Day 84 - 12 Weeks Since the Accident

How would you like to have this framing your view for three months? Never changing, never shifting, literally a portable prison with no escape. You can't see your body from the waist up except in a mirror or the ground in front of you as you walk. No looking over your shoulder at all! This is the view from a halo wearer's perspective.

Not much new to report. Pain is much lower and Jan's sleeping in the bed now. She's walking at least half a mile a day and building up to more. I suggested she use the treadmill since it is right next to my office but I think she's afraid of the stairs.

I came up with another idea to allow her to wash her hair easier. The back of the collar is quite large and comes up over halfway between the ears and the top of the scalp, making it nearly impossible to wash the back of her head and neck. I took a long velcro strip and fastened it to just the front on both sides so that her neck is exposed in the back and all of her hair can be washed. This keeps her neck and chin supported since she mostly leans forward while washing her hair and the time without the back is about the same as when we change it and dry her hair.

She thinks she still looks a little right when she is sitting in a neutral position, caused by having her head pointed right for 80 days. Time will tell. I'm sure Nurse Ratched (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest reference) will have an excuse and equally useless explanation of why it doesn't matter and it had to be that way.

If we had let the NP decided when to get the CT scan instead of pushing for what Jan wanted, she'd still have another eight days in the halo instead of three days in the collar already!

After much thought and careful consideration, I've decided to contest the emergency room charges for the 16th of December. It is too bad the insurance company already paid their part because had the doctor, nurse, hospital or anyone that came in contact with us noticed Jan's higher respiration rate and lower blood oxygen levels due to the vest being too tight, it would have been completely avoided. To drive an hour, spend three hours in the hospital and be charged $2,300 to have the vest waist belt loosened by four notches when it was improperly fitted in the first place, is beyond my ability to swallow.

You can tell, I can't let it go. I get that but they won't learn unless someone makes them listen. Maybe it is me that makes them take notice. I seriously doubt it will have any effect but I'm too hard-headed to give up and they did not perform the required tasks nor give us the most rudimentary of halo-vest instructions.