Patrick's story
“A Thistle Health & Wellbeing Practitioner soon called me and had a conversation about what was important to me and what I wanted to be different in my life. It was a game changer.”
I have been living with chronic pain in my knee and back for 25 years. It’s the result of a basketball injury I got when I was younger that left me with damage to my knee. Over the years, the pain has spread into my back, and it’s had a significant impact on my mobility. I can’t walk for more than 20 minutes without a knee brace and, at times, my back gets so tight it spasms.
The pain was so bad that I felt like I was trapped at home and couldn't move. I’d find myself stuck in bed for hours until I was able to crawl downstairs to get medication. This had a big impact on my mental health and I found myself at times, really low.
My support worker referred me to Thistle to help me get more active and feel more in control of my pain.
A Thistle Health & Wellbeing Practitioner soon called me and had a conversation about what was important to me and what I wanted to be different in my life. It was a game changer.
My practitioner referred me to a couple of local groups that offered support and the opportunity to meet other people who have found themselves in a similar situation to myself.
They also told me about their Lifestyle Management Course, that covers pacing, relaxation techniques and communication skills, which I signed up for.
Being on the course was great. There were 12 of us there and, at first, I was nervous as I’m usually a very shy person but once I got to know everyone it was great. Being around other people made a big difference. Each week we looked at different exercises I could try and learnt some relaxation and mindfulness skills – these are things that I still practice and help me with the pain.
Since being on the course, I'm getting out and about more. My physical and mental health has improved. I made friends on the course, and I’ve joined more community groups.
Before the course, I didn't ask for help, but I've since started asking for help from family and friends. This has made me more confident and I'm just happier in myself. My family are noticing these changes in me too – they've said I seem more energetic and they're glad I'm opening up more to them about what's going on for me.
If it wasn’t for the support of Thistle, I would be at home, lost. Overall, my life has totally changed – it's a lot different now. I'm happier, not in so much pain and know that other people are there to help me with the pain.