When Peter woke up one morning in severe pain, he had no idea how dramatically his life was about to change.
What followed was months in hospital, major spinal surgery and uncertainty about whether he would be able to walk again and regain his independence.
Today, Peter is walking independently, enjoying walks with his dog and tackling jobs around the house.
“I went to bed one night, completely fine. The following morning I was in agony and I spent four months in hospital.
I had an infection on my spine called Spondylodiscitis, a nasty thing that attacks the bones in your body and I eventually had to have reconstructive surgery on five vertebrae and four discs.”
Following surgery, Peter faced a long and challenging recovery.
“I had no power in my legs and I was totally in need of care for everything.”
After receiving physiotherapy in hospital, Peter was discharged to a care home where his rehabilitation continued.
“I was then finally pronounced fit for my wife to look after me at home.”
Peter continued making progress through physiotherapy and healthcare support at home.
“I progressed from a wheelchair to a zimmer frame, then onto crutches and finally onto two walking sticks.”
While his recovery had come a long way, Peter still lacked confidence in his mobility and remained concerned about his balance and the risk of falling. His physiotherapist recommended One You Cheshire East’s, Stand Strong programme.
“I had very low confidence when I first started the course in my walking and ability to not fall over. My left leg only had about half of the power than my right leg had, which affected my balance.”
Determined to keep improving, Peter committed himself to regular strength and balance exercises, both during the classes and at home. His hard work quickly began to pay off.
“After three weeks on the course, I managed to put aside my walking sticks and I went from strength to strength.”
One of Peter’s biggest achievements was improving his strength and mobility through simple but effective exercises. A particular milestone came with the sit-to-stand exercise.
“I couldn’t sit on my chair and stand without pushing myself up, using my arms.
At the end of the course, I think I managed to achieve thirteen sit to stands in thirty seconds which was incredible. Now, at home I just easily stand from a chair, without even considering using my arms.”
The difference in Peter’s confidence and balance has been life-changing.
“My balance has improved immensly and I am far more confident and I feel I am a hundred-times better than I was at the beginning of the course.”
Before his recovery, Peter worried about whether he would be able to manage everyday tasks independently.
“Certainly when I was in hospital, I was worried I would not be able to do things like the basics of life, like washing myself, getting dressed myself, putting myself to bed, doing various things for myself. That worried me, it concerned me, it depressed me a lot.”
Now, those fears are firmly behind him.
“I don’t rely on my wife for anything.”
Regaining his independence has transformed his quality of life. He enjoys helping around the house, taking his dog for walks, and doing the things that matter to him.
“I am a heck of a lot happier.”
Looking back, Peter believes the supportive atmosphere was a key part of his experience.
“We are not competitive, we are not competing with each other, we are all at different stages, different ages and have different issues with our walking abilities. So there was never any pressure.”
He also appreciated the encouragement and friendliness of those around him.
“I would certainly recommend it, you don’t need to be worried about anything. I found a very friendly atmosphere amongst the person who took the course for us and the people on the course.
There was a lot of banter, there was a lot of fun and it was extremely enjoyable.
You didn’t have to do things you didn’t want to do and nobody was looking at your performance, you would get some guidance if you weren’t quite doing the exercises correctly.”
Peter was glad he took part and looked forward to attending each week. Most importantly, he has regained his confidence, independence, and freedom to enjoy everyday life again.
Watch Peters full story here.
If you would like to find out more about One You Cheshire East’s Stand Strong programme, click here or contact the team on 0300 123 5026.
One You Cheshire East is Commissioned by Cheshire East Council and delivered by Everybody Health and Leisure.