Spaceman

Hopefully my last night of sleeping with my head hovering in space. Can't believe it took 3 months to remember to take a picture answering that question, "But how do you sleep?"
(According to my Fitbit, really well.)

Don't mind me, just hanging out.

Tomorrrow, tomorrow, I'll lose ya, tomorrow! It's only a day awayyyyy.

Tomorrow is the day! I have my xray and my doctor consultation, and all going well, the halo should come off. I was talking to my sister on the phone yesterday and mentioned this to her, and she called me out about not sounding more excited. Apparently it's not enough to say, "Yeah I'm excited."?

I'm excited. I'm excited in a mediated way where I am looking forward to it, but because life in a halo hasn't been hellish, I'm not hanging out for it in the way that I might otherwise. Sorry I'm so well-adjusted?

People assume that it's awful, and tell me to my face that they could never have done it. To which I respond that if it happens to you, you just get on with it. Life as you know it hasn't ended. It's just been put on pause.

Of course I can put a lot of it down to the fact that as halo injuries go, mine is the most minor that I have ever come across (and I am really good at google). No spinal cord damage. No neck vertebrae were implicated in the injury. No injury or pain to any other part of my body. I got off easy!

Still, I am excited to get this thing off tomorrow. I am looking forward to taking it off like you do a bra at the end of a very long day. I know that the removal itself will be painful, and there will be some pain afterwards because of the muscle inactivity; not to mention the ligament damage and disc protrusion that happened at the time of the injury (don't think that shows up on an xray so who knows what's going on there). And I've still got at least a month of the neck brace. It's not over when it's over. There are some of the factors moderating my excitement.

Tomorrow is marked in my calendar as "This will be a good day". I'm looking forward to it.

Hello Halo Oh Hell Naw.

I'm sure that most people with external brace kinks are lovely people, and their harmless fetish is just one small aspect of their rich and varied lives. I do not think these people are creepy. Although they have a relatively rare preference, it's not like they chose it out of a catalogue. Your preferences are largely something you aren't in control of.

As grown-ass adults though, your behaviour is certainly something you are in control of. Pretending to be a spinal fracture patient in order to hear the minutiae of living with a halo brace, is super creepy. And aggravating too, because the goodwill that I have wasted on you, has been taken from someone in the future who is genuinely hurting, afraid, and lonely.

I'm sorry to people with a halo brace who try to friend me on facebook in the future, that I will now hold you to higher standards of evidence than I might have before. I would recommend that you do the same thing. Because....

Prism Glasses

How's the view up my nose?

Royal Perth Hospital lent me some prism glasses while I was a patient. They were an absolute lifesaver. Without them my only view would have been of the water stain on the ceiling which looked like someone pulling the finger. As if being in hospital wasn't insult enough.

They wouldn't let me take them home, though. Something about that being their only pair, with a cost of  $180, and wasn't it enough that they were lending me a stick with a hook on it and the high-back chair which eventually became my clothing storage system? They are a public hospital after all.

 Well about a month ago, I found "Bed Prism Spectacles Horizontal Lazy Glasses For Reading and Watching TV" listed on ebay for $7.58 and free postage. They arrived on the weekend and I have to say, I'm was really surprised with the quality.

The glasses are made out of black matte plastic, and they feel sturdy. The mirrors are the important thing. They are well aligned with eachother so that viewing something in your lap doesn't strain your eyes. There is a bit of a gap in the middle where the mirrors obviously don't meet, but it's probably as distracting as your nose is at that distance. Holding things closer to your face makes it more obvious, but that's using them incorrectly so the failure is entirely your fault. The angle of reflection isn't adjustable, and the glasses are quite front-heavy so they fall down your nose, which means that you have to look more down than straight ahead. That's a minor quibble though, given that they cost $8.
 
I'm thinking of ordering a few more pairs to donate back to Royal Perth Hospital. Right after I finish off paying the bill for the MRI.

Wedding Fun

Congratulations to Neil and Sarah. Wishing them a very happy future together!!

