h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The first article on Halo Braces has a lot of good things to say, many of which I agree with. But there are a few things I'd like to add which are especially important for women wearing halo braces.

First, so long as our not too tightly inside your halo, you CAN wriggle a T shirt up inside (and wear a bra). This is not only much more comfortable -- we all know how itchy that awful sheepskin can be on your skin, but also it's better for keeping clean. T-shirts can be cut along the seam on the top of one shoulder, then either poppers sewn in or just using safty pins. The t-shirt then wriggles up from the ground through the bottom on the halo. This keeps you cleaner as you can change frequently, and stops the sheepskin getting matted. I think it's much better for your skin condition under the halo also. Finally, it's OK for guys to go around in the summer with nothing underneath the halo, but most women would prefer to cover up a little!

As for bathing, you can sit in a bath with a couple of inches of water in it. Just get a thin flannel and without soap, run the flannel under the halo at the front, and get a friend or family member to do the same at the back. You may need to 'push' the halo fractionally forwards or back and drop your shoulder blades to enable the flannel to get underneath. I remember this being painful at the beginning, so we just did what we could. But i can now do total body washes. I then use a cool hair drier to dry off the skin under the vest.

Next - hair washing. All easy if you're a guy with a crew cut, but women with long hair need to wash it at least once a week. We tried lots of methods here, but in the end lining up 3 chairs in front of the bath, then lying backwards with the head protuding over the side of the bath was the best. Obviously you need a friend or family member to help you with the actual washing. Then I think using a hairdrier around the pin sites as a minimum is important, as they're more prone to getting infected if they stay damp.

Following these principles, I managed to stay feeling fresh and clean, and my skin stayed in pretty good condition. Just watch out for dry places developing where the halo rubs constantly (for me it was should blades)- you can use simple moisturiser to treat these. They can however turn into little sores, particular during summer.

Another thing that my consultant suggested was getting an exercise bike. I as really surprised, but I went ahead and got a reasonably cheap one from Argos! It worked out great, as my upper body hardly moved at all. I was able to stay a little fit, it helped me avoid gaining weight, and I felt strong and stable on my legs. It really helped my mobility during the last month of my treatment, when I as able to walk (carefully) around my neighbourhood and visit friends. I took off my wedding and engagement rings, and felt less vulnerable walking around.

Regarding walking, I would say as soon as you feel able and confident to walk, start doing so albeit only a short way at first. Always keep a friend with you for the first few months. In my second month, I was walking every day a few blocks (about 0.6 of a mile round trip) to our local park. I was great for my body and mental state to get out. I was able to walk further with a friend during my 3rd month, and a mile on my own during my 4th month.

As for getting stared at, yes, it will happen constantly. But without exception people have just been curious, and a remarkable number of people asked about my injury. Children particularly stare but mean no harm. I consider it won of the blessings of having gone through this "experience" that I will never ever feel self-conscious again having walked around in public wearing the halo!!

By the way, if you're reading this you will no doubt have fractured one or several bones in your neck. I had broken C1 (jefferson) and C2 (odointoid). I had to wear the halo for an extra month because of the nature of the C2 fracture, but this was not at all typical.