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Author Topic: Story: Leigh and Joel  (Read 19336 times)

Offline napacaster

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #90 on: 12. September 2024, 05:38:01 AM »
Ch. 188 - Lori and Blakely
 
 
Last night, Lori and Scott had Joel and me over for dinner. It's remarkable how well Lori is doing with her KAFO and prosthetic leg; she gets around quite easily despite her cumbersome halo traction brace. She is also doing well with her prosthetic hand; it's almost like it's her real hand at this point. For the next few months, she will be wearing a very restrictive cast to over correct her scoliosis and kyphosis, two issues she never knew she had until they were worsened by her accident. Ben will apply her cast at the hospital he works at, and Lori will remain there for a few days for observation. Jackie graciously offered to let Scott stay with her and Ben so he wouldn't have to be alone in a hotel.
 
 
Lori was very apprehensive and feared the pain and discomfort, both physically and emotionally, that her casting would likely involve. The idea of giving up her hard-earned mobility, even temporarily, is very difficult for her to cope with. I think this is the most emotional I have ever seen Lori, and while we were taking a walk after dinner, she completely broke down. I hope things go well for her and that her discomfort is minimal.
 
 
We have all been waiting for news on how things went for Lori today, and this evening, several of us got a group text from Scott. It simply stated:
 
 
"Lori is now in her corrective cast, and she is in extreme discomfort. The cast holds her body in a very contorted position, and it pains me to see her like this. At least her halo is being utilized with her cast so her head is not casted as originally planned. Ben said it will get easier for her with time, but she will never be comfortable in her cast. The good news is that she will possibly only need one cast instead of two, which will make life a bit easier for Lori; the casting process was grueling. Once out of her cast, she will begin wearing her spinal brace and doing PT to rebuild strength and flexibility. This is quite the ordeal for both of us, and we are thankful to have friends to see us through it. We love you all, Scotty. "
 
 
****
 
 
Lori ended up spending two nights in the hospital. The extreme angles of her cast caused her to have some difficulty breathing, but she's finally coming home. Once she was home, we had a short video chat. Lori seemed to be depressed and lonely, but I did get her to smile a time or two. I couldn't see too much of her cast the way she held the phone, but she still had the halo ring on her head, holding it tilted back and to the right. She looked extremely uncomfortable; however, she invited me to stop by and visit tomorrow.
 
 
****
 
 
I'm off to visit Lori this morning. It's a nice day, so I decided to use my power chair to make the short trip to her home instead of driving. I wore my new bright red HKAFO-Milwaukee brace along with my red glasses, facebows, and headgear. I thought the bright color might cheer Lori up. 
 
 
When I arrived, I left my wheelchair on the porch, crutched to the door, and rang the doorbell. Scotty answered, saw me in, and hollered towards the back of the house, "Hey Lori, Leigh is here to visit you." He then led me to the bedroom, where Lori will be spending the next two months.
 
 
I was shocked when I saw Lori lying in her special orthopedic hospital bed with her body encased in white fiberglass. The bed is one of those where someone is strapped in and the bed rotates to prevent pressure sores. Her casted body was strapped to the bed, but her arms and right leg were free since she was lying on her back. 
 
 
Lori's cast is huge and looks to be the most uncomfortable cast I have ever seen, and I have seen and worn many casts. The cast covered the stump of her left leg and continued up her body, ending at her shoulders. The part of the cast that went over her shoulders did not touch them; there was about a two-inch gap. The cast held Lori's spine arched back, and there was a severe bend at her hips, pushing her upper body to the left. Her halo ring was attached to the cast, and her head was positioned leaning to the right and tilted back. She was wearing her orthodontic headgear attached to the outriggers on her halo ring. Lori looked miserable with her body forced into this contorted position, yet she smiled wide, showing her bands, when I came within view.
 
 
"Oh, it's good to see you, Leigh!" Lori happily said. "This has been so difficult for me, and the pain is pretty bad, too."
 
 
"I can't imagine what it would be like to wear a cast like yours, Lori. You know I love casts, but I don't think I would love that one." I smiled at Lori, and she laughed.
 
 
"I bet Judy or Emme would love to be in my place, wouldn't they?" Lori was right; those girls would probably enjoy a cast like this despite the discomfort.
 
 
"Yes, I think they would." I said, and we both laughed.
 
 
Lori and I talked for a while while Scotty ran to do some errands. Lori explained to me that she will be in this cast for a month, then X-rays will be taken. Then, depending on how things look, she will get a new cast or remain in this one for another month. Ben thinks that only one cast will be necessary, but only time will tell.
 
 
Lori said the hardest part for her so far is giving up her long-fought for mobility. The idea of being bedridden for two months is really difficult for her to cope with, even more difficult than the constant pain and discomfort she is in. Once she is out of her casts, Lori can finally get into the special brace that Billy is making for her, and can begin physical therapy to rebuild her strength. Eventually, Lori might only need to wear a Boston brace during the day and something a little more supportive at home and to sleep in.
 
 
We had a wonderful chat, and by the time Scotty returned home, Lori was rather tired. As we were saying our goodbyes, I reminded Lori that Blakely and Chris are arriving tomorrow and will be spending two weeks here. Blakely's parents are traveling again, and she is getting her external distraction device for her protraction treatment. Lori said that by the weekend, she hoped to feel better and would love for all of us to come visit. Lori loves being around Blakely, Emme, and Judy; she finds their youthful energy invigorating.
 
 
****
 
 
Blakely and Chris arrived early this morning, and Chris was sporting a new hair style. A high and tight looked great on him; he's quite a handsome young man. They will be staying in Billy and Collene's guest house for two weeks while Blake's parents take another vacation. It seems like Dave and Donna are always traveling, either for pleasure or for Dave's work. Once the kids got settled in, they went to visit Blake's parents and help them get ready for their trip; we are all going to take them to the airport this afternoon.
 
 
At about one, Judy, who now works from home most days, and I got in our small bus and headed to the Santos's home for a late lunch. After we enjoyed lunch, Chris got the suitcases loaded into the bus, and we began our journey to the airport. Recently, we have been spending at least one night a week visiting with Donna and Dave, and we have become quite good friends. I don't know what Blakely has told them about us, but the topic of our braces has never come up until now. 
 
 
"So Judy, Blake has told me all about wearing her various braces. What's it like for you to wear yours?" Donna inquires.
 
 
"Oh, after a while, they just became part of you. I really don't think about them anymore. Once you get used to them, they are very comfortable." Judy gives factual answers.
 
 
"How about you, Leigh?" Donna looks toward me.
 
 
"I feel the same, Donna. In fact, I enjoy wearing them, and I think Judy enjoys her braces, too." I reply.
 
 
"I think I understand. Blake has told me a lot about all her new friends—maybe too much." Donna shyly admits, and Blake looks quite nervous. "The reason I ask is that my back has been giving me trouble for years, and I think I need to get it checked out."
 
 
"Well, get yourself checked out, Donna. You don't want to have back troubles as you get older. We are all here for you, like we were for Blake." I reassure Donna, and Dave holds her hand.
 
 
"Thank you, Leigh." A warm smile comes to Donna's face.
 
 
When we arrive at the airport, Chris pulls into the bus parking area, and soon a shuttle stops to pick us up. Once inside the terminal, Dave and Donna get their baggage checked, and we are soon saying our goodbyes. Once they board their plane, Blake wants to stop off at the lounge for a drink; she suddenly got to thinking about her orthodontic appointment tomorrow, which she is very apprehensive about.
 