Had a great time at the wedding. Don't think anyone noticed the halo at all.

Halo Clinic - Week 11

The modelling gig at halo clinic went alright. I signed a photo consent, and got shot from several directions. They didn't require any of my artistic direction, nor provide any props. I still tried my best to work it.

The poor nurse was there all on her own this week, and had a lot of people to deal with. We were a bit delayed waiting for the photographer, but that gave us more time to chat with with the new fellow in clinic. He was dumped by a wave at the beach. Swimming is dangerous! If the sharks don't get you, the ocean will.

Also, who are all these people who are getting their injuries in ordinary, daily activities? Where are the foolhardy irresponsible people like myself? I swear, every time my dad hears another mundane story like car, bike, or diving accident, he thinks, My daughter, the Darwin Award Contender.

Since posting my last links roundup I have found some more facebook groups dealing with halos, and that has been great. I have had the opportunity to chat to some very nice people about their experiences. People with halos truly are angels.

But, we're almost there, guys! The days may have been long, but the weeks have flown by.  I am now in my hopefully final week. There is the possibility that the xray will show that I have to keep the brace on longer. I am trying not to think on that. I'm doing the opposite, by telling everyone everywhere that Friday is the day. Yahoo!

Trying out some new looks

I've been trying out a few looks given my modelling gig on Friday.

Always wondered what I would look like blonde. Of course now that I've said that, I'll have some horrible accident which will necessitate dying it blonde. 

This makes me look like a nanny.
(my mum really likes it :\  )

Also green eyes and red hair. Not creepy at all. Imagine the halo as some cute sweatband.

Getting in touch with my asian roots.

Like I didn't look like a little boy already.

The lipstick really draws attention away from the bars.

Maybe I'll just stick with the classic look, and rock the Blue Steel.

Sah pretty. 

Ten days, you guys!

Found my spirit animal

Halo Clinic - Week 10

One fortnight left! We are getting there! I can almost taste it. I'm getting more impatient the closer we get. Chatting to people in my clinic, the old fella is getting it off on the same day and he feels exactly the same way.

 The first things I will do:

• Have a shower
• Smash my face into a pillow
• Put a shirt over my head
• Wear a hat
• Hug everybody everywhere

Pin tightening today was fine. Only one needed to be adjusted, and it didn't hurt at all.

Also, this happened:

He's a ~lucky~ boy

Gonna practice smiling with my eyes.

A Poem About Pin Cleaning from the Perth Halo Clinic Poet Laureate.

The twice-daily ritual of pin-cleaning must be,
The worst part of having a halo. You see,
There are four open holes circumferencing my head,
And they are all prone to getting wicked infected.

The little bacterial beasties always attempt to attack,
We must use cotton buds and blue liquid to fight them back.
And also make sure skin doesn't grow up on the pins,
Otherwise you can't tell where head stops and halo begins.

It's been the battleground for many a row,
As a duty my father would rather disavow.
But he keeps returning to the task, like a knight does to battle.
Which is even braver than someone whom the job doesn't rattle.

The task must be done twice daily, every day, every week
Over three long months, we refine the technique.
We have done it 134 times to date.
Only 34 to go.... we can't wait.

Other Halo Brace Blogs

I'm compiling a list of other blogs which talk about having a halo brace. Reading these other peoples' accounts has been helpful. It normalises what I've been going through, and shows the diversity of the experience. I have been upset, angry, frustrated and stinky, and that's fine because heaps of other people have been as well. The same people have also been stoic and philosophical as well, in the face of even greater challenges. That's a great example to follow.

It would have been nice to have found a site with people who are going through the halo experience right now (Feb 2015), but obsessively googling hasn't revealed much. This Facebook group about broken necks, and my halo clinic, is probably the closest I will get.

If I find any more useful blogs, I'll add them to the list below.

----


Kate: Female, Motorbike accident, C2
Very honest and articulate. Doesn't sugarcoat the experience at all. Also a little bit about the aftermath, which is pretty hard to find.
 
the girl at the traffic light junction: Female, Trampoline accident, C1 & C2
Actually looks glamorous in the halo. Trampoline accident is pretty much on-par with waterslide accident in terms of "How in the world did you screw that up?".

