Brandon Twp.- Mike Nash may have lost part of his leg in an accident last year, but he kept something more important? a positive attitude.
Determination, dedication and the ‘adapt and overcome attitude? he has a Marine Corps veteran are what enabled Nash, 38, to return last week as a paid on-call firefighter for the township.
‘Self-pity and self-doubt weren’t gonna happen,? said Nash. ‘I knew it wouldn’t help me out. I had to get back to doing what I was doing before, doing what I love.?
Nash, who also works full-time for Oakland County, was riding his Harley Davidson Electra Glide motorcycle on July 31 in Independence Township when he lost control on some gravel on a curve, spun off the road and hit a sign that severed his right leg below the knee. He also suffered a broken left leg, broken bones in his right wrist, a broken left thumb, broken ribs and internal injuries.
Although Nash was conscious when medics arrived, he only remembers about 10 minutes before the accident occurred, and then waking up from a medically induced coma two weeks later.
His first memory in the hospital is of his father telling him that he would do everything he did before. Nash was also supported by former Fire Chief Bob McArthur, who assured him his job would be waiting for him, and new Fire Chief David Kwapis.
‘There was definite concern on my part for him, and for what he would be able to do and he has surprised and shocked everybody,? said Kwapis. ‘It is a true testament to what kind of person Mike is. We’re really excited and happy to have Mike back.?
The road back to his former capabilities has been a challenging one. Although the sign severed his leg below the knee, doctors had to amputate to just above the knee in order to fit Nash with a prosthesis. A titanium rod was also put in his left leg from his knee to ankle and he also has a plate and screws in his right wrist.
He began some occupational and physical therapy in the hospital. After the rod was put in his left leg, he bore weight on it immediately and used a walker.
He was discharged from the hospital on Aug. 29, nearly a month after the accident, and his physical therapy continued. In September, he was fitted for his prosthesis and was ready to get to work adapting to it. Usually, on the first day of having an artificial limb, patients put it on and take it off a few times to get used to it. On Nash’s first day with his new leg, he was walking on it using parallel bars and also his walker.
‘It felt weird, but it got better each time,? he said.
As the weeks went on, he practiced walking forward, backward, and sideways, building up his leg strength and balance. He frequently felt pain, but ‘pushed through.? He came into the fire station several days a week, using the treadmill, working on putting on 50-60 pounds of gear and walking up and down stairs in his equipment.
‘The hard part was getting the gear on for the first time because my arm and grip strength was not to where it should be,? Nash said. ‘A friend helped me get my boots on and off; I can do it now.?
Mostly, he says, he just had to try stuff that he did before with his new prosthesis. Other things he had to learn a new technique to do them.
‘If I find something I can’t do, I try doing it different ways until I can do it,? he said. ‘My attitude is, if I can’t do it today, come and see me in a few days and I will.?
On Jan. 24, after receiving clearance from his doctor with no medical restrictions, Nash returned as a Brandon firefighter/medic, doing search and rescue training alongside his comrades, breaching walls, searching rooms, and carrying another firefighter.
‘It whooped me, but I did it,? he said. ‘After, I felt great, other than my leg hurt, but it will improve.?
Since then, he has been out to assist on several medical calls and a car accident.
‘The biggest thing with Mike is that he is very dedicated,? said Kwapis. ‘There are a lot of things he had to overcome? balance and being able to keep it, learning to adapt, get his gear on, what it felt like having that gear on and being able to move. It’s amazing how he has come back and, other than his leg comes off at night and the rest of ours doesn’t, you wouldn’t know the difference between Mike and one of our other firefighters. He can do everything that everyone else can and just as effectively.?
Nash is still working on his firefighting skills, but expects to get to the same level he was prior to his accident. Kwapis said if he isn’t 100 percent yet, he’s damn close.
Nash returned to paramedic school this week. He was halfway through the 16-month course when the accident happened and must start over again, but just as with everything else he’s had to deal with, he’s up to the task.
He’s learned a lot in the past six months, he says.
‘I’m quite a bit stronger than I thought I was mentally,? he smiles. ‘And I found out I had a lot more friends than I thought I did. They’re great. I’ve had people who say they don’t think they could deal with (losing a limb). I tell them, I don’t have a choice. I’m not going to give up on life because of this. I’m not sure I’m gonna climb a mountain, but I didn’t before. If I wanted to, I would.?