 
When we get to the lounge, we find a quiet place to sit and watch the people hustling by outside. After a few minutes, we notice a man sitting at a nearby table with his laptop in front of him and a suitcase by his side. Since our braces don't allow much movement of our heads, we can't help but constantly look his way. His eyes are not focused on his laptop; they are focused on us, and he glances down wherever his eyes meet ours. We are used to having people stare at us, so we don't give it much thought. 
 
 
As we are enjoying our cocktails and Chris is sipping his Coca-Cola, the cell phone of the man watching us rings. He answers, and Judy, Chris, and I don't recognize the language he is speaking, but Blake is listening intently to the man's conversation.
 
 
"Do you know what language he is speaking?" I ask Judy.
 
 
"No, I'm not good with languages. How about your Chris?" Judy looks at Chris.
 
 
"All I know is a....." Blakely interrupts Chris and says, "Shut up! He's talking about us!"
 
 
We all listen carefully, with Blake being the one understanding what is being said, but he mentions our names often; He knows who we all are! The phone conversation lasts a few minutes, and when he puts down the phone, Blake boldly says, "I'm going to go over and talk to him!"
 
 
Blake walks over to the man and begins speaking to him. They shake hands, and the man pulls out a chair for Blake to take a seat. They talk for several minutes, but none of us know what is being said; however, we hear our names several times. Finally, Blake motions for us and says, "Come meet Jota. He's been reading your story, Leigh, and wants to meet all of you."
 
 
We had a wonderful conversation with Jota, with Blake translating for us. This is only the second time someone has recognized us from me telling our story online, the first being Shelly. Jota was a real gentleman and asked us many detailed questions about our braces and our lifestyles, and he was especially curious about our amputee friends and Collene with her paralysis. I wish Lori and Collene could have been here. 
 
 
Jota told us that he was traveling to meet a friend he made online who helps him with his own story-telling. He's also visiting the mountains to experience the cold weather and snow. Finally, we had to part ways. Jota needed to catch his connecting flight, but we promised to keep in touch. Hugs were exchanged, and our new friend was on his way.
 
 
We got on a shuttle to take us back to the bus, and once on board and heading home, Judy asked Blake, "So what else don't we know about you, Blakely? What language were you speaking?"
 
 
"Oh, Brazilian Portuguese. I was raised speaking it." Blake replied with a smile, showing her bands. "Three generations of my dad's family lived in Brazil; my grandparents came here when my dad was five years old."
 
 
"Oh, that explains your dad's accent; I could never place it." I said.
 
 
It was then that my phone rang; it was Lori. She asked if we would all like to come over for a steak dinner since Blake will probably be on a soft diet for quite a while after her orthodontic appointment tomorrow. We accepted the invitation and said we would be by around seven; we were just leaving the airport now.
 
 
****
 
 
When we got home, Joel and Jimmy got in the bus, and we headed over to Scott and Lori's home. Collie and Billy were there, along with Paul and Rebekah. Lori was much more upbeat this evening, and she said that she was no longer in as much pain, but her cast is extremely uncomfortable. Joel was quite taken by Lori's cast, and I know he would love to see me in one like it someday. Maybe if I am ever in a halo again, I'll let him cast me like this for a few days, but it sure doesn't look pleasant.
 
 
Scotty set up a folding table in Lori's room so we could all eat together. We had a great dinner, but it was quite difficult for Lori to eat with her body positioned as it is. She ate very slowly, with much help from Scotty. Chris ate slowly, too; he has spacers between his teeth so his braces can be applied tomorrow. We all felt really bad for Lori, but we know the unconventional treatment Ben has chosen for her will yield excellent results in the long run. As the evening came to a late close, Lori wished Blakely well on the next stage of her orthodontic treatment, and Blake promised to visit again after she gets her appliance placed tomorrow.
 
 
We then made our way home, and I could tell that Blakely was extremely nervous about what would happen at the orthodontist tomorrow.

Offline napacaster

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #91 on: 12. September 2024, 05:38:50 AM »
Ch. 189 - Blake and Chris and the WEDD
 
 
Chris and Blake joined the regular breakfast crowd at my home this morning. Blake was wearing one of her Milwaukee braces today instead of her usual Kuehnegger braces with the orthodontic attachment. In fact, she wasn't wearing any of her protraction appliances at all. It was sort of strange to see her with just her bands and the little hooks sticking out of her mouth. With our Milwaukee braces, we can turn our heads a bit, but Blake, being used to her Kuehnegger brace, didn't even seem to try; she just always looked straight ahead. Since her new appliance will be affixed to her head instead of her spinal brace, hopefully she will soon get used to the bit of freedom her Milwaukee brace gives her since she will be able to wear it most of the day. Blake will only need to wear her more immobilizing and supportive brace at home and to bed. 
 
 
With several more people than usual, we had both bacon and sausage today, with eggs cooked to order. Chris and Blake were both apprehensive about what would happen today, but they both ate well. I guess they figure that their teeth will be quite sore for a few days, if not longer, so a good meal was in order. After eating, we all went to clean our teeth and appliances.
 
 
With our teeth and appliances nice and clean, Judy went to get the small bus; she will be our driver today and also part of Blake's support system. We are all concerned about how she will deal with the discomfort, both physical and emotional, that her new appliance will bring.
 
 
The first place we stopped was at Rogers and Jameson Orthotics. Blake finds talking to and being with Rita to be very comforting, so she wanted her to come along today. When we went inside, Collie and Rita were talking while Gary and Billy were in the workshop finishing up on Sarah's spare non-electronic legs. Billy has not done too many of the older-style prosthetic legs, and Gary was giving him some advice on working with these devices. A few minutes later, Emme arrived and was her usual happy and upbeat self. She was the other person that Blake wanted around today since they had formed a close bond at the resort when Emme was blindsimming. With everyone gathered, we made our way to Robbins Orthodontics.
 
 
When we arrived at the orthodontic clinic, Blake and Chris got checked in. Sally soon came out to greet us, and she was accompanied by an older man we had never seen before. 
 
 
"Good morning! I want you all to meet Dr. Walter Wilkinson. He will be assisting Joe today." Sally's orthodontia sparkled in the light as she spoke, introducing us to the doctor.
 
 
"Hello, I'm Walt. I am pleased to meet you all, especially my new patients." Walt spoke with a British accent as he shook our hands. "Blake and Chris, if you would please come with me, we need to discuss some final details of the procedure you both will be undergoing today."
 
 
Blake and Chris went with Walt and Sally, and the four of us just looked at each other for a moment in silence. The words 'the procedure you both will be undergoing' kept repeating in our minds. Then it all came to me, and I said,
 
 
"It all makes sense now! Chris is going to undergo the exact same treatment as Blake. I remember he stayed behind to talk to Joe at Blake's last appointment. Then he stumbled over his words when telling us he needed to talk to Billy about his leg braces. It wasn't about his KAFOs; it was to get a 3D scan of his head. Oh, and his short haircut—that's so the appliance can be easily placed. Chris's underbite is not that bad; he doesn't need such an intrusive appliance. He's doing it for Blakely."
 
 
The others had not seen the computer rendering of Blakely wearing the appliance, so I briefly described it. We have all studied orthodontics and are familiar with such devices, but not Dr. Wilkinson's new design. We talked a bit more, and Rita and I were very concerned about how Blakely would handle wearing this device, while Emme and Judy expressed jealousy. 
 
 
Sally then came and asked if we wanted to watch, but it would be on the monitor in Joe's office. As we went to Joe's office, Sally explained that the entire procedure was being filmed for a presentation that Walt is giving at a convention, and it would be best if we simply watched on the monitor. We got coffee on the way, then sat down on the couch in Joe's office to watch after putting Blake's Milwaukee brace aside; she had taken it off for the procedure. The image on the monitor was a split screen, with one side being Joe's view and the other Walt's. They must be wearing those little cameras on their glasses.
 
