Parkinson’s Specialist Nurses are highly trained and experienced nurses based in communities of need. They are dedicated to supporting local people living with Parkinson’s. These Nurses are funded 50/50 by Parkinson’s NSW and the Local Health District in which they are based. This series of articles invites clients to talk about the value of Nurses to their local Parkinson’s community.   

Trevor Lyons – Supported by Vince Carroll

“Vince is a brilliant man,” said Trevor Lyons as he explains the importance of Vince Carroll, a Parkinson’s Specialist Nurse in the Coffs Harbour region.

“I was diagnosed seven years ago at 62, and I pretty well knew to contact the Parkinson’s Support Group straight away,” he recalls. “And that’s how I heard about the Parkinson’s Specialist Nurses. Vince has gone through nearly everything I’ve had as medical problems.

Trevor has a Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH) shunt to assist in removing excess fluid from his brain.

“When I met with my surgeon, he said to me that I was lucky I was living in Coffs Harbour,” said Trevor. “I asked why – was it because we have nice weather? No, he said, you’re lucky you have Vince there to help you!”

Trevor is also full of praise for the assistance Vince provides for the Parkinson’s Support Group and individuals in the Group.

“The good thing about our Support Group is that you can help one another sort things out, and Vince is there at the end of the day,” said Trevor.

“He is very down to earth and is someone you can speak to about things, man to man. He’s got such a vast range of knowledge of all the different symptoms. Instead of feeling something’s embarrassing, he understands.”

Trevor also finds Vince very helpful in coping with new symptoms and what to do about them.

“Without Vince you’d be forever on the phone to your neurologist and you’d take a lot longer to sort things out,” says Trevor. “He helped me so much when I needed to get the shunt in the brain, and I couldn’t walk or talk before the surgery because of the effects.

“The Parkinson’s Specialist Nurse service is invaluable, and I’m so impressed with Vince’s desire to study further to have as much knowledge about Parkinson’s as possible.”