After we finally got the news that my neck was well and truly
buggered we could finally discuss the treatment plan. In my mind, I had already committed my
mind to a neck brace, possibly because until that point all of the
medical professionals had downplayed the injury. Everything that had
been done until that point was "preventative". I thought they were
preventing "further damage". They were actually preventing "total
paralysis".
This probably accounts for my positive attitude whenever I had visitors up to that point. While my parents were stressed and fretting about my future, I was floating in a blissful haze of anticipating quick recovery and resumption of travels (and also possibly strong pain medications).
The news that I was to be getting a halo was devastating. It could not have happened at a worse time. We were in the middle of travelling around Australia. We had plans. We were going to camp in Litchfield and Gregory National Parks in the Northern Territory, and go fishing for barramundi. We were going to go to Queensland after Darwin, and celebrate New Year's Day in Cairns. Then we were going to mosey around Queensland and NSW before settling in Melbourne. Even after I had the accident, we managed to massage these plans to fit in with my short future of having a neck brace. But there was no massaging around a halo brace.
I had never even really heard of a halo brace before, and the doctors were kind enough to explain it to me. To heal, my neck would need to be completely immobilised relative to my body for a period of three months. That required screwing a ring into my skull which would be fixed to a rigid vest around my torso, held together by metal poles. I would require weekly check-ups, and even after the three months were completed, another three months of a soft collar and physical therapy until my neck muscles recovered. Travelling during this period was completely out of the question.
That was the point that I really broke down. I was so disappointed. I was looking forward to being mobilised again, and being back on the road. And it was bad enough that my plans were ruined, but Greg's trip was being wrecked too through no fault of his own.
As soon as I called Greg with the terrible news, he immediately started discussing another plan that would bring him back to Perth for as long as it would take for me to recover. He didn't say a word about being disappointed, and or continuing without me. He had already spent all week at a vigil by my bedside with my parents, and whenever I threatened to be a sad sack he helped to cheer me up. There are lots of reasons I'm a very lucky girl, and he's one of them
My parents took the news of the halo really well. Until then, they had been agitating about my treatment. The uncertainty really upset them and I found myself reassuring them half the time. When we got the news I was getting a halo, they snapped into focused plan-making mode immediately, and it was them now reassuring me. Of course I could stay with them for that period. Of course they would take care of me until I was in a position to take care of myself. Yet another reason I am a very lucky girl!
I had a lot of friends visit me in hospital, and I was genuinely happy to see all of them, despite the fact that they were not seeing me at my best. Some of them saw me in downright horrid condition! I'm grateful for the visits though, it helped keep my morale high. I might be becoming half woman half machine, but at least I had some people in my corner!
Thanks to Coralie, Rachel, Trishy, Mishy, Moh, Bec, Mike, Kat, Emily, Therese, Col, Leah, Paul, Jarrad, Mem, Julie, Alison, Jacqui, Rob, Charlotte, Aunty Baby, Aunty Cely, Uncle Omar, and all my mum's workmates for dropping in, you really made my days :)
When I was transferred to Royal Perth Hospital, I was placed in the spinal injury ward, in a room with two other people getting halo braces. We were all pretty sorry in our own sorry ways. I had to stop traveling temporarily (world's smallest violin). The young German fellow was alone in the country with limited English, and had to cut his working holiday short to go back to Germany. And the American fellow had a 2 year old and another baby imminently arriving. I think I could survive my holidays being curtailed.
This probably accounts for my positive attitude whenever I had visitors up to that point. While my parents were stressed and fretting about my future, I was floating in a blissful haze of anticipating quick recovery and resumption of travels (and also possibly strong pain medications).
The news that I was to be getting a halo was devastating. It could not have happened at a worse time. We were in the middle of travelling around Australia. We had plans. We were going to camp in Litchfield and Gregory National Parks in the Northern Territory, and go fishing for barramundi. We were going to go to Queensland after Darwin, and celebrate New Year's Day in Cairns. Then we were going to mosey around Queensland and NSW before settling in Melbourne. Even after I had the accident, we managed to massage these plans to fit in with my short future of having a neck brace. But there was no massaging around a halo brace.
I had never even really heard of a halo brace before, and the doctors were kind enough to explain it to me. To heal, my neck would need to be completely immobilised relative to my body for a period of three months. That required screwing a ring into my skull which would be fixed to a rigid vest around my torso, held together by metal poles. I would require weekly check-ups, and even after the three months were completed, another three months of a soft collar and physical therapy until my neck muscles recovered. Travelling during this period was completely out of the question.
 |
| To be fair, his facial expression isn't really selling it |
That was the point that I really broke down. I was so disappointed. I was looking forward to being mobilised again, and being back on the road. And it was bad enough that my plans were ruined, but Greg's trip was being wrecked too through no fault of his own.
As soon as I called Greg with the terrible news, he immediately started discussing another plan that would bring him back to Perth for as long as it would take for me to recover. He didn't say a word about being disappointed, and or continuing without me. He had already spent all week at a vigil by my bedside with my parents, and whenever I threatened to be a sad sack he helped to cheer me up. There are lots of reasons I'm a very lucky girl, and he's one of them
My parents took the news of the halo really well. Until then, they had been agitating about my treatment. The uncertainty really upset them and I found myself reassuring them half the time. When we got the news I was getting a halo, they snapped into focused plan-making mode immediately, and it was them now reassuring me. Of course I could stay with them for that period. Of course they would take care of me until I was in a position to take care of myself. Yet another reason I am a very lucky girl!
I had a lot of friends visit me in hospital, and I was genuinely happy to see all of them, despite the fact that they were not seeing me at my best. Some of them saw me in downright horrid condition! I'm grateful for the visits though, it helped keep my morale high. I might be becoming half woman half machine, but at least I had some people in my corner!
Thanks to Coralie, Rachel, Trishy, Mishy, Moh, Bec, Mike, Kat, Emily, Therese, Col, Leah, Paul, Jarrad, Mem, Julie, Alison, Jacqui, Rob, Charlotte, Aunty Baby, Aunty Cely, Uncle Omar, and all my mum's workmates for dropping in, you really made my days :)
When I was transferred to Royal Perth Hospital, I was placed in the spinal injury ward, in a room with two other people getting halo braces. We were all pretty sorry in our own sorry ways. I had to stop traveling temporarily (world's smallest violin). The young German fellow was alone in the country with limited English, and had to cut his working holiday short to go back to Germany. And the American fellow had a 2 year old and another baby imminently arriving. I think I could survive my holidays being curtailed.
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