 
Chris and Blakely were in separate rooms. Sally was assisting with Blakely's procedure, and Joe's wife, Mary, was with Chris. Soon, the procedures began with Chris getting his spacers removed and his teeth cleaned, while all the appliances on Blake's upper arch were slowly removed along with her lower archwire. After Chris's teeth were cleaned, Joe quickly placed Chris's lower molar bands and metal brackets on the rest of his lower arch, along with his lower archwire with green ligatures. 
 
 
While this was happening, Blakely's teeth were being meticulously cleaned and polished. At this point, we could all tell that she was getting very nervous, with Sally often stopping to talk while holding her hand. Meanwhile, in the other room, the anchorage device was being prepared to be placed on Chris's upper arch. It had bands for all his teeth, with heavy archwires on both the front and back of each band, welded in place. There were also heavy wires that would run across the roof of his mouth, with two wires extending behind the front bands. It's sort of like a spiderweb of wires to keep his entire upper arch moving as one unit. Protruding from the front are two rods that are threaded from just beyond where his lips would rest to the ends.
 
 
The appliance was placed in Chris's mouth, and it seems to slip right onto his teeth without much force. It was then removed, cement applied, and finally fixed in his mouth. The doctors gave Chris a few moments to become accustomed to the device and the two rods protruding from between his lips while they went to check on Blake's progress. Once the doctors left the room, Chris got up and looked at himself in the mirror. He stared at the mirror for several minutes, shook his head, then sat back down in the dental chair and closed his eyes.
 
 
At this point, Blake's teeth were cleaned and polished. Joe entered the room and brought up some X-rays on the computer screen to show Blakely. He smiled as he pointed at the images on the screen and then looked at Blakely, who showed little emotion. The springs must have been working, but probably not fast enough. Joe instructed Sally to place her new lower archwire and ligatures, then begin her IV for sedation; Blake didn't want to be awake for the bulk of the procedure. Turning their attention back to Chris, he was shown the Wilkinson External Distraction Device, or WEDD, that would soon be secured to his skull and teeth. He just looked at it for a moment, then said something to Ben. There was no audio feed, but reading his lips, we thought he said. "I hope Blake will be OK." The WEDD was then held to Chris's head to locate where the anesthetic needed to be injected for the pins.
 
 
The WEDD is sort of like the orthodontic attachment on Lori's cervical halo brace. Chris's appliance is dark green in color and has a horseshoe-shaped halo that is lower in profile than a cervical halo; it fits close to his head. There are three holes, which seem large in diameter, on each side for the pins. The middle holes are just in front of his ears, and from this point, there is a part that goes down in front of his ears and curves around the front of his face. The two holes in this part would line up with the rods protruding from his mouth. It reminded Judy of the facemasks that football players wear.
 
 
Anesthetic was injected into the pin sites and allowed time to work. At this point, Blake's IV was just being prepared for her sedation. Soon, Chris's appliance was being placed, and now we understand why the holes for the pins are so large. The pins are actually stepped, with the part that screws into the halo being larger than the tip of the pin. This is to allow the torque wrench to fit the internal hex of the pin. The device was placed on Chris's head and carefully aligned with the rods protruding from his mouth. The pins were now all torqued, with Chris winching each time the wrench clicked, securign the device to his skull. When the pins were all in place, they were flush or slightly below flush with the outside of the halo, and small locking caps were placed in each one to prevent loosening. Unlike a cervical halo brace or the standard rigid external distraction devices, there was nothing sticking out to snag on clothing or bedding. Maybe this style of pin can be adapted to cervical halos; my halo pins were always getting caught on things. 
 
 
The final step of the process for Chris was to fit the two tensioners to the rods coming out of his mouth. They simply screwed onto the rods and were tightened with a torque driver. We would later learn that they have a ratcheting mechanism to prevent them from being loosened without a special tool. This is to prevent the patient from backing off the traction if it becomes too uncomfortable. These ratchets would be tightened every other day, and Walt had designed them so Blake and Chris would wear the devices for about the same amount of time, despite Chris's teeth needing to move less than Blake's. Chris got up from the chair, took a long look in the mirror once again, and then left the room. The doctors went to tend to Blake, who was now sound asleep.
 
 
Chris joined us in Ben's office to observe the rest of Blake's procedure. We asked him how he felt, and he said there was a lot of pressure on his head from the pins, but not too much on his teeth. Chris now has a very bad lisp, and his cheeks and upper lip are pushed out by the bulky appliance in his mouth. Judy said that he looked really cute with his appliance; he blushed and quietly said with a heavy lisp, "I hope Blake thinks she looks cute in hers. I think this is going to be the worst thing so far for her; she is such a fragile girl, but I love her dearly." Emme was getting ready to ask Chris something, but our attention turned to the monitor. Blakely's procedure was beginning.
 
 
The same sort of appliance that was placed on Chris's upper arch was placed in Blakely's mouth. There were several adjustments that had to be made to get it to fit properly, probably because the scan it was made from was several weeks old. Chris thought that his appliances fit more easily since he got his scan done last week when he got his spacers placed. Finally, the appliance was cemented into Blakely's mouth, and the cheek retractor was removed from her mouth. She looked so peaceful lying there asleep in the dental chair with her upper lip resting on the rods and her mouth slightly agape.
 
 
The external distraction device was trial-fitted to her head. It was just like the one Chris is now wearing, but custom made to fit closely to Blakely's head and was dark purple in color. Several patches of hair were neatly shaved where the two sets of rearmost pins would be placed. The device was put in place over the threaded rods protruding from between Blake's lips and held in place by Sally while Joe and Walt placed the six pins. Since Blake is sedated and sleeping soundly, no anesthetic injections were used. The pins were torqued, and the locking caps were placed over the ends. Finally, the ratcheting nuts were threaded onto the rods coming from Blake's mouth and set for an initial torque. The procedure was over in only a few minutes.
 
 
Joe and Walt seemed well pleased and examined Blake’s and her new adornments, then shook hands. It does appear that Dr. Wilkinson's device will be a lot more comfortable to wear than other external distraction devices, and there is no distracting vertical bar in one's line of sight or anything sticking out to catch on to things. Mary removed Blake's IV, and Sally came to get us so Chris could be there for Blake as she woke up. We are all hoping for the best, but we are prepared for the worst. I hope Chris can handle it if Blake has a meltdown like she has had before; he is going through a lot himself, all in support of Blake.

Offline napacaster

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #92 on: 15. September 2024, 16:18:09 PM »
Ch. 190 - Blakely Wakes Up
 
 
Chris is holding Blake's hand as she slowly awakens from her heavy sedation. As she wakes, she feels Chris holding her hand, and without opening her eyes, she groggily says, "Chris... Is that you?"
 
 
"Yes, it's me, Blake. How are you feeling, honey?" Chris holds Blake's hand tighter while speaking with a strong lisp.
 
 
"I have a headache, Chris. A really funny-feeling headache." Blake's voice is low and weak.
 
 
"I know; my head hurts, too. It will be OK." Chris comforts Blake.
 
 
Blake slowly begins to open her eyes and sees Chris wearing the WEDD appliance fixed to his skull. "What is that thing on your face, Chris? You look funny." A slight smile comes to her face, and she giggles.
 
 
"It's the same thing you are wearing, dear. We are both wearing them to help fix our teeth." Chris replies.
 
 
Forgetting why she is at the orthodontist, her eyes open wide, and in a worried voice, Blake says, "I'm... I'm wearing one of those, too?"
 