Aden: Male, Cycling accident, C1 & C2
His list of Top 10 questions received mirrors my list almost exactly.

Bourney's Blog: Male, Swimming Pool accident, C7 & T1, with paralysis. Based in Perth, Australia.
Written by the wife of a man who had an accident in Bali. I love the photos down the right side showing Simon out and about in Perth.

Nadine (Spinejuice): Female. Home interior decorating accident. C5 & ligaments.
Very detailed about her experiences, and quite humorous.

Olivia Moon: Female, Car accident, C2 & T6. Ended up having surgery. Based in Australia.
Halo brace is a part of her regular blog. Some good photography.

Charlie: Female, Horse riding accident, C2 & C7.

Sue: Female, Car accident.



Single page stories

Katie Pie: Female, Motorbike accident, C2.
Less day to day, but some good info compiled in one place.

Clarisse. Acknowledges the existence of sex in a halo, and uh takes it to the next level. You go, girl.

Sakura: Shows her (lack of) scar.

H2G2: A couple of entries about halo braces. Some useful information about day to day activities.



There has been a dearth of halo experiences related to thoracic spine injuries. As a result I'm not sure what I can look forward to once the halo comes off. Will I have back pain? Will I need surgery? Will I have full movement in my shoulders? And will I ever be able to reach the high cups again??? Suspense to be resolved in 2.5 weeks (and counting).

Good Things About Being an Angel

Let's play the positivity game and list a couple of ways the vest has benefited me! 

• Bartenders and wait staff fall over themselves to help you.
• At High Tea the other day we waited for 15 minutes for a fresh batch of sandwiches. I stuck my hand up, and the waitress was right there.

• Strangers become very helpful
• A woman saw I was trying to blindly put my phone in my bag and kindly and unexpectedly lifted my bag for me, to my total confusion because I couldn't see what was happening.

• Weight loss
• The vest is a rigid shell fitting right over my stomach. There is a hard limit to how much I can fit in my belly at any one time. That, together with increased energy requirements, means that I have lost 5kg! Yippee! 
• (I hope that's not all muscle.)

• You don't have your head falling down awkwardly when you fall asleep watching TV.

• You never have to be designated driver. 
• You can drink your wine with a straw.
• Rock-hard abs.

So many wins! Looks like I might have to keep the vest around after it comes off.

Halo Clinic - Week Nine

Week nine, and we are limping towards the finish line!

This is the face I will make to whoever takes it off.

The posterior pins remain crusty with some "over-granulation". I googled that and saw the gross images so you don't have to. Normal granulation is when the wound heals properly and lovely pink tissue with new connective tissue and tiny capillaries grows over the wound. Overgrannulation is when the wound heals beyond the surface of the skin, which prevents capillaries from moving across the surface of the wound, delaying healing.

To fix it, they kill off some of the proud flesh using silver nitrate. Stings like a mofo, but only for a little while. Then it just continues to sting a moderate amount, all day long.

If the pins continue to cause trouble they ~might~ consider taking it off as of next week (10 weeks!) but I'm not going to hang my hat on it, when I can hang several hats off all these handy bars instead.

It has been quite a lovely week, with seeing a lot of friends, and I'm looking forward to a Hen's High Tea for the weekend. I feel better about attending Neil and Sarah's wedding in the halo, since I've learned the other young fellow in my halo clinic is also attending a wedding. But whereas my only responsibilities are draining the open bar dry ("Alcohol is the only thing that helps with the pain!" gets you served very quickly) and dancing the robot, he gets to fly to Tasmania and be the MC. Game, set, checkmate to Roshy.

The Aluminum Monster

I normally wear a shirt under the brace, and a loose one over the brace, so not many people in public have seen the full kit. Today I happened to be wearing my dress underneath, so here's what that looks like.

This is the height of fashion for me right now!