Hans' Story
GORDON ACT
Condition: Neurogenic bladder due to spinal cord stroke
Uses: Intermittent catheters
Challenges: Neuropathic Pain
Traveller extraordinaire
Swedish-born, Hans has lived all over the world but came to Australia as, quite simply, there was nowhere else left. After a long career working for airlines and in the travel industry, Hans moved from the Gold Coast to the far south coast of NSW to be closer to family.
A sudden stop
Hans always lived an active life, walking 10km a day and he was in great health. Then one day in 2013 he was preparing breakfast and suddenly felt as if a million watts of electricity were passing through his legs. Hans was diagnosed as having had a spinal stroke at the T12 level. This has left him a paraplegic from the waist down.
It has not been the requirement to use a wheelchair or the loss of bladder and bowel function, but the neuropathic pain that has proved the most difficult for Hans to deal with. The pain worsens every year and Hans has tried all the medications on the market. Now he has decided he would prefer to work through the pain with distraction.
Finding new passions
To Hans it is attitude that matters most. This pragmatic man maintains an active mind and works every day to stay mentally alert. About a year after he came home from hospital Hans sat down at his computer and started writing. Now he spends much of his day at his desk and has written the story of his injury and recovery as well as a variety of novels. He publishes his books in digital format and enjoys the process of planning and researching a new novel. Hans has also recently been drawn into the challenging and rewarding work of investigating his family history.