Halo Removal
This one is a little happier...
I was told the minimum the halo would be on for was three months with an uncertain maximum.
It was fitted just before New Years, so I was hoping it would be off for my birthday in April. It was not.
Every couple of weeks I would go back to RVI to get the halo bolts tightened and for a check up on the progress. They would take CT scans to check how the neck was healing. Unfortunately after the three months it hadn't healed as well as the had hoped, so they decided to leave it on a little longer. When we went back in the middle of May it was approaching five months, and thankfully they had a foam neck brace ready, so I knew upon arrival that it was going to be coming off.
If I remember correctly, it was actually a strike day at the hospital so the consultant himself was there to remove the halo rather than a nurse.
To remove the halo they use a spanner (yes, an actual spanner) to undo all the bolts and then just kind of, pull out the bolts. It was a little uncomfortable but very manageable. Quite comically, the consultant couldn't undo one bolts so we all had to lend a hand.
When the halo and the body suit were taken off they put on a soft foam brace and put plasters over the rather large holes in my skull. I was to wear the foam brace for a couple of months abut it was a HUGE improvement after the halo. Plus, it could be taken off for showers and sleeping.
That was the first day I had been happy in 5 months. It was absolutely blissful. I got home and had the first real shower I'd had that year. I washed my hair, washed my face and then put on a pj top over my head. Things which once seemed so mundane were suddenly signs of hope that my life could be normal again. It was a really happy day.
The following week, I went out for lunch without people staring at me-I wore makeup, I did my hair, I wore the clothes I'd been bought for Christmas that were left untouched.
Slowly things began to return to normal.
I went back to RVI for a checkup on my neck and everything was promisisng. They told me to put off joining the gym for a bit but gave me the okay to get a neck tattoo. So things were looking up.
Unfortunately the happiness soon began to fade. However, (as always) that's for another post...
(PS, a little bit of advice...If you are going to get a halo removed, take with you a top to wear afterwords...once the body suit is removed you'll be left topless. Best pack a top!)
I was told the minimum the halo would be on for was three months with an uncertain maximum.
It was fitted just before New Years, so I was hoping it would be off for my birthday in April. It was not.
Every couple of weeks I would go back to RVI to get the halo bolts tightened and for a check up on the progress. They would take CT scans to check how the neck was healing. Unfortunately after the three months it hadn't healed as well as the had hoped, so they decided to leave it on a little longer. When we went back in the middle of May it was approaching five months, and thankfully they had a foam neck brace ready, so I knew upon arrival that it was going to be coming off.
If I remember correctly, it was actually a strike day at the hospital so the consultant himself was there to remove the halo rather than a nurse.
To remove the halo they use a spanner (yes, an actual spanner) to undo all the bolts and then just kind of, pull out the bolts. It was a little uncomfortable but very manageable. Quite comically, the consultant couldn't undo one bolts so we all had to lend a hand.
When the halo and the body suit were taken off they put on a soft foam brace and put plasters over the rather large holes in my skull. I was to wear the foam brace for a couple of months abut it was a HUGE improvement after the halo. Plus, it could be taken off for showers and sleeping.
That was the first day I had been happy in 5 months. It was absolutely blissful. I got home and had the first real shower I'd had that year. I washed my hair, washed my face and then put on a pj top over my head. Things which once seemed so mundane were suddenly signs of hope that my life could be normal again. It was a really happy day.
The following week, I went out for lunch without people staring at me-I wore makeup, I did my hair, I wore the clothes I'd been bought for Christmas that were left untouched.
Slowly things began to return to normal.
I went back to RVI for a checkup on my neck and everything was promisisng. They told me to put off joining the gym for a bit but gave me the okay to get a neck tattoo. So things were looking up.
Unfortunately the happiness soon began to fade. However, (as always) that's for another post...
(PS, a little bit of advice...If you are going to get a halo removed, take with you a top to wear afterwords...once the body suit is removed you'll be left topless. Best pack a top!)
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