Reprogramming my implant

Just felt like it's time to give an update on how things are as well as to share how the reprogramming of my implant went.

In terms of the actually surgery, I am getting there now, I believe. I am gradually building up stamina and getting strength back but I am more or less able to do what I usually would do, just with a slight stiffness and uncomfortable feeling in my neck when I look sharp right, and if I bring my new to my chest or bend over far, then I can feel the battery pack pressing into me. 

The thing I am most worried about is the dizziness I am getting. I am sure it is more often and more severe than before the operation, as I get it every time I bend over or get up quickly.

I have begun training back at the gym, but my personal trainer guy won't let me do anything that means bending over or putting my head down (which seems spot on) so I've only really used the stepper, treadmill and weight machines. Not what is like to be doing ideally, but it's better than sitting about doing nothing and it meant I have begun to care about my diet again too!

Although I had been chasing the pain clinic to arrange an appointment to meet Mike from St Jude's Medical again, after Christmas and new year were over it was relatively easy. I saw him last week and after I described how the programs were pinchy and I could only used one, he had a look and agreed that they would feel like that as they were fairly strong. So at least I feel like I do know how things should feel, without feeling like I know anything at all about how this all works. 

Mike said that probably my lead is very close to my nerve, which makes me very sensitive to the stimulation, so therefore I can only cope with low frequencies. Most people have 4mhtz but I am working between 1.2 and 1.4!!!!

He set up 5 more programs that seem to work further up my neck and towards my ear and therefore aren't causing the muscle to spasm which is what the pressure feeling was. 

He did say to leave my stim off for a little bit as I was very zapped for an hour during the reprogramming. I actually suffered a headache for a day or two after the appointment, so that's something I'll have to remember from now on! 

I tried out the new programs two days later but none of them particularly felt normal enough yet to leave on for any length of time. I then found it extremely difficult to get back in the routine of turning my stim on in the morning, as I felt like it would take a while to get the setting right, so I put it off for a week. I feel bad that I left it so long, so as I haven't had much benefit from it yet, I just don't feel reliant on it. I guess these things take time and I am going to take time to figure all the out!! 

My next venture of going on holiday!!! It will be my chance to see what happens at airport security and how I cope with the implant whist away from home. I'm not particularly worried, as feel I need this time away to relax and chill in the sun to aid my recovery and well being.

It will also make sure I get over showing my scars freely to people I don't know! To be honest, I'm not as worried about that as I thought I would be. 

I'll update when I get back!