One Last Cyborg-Emmo Update (For Real this Time)

This should be my last post about my cyborg parts... unless something else goes wrong... So, yeah. Let's hope this is my last post about my cyborg parts. I already posted about how totally awesome my back feels following the last surgery, but I figured I should post one last update for anyone who wants to know if (3 surgeries and 9 months later) it was all worth it. The answer, largely, is "yes."

The guy who programs my ass has been able to give me a couple good programs (one for day and one for night, since the signal strength changes a lot with spine position), and that pretty much marks the end of my seemingly endless string of appointments with surgeons and ass-programmers. It's such a relief to be able to start settling into a routine, rather than constantly thinking about this stuff and wondering when (and how) it will all end.

So, what do these "good programs" mean? It definitely isn't a "cure" or anything... I won't be going on a hike (or even a long walk... or a short walk up a hill...) any time soon. My lifestyle (which involves as little walking and standing as possible) won't really change all that much. What will change, though, is how much pain I have to deal with with while living that lifestyle.

This all started last June because things were getting to the point where I could barely make it through the work week if I did anything in my free time other than try to recover from pain enough to go back to work. I couldn't do anything fun (like, say, cooking amazing food that required me to be in the kitchen for hours) over the weekend or after work for fear of the repercussions, and that was making it hard for me to have a good work/life balance. Since there was nothing I could use to manage my pain, the only option was to keep doing less and less of the things that I enjoy. What my cyborg parts do is give me a tool to manage my pain, so I don't have to choose anymore between doing the things I love (but with more pain than I can handle gracefully) and keeping pain levels reasonable (while growing ever sadder and crankier).

In summary: It's not the miracle that I maybe dreamed it could be back in June, but it's still a huge win, and is already making my life a much better place... Good stuff.