 
Blake lets go of Chris's hand and brings both her hands to her head. She runs her fingers along the halo that wraps around her forehead and feels the pins in the narrow gap between her halo and her head. Then her fingers follow the part that extends in front of her mouth, which is attached to the rods protruding from between her lips. Now wide awake and with a stronger voice, Blake says, "I... I look like you, Chris?"
 
 
"Well, not exactly; your appliance is a really pretty purple color, and you look great wearing it, too." Chris says with a smile, showing all the bands and wires on his upper teeth.
 
 
"I do?" Blake questions.
 
 
"Yes, you do. How's the pain? The pins in my skull hurt, as do the braces on my bottom teeth. However, I only feel slight pressure on my upper teeth." Chris describes how he is feeling.
 
 
"My head hurts a lot, and this thing in my mouth feels strange. There are a lot of big wires running across the roof of my mouth. Wait, pins in your skull? That means I have them, too." Blake is still a bit out of it from her sedation and looks scared and worried.
 
 
"Yes, that's right. Don't you remember what Joe and Walt told us? There are six pins that secure the devices to our skulls. You remember seeing the rendering Joe showed you a few weeks ago?" Chris inquires.
 
 
"Oh, yes, sort of. I was kind of out of it that day, and I guess today, too. Can I see what I look like?" Blake wants to see her new look.
 
 
"Stay in the chair, Blake. Leigh, can you hand Blake that mirror?" I do as Chris requests.
 
 
I hand Blake the mirror, and she silently looks at her reflection for several minutes. She moves the mirror around a bit and turns her head from side to side to get a better view of her new WEDD appliance. Blake opens her mouth to try to get a look at what has been affixed to her upper teeth. We are all looking at each other, hoping for the best, but we are prepared for the worst.
 
 
Blake lowers the mirror and hands it back to me, looks to Chris, and with a smile says, "This is so cool! I, oh, I mean we, look so cute wearing these things! I'm so glad you decided to get the same treatment as I need, Chris. It shows how much you love and care about me, and it will make this much easier on me. But there is only one problem: I don't think we can kiss anymore. There is too much metal in the way."
 
 
We all laughed and were pleased that Blake is doing so well accepting her situation. However, we know that things could take a turn for the worse emotionally for Blake, so we all tried to be very upbeat and supportive of both her and Chris. This will be a difficult time for them, especially when they go out in public and back to work. Chris helped Blake up from the chair, and we all hugged and offered words of encouragement, with Emme and Judy expressing jealousy; they wished they were wearing appliances like Chris and Blake are wearing.
 
 
We made our way to Joe's office, where Rita helped Blake into her Milwaukee brace. She reminded Blake that she no longer needs to wear her Kuehnegger brace with its orthodontic attachment during the day anymore. Instead, she can wear her Milwaukee brace for ten hours a day and her Kuehnegger brace the rest of the time, and of course, she no longer needs to use the orthodontic attachment.
 
 
As Blake was putting her blouse back on, she asked Rita, "But I can still wear my big brace all day if I want to, can't I?"
 
 
Rita replied, "Of course you can, Blake. You can wear any of your braces during the day, but be sure to wear your Kuehnegger for at least fourteen hours a day. Oh, never forget to do your exercises either; they are very important."
 
 
With excitement in her voice, Blake said, "Oh, that's great! I really like wearing my big brace; it's so supportive. I love how it cradles my head; it feels so good to wear it."
 
 
With that said, we thanked the doctors and assistants. Joe said he would like to see both Chris and Blake before they go home and to call if there are any problems. He also asked me to teach the kids how to care for their pins since I am so well versed from my almost year-long halo brace adventure. We said goodbye to everyone, with Emme and Rita going off to work. We got into the bus, and Judy began to drive us home.
 
 
On the way home, I asked Blake and Chris how they were both feeling. Blake said that the pins securing her halo were the worst part, especially the pressure, but it wasn't too bad. Chris agreed and said that his bottom teeth were starting to become tender, but his upper teeth were still feeling pretty good. They both had lisps, with Blake's being considerably different from when she was wearing her previous appliances; it was much less pronounced. I reassured them that the pain from the pins would diminish in a few days, but from my experience in a cervical halo brace, the pressure would remain to some degree, but it should be less since their pins are smaller. They found my words reassuring and comforting.
 

******

 
Over the next few days, Chris and Blake got used to their new orthodontic appliances and visited friends to catch up and show off their WEDD appliances. Blake got her Milwaukee and Kuehnegger braces adjusted by Billy, and she is making great progress with her curves. The discomfort from their halo pins has diminished, but the pressure on their teeth increased when the first of their every-other-day adjustments were made. Overall, they're doing well, and they both are wearing their KAFOs, with Blake continuing to wear her Kuehnegger brace even during the day while Chris prefers his Milwaukee brace. It seems that Chris very much enjoys supporting Blake by wearing his recreational leg and back braces as much as possible.
 
 
We were all so glad to see Blake doing so well since she has had such trouble coping with things in the past. Maybe it is because she has Chris in her life now, or maybe it's just her becoming stronger when it comes to her health issues. The only thing that was taking them a while to get used to was the weight of the large metal appliance secured to their heads. Even though it was made from a lightweight alloy, it still feels a bit heavy, and their spinal braces help to support their heads and the extra weight; maybe that is one reason Chris has been wearing his back braces so much.
 
 
Well, early this morning, I got the call I was dreading...
 
 
L: Hey Chris, what's up?
 
 
C: Hi Leigh. I hope you can help; Blake is having a really rough time this morning.
 
 
L: Oh no! What happened?
 
 
C: Well, I told her that I made us reservations at the hotel in the city for a few days so we could visit the museums and galleries like we did before. I thought it would make her happy, but she started to cry. Blake said she didn't want to go out and be seen wearing her WEDD appliance and that she is having trouble eating and drinking, too. Worst of all, she misses being able to kiss me. Of course, I miss kissing her, too. I have to agree that eating with that thick metal bar in front of our mouths is quite difficult, and we must drink with straws, which are hard with the rods between our lips. You and your friends have helped Blake in situations like this before, and I need your help now.
 
 
L: OK, well, get her up to our place for breakfast and just follow my lead. I have a plan.
 
 
C: OK, thanks, Leigh. We'll see you soon.
 
 
When Blake and Chris arrived, it was obvious that she had been crying. It was a cool morning, and she was trying to hide all her braces by wearing long, loose pants, a turtleneck sweater, a beanie pulled over her halo ring, and a scarf wrapped around her face. Only a small part of her appliance could be seen in front of her ears. When the other arrived, the mood was rather somber, and Blake only picked at her meal. Everyone finished their meal and went on their way, leaving Joel, Chris, Blake, and myself alone.
 
 
"Hey Chris, would you like to see our cast room? It is where we apply our recreational casts and keep our supply of orthopedic braces," I said, not remembering if I had shown Chris our cast room, but he definitely knows of our interests.
 
 
"No, I don't think you have seen your cast room; I would like to see it. I know that Blake really loves wearing casts." Chris took my lead well, and Blake's eyes lit up.
 
 
"Well, come on and I'll show you." I grabbed my crutches and got up, with everyone following me to the cast room.
 
 
"Wow, this is amazing! It's just like the cast room at the hospital when I broke my leg." Chris is impressed. "What's that metal frame in the middle of the room?"
 
 
"That's our traction frame. It's for applying large body casts, like you saw Judy wearing in those pictures she showed you and Blake. I could teach you how to apply some smaller casts, Chris, if one of the ladies would volunteer." Joel says it with a smile, glancing at Blake.
 
 
"Me...Me...Me!!! I volunteer." Blake excitedly begins to take off her loose pants and sweater, then hops up on the table.
 
