Patient Stories
Nick’s Story
“My body thought my leg was broken”
In 2017, Nick Hunt (32) was in the army on a training exercise in Victoria when a trench collapsed and he suffered injuries to his back and leg that would change the course of his life.
Whilst on exercise and digging trenches at 2am, a trench gave way and Nick fell, he was carrying a pack weighing 60-65 kilograms. His body collapsed ‘like an accordion’ and he injured his back and his ankle.
Nick realised that something was very wrong when he took his boot off and saw his leg had turned black from the shin down. He had ruptured some of the connective tissues in his lower leg and required surgery. Since this initial injury Nick has had 5 major surgeries.
Sharon’s Story
“Shooting pains down my leg”
Sharon was working in aged care and was moving a resident one day when she felt “a little niggle” in her back, it wasn’t until later she realised something was wrong.
“I was moving a resident who couldn’t walk. I leaned over and pulled her forward, but she resisted a bit and that was enough. I felt a little niggle but it wasn’t until a couple of hours later when I had shooting pains in my leg that I really thought something was wrong. I could hardly walk by the end of my shift and had to go home to bed.”
Sharon later awoke at midnight in excruciating pain and went to hospital where she was monitored for several hours, given medication and sent home.
“I collapsed on the way out of the hospital and needed a wheelchair to get to the car,” she said.