I walked out of the hospital a week after I had gone in. I had entered flat on my back, and came out on my feet, so would normally consider this a win. The fact that I now had a rabbit cage on my head only slightly dampened the victory.
Of course I am fully cognisant of the fact that I am lucky to be walking at all, given that similar injuries have led to full/partial paralysis and death. I was lucky that the spinal cord wasn't damaged at the time of the injury, and so lucky that knowledgeable people had witnessed the accident and applied expert first aid to ensure that no further damage was done. I'm lucky to have a supportive boyfriend, family, and friends. These are all very lucky things! I am super lucky!
But can I just note that wearing a halo brace sucks. Yes, I am lucky, but wasn't it also super-unlucky that I didn't just bellyflop off the waterslide, bruising only my belly and my ego? I am the luckiest unlucky person to ever grace a waterslide.
I appreciate everyone telling me that I am a very lucky girl because I know it comes from a very generous and caring place, and it's definitely better than the alternative, which is where they burst into tears at the sight of me. So there is that.
Anyway.
They told me that wearing the halo would be an adjustment, and it was. Sitting and walking around in it was interesting at first-- I felt very top-heavy. They told me that I would get used to it quickly, and I did. It took a little longer to get out of the habit of bending at the waist willy-nilly, but even that took only a day. It has taken me a little longer to get used to the fact that my 'head' is twice as big as it used to be, thanks to the poles sticking out of the vest. I have hit my head so many times in doorframes that paint is starting to come off (the frames, not the poles). But it's getting better.
The halo brace is an extra 5kg you aren't used to carrying around, so for the first couple of days, I got tired very easily and would fall asleep in front of the television. After a couple of days though, I seem to have adjusted and no longer fall into easy naps-- more is the pity.
Sleep is something I am still adjusting to. I am sorry to say that everything written on the internet about sleeping in halo braces is true-- it sucks. I will fill a later post about sleep, but feel it's worth mentioning a few things. On the first night out of hospital, I took two panadols and a tramadol and managed to fall asleep for four hours while propped up at an upright angle on four pillows. When I woke up, I couldn't get comfortable again, so had some more panadol, and lay flat on my back. The pressure of the pins on the back of my head hurt, the vest was hot/itchy, and it was hard to relax enough to fall asleep, so I put an episode of Serial (an amazing podcast) on to listen to. At some point while listening to the investigation into the route the murder occurred along, I fell asleep.
This was my pattern for the next couple of nights. I would sleep early, sleep for a few hours, then wake up, change position, then find sleep again for a few more hours. I've weaned off the panadol and tramadol and don't require it anymore.
Last night I finally had what I would consider a 'good' night sleep-- 8 whole hours! Some things which have changed:
Of course I am fully cognisant of the fact that I am lucky to be walking at all, given that similar injuries have led to full/partial paralysis and death. I was lucky that the spinal cord wasn't damaged at the time of the injury, and so lucky that knowledgeable people had witnessed the accident and applied expert first aid to ensure that no further damage was done. I'm lucky to have a supportive boyfriend, family, and friends. These are all very lucky things! I am super lucky!
But can I just note that wearing a halo brace sucks. Yes, I am lucky, but wasn't it also super-unlucky that I didn't just bellyflop off the waterslide, bruising only my belly and my ego? I am the luckiest unlucky person to ever grace a waterslide.
 |
| So graceful |
I appreciate everyone telling me that I am a very lucky girl because I know it comes from a very generous and caring place, and it's definitely better than the alternative, which is where they burst into tears at the sight of me. So there is that.
Anyway.
They told me that wearing the halo would be an adjustment, and it was. Sitting and walking around in it was interesting at first-- I felt very top-heavy. They told me that I would get used to it quickly, and I did. It took a little longer to get out of the habit of bending at the waist willy-nilly, but even that took only a day. It has taken me a little longer to get used to the fact that my 'head' is twice as big as it used to be, thanks to the poles sticking out of the vest. I have hit my head so many times in doorframes that paint is starting to come off (the frames, not the poles). But it's getting better.
The halo brace is an extra 5kg you aren't used to carrying around, so for the first couple of days, I got tired very easily and would fall asleep in front of the television. After a couple of days though, I seem to have adjusted and no longer fall into easy naps-- more is the pity.
Sleep is something I am still adjusting to. I am sorry to say that everything written on the internet about sleeping in halo braces is true-- it sucks. I will fill a later post about sleep, but feel it's worth mentioning a few things. On the first night out of hospital, I took two panadols and a tramadol and managed to fall asleep for four hours while propped up at an upright angle on four pillows. When I woke up, I couldn't get comfortable again, so had some more panadol, and lay flat on my back. The pressure of the pins on the back of my head hurt, the vest was hot/itchy, and it was hard to relax enough to fall asleep, so I put an episode of Serial (an amazing podcast) on to listen to. At some point while listening to the investigation into the route the murder occurred along, I fell asleep.
This was my pattern for the next couple of nights. I would sleep early, sleep for a few hours, then wake up, change position, then find sleep again for a few more hours. I've weaned off the panadol and tramadol and don't require it anymore.
Last night I finally had what I would consider a 'good' night sleep-- 8 whole hours! Some things which have changed:
- When I lie on my back, I now have a pillow behind my shoulders, reaching up the bars but not as far as the ring. This distributes the weight better so I don't feel as uncomfortable in my skull.
- I have tried sleeping on my side (I have always been a side-sleeper). I put a towel next to my cheek so my head doesn't feel like it's floating in space. I thought that was a silly tip, but it actually works really well. I am unsure about doing this too often, because I wonder what gravity is doing to my fracture and also I wake up with really stiff neck muscles. I am going to ask about this at my first halo clinic later this week.
- Playing some audio helps-- podcasts are really good for this, though you can't be too committed to hearing the end. I prefer 'talkie' podcasts (Serial, This American Life, 360documentaries) to more theatrical ones, or music, for this purpose. Something about a voice droning on and on sends me to sleep).
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