 
Joel proceeds to explain how casts are applied and demonstrates it to Chris by putting Blake's left arm in a purple SATS, just like she has worn before. Then Blake says, "Show him how to put a cast on my leg, Joel!" Joel gathers more material, including a set of knee hinges and the proper-height walking heel to compensate for Blake's short left leg. Chris removes her left KAFO, and Joel begins the casting process with help from Chris. Soon, Blake is wearing a big purple hinged LLC with a toeplate and very tall waking heel, and she is all smiles.
 
 
"Oh, this is great, guys! Thanks for the casts; they are so comforting to wear. Once they are dry, let's go get ready for our trip to the city, Chris," Blake happily says while hugging Chris.

 
Chris helps Blake get dressed, and they are on their way, with Chris giving me a wink and a thumbs up.
 
 
Over the next five days, Blake and Chris sent us many pictures and videos. They are having a great time in the city, and Blake seems to really be enjoying herself, showing off her casts, braces, and orthodontic appliances. In almost every picture, she is wearing a short skirt and a crop top to show off her casts and braces. Blake is even on crutches in several videos, with the hinge on her left knee locked at an angle. There was even a picture of Blake with another girl about her age wearing a traditional rigid distraction device, and they were both smiling. It seems that a couple of casts have once again brought Blake the comfort and security she needs during a trying time.
 
 
When they got back, Blake and Chris went for a quick checkup with Dr. Joe. He was very pleased and said that Blake's upper teeth have moved more in the last two weeks than during her entire treatment up to this point. He also said that Chris is making good progress and that they might be able to get their appliances off early. Blake decided to wear her casts for a full six weeks and get them removed when they come for their next orthodontic checkup. Blake's folks were a bit shocked to see their daughter, and likely future son-in-law, wearing their appliances and Blake in her casts, but they were very supportive.
 
 
Collie had our entire group of friends over the night before Chris and Blake were to go home. She cooked a great Italian dinner with the recipes that Flora had taught her. Scott and Lori, who is still in her very uncomfortable corrective halo cast, joined us with Lori strapped to my old reclining wheelchair I lent her. A good time was had by all, with Blake very upbeat and happy once again. The next morning, Blake and Chris joined us for a final breakfast together, and then they were on their way home to Kings City.
 
 
A few days later, I got a text from Blake:
 
 
"Hi Leigh! Thanks for everything during our visit. I am really enjoying my casts; they are so comforting to wear and make my worries fade away. Chris and I are doing great, and we have very little discomfort from our appliances now. We have even mastered eating and drinking, but kissing is still impossible. I'm doing great at work, and everyone is so supportive. Chris got teased a bit at work; they guys now call him 'Robo-Jaw, but he's taking it in stride. We'll see you in a few weeks. Love, Blake and Chris."

Offline napacaster

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #93 on: 15. September 2024, 16:20:26 PM »
Ch. 191 - Lori's Progress
 
 
We had dinner at Lori and Scotty's the other night. When we arrived, Lori was strapped in her wheelchair with her KAFO on her crippled right leg. Her chair was positioned so she was upright, with her braced leg taking some of her weight. Her upper body, in its contorting halo cast, was firmly strapped to the chair. I crutched over to her, and we hugged as best we could with my braces and her casted body.
 
 
Lori said that she was doing quite well at this point; there was no longer much pain, but that her cast was extremely uncomfortable as she warmly smiled, showing her bands. We talked for a little while about her cast, her upcoming appointment for X-rays, and the new cast she might be getting. Lori said that was one reason she asked us over tonight; Scotty wanted to ask Joel if he would help getting her to her appointment. She wanted me to accompany them, too. The appointment is on Thursday at Dr. Moore's office, and of course Joel and I said we would help.
 
 
We had a wonderful evening together. Scotty is an excellent cook with Lori's guidance. After dinner and dessert, we went outside to take in the warm, peaceful evening. My attention was drawn to Lori's large therapy pool which she has yet to enjoy, and I really wanted to take a swim. I have not gone swimming since I let go of my legs and thought it would be fun. Joel ran home and got my swimsuit and waterproof braces, then soon returned. Scotty led me to the spare room to change, and soon I was crutching out to the pool in my waterproof braces with sport sandals strapped to my feet. 
 
 
Once I got to the pool, I decided to take off my braces and let my limp body enjoy the feeling of weightlessness in the water. Joel helped me, and I used the grab bars to pull myself into the warm water. Oh, it felt so good; I have not been swimming for a very long time. Everyone enjoyed watching me move about in the water using only my arms, and I really enjoyed floating on my back and looking up at the stars. Being in the water really felt good, with my body completely and comfortably supported without wearing any of my braces. Lori said that she was excited to soon be able to get in the water, especially seeing how much I was enjoying it.
 
 
Finally, my arms were getting tired and my back was getting sore, so I had Joel help me out of the water and put me back in my braces. Then I decided to get back into the water, wearing my braces, to see what it was like. I carefully used the handrails to walk down the steps and get in the water. Being in braces in the water felt different, and it was not as pleasurable as swimming without them. I climbed out of the pool and wrapped my towel around my body. At this point, Lori was getting tired and was experiencing quite a bit of discomfort from the way her head was positioned in her halo. I simply wrapped up in an extra towel, and Joel gathered my other braces and clothing. We said goodnight to our friends and headed home. Once home, Joel helped me to bathe and clean my orthodontic appliances. He then placed my large splint in my mouth, locked my jaw shut around it, carried me to bed, and strapped me in my body brace for a good night's sleep.
 
 
****
 
 
Well, Thursday morning is upon us. Joel helped me get into my brown HKAFO-Milwaukee brace with mid-heeled brown oxfords. He dressed me in a long blue skirt and a white blouse. I did my makeup, put my hair up into a bun, put on my wire frame glasses, and put on my black headgear to complete my look for the day. As I put my hair up in a bun and did my makeup, Joel got dressed, and soon we were having breakfast with our friends. After breakfast, Joel got the little bus, I crutched out and used the lift to get on board, and we were on our way to Lori and Scott's place.
 
 
When we arrived, Scott was just getting Lori strapped into her wheelchair. She was wearing a loose-fitting dress. She didn't have her KAFO on her right leg, but she was wearing her hand and looked very nervous. Scott asked Joel to check the straps securing Lori to her wheelchair. With her chair reclined, Scotty used the attendant control to wheel Lori out to the bus, and the guys got her on board and her chair secured. Once on the road, I asked Lori how she was feeling today.
 
 
"I'm really scared, Leigh. I hope everything has been going OK, and I'm so worried that things might not be progressing well. I'm so miserable in this cast; it's extremely uncomfortable and often painful. It has been the worst part of my recovery." Lori said with a tear in her eye.
 
 
"I can't imagine what it must be like for you. I have worn some very immobilizing casts, but never one that contorted my body like yours does." I said with concern.
 
 
"It has been really tough, but I try to keep a positive outlook. However, the prospect of possibly needing an even more extreme cast scares the hell out of me. How much more can they do to me? My body feels like it is being tied in a knot." Lori began to cry.
 
 
Taking Lori's hand, I say, "I don't know what will come next for you, Lori. Remember that Ben said you might not need a second cast, just an adjustment to the postion of your head and neck? We'll just have to wait and see what Ben and Dr. Moore say. Keep your chin up, kid!"
 
 
Lori's tears turn to laughter, and she said, "How can I not keep my chin up? This cast and halo force me to keep it up!"
 
 
With the mood lightening a bit, the rest of the ride was pleasant, and we soon arrived at Dr. Moore's office. We parked in the back so it would be easier to get Lori's wheelchair inside, and she also wouldn't have to face other clients. Scotty and Joel got Lori and I off the bus, and the receptionist buzzed us in. One of Dr. Moore's assistants was waiting for us inside and took Lori directly to the X-ray room and asked the rest of us to wait in the room we visited before with Blake.
 
