Les Accoutrements

I’m feeling slightly improved today, a lightness of being, like my happier self is starting to hover above.  Perhaps this oddly floaty, alternate self, is a sign that my chest infection of month long residence is finally departing, and maybe the swelling from all of the surgeries, is just a little less swelly. 

I thought maybe I'd share the items that come with being part cyborg.  One is never quite alone while being chronically stimulated. Euuwww, does that sound rude?? hmmm.   

Of course there are all of the internal parts, the wires permanently affixed along the spine and the dastardly nerve, and the rather too large magnetic base device, in my rather too large, ahem, base. And then, there are the carry-on items. (complete photo below).  The programmer itself actually resembles an old blackberry.

It is very, very large, much larger than I expected, and you even control it old school, with a stylus.  My lovely technician has assured me that this is the prototype model, and they are currently designing a much smaller model, but for now, it’s something to laugh about.

 Even more hilarious, I actually turn it on by holding it up to the base device in my, well you might say right hip, upper buttock, or derriere, whichever way, I will never stop giggling. 

Even, even, more hilarious than that, it makes a “Bleeeeeeeeeeepp!” sound with an upward inflection at the end like it’s delighted to be stimulating with you. 

My lovely technician has set parameters having consulted with me, and if you look carefully at the picture, you can see I’m at the upper end of those parameters.  This is likely attributable to my chest infection making everything so much more painful. It’s likely that we’ll have to have another session in a week or two once I’m disease free to set new parameters.  

The techs control everything from their own stims and ipads.  The parameters they can set, and therefore the possibilities, are endless- it is just phenomenal. 
The little black square in the right corner at the back of the picture is the magnet to end all magnets, it’s why I harbour a desire to be called Magneto.  If for some reason the programmer won’t work, you can hold that magnet up to the base device, (read my butt), and it will turn the stimulation off.  

At the moment, it won’t turn the stimulation on again, but they are working on that capability too. I was forewarned I might a feel a buzzing sound, or a feeling like a jackhammer, or something like a TENS.  I feel none of those things.  Sometimes, especially if I sit up or lean forward, I feel a slight flutter in my chest, but amazingly, most of the time, I feel nothing at all. 

Love it.