wheelchair ramp again!
Today my Physio took me from the dinning room at Laura Fergusson
out into the carpark and we walked half way down the road that
leads to our home, over the bridge and the steep section either
side of it and over the speed humps, I had to slow down for them
as I was exceed the speed limit, yeah right Phil, who are you
trying to kidd! This afternoon I was on the treadmill and I did
25 minutes with no stops and then another 8 minutes after that
and my legs then needed a rest! A big day and every day is
getting bigger and bigger for me!
I am working towards doing the around the bays event next year in
Wellington and walking the whole way using my walker! God
willing!
The dream of walking again is becoming reality and it is so
exciting and incredible, all the hard hours of exercising day in
and day out are starting to pay of. They used to call me a
hollow man, as a majority of my muscles throughout my body had
wasted away and I have had to work to restore all of them back
again! My Physio used to say that it takes every grain of sand to
make a beach and the same with muscles for the body, they all
need to be working together to allow you to stand and walk! We
are amazingly designed creatures and to have the freedom to move
around on your feet is no small thing! Take it from me, it is an
incredible priviledge that many have never experienced and
probably never will either! There life is living in a chair and
bodies are not designed to sit in chairs all day and every day!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Oh what a day!!
Can you believe that this very day, 3 years ago, I was being
transferred by rescue helicopter from Wakatipu base hospital in
Queenstown to Dunedin hospital ICU' and now look at me! Firstly
thank you God for giving my life back to me, thanks to the
amazing work of doctors and nursing staff at Wakatipu base
hospital and Dunedin ICU' and following that after I came out of
the coma, the amazing staff at the ISIS' Rehabilitation centre.
Today will be a time of reflection as I look back over ? past few
years and see the hand of our almighty God in action! To God be
the glory, great things He has done and continues to do! He is
the same, yesterday, today and forever!
Thank you to all of you that have been there for us over ? past
few years, in whatever capacity that may;, a shoulder to lean on,
a kind w, kind deeds, hand and feet of our Lord to us as a
family, petitioning heaven on our behalf and just being you!
Who would have ever believed seeing me in ICU' this time 3 years
ago, that I would be doing what I am today and living with my
amazing family!
Out of all of this crazy: amazing Journey as I call it, my family
have been so amazing, to me personally and through the whole
traumatic event and I am so thankful to be able to live with them
and be supported by them!
The climbing continues and thesummit will be reached with God's
help!
transferred by rescue helicopter from Wakatipu base hospital in
Queenstown to Dunedin hospital ICU' and now look at me! Firstly
thank you God for giving my life back to me, thanks to the
amazing work of doctors and nursing staff at Wakatipu base
hospital and Dunedin ICU' and following that after I came out of
the coma, the amazing staff at the ISIS' Rehabilitation centre.
Today will be a time of reflection as I look back over ? past few
years and see the hand of our almighty God in action! To God be
the glory, great things He has done and continues to do! He is
the same, yesterday, today and forever!
Thank you to all of you that have been there for us over ? past
few years, in whatever capacity that may;, a shoulder to lean on,
a kind w, kind deeds, hand and feet of our Lord to us as a
family, petitioning heaven on our behalf and just being you!
Who would have ever believed seeing me in ICU' this time 3 years
ago, that I would be doing what I am today and living with my
amazing family!
Out of all of this crazy: amazing Journey as I call it, my family
have been so amazing, to me personally and through the whole
traumatic event and I am so thankful to be able to live with them
and be supported by them!
The climbing continues and thesummit will be reached with God's
help!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Hit the road Jack!