 
It was not very long before Lori was wheeled into the room. She thanked Will and Bob, the techs, for taking good care of her and making her as comfortable as possible. It was clear from her voice and demeanor that Lori was terrified about what would be coming next for her—she feared being placed in an even more immobilizing and contorting cast. After quite a wait, Dr. Moore entered the room. She was now in a wheelchair with carbon fiber braces on both legs. From the way she was sitting in her wheelchair, I could tell that her braces were HAKFOs. Dr. Moore was dressed almost exactly like me, and I think we were wearing the same shoes. She was smiling and very upbeat when she greeted us, with Lori trying not to show her fear.
 
 
"Good news, Lori!" Dr. Moore cheerfully said, "You are making excellent progress. After consulting with Ben, we determined that you will not need to have your cast changed; you will just wear this one for another month, then you can begin wearing a brace and begin PT. However, we do need to re-position your head and neck a bit, but this won't be too uncomfortable. We'll also change your catheter today, and I will get the prescription for your braces over to Rogers and Jameson so they can be fabricated."
 
 
Lori was overjoyed that she would not have to go through the ordeal of getting a new cast. A look of calm and peace came to her face when she heard all the good news. Dr. Moore then said that since her disability has increased, one of her assistants would be in shortly to adjust the halo portion of Lori's cast. Feeling a bit bold and curious, I asked Dr. Moore, "I don't mean to get too personal, but it appears your condition has worsened. Are you now wearing HKAFOs?"
 
 
Smiling warmly, Dr. Moore replied, "Please, call me Pam. I'm trying to not be so formal these days; the rapid changes to my body are making me feel different about a lot of things these days. Yes, Leigh, my condition has worsened, and you are correct; I am now wearing HKAFOs. I can get around on crutches, but I'm becoming most comfortable in my wheelchair."
 
 
"I really like your braces; they look good on you. Did Billy make them for you?" I ask.
 
 
"Yes, Billy at Rogers and Jameson made my braces. Billy and Collene are such nice people, and I'm so glad they are taking over for Gary and Rita." Pam smiles.
 
 
"They are very dear friends of ours, with Joel and I helping both Collene and her sister Judy get a start in life here. Collene's sister Judy is like a daughter to us, and we gave her and Jimmy the house they live in and helped Billy and Collene buy theirs. We are all neighbors." I see Pam looking at me with curiosity.  
 
 
"Can I ask you something very personal, Leigh." Pam nervously says.
 
 
"Sure." I know she will ask about why I wear braces.
 
 
"If you don't mind, what condition do you have that requires such extensive bracing, and is your extensive orthodontic work related to it?" Pam asks with a slight smile.
 
 
"I don't mind you asking, but it's a long story. You seem understanding enough that I'm comfortable telling you. Can we set a date for an afternoon together to talk?" I ask with a smile, clearly showing many of my orthodontic appliances.
 
 
"Sure, that sounds great, Leigh. I think I would really like to get to know you better; you seem to be an interesting person, and..." Pam is interrupted by a knock at the door, and a young woman wearing scrubs enters the room.
 
 
"This is Addison; she will be adjusting your halo for me, Lori." Pam introduces us to Addison, who seems quite fascinated with the braces I'm wearing, especially my colorful metallic smile.
 
 
"Please, call me Addy. "The young woman smiles, showing her clear orthodontic braces.
 
 
Pam shows Addy some information on the computer, and then Addy gets the tools necessary to make the adjustments to Lori's halo. Pam warns Lori that the procedure will not exactly be pleasant, and she will feel some pulling on her upper spine. With Pam instructing, Addy loosens the attachments for the four rods on Lori's halo, then re-positions her head, tilting it farther to the right and back while applying a bit of traction. Lori whimpers, and tears come to her eyes, but she realizes that the adjustment is necessary and that it is much better than the ordeal of getting a new cast. Finally, the rods are tightened, and Lori sighs a sigh of relief—the adjustment is complete. At this point, I notice that the space between Lori's shoulders and her cast has closed up quite a bit; Addy has stretched her upper spine quite a lot.
 

Addy takes Lori in her reclining wheelchair back to the X-ray room for a final set of pictures. While we waited, Pam and I set a date to have lunch and chat, and I can tell she is very curious about my situation. Soon there is a notification on the computer, and Pam reviews the new X-rays that were just taken and is satisfied with the results. Addy returns with Lori, and Pam says, "One last thing, Lori. We need to replace your catheter. Addy will take care of that for you. She's very gentle, and it will not be uncomfortable at all for you, Lori. Addy is the best; she takes excellent care of me." As Pam says this, Addy blushes.
 
 
Joel and I excuse ourselves to use the restroom—not because we need to, but to give Lori some privacy. When we return, Lori is ready to go, and we all thank Pam and Addy for everything today. As we are leaving, Addy says to me, "Leigh, I really like your orthodontic braces; they look so cool! I got these clear ones, and I hate them. I only got clear because I thought it would look more professional, but I was wrong. No one cares about an adult wearing braces, and these are so hard to keep looking bright and clean. See how the archwires are chipped already, and I only got them changed two weeks ago. Your braces are so colorful and sparkling bright; I really like them." Pam then looks at my smile, then dreamily towards Addy; it seems their relationship is far more than just professional.
 
 
I notice the chipped white archwires in Addy's mouth and how her brackets are slightly stained. "I can see that your braces are difficult to keep looking great. My orthodontist is Dr. Joe Robbins. Set up a special consultation with him and tell him you are a friend of Leigh Jacobson."
 
 
"Oh, thanks, Leigh. I will call his office this afternoon!" Addy hands me her business card with her cell phone number and personal email written on the back. "Send me your information; I would really like to talk to you someday when we have some time."
 
 
"I will, Addy." I cheerfully reply as I give Addy a gentle hug.
 
 
With that, we all get on board the bus and head home. Lori is quiet, and from the look in her eyes, she is in extreme discomfort right now. When we get to Lori and Scott’s home, Joel helps to get Lori into her bed as I speak comforting words. I remind her that she is half way done wearing her cast, and soon she will be in her back brace and be able to exercise, swim, have fun, and even start working again. This brightened her mood, but she was still in a lot of pain. However, a smile did come to her face.
 

Poor thing; she had endured so much.

Offline napacaster

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #94 on: 18. September 2024, 15:40:02 PM »
Ch. 192 - An Afternoon With Pam and Addy
 
 
It took Lori a few days to get as comfortable as possible in her halo-hip spica cast. The position in which her halo holds her head is even more awkward than before, and eating is a real challenge for her. However, the pain of having her upper spine stretched and contorted so much has diminished. 
 
 
Luckily, Lori has a few things going on around her home to distract her from her immobilization and discomfort. Scotty puts her in her wheelchair every morning so she can watch the workers doing projects around their house. They are getting a large hot tub installed and handicap hoists installed for both it and the swimming pool. The entire patio area is being redone with an outdoor kitchen, too. Lori can't wait until she gets her new spinal braces and can once again be on her feet, one real and one prosthetic, and host a party for all her friends.
 
