You may recognise Nigel, as he has become quite a feature of our Marketing material, and he also graces the cover of our Mental Health eBook.

Over the past few years, Nigel has been kind enough to share his story with us as well, talking about his battle with disease and mental health issues. Nigel has tackled all these challenges with courage, an inspiring outlook, and a creative drive that saw several of his art pieces featured at a large exhibit as part of International Day of People with Disability.

Last month we decided to check-in with Nigel and see how he is getting on, and it turned out that he had been through another tough period, but he was still happy to share an update with us.

Hi Nigel, can you give us an update on how you (and Zoe the dog) are going? 

I will start with Zoe, she turned 16 years old in June and still runs around like a pup, still rules the street, and has a go at any dog that walks along outside.

Zoe has been a godsend for what happened to me recently. She gets me up and going outside for walks. She looks at me and says “come on, where is my Schmackos?” at the end of her walks. She loves her Schmackos. 

Would you like to share what happened?

On Mother’s Day this year I was meeting my niece at Mooroolbark train station to attend lunch with my sisters and mum. I didn’t know there were stairs outside, I fell down the stairs and landed headfirst into the concrete. I broke both my arms, received multiple grazes, deep cuts and a head injury. 

My niece helped me to the pharmacy across the road for a quick patch-up but I continued to the lunch not realizing how extreme my injuries were. My arms and knees were becoming increasingly sore, and I was struggling to move, so my niece insisted on taking me to the emergency room.

Nigel’s trip to emergency

We went into Emergency, and I did not come out. The x-rays showed I had broken my right elbow and multiple breaks to my left wrist. The nurse in emergency couldn’t imagine how I did not come in sooner. 

I spent weeks in hospital with plaster on both arms, the left covered wrist to elbow and the right arm set in a 45-degree angle. The hardest part was learning to use the toilet and shower independently, but I was determined. Hospital continued until I was stable enough to be transferred to Rehab. 

Shaz my support worker is a gem. She helped me find a doggy sitter for Zoe and they sent me photos of Zoe every day, this helped a lot as I missed her greatly. Shaz also brought Zoe to rehab for some desperately needed furbaby cuddles. 

Recovering at home

Once home, I needed to continue with homebased rehab, physiotherapy and hand therapy. Shaz organized the delivery of homecooked meals to maintain my nutrition and choice of food. After weeks of hospital food this was a huge thing. I could not cook for myself, and I love to cook. So, for weeks I had food delivered, with nurses and physio coming daily. After the plasters were removed, I then began Rehab, Physiotherapy and stability walking classes offsite in Wantirna.

How is the garden going?

The plants I was trying to grow in the Vegepod, and my garden beds have been eaten by possums and snails, so I have now put in some anti possum netting to give them a chance to grow. I think maybe this year I will have some vegetables to harvest.

Are you still enjoying your art? 

I have found it very hard to physically pick up a paintbrush in my hand. I continued attending Glady & Co Art group for the social interaction which has been an amazing support, however, I was only able to start painting again about 3 weeks ago.

Has art helped with your recovery?

Dealing with pain, headaches, and ongoing physical limitations has taken its toll on my mental health. I am struggling with the side effects of hitting my head. I felt depressed that I could not paint effectively or efficiently as before the accident.  

I first worked on a creative piece but ended up feeling very aware that my ability has changed.  

After talking about my frustrations with my workers I decided to reduce expectations and start an Art therapy piece to focus on expressing all the emotions and feelings from the accident. It is helping me process the shock and loss of my independence from the accident.

How are you travelling now?

It is now 6 months since the accident, I have only now completed all these therapies, and I am now able to cook for myself again.  

Now, it is time to take a step back and face the ongoing challenges from my injuries.   

Thanks Nigel

We’d like to sincerely thank Nigel and his support worker Sharon for sharing this update with us, we wish him all the best with his continuing recovery. We’ll be back in touch with Nigel to check-in again and we hope Nigel and Zoe have a restful and enjoyable holiday season.