You might say where am I heading with this phrase! More often
than not, on a long challenging endurance climb, the mental and
emotional strain on the body can be tougher to work through than
the physical pains of the body! As the climb wears on, one
seemingling endless day into another, firstly the mind can start
to play games and question the strength of the climber and the
ability to achieve the set goal. This can lead toemotional
feelings rising and the clifberc start to leave themountain
mentally and emotionally to a place far more relaxing and to
memories prior to embarking on thclimb. ? Thous and feelings if
left unchecked can really sap a climbers energys and more often
than not they are worse than the physical achie to the body. At
this point, one has to dig deep within the spirit and find that
extra strength and say Lets hit the road Jack, cause we ain't
going back no more, no more! Thous allowed to settle and multiple
and grow, will cripple a climber. The goal is in front and the
memories are behind, if the climber keeps looking back can't stay
focussed, before long he will end up dazed and confused and this
could lead to one biting the dust!
I have gone through ? experiences in my mountain climb I am
currently on and the head starts to play games and say, You can't
make it, it's to hard and then the memories from the past climb
on board and join in the party and I look back at whatwas and all
the feelings that come with that! At this pointanother mountain
climber has seen where I am at andchallenged me to push through
that mental barrier and dig deep within and told me to hit the
road Jack and don't you come back here no more, no more! There
are a few times I could have ended up crippled on the mountain
and left dazed and confused. I can't make new ground and achieve
if I continue to allow myself to live in the past and let my head
rule over my heart! I find at times there is a need to kick
myself into gear and strive for better and great things!X says in
the book of Hebrews in the Bible; "Since we have such a great
crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstand, let us
strip away ? things that would hold us back and slow us down and
especially ? sins that hold so tightly around our feet and cause
us to trip up and run with paitence the particular race set
before us"What is this saying, there are many that have gone on
before us and are now watching us and cheering us on as we climb,
so throw ? thous and feelings to the side and dig deep, keep
focusedand hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no
more! In the next verse it says; "Looking to Jesus, our leader
and instructor"We need to draw strength from our leader and
instructor and another verse in Hebrews says; "Iesus our great
High Priest, who has gone back to heaven to help us, never stop
trusting Him, this great High Priest of our understands our every
weakness and has been tempted in all ways as we are but never
once gave way and sinned" He is there for us big time andknows
and understands and is there to help us when we face ? very
challenging moments, so don't look back and become dazed and
confused, strive for higher ground and themountain summit!
than not, on a long challenging endurance climb, the mental and
emotional strain on the body can be tougher to work through than
the physical pains of the body! As the climb wears on, one
seemingling endless day into another, firstly the mind can start
to play games and question the strength of the climber and the
ability to achieve the set goal. This can lead toemotional
feelings rising and the clifberc start to leave themountain
mentally and emotionally to a place far more relaxing and to
memories prior to embarking on thclimb. ? Thous and feelings if
left unchecked can really sap a climbers energys and more often
than not they are worse than the physical achie to the body. At
this point, one has to dig deep within the spirit and find that
extra strength and say Lets hit the road Jack, cause we ain't
going back no more, no more! Thous allowed to settle and multiple
and grow, will cripple a climber. The goal is in front and the
memories are behind, if the climber keeps looking back can't stay
focussed, before long he will end up dazed and confused and this
could lead to one biting the dust!
I have gone through ? experiences in my mountain climb I am
currently on and the head starts to play games and say, You can't
make it, it's to hard and then the memories from the past climb
on board and join in the party and I look back at whatwas and all
the feelings that come with that! At this pointanother mountain
climber has seen where I am at andchallenged me to push through
that mental barrier and dig deep within and told me to hit the
road Jack and don't you come back here no more, no more! There
are a few times I could have ended up crippled on the mountain
and left dazed and confused. I can't make new ground and achieve
if I continue to allow myself to live in the past and let my head
rule over my heart! I find at times there is a need to kick
myself into gear and strive for better and great things!X says in
the book of Hebrews in the Bible; "Since we have such a great
crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstand, let us
strip away ? things that would hold us back and slow us down and
especially ? sins that hold so tightly around our feet and cause
us to trip up and run with paitence the particular race set
before us"What is this saying, there are many that have gone on
before us and are now watching us and cheering us on as we climb,
so throw ? thous and feelings to the side and dig deep, keep
focusedand hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no
more! In the next verse it says; "Looking to Jesus, our leader
and instructor"We need to draw strength from our leader and
instructor and another verse in Hebrews says; "Iesus our great
High Priest, who has gone back to heaven to help us, never stop
trusting Him, this great High Priest of our understands our every
weakness and has been tempted in all ways as we are but never
once gave way and sinned" He is there for us big time andknows
and understands and is there to help us when we face ? very
challenging moments, so don't look back and become dazed and
confused, strive for higher ground and themountain summit!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
What's the icy reality!
