My general lack of updates reflects the little that has changed since I last posted. This is my 10th week with the halo and I now have a fairly well set daily routine;
7am: up for breakfast with daughter
7:20am: listen to podcasts while doing the best I can to clean myself with flannels
8:20am: walk daughter to school
9am: catch up on work emails
[Bit in middle...]
3:15pm: pick up daughter from school
midnight: tuck-in time.
The bit in the middle varies from day to day;
- carry on working if there's things I'm able to do and feel up to doing
- watch TV/read/puzzles/Xbox/learn Guitar
- walk as far as I'm able
For a while I was attempting to use my bike with a borrowed turbo trainer, but even at a low intensity the volume of sweat that builds up in the wool-lined plastic vest is unpleasant. Worst of all is then sitting around in a damp stinking vest for the rest of the day! So, I've decided to knock that on the head until the vest is off.
TV, Film and Entertainment
I managed to watch all 86 episodes of The Sopranos in a month! I then had a spate of watching some older films; The French Connection, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Jungle Book, Clerks 2. I've been to the cinema and seen The Martian, Black Mass, Spectre, Sicario and have tickets to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens this week! I've also started to re-watch The Wire, it's my favourite TV Show and seeing it for the 2nd time is definitely better as you're straight into the action without having to learn the slang and who people are.
I mentioned that I was getting stuck into Driver: San Francisco on the Xbox360, I've since completed it and bought Red Dead Redemption which I'm loving! Gaming is something I'm not usually able to find time for, so it's been nice to be able to get into it again. I've also had a mate round for some gaming sessions on Fifa and Forza; another thing I used to do a LOT and enjoyed but no longer seem to have the time for.
General Halo Observations
Before my last screw tightening session the frame had been creaking a little for a few days, this was both concerning and unpleasant, but the doc didn't seem to think it was a problem and after tightening it's been fine.
At the last session I had hoped that the doc was going to tell me that it would be being removed this week (2.5 months) but he said it needs to stay on for at least the full 3 months, this was a bit disappointing as I'd hoped to have it removed before Xmas. Ultimately though, I'd rather it healed as well as it can, so if that means wearing it for longer then so be it...
The screw points are no longer getting as crusty as they were to begin with and I'm now only cleaning them a couple of times a week, rather than daily as I was for the first few weeks
I've been stopped in the street many times by strangers wanting to ask about it, a few weeks ago an older bloke stopped me and told me he'd had to wear one about 10 years ago. His break sounded much worse than mine, and the halo hadn't managed to heal the break and he'd then had to have an operation to plate the bones together! He proceeded to demonstrate the full range of movement that he now has. Up until then I'd been a bit concerned as to how well everything would heal and this really helped me get a feel for what is possible. I wish I'd taken a little more time to explain to him how reassuring his words had been.
Today I was pointed to a Facebook post about a cyclist who'd managed to keep training (on a turbo trainer) despite wearing a halo (he was getting fresh linings for his vest every week - why can't I get that?!?). I found him in the comments section and managed to exchange a few messages with him, which again has been reassuring.
