A ruptured right Achilles each, within three weeks of one another, put Leana and Mark in a hole. But thanks to a well-informed ACC case manager they soon got their lives back together.
Pickleball. It’s all the rage, apparently. Named either after a ball-chasing family dog called Pickles or the name for a mixed crew of rowers (Pickle boat), the game aims to offer a fun racquet sport accessible to all fitness levels. Playable on indoor and outdoor courts, for Leana and Mark it seemed the perfect way to get and keep fit over the coming winter.
Pickleball, however, has a bit of a reputation when it comes to Achilles injuries. ‘We decided to give Pickleball a go,’ says Leana. ‘We’d heard some stories about Achilles ruptures, and were laughing about it on the way there.
First night of Pickleball, we’re having a great time, going this is the sport for us and, 45 minutes into the game, I went ‘those silly girls next to us have come over and hit me on the back of the leg with a bat’. Except they hadn’t. I pretended it hadn’t happened but when I got home I knew something wasn’t right and Mark took me to hospital.’
Leana had ruptured her right Achilles. But it didn’t put Mark off. ‘I kept playing,’ says Mark. ‘I was enjoying games with friends but three weeks later I felt this electric ‘boom’ in the back of my leg. I knew straight away that I’d ruptured my Achilles. Both of us our right ones, so that was going to make driving pretty difficult…’
Leana had already gone through the claim process with ACC and was at the time reliant on taxis to get around. ‘I was getting taxis to and from work,’ recalls Leana. ‘Quite frustrating: sometimes the taxis would turn up, sometimes they wouldn’t. When Mark did his Achilles I messaged my case manager and let them know the situation, that Mark wasn’t going to be able to ferry me around. I said, I’m going to need extra taxis. I need to get to the hairdresser, I need to go into town, get the groceries. And she immediately said, hey, I think you guys need a hand-control car.’
So far, so good. However, Mark’s experience was completely different. ‘Mark went through his case manager who thought there was no such thing,’ says Leana. ‘I just had a case manager who seemed to understand. She was really proactive and had the knowledge because she’d been a case manager for a long time. And, to her, getting us a car was no big deal. I just sat at work and I cried. We were going to get our independence back and be able to scoot to the supermarket, meet a friend for coffee, do whatever we needed to do.’ For Mark, it was a godsend. ‘I drive as part of my living,’ he says. Mark is a director at Total Life Financial Advice and he’s always out visiting clients. ‘A lot of rural clients as well,’ he says. ‘All around Southland, so being able to drive made such a difference to me: like either staying on the couch or working.’
As uplifting as it was to know they were going to get a car, when delivery loomed they started to get nervous. As Mark puts it, ‘driving it was quite a different concept.’ They needn’t have worried. Delivery and all the instruction they would need was in the hands of our South Island superhero Ange. ‘She was excellent,’ affirms Mark. ‘Ange drove us down to the city for about an hour and we both jumped in and out of the driver’s seat. She was really good, and patient. Once you get it you’re just away, it’s quite straightforward.’
Leana reflects on how different things could have been if they hadn’t got the car from Freedom Mobility. ‘I think we really would have struggled mentally. Within our household it would have been very testing. We’d have been relying on our 21-year-old and 23-year-old who have all sorts of things going on, rugby practice, other sports, the gym. I just don’t see how we’d survive without the car to be honest.’ Mark agrees. ‘Being stuck at home is hard going,’ he says. ‘Having the car means I’m able to work and that’s good for your head space. I wouldn’t have wanted to go though this without it. It’s the length of time you go through with an Achilles injury.’ As Leana sums it up, ‘It’s been life changing.’
Leana and Mark’s example shows the importance of knowing what is possible in terms of transport options. From one case manager who thought there’s ‘no such thing’ as a hand-control car to one who saw the immediate need and benefit for it, there’s no guarantee your case manager will know what can be done. Nor will they necessarily appreciate that it’s often not just a better option but a more cost-effective one. So raise the idea with your case manager and feel free to link them to this story or get them to contact us here at Freedom Mobility.