Each section of the climb has it's own challenges and as the
climbers gain more ground and bodies start to have aches and
painseaenergy levels are down, theair is thinner making each step
a little more baboued andthe summit is a distant reality, it's
time for a reality check! Good climbers will evaluate where they
are at, physically, mentally and emotionally, as this wdetermine
the succus of there mountain experience! This is not a point when
asked, How are you doing? To say great or good when in reality
the experience is sucking into ? three ares, as hard as it may
beto sharethe truth, one must do it or possiblycome a cropper on
the icy slope!Having taken a reality check, the climbers now
cencourage each other to pushthrough ? barriers and draw on each
others strengths to carry them to the goal. The lessons and
experiences gained from such a time as this are invaluable.The w
team stands for; Together every one achieves m.S often on lifes
mountains when asked how we are going, we say great, good, when
in fact if we are honest with ourselves we are finding the going
hard and for some reason we feel the need to put on a brave face
and telling the truth makes us less of a person! Lifes true
mountaineers have learnt the art of a shoulder to lean on
andfacing the icy reality always pays off!If the icy reality
isn't checked, one can very easily become dazed and confused,
this leads to fatige, disorientated, bad decision making, loss of
hope and the goalccdream no longer present.
as Kiwi's we have a saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough
get going" this is true to a certain extent, but this will only
carry you so farb to last the distance you need a reality checand
awingness to draw strength from other mountaineers and not forge
on, you need to reach that summit in the best condition and not
just crawl the last few metres and say I made it! How will you
ever decent if you have pushed yourself to the limit!
As an observer watching a documentary about aclimb expedition and
marveling at the achievement, gives you no understanding what the
climbers went through to reach the summit and return again and
the life changing moments they encountered, this is stuff money
can never buy and all thestudy and courses in the world can never
give you!
climbers gain more ground and bodies start to have aches and
painseaenergy levels are down, theair is thinner making each step
a little more baboued andthe summit is a distant reality, it's
time for a reality check! Good climbers will evaluate where they
are at, physically, mentally and emotionally, as this wdetermine
the succus of there mountain experience! This is not a point when
asked, How are you doing? To say great or good when in reality
the experience is sucking into ? three ares, as hard as it may
beto sharethe truth, one must do it or possiblycome a cropper on
the icy slope!Having taken a reality check, the climbers now
cencourage each other to pushthrough ? barriers and draw on each
others strengths to carry them to the goal. The lessons and
experiences gained from such a time as this are invaluable.The w
team stands for; Together every one achieves m.S often on lifes
mountains when asked how we are going, we say great, good, when
in fact if we are honest with ourselves we are finding the going
hard and for some reason we feel the need to put on a brave face
and telling the truth makes us less of a person! Lifes true
mountaineers have learnt the art of a shoulder to lean on
andfacing the icy reality always pays off!If the icy reality
isn't checked, one can very easily become dazed and confused,
this leads to fatige, disorientated, bad decision making, loss of
hope and the goalccdream no longer present.
as Kiwi's we have a saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough
get going" this is true to a certain extent, but this will only
carry you so farb to last the distance you need a reality checand
awingness to draw strength from other mountaineers and not forge
on, you need to reach that summit in the best condition and not
just crawl the last few metres and say I made it! How will you
ever decent if you have pushed yourself to the limit!
As an observer watching a documentary about aclimb expedition and
marveling at the achievement, gives you no understanding what the
climbers went through to reach the summit and return again and
the life changing moments they encountered, this is stuff money
can never buy and all thestudy and courses in the world can never
give you!
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