Nathan has achieved a major milestone on Friday. It was an amazing feeling to complete a hiking trail after what he’s gone through since his injury. To be honest, I didn’t think we’d ever get to this stage. From wheelchair and bed bound, to being able to operate on two feet. From taking a few steps to and from his hospital bed, to being able to walk a 2km round trip. This is progress in the right direction!
We’ve always been an adventure and travel seeking couple. Just last year, we were hiking in Japan’s southern island of Yakushima. We’ve been fortunate enough to travel around New Zealand, Vietnam and all over Australia and taken the opportunity to do spur of the moment day hikes in those locations.
Now, it’s a little different. More preparation and planning is required. Suitable footwear and adaptive equipment is needed. A foot brace on the left foot and a walking stick in the right hand does the trick. Back up support is essential, especially on unusual or uneven terrain. Wet weather throws up more challenges too. Each step is tiring and we can’t go as far as we’d like to, but it’s a step towards getting back to how things were.
With more walks, comes more goals. We hope that recovery continues, so that we can do as we had originally planned. We’ve always wanted to travel to far away countries and drive and hike our way through the countryside. It’s been a slow and steady 12 months of rehabilitation, and it looks like further recovery will happen, so it’s more of a question of how much and how long?
– Kerrie
