James' Story

Hi, I’m James and fairly new to the Pinder Centre. I started coming here in April 2010, yet wished I came a lot sooner.

On 16th January 2002 my life completely changed, as I went from being an Intensive Care Nurse to a Cancer Patient overnight. Over the next 9 years I underwent 7 major operations to treat and repair the damage caused by a bone cancer that was found in my pelvis. This led to me to losing the vast majority of my right pelvis and part of my left, as well as bones in both my lower legs. However, the biggest loss was losing my vocation as a nurse and my self-value as a man, as a husband and as a dad.

“It took over 12 years for me to achieve my goal of becoming an Intensive Care Nurse and under 12 seconds for an Orthopaedic Consultant to take it away by informing me I had bone cancer”.

For the first few years I was frequently in and out of Hospital having surgery and rehabilitation, both in Southampton and London. But it became apparent, that there was nothing more that could be done for me on the NHS. The only options I faced were to attempt to carry on the physio independently in local gyms and swimming baths, which was not safe with my residue disability. Or to attend Private Physio which was very expensive for me, since I had finally been retired from the NHS on grounds of Ill Health and had no work.

This was a period of real hopelessness. I had decreased mobility and increased pain, which was present every day. I became clinically depressed and felt very alone and abandoned. It became apparent that I had to do something to fight back and it was during an appointment at a local Private Hospital I was told about the Pinder Centre. When I called, I was greeted with a genuine and friendly attitude. The Pinder Centre was able to offer me regular treatment at a discounted price long term. So I now have appropriate hydro and physiotherapy to treat and maintain my chronic problems in a safe and friendly environment, without the worry of running up an expensive bill.     It has been a real blessing, as the hydrotherapy pool melts my pain in the hot water and makes me normal again for a brief magical 30 minutes.

I cannot write more passionately about the help and support The Pinder Centre has provided for me, without being too dramatic, it has been life changing for me. When I leave a session at the Pinder Centre, I feel refreshed, restored, and ready to face everyday life again. The downward spiral that I was inexorably travelling has been reversed, I am happy again to face life and whatever my future brings.