Dear me...
Catherine shattered her pelvis in several places after a fall while walking her dogs. For the past seven years she has given back by volunteering for Day One.
Dear Catherine,
Looking back on the incredible recovery journey you’ve been on and everything that changed for you with your accident, you should be so proud of yourself, all you have achieved and the people you’ve helped.
The encouraging Peer Support you received in the early days following your trauma set you on the road to becoming a Day One Peer Support Volunteer yourself. You even managed to help patients who were facing enforced time in a wheelchair when you were in one yourself, in clinic seeing the Prof!
You did worry in the early days post-op, but what kept you going was your daily tick-box. Whether it was having one of many infusions finished, cannulas removed, wound dressings off, catheter out, doing exercises or learning how to manoeuvre yourself out of bed onto your wheelchair and back.
You faced your challenges head on with positivity and acceptance of the situation you were in. You learnt to be kind to yourself and focused a lot on the future and the time you could walk again. Your guilt about the worry your accident caused to everyone else had to be put in a box and shelved because it really made you sad.
Your family and friends were absolutely amazing. They kept you going when you had a bad day. Belinda would say to you, “Cath, there’s a solution for everything”, and there was! She never ever let you down. They all kept your head above the water and kept you going with their unconditional kindness and love.
They were inspired by how you handled your recovery, but you know you couldn’t have done it without them being there.
You did wonder what your life would be like once you recovered. You had to retire and give up your nursing career. What you didn’t know is how full your life would become through Day One, how much you could give by supporting others on their trauma journey, showing them that recovery does happen and giving them a positive outlook on life.
So I’ll sign off now, take care of yourself - no more falls! Keep up the good work and spread the word about Day One!
Catherine Xx
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