Following my accident, I was transferred to the spinal unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Part of my rehabilitation process entailed both Physiotherapy and Hydrotherapy sessions. Initially the Hydrotherapy consisted of two twenty minute sessions per week with a trained Hydrotherapist. Because I felt personally that these sessions were of such benefit to me, I asked the consultant if I could attend each weekday. This was agreed.

I left Stoke in April 1998 and had both regular Physiotherapy and Hydrotherapy at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath. Although the Physiotherapy continued, the Hydrotherapy was restricted to an agreed amount of sessions. When these finished, I started to look for an alternative Hydrotherapy facility. I saws an article in the Evening Argus for the pool at the Brighton Society for the Blind and started to attend regular weekly sessions in 1999.

Benefits:

A nice wide changing room with room for me to transfer from  my wheelchair to the pool's own shower chair.

A hoist for easy access into and out of the pool.

Safety bar right around the pool.

Personal benefits:

Regular weekly exercise.

The muscles below my injury became very weak. Regular Hydrotherapy has been of great benefit in strengthening these muscles.

I can carry out various tasks in the pool that I can do do safely on 'dry land' such as walking without aids. I know that if I fall over in the pool, I will float either on my front or back and therefore feel safe.

Three years ago it took four Physiotherapists physically to manhandle me into a standing position. Now I can walk short distances either with a walking frame or with crutches. I have even walked into William Moon Lodge using my crutches. All this having been told I would never walk again. A lot of this I feel very strongly is due to my sessions at the pool.

Another big step forward in my rehabilitation process is that I have now returned to working part time. Again my regular pool sessions gave me the strength both physically and mentally to achieve this big goal.

Thanks to regular Hydrotherapy and the help of all the staff, particularly Heather and Frank, at William Moon Lodge, I am at a stage in my rehabilitation process I could never have envisaged being at three years ago.

Below are some pictures demonstrating Derek's success, it's very difficult to portray such a momentous event in pictures, and we are considering a short video here, for your interest. These are in order, steps taken carefully and with effort, but steps taken against all odds.

WE SAY WELL DONE DEREK!!

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