Bad Hair Day with the Stim

The winter weather finally visited the Chicago area this weekend with cold winds and icy roads. Precipitation has been small despite the cries of children clutching their new sleds. We have had an easy winter really with limited days meeting the first sentence’s description. The one thing I long for though is the sun. It seems to be in hiding most days, making the temperature feel much colder to these old bones.

New blogs have been minimal for our lives have remarkably remained pretty stable. I’m so grateful that I no longer am in the classroom for my bones would probably take the stage on most days.

People have asked about my new neurostimulator, probably questioning if I now meet the standards of Wonder Woman. I need to name the durn thing because typing out neurostimulator is way too tough. The surgeon says all looks good. I plan on going to my pain doctor Friday, where my stim assistant will somehow adjust this new device so the electrical current remains stable. That will be fantastic. My body is still trying to figure out this small gadget, so a month was required in order for the nerves and spinal cord to settle down. If I stand up now, I get a jolt and then the force suddenly seems much lower. If I cough or sneeze, oh my togolly that hurts. So the lesson is not to cough or sneeze. Twisting is a no-no. If you see me I have these little jolts of electricity that let me know people are trying their best to help relieve me of pain.

The stim feels like a tens unit. Many of you have had those placed on your skin following an accident or procedure. If you haven’t needed that, praise the lord and then imagine your entire leg is sleeping. You know those little pins and needles. Well I give myself pins and needles to help alleviate the pain. My body gets distracted and my brain, yes I have one, doesn’t notice the pain.

I’m getting better on adjusting the unit. I’m able to turn it on and off, and change both how strong the current is as well as the frequency, whether the beats are slow or fast. I’m trying to figure out which is best for me during different experiences. I’ve got the sitting down pretty well but must figure out what to do when I then stand up. Forget about the walking part. I’ll just have a continual “fro” if you see me coming. The whole process is causing a few more gray hairs. If you liked those old cartoons where the cartoon character gets jolts and the hair stands on end, that’s kind of me.  I guess I get an excuse for a bad hair day. (I need it!)

God Uses Chronic Pain to Prove that Life is Good:

      -  Lots of people are working for and with me to have a stim (or your can insert spinal neurostimulator) so that my life is good.