In March 2021, I underwent emergency surgery to decompress my spinal cord, as it was being crushed by a herniated disc. After that, I spent an exhausting 4 months in hospital, recovering and relearning how to live. Conveniently, this all happened during a global pandemic which meant I could have very few visits from my friends and family - most of which had to be done through a window that didn't open more than a couple of inches!
Today marks one year since I was discharged from the hospital, following treatment and to 'celebrate', I wanted to share a few things that I've been up to over the last 12 months. So let's get into it!
1 Visited The West End
In the weeks after I was discharged from rehab, I was desperate for some sort of normality. By the time I left the hospital, pandemic restrictions were starting to lift and I was wanting to take full advantage of that. So, with that my sister and I booked a trip to London to see a couple of shows in the West End and just spend some quality time together. Three weeks after I wheeled out of the hospital, we had our bags packed and were catching the train to London. We spent two nights in a hotel and were lucky enough to see Come From Away and Everybody's Talking About Jamie, as well as visit The Van Gough Experience. In hindsight, it seems insane to have done that so quickly, but I think it was what I needed and I loved every minute of it.
Image Description: Nash is sitting in his powerchair, with his arms out to the sides, he is in front of a black wall with a Van Gough quote printed in white lettering 'I Wish They Would Only Take Me As I Am'. Nash is wearing a black 'Hey Arnold' TShirt and Black shorts.
2 Went Abroad
Just over a week after my sister and I got back from London, we were boarding a flight to Gran Canaria with our nan. There were a lot of unknowns with this trip, but I was determined to make it work, no matter what. Of course, there were a few hiccups along the way, like me getting my wheelchair stuck on the beach and the Disability Assistance guys nearly dropping me when pushing the aisle chair onto the plane, but we adapted and overcame it all. I even got to go on a catamaran around the coast and see dolphins swimming in the wild!
3 Got Back Into Live Music
I've always loved live music and so getting back in a crowd of strangers, shouting the lyrics of our favourite songs, was important to me. The first gig I went to, since being discharged from hospital, was in Manchester to see Dodie play the Apollo. Then, just a week later I was in Leeds watching my all-time favourite band: The Maine. This was one of the hottest rooms I've ever been in, but my sister and I were front row, so it was all worth it. Since then, I've been to quite a few gigs - more than I realised, to be honest, but I'm not complaining!
Image Description: Nash is taking a selfie of him and his sister, Em. They are both smiling and Em has her arm around Nash. This photo was taken when they went to see Dodie in Manchester.
4 Started Playing Wheelchair Rugby
I'd been interested in wheelchair rugby for a while, but I didn't know where my nearest team was, nor how to go about getting started. Luckily, a friend of mine, who I used to play wheelchair basketball with, plays for Warrington Wolves and invited me along to try wheelchair rugby league. I totally fell in love with the sport and have recently started training with Team Ireland!
5 Was Seen By A Spinal Unit
Getting an appointment at Southport Spinal Injury Unite was a HUGE deal for me because it's something I've been fighting for, for years. (My Spinal Cord Injury was non-traumatic and it took me a long time to get a diagnosis and treatment). When I spoke to the specialists at Southport, I felt like I was believed by a medical professional, for the first time. Needless to say, it was an emotionally exhausting experience, but super validating. The staff were really helpful and they helped me understand the extent of my injury, and what my prospects for the future might be.
6 Spent a Week in Pembrokeshire
As you've probably guessed, I love travelling - whether it be a day trip to a new city or a week abroad, I'm always up for a new adventure. So, when my family booked to visit Pembrokeshire for the week I couldn't wait to pack up the car and get going. This trip was a bit of a learning curve for me, as the accommodation wasn't quite as accessible as it was made out to be; for example, we had a large step into our bedroom, and I had to learn to get up/down it on my own. During that trip, I got to see a lot of different places, from Tenby to Anglesey, St Davids to Cardigan Bay, we made the most of our time down there.
Image Description: Nash is in his powerchair, with Archie by his side. There are bags hanging on the back of his chair and he is heading down a stony path, towards St David's Cathedral in South Wales.
7 Re-Launched Assess The Access
Two years after I initially launched Assess The Access, I saw how neglected this blog was and figured I could do a better job than I was doing. So I relaunched the website, set up new social media pages and started to post regular content. I'm really enjoying seeing Assess The Access grow, and the number of people finding value in the posts, increase. Opportunities to work with other organisations and events are starting to come up now too, so I'm excited to see where this takes me.
8 Went Camping
You might have already read about my camping experience, in my post about camping in Anglesey. (If you haven't, feel free to click the link and check out the post). But being able to get away and spend a couple of nights in nature, even as a wheelchair user, was wonderful. It reminded me of all the cool things I'm still able to do and made me excited for all the other adventures I'm gonna be going on in the future. At the moment, I'm trying to plan a car camping trip over the summer.
9 Played My First Ice Hockey League Game
In June, I played in my first league game with Sheffield Steelstings against Peterborough Phantoms. I've been playing para ice hockey since late 2019, but if you take away about 18 months of that for lockdown and my hospital admission, I've been training on the ice for a year or so. This year's league was meant to have been played in 2020, but thanks to the pandemic, it was postponed. When I was in rehab, the prospect of being able to get back on the ice was something that kept me going. In physio sessions, I'd practice getting in/out of my sledge, so, when I finally got back on the ice, it was an incredible feeling. After waiting so long to play the league game, being able to play a proper game with my teammates was such an amazing experience.
Image Description: Nash is in his ice hockey sledge on the ice. He is wearing his blue and grey Steelstings kit, and skating across freshly cut ice. He is looking away from the camera.
10 Played My First Rugby Super League Game
Before I started playing rugby, I knew barely anything about the sport, but after training for 9 months or so, I got the opportunity to play a Super League game with my team. We played again Hull in an away game, and honestly, I was so nervous before it. I was a lot less experienced than my teammates and I didn't want to let them down. Luckily, I have a really supportive team who reminded me just to enjoy the game and use it as a chance to learn.
11 Went To Naidex
I'd been wanting to go to Naidex for a couple of years, and it was absolutely worth the wait! We stayed at a hotel at the NEC, so that we could attend both days - needless to say, we were exhausted by the end of the last day. I went to a few talks, tried out some wheelchair power add-ons, and even got the opportunity to try out the adaptive climbing wall. Fun fact: I'm really not as fit as I thought I was, and despite my best efforts, only made it a couple of meters up the wall! Whilst I was there, I also got measured up for a new wheelchair - now I just have to wait for the funding to be granted... watch this space.
Image Description: Nash is in his manual wheelchair, he is sitting in front of a red, white and blue sign that reads 'Naidex Anything Is Possible'. Nash is smiling and wearing a black t-shirt and black shorts.
12 Started a New Job
My latest venture was starting a new job, as a Mental Health Peer Support Worker. It's the perfect job for me because I get to use my personal experience of learning to live with mental health issues to support others in their journey toward recovery. I only started about a week ago, so I'm still settling in, but so far so good. Earlier in the year, I attended the Back Up To Work Course with Back Up Trust, then the Back Up Trust Careers Fair. So I had quite a bit of support and guidance when I was trying to secure a job; I definitely wouldn't be in a position to begin work, without Back Up.