 
****
 
 
Tonight, we are meeting Pete and Emme for dinner at Ranch Gordo. I think that Shelly should be out of her SLWCs by now and likely wearing ROM boots. When we arrived, Pete and Emme were sitting outside enjoying a cocktail, with Emme wearing patches over both her eyes—another evening blindsimming for her. We join them for a drink before getting a table for dinner. As always, Shelly was our waitress, and she was in fact now wearing ankle ROM boots, but they looked custom-made. Pete compliments Shelly on how well she's getting around and that she looks lovely with her orthodontic braces and bright pink combination headgear. Shelly responds:
 
 
"Oh, I love my braces and headgear! I'm finally getting my teeth fixed up, and I really enjoy the process. Joe is so gentle, and my braces never cause me any pain or discomfort. Oh, these boots Billy made for me are so cool, too. He gave me a series of insoles that fit in the boots and gradually get higher at the heel. I started low and have worked my way up to a four-inch lift at the heel. Generally, they are used in the opposite order and without the ankles free for people with Achilles injuries. I'm using them differently, so I can get used to wearing high heels again without risking injury to my ankles."
 
 
"Oh, something else that Billy did was make detailed castings of my feet and legs. He said he has a client who requested extremely detailed prosthetic feet and legs, and he thought mine were perfect for her. So, somewhere there will be a girl with my cute feet and sexy legs!"
 
 
We had a wonderful meal as always, and it was good to see Shelly enjoying her orthopedic and orthodontic adventure. She is truly one of us, and I wonder what she will desire to experience next. Anything is possible.
 
 
****
 
 
I'm finally meeting Dr. Pam Moore and her assistant, Addy Wilcox, for lunch and a chat today. It was a bit of a challenge to schedule a date with how busy they are, but we will have all afternoon to spend together after lunch today. I know they both are very curious about my situation, and with Pam being a doctor and good friends with Ben, I must tell the truth about my braces and letting go of my legs. Outside of my group of close friends, no one knows the full story about my legs and my braces. I'm a bit nervous talking about it with a doctor and her assistant, especially since Pam has a real disability. I am also torn about how I should present myself. Should I use my wheelchair or crutches? Should I hide my braces as best I can or let them be seen? Should I wear my headgear or not? I just don't know; I don't want to offend.
 
 
With the nice weather today, I decided to wear a long, flowing dress, use my crutches, and my twin facebow interlandi headgear with black straps; I can always take it off at the last minute. Pam has seen me wearing it before, but Addy has not, and I think she is really curious about my colorful bands and appliances. I wonder if she has talked to Joe about getting colored brackets. It's been a few weeks, so she might have gotten them.
 
 
I pulled into the parking lot at Mimi's Cafe and parked near the entrance. At the last minute, I removed my headgear and put it in my purse, then crutched inside. I looked around and didn't see Pam and Addy, so I took a seat in the waiting area. The ladies soon arrived, and they were dressed casually like I was, with Pam rolling along in her wheelchair. When Addy greeted me with a smile, she had iridescent light blue brackets on her front four upper teeth; the rest of her teeth were banded with bands of the same color; they looked great. We got a table near the back where it was quiet, and I sat across from the ladies. From the way Pam and Addy interacted, I could tell their relationship was far more than professional, just as I had suspected.
 
 
Addy was very talkative and told me about going to see Joe to get her new braces, which it is obvious that she badly needs. She even admitted to me that she has a 'thing' for braces and really enjoys her new colorful braces that match the color of her eyes. With Addy admitting that she has a 'thing' about braces, I told her and Pam about my love of orthodontics and how very little of what I have in my mouth is actually necessary. However, I didn't tell them that all my appliances have been permanently bonded to my teeth and they cannot ever be removed. Addy was excited to meet someone with a similar interest in orthodontics, and Pam seemed enthralled by our sparkling smiles. This left me wondering if Pam has a thing for braces, too, and maybe that Addy has an interest in orthopedic braces and disabilities, too.
 
 
We ate our meal without any discussion about my leg and back braces. What was mentioned is that Addy has been working with Pam for about fifteen years as a physician's assistant. I was thinking from her looks and playful demeanor that Addy was in her late twenties, not her mid-forties. Pam also said that as her condition has progressively gotten worse, she needs more and more help with her daily activities. About eight years ago, the lease on Addy's condo was up for renewal, and Pam asked her to move in with her as her caregiver. Soon after, they fell in love, and they have been in a very happy relationship ever since. 
 
 
After we finished lunch, Addy and Pam asked me to join them for an afternoon together at their home. Of course I accepted their offer; I wanted to learn more about them, and I'm sure they have a lot of questions for me. After all, Pam did want to talk privately with me about my situation. I followed them out to the parking lot on crutches, with Addy pushing Pam's wheelchair towards an Aston Martin DBX. Addy helped Pam into the driver's seat, and she then put the wheelchair in the back of the car and said for me to follow them as she got in the passenger's seat. Pam cranked the engine, and it sounded amazing! 
 
 
I followed the blue DBX that sparkled in the sunlight like Addy's braces, and soon I found myself in the most exclusive part of town. The Aston Martin turned into a driveway, and the wrought iron gate opened. The driveway must have been at least a mile long and ended at a large house that overlooked our entire town. The garage door opened and the DBX pulled inside, and that is when I noticed the cute little car parked in the garage—a make I had never seen before—Wartburg.
 
 
I parked, got out of my car, and crutched over to the little car. As Addy was helping Pam into her wheelchair, she said, "It's a 1960 Wartburg 311 that belonged to my father. He bought it while serving in the Army in Germany and brought it home with him. It's so cute, isn't it?"
 
 
I had to agree that the little cream and blue car was cute, and I told Addy my husband would love it with his interest in communist-era cars. Addy pushed Pam's wheelchair into the house, and I followed. We got comfortable in the large living room with big windows that gave a full view of town. I could even see the bus shop and an old Greyhound Silversides reflecting the sunlight as it pulled out of the parking lot. 
 
 
Pam then asks me about the condition that requires me to wear the orthopedic braces that I wear. I matter-of-factly told my story, a story you all know well, and it was accepted without question. Pam was quite impressed with the extremes I went to to let go of my legs. I told her about how Judy had done the same thing and that she was my inspiration. Addy said that, as Pam's condition worsened and they became closer, she discovered that she was a devotee. Both Addy and Pam asked me a lot of questions, and I was open and honest. It was nothing that you already don't know, so I'll skip the details.
 
 
It was then that, with a smile, Pam sternly said, "Addison, shouldn't you be wearing your headgear? Dr. Robbins said you should be wearing it whenever you are not at work."
 
 
Addy turns red and says, "But we have a guest, Pammie. I like my new colorful braces a whole lot, but I'm not fond of my headgear at all."
 
 
"Leigh's headgear is much more complicated than yours; I've seen her wearing it before." Pam smiles at me.
 
 
"Very well, dear, I'll go put it on. I know how much you enjoy seeing me wearing it." Addy smiles mischievously at Pam.
 
 
As Addy goes to put on her headgear, I get mine out of my purse. Pam wheels over and helps me get my facebows in place and attached to my interlandi headgear. When Addy returns, she is shocked to see me in my rather complex headgear. "Oh my, that is quite the setup you have to wear, Leigh. Please tell me it is an actual part of your treatment, not something extra for your... um... pleasure."
 
 
I smiled at Addy and Pam, then I said, "My headgear is simply a fashion accessory for my pleasure. I truly enjoy wearing it."
 
 
"You only wear it at home, right?" Addy questions.
 
 
"No, I generally wear my double-facebow headgear all the time. I really like how I look wearing it and the feeling of my facebows between my lips and my Interlandi straps on my head." I smiled once again.
 
 
"May I please take a look at what else you have in your mouth?" Addy sits down next to me.
 
 
"Sure, Addy, I love talking about all my braces. Take a look." I open my mouth, and Addy and Pam examine my orthodontic appliances. I explain what all my appliances are normally used for and why I enjoy wearing them simply for pleasure. Then I demonstrated my modified Herbst, which allows me to lock my jaw in any position. I clenched my teeth around my splint, locked my jaw in place, and left it like that for the rest of our visit. Both ladies are impressed with how well I can speak with my jaw completely immobilized.
 
