Among other things, Nicko’s injury has left him with sensory hypersensitivity. Despite his paralysis, he feels every touch to his skin, every spasm in his muscles – intensely and painfully. He also has chronic neuropathic pain, so severe it wakes him from his sleep.

This is Nicko’s life.

(Nicko added this disclaimer, ‘This might not make sense. I’ve been awake for two days now.’)

“Pain

9th September pain has been at its worst in months trying so many things my right leg is burning feels like it’s on fire and getting crushed, also a deep pain like feeling as if something is carving my inside of the bone, firing spasms strong enough to chuck me from my chair and throw my body round, trying to curl up in a ball to hold my legs in from spasming and holding my body in now for hours until my medication works alongside with breathing exercises meditation listening to music.

Mental mindset obviously gone, not in the best space. Anxiety takes over. Scratching hitting and picking at my body to distract the insane pain my body is going into shock.

Anxiety anxious headache trying to breathe properly and deep breaths to slow my anxiety down, from my knee down feeling all the above pain. I just described plus lower back feels on fire and sharp stabbing same with my hip and groin spasms been going for 12 hours plus plus stabbing pains up my spine where my fractures were.

Also left leg calf muscle feels like it wants to rip off the bone and spasms on that leg as well with the ankle same as the other leg and my body feels like it’s popped out of place and it needs popped back in.

So much stress on the body I’m exhausted emotional but strong knowing it will pass.”

When I spoke to Nicko, this episode had lasted two days, but he rarely sleeps through the night. Pain usually wakes him every four hours or so – on a good night. I don’t know how he survives it.