‘I’ve got a lot of positives, but there’s a lot of things that I struggle with now’
When Mose Masoe got back on his feet last spring, rugby league supporters and wellwishers could have been forgiven for thinking the former Hull KR prop was on the home straight.
But walking again was only part of the battle facing the popular 31-year-old.
One year ago today, Masoe sustained a life-changing spinal injury in KR’S friendly against Wakefield Trinity at Belle Vue.
He underwent emergency surgery later that night and was told that walking again would be a success.
Masoe displayed inspirational positivity as he set out on the long road to recovery and defied the logic of experts by ticking off milestone after milestone at a rapid rate.
From gentle exercises during a six-week period lying flat on his back to stepping out onto a field again with his Rovers team-mates ahead of the game against Salford Red Devils in October, it has been a triumph of the mind as much as the body.
But with all the strength and will in the world, there are some things he just will not be able to do again.
“It’s going alright,” Masoe told the Mail as he discussed his recovery. “I’m still trying to stay positive.
“I’m coming to the realisation that there’s a lot of things that are not going to come back with my injury. I’m just trying to figure out ways to do things myself. But from where I was last January to where I am now, I feel like I’m on the right path.
“I’ve got a lot of positives but there’s a lot of things that I struggle with - bowel and bladder issues are the biggest ones.
“It’s weird to say this but I would give away my legs and sit in a wheelchair to be able to go to the toilet by myself.
“A lot of our days are taken up by that kind of stuff. In the mornings it can take two or three hours trying to sort that kind of thing out.”
The wintry weather has thrown up different kinds of challenges when Masoe is out in the elements.
“I try to stay positive but there’s lots of things to deal with; everything changes when you have a spinal cord injury,” he added.
“I can’t really feel the cold, it’s weird. I’ll be outside in shorts and a T-shirt in sub-zero temperatures.
My brain isn’t sending the signals.
“I have to make sure I rug up because I could get frostbite and things like that.
“It’s been icy outside so it’s been kind of scary being out and about slipping with the crutches and things like that. That’s been a bit of a challenge.”
Fortunately, Masoe has been able to continue his rehab at Flex Health in Hull amid the latest lockdown.
After a series of big wins in the early stages of his recovery, it is now about marginal gains which will hopefully leave Masoe in a better place in six months’ time.
“With spinal cord injuries they give you about 18 months to gain back as much as you can and after that it just plateaus,” he said.
“I’m at 12 now so I’ve got six months to try to get as much back as I can but I’ve come to terms with the fact that there’s things I’ll never be able to do again.
“I’m just grateful for the other things I can do. Other people who have had similar injuries to me are not able to do what I can do so I feel lucky to be able to do them.”
Masoe has been an inspiration to many during a dark year caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
It has been a two-way thing, with supporters rallying around KR’S co-captain with fundraising efforts and messages of support.
“There’s a lot to be learnt from this last year,” said Masoe. “I’ve learnt to be a bit more patient with myself and other things in life, and just to keep grinding and trying to get a little better every day.
“I’m just happy and thankful for the support I’ve had as well over the year from all the people, not just from the rugby league community but people in general who have been so nice to me and my family.” Being the positive character he is, Masoe will remember 2020 as the year he welcomed son Lui into the world. He also enjoyed some unexpected moments back on a rugby field, including returning to the scene of his accident. “Our doctor (Gemma Phillips) rang me the night before and said, ‘Are you going to be alright going back to Wakefield, mentally?’,” Masoe recalled. “I was like, ‘It’s not going to affect me, that’s the past now and I’ve got to move forward’.
“We actually took a photo where the accident happened which was quite cool.”
Nine and a half months earlier, Masoe’s world had been turned upside down after an innocuous collision in the same spot.
He faced an uncertain future as he and his wife Carissa shared tears in the changing rooms but he is in a good place now with an unrelenting desire to keep fighting.
“It wasn’t looking good,” said Masoe. “I’m just thankful that everything went to plan with the surgery. It’s the best that I could be right now.
“But there’s a long way to go.”