Nikki Creber A life less ordinary

It may have been 16 years ago, but Nikki Creber still vividly recalls the moment she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease like it was yesterday.

The former teacher and deputy principal was referred to a neurologist when she began having balance and mobility issues that made it difficult for her to navigate the school grounds as well as losing her voice and experiencing debilitating headaches.

“I still remember the room. I remember my neurologist’s face and I remember this overwhelming spinning feeling coming over me when he said “There is no doubt you have Parkinson’s,” says Nikki.

“I couldn’t get any words out. I saw my life pass in front of me and I saw my dreams go down a sink hole in a moment. Honestly, I had no idea what was happening or where I was.”

Leaving the doctor’s office armed with medication and instructions to take note of her symptoms over the next six months, the following four years for Nikki were nothing short of horrendous.

“The dopamine replacement medications made me incredibly ill. I couldn’t drive, I couldn’t tackle and uneven pathway, my balance was terrible and I was nauseous all day,” says Nikki.

“One day I didn’t even recognize my own reflection in the mirror. I was 48 and I looked 100 and it was then that I knew something had to change.”

Making an appointment with her neurologist, Nikki made the decision to wean herself off most of her medication and undertook extensive research on her symptoms – discovering she had a variant of the disease called MSA (Multiple System Atrophy), which was later confirmed by her neurologist.

“As it turns out, the medication I had been taking was not recommended for that variant,” says Nikki. “I decided to take back control of my life and my illness and I worked on my new Parkinson’s lifestyle protocols, which I live by to this day.”

Replacing medication with exercise, and adopting a more holistic approach to her illness, including Tai Chi, meditation, and mindfulness, not only did Nikki reclaim her life, she also managed to reverse some of the side effects of the insidious disease and now helps others to do the same.

“I believe if we are victims to Parkinson’s, it will take over and shorten our lives. But you can be the one behind the steering wheel and you can take charge. Just that mindset shift enables so much,” she says. “I have had a long journey with this disease, changing habits and adopting new ones. Four years ago, I got my sense of smell back which is unheard of, and I have got a lot of my balance problems under control.”

Passionate about helping others living with the disease, Nikki developed a unique program called Parkinson Lifestyle Protocols and Wrap around teams to help people understand and manage their condition. Nikki offers personal, face-to-face counseling and coaching and works with other support groups to help raise awareness of Parkinson’s. She is currently lobbying with businesses, health providers to attain three Nurse Practitioners for Parkinson’s disease Support on the Sunshine Coast as a pilot study in Queensland.

In November 2019, she was awarded the prestigious Australian Pacific LNG Community Hero Award at the Queensland Community Achievement Awards, as a mission-filled and purpose-driven person making a significant contribution to the People living with Parkinson’s Disease on the Sunshine Coast.

“Everyone I work with makes substantial gains in taking back control of their life, instead of feeling they have lost their dreams,” says Nikki.

“I believe everyone living with Parkinson’s is a hero.”

If you would like to support Nikki Creber, visit: www.parkinsonsdiseasecommunityadvocacy.com.au