 
"See, Addy, there are other people like me. I'm not so strange after all." Pam smiles at Addy.
 
 
"Well, if you like braces so much Pammie, why don't you get all the same stuff as Leigh has? I would sure like to be able to lock your jaw shut when you're in a bad mood and start yelling." Pam leans over and kisses Addy, taking her facebow between her lips.
 
 
"Maybe I will after I retire, Addy. With my condition getting worse, I don't think I'll be working much longer." Pam's expression is a mix of happiness and sorrow. "So, Leigh, let me tell you about my physical condition."
 
 
Pam explained that both she and her daughter have a degenerative nerve condition that is likely genetic. I remember Sam telling me about going to see Dr. Moore to get her Milwaukee brace prescribed years ago and how the doctor mentioned her daughter wears the same type of brace as Sam. I also remember Sam telling me that her doctor wore an AFO on her left leg at that time. Pam explained that in her case, she started to lose movement and sensation in her left foot and leg, which finally required her to wear a KAFO.
 
 
As Pam's condition progressed, she had to wear KAFOs on both legs and use crutches or a wheelchair. Now she is in HKAFOs and using a wheelchair almost exclusively, but like me, she can get around easily on crutches. I asked her if she had any idea how quickly her condition would worsen further.
 
 
"I don't know Leigh... No one knows. If I live long enough, I'll likely end up completely paralyzed and on a ventilator, but hopefully it won't come to that. Things get worse, then stabilize for several years. Only time will tell." Pam explains her situation as tears come to Addy's eyes. Pam hugs Addy and says, "It's OK, dear; hopefully things won't get too bad too soon. I know you will take good care of me and that I love you very much."
 
 
Now that we had all learned quite a lot about each other, the conversation turned to lighter topics. Pam and Addy talked about traveling after Pam retires, and I told them about the redevelopment project that Joel is involved with. They had read about the project in the news, and I explained how the area around our shop is being reinvented. The old factories and warehouses are being converted to housing, retail, and commercial. What is hoped is that the neighborhood will become its own self-contained little town with everything the residents need. Someone could live, do their grocery shopping, go to work, and have fun possibly all in the same building. Pam was glad the old buildings were being saved and expressed interest in investing in the project. 
 
 
All in all, we had a wonderful chat. I could tell that, even though they have worked and lived together for a long time and love each other very much, Pam and Addy are still learning about each other's minds and bodies. Their playful banter was heartwarming, and Addy is very concerned about Pam's health. We agreed to get together often, and they want to meet all my friends. It was a great day, and I enjoyed talking openly to new friends about my lifestyle.

Offline napacaster

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #95 on: 18. September 2024, 15:40:42 PM »
Ch. 193 - Good Progress
 
 
I'm expecting a call from Chris or Blake. It's about time for them to get their orthodontic progress checked and for Blake to get her spinal braces adjusted and her 'comfort casts' removed. That call came today, and they will be making a quick overnight visit on Friday.
 
 
****
 
 
Blake and Chris arrived around nine this morning and got settled into the guest suite. They both looked great wearing their WEDD rigid distraction devices that are firmly secured to their skulls and their upper teeth. Blake had her hair playfully styled around the device and looked very nice in her purple KAFO and Milwaukee brace. Her light summer dress looked great on her, and she showed off her braces with pride. Her SATS and hinged LLWC were very worn and dirty, but also highly decorated with signatures, drawings, and other artwork. Simply put, Blake looked stunning, and her upbeat, cheerful attitude made her even more beautiful. The shy and timid Blake we met at the resort is disappearing.
 
 
After they got settled, Blake asked if I wanted to go with them to their appointments and grab lunch. I never miss the opportunity to accompany someone to the orthodontist or orthotics shop, so I said yes. Chris drove us to town, and I noticed that Blake always looked straight ahead; she never turned her head at all, which is something we can do in our Milwaukee braces if we stretch a bit. I asked her why she wasn't looking around like I was, and she said, "Oh, I'm just so used to wearing my Kuehnegger brace that I don't even try to move my head to look around anymore."
 
 
Our first stop was at Robbins Orthodontics, where, as always, Sally was happy to see us. You never know what will be going on in her mouth when it comes to her orthodontics. Today she just had her bands, a large tongue crib, and yellow cervical headgear. What did stand out was Sally's choice of footwear; she was wearing a pair of freshly applied yellow short leg casts with European-style cast shoes, the ones that are impossible to get here in the US. Sally explained that when she stopped in to have lunch with Billy and Collie the other day, a package was delivered from a German colleague of Billy's; he had sent these cast shoes to evaluate. Sally said she immediately offered to get a couple of casts so she could try out the new cast shoes. A little while later, she was walking out of the shop wearing casts and the new cast shoes for the next six weeks. 
 
 
As Sally took us to the two-chair exam room, she and Blake talked about their love of casts and how comforting they feel. Blake said that she was feeling anxious about her new appliance, so she got a couple of casts to see her through the first few weeks of wearing her WEDD, and that now she was doing quite well and was tired of her dirty and worn casts. A couple of quick X-rays were taken, and Chris and Blake took their places in the twin dental chairs. Sally removed their lower archwires, cleaned their teeth and the large appliances fixed to their upper arches. It was awkward for Sally to work around the metal bar that ran in front of their upper teeth, but soon the job was completed and Dr. Joe entered the room.
 
 
Joe asked how they were coping with their rather intense treatment and the intrusive device pinned to their skulls. Blake said she was doing quite well, with no physical or emotional discomfort anymore, but there was constant pressure on her teeth. She said it does hurt a bit when the adjustments are turned every other night, but they do that in the evening after having a cocktail, and they feel fine in the morning. 
 
 
Chris added that he was also doing great with little discomfort, but he has taken some teasing at work from the other guys. Joe laughed when Chris told him that he had acquired the nickname 'Robo-Jaw'. With both Chris and Blake doing well with their appliances, Joe took some measurements inside their mouths, then referred to the computer. With a smile, Joe said, "Good news! You are both making excellent progress—in fact, better progress than I expected. If things continue to progress at this rate, this part of your treatment will soon be over. Once completed, we will move onto the next stage, which will take a long time, but there will be no more intrusive appliances to wear during the day. However, there is one thing we need to do today that will probably not be comfortable: I must check the pins securing your WEDDs."
 
 
Sally had already looked over their pin sites, and they looked great, but the torque of the pins must now be checked. Chris went first, and Joe removed the locking caps from his pins, then tightened them all with the torque driver. Chris only winced when the driver clicked, bringing a very worried look to Blake's face. Soon, the six pins had been torqued and the locking caps placed on the ends. Looking at Chris, Blake nervously asked, "How... How bad did it hurt, Chris?" Chris smiled and replied, "It wasn't bad, babe; you'll do fine. There is a bit more pressure on my head now, but nothing like when we got the appliances placed initially."
 
 
Joe got to work on Blake and repeated the process. She caressed her SATS with her free hand as Joe worked, wincing each time the wrench clicked. When the job was done, she said, "That wasn't bad, but I'm glad I still have my casts on. I just focused on how good they feel to wear, and that got me through it." Joe said he would like to see the couple again in eight weeks instead of six, and by that time, they should be able to have their WEDDs removed. Joe then instructed Sally on which archwires to install on their lower arches, and he was on his way.
 
 
Sally got Chris and Blake's new archwires placed. Blake chose hot pink ligatures, and Chris got dark green ones again. They both knew that their bottom teeth would start to hurt in a few hours from their new archwires, so despite the discomfort from their pins being tightened, they wanted to go have a good lunch. We asked Sally if she would like to join us, and our offer was accepted. Chris drove us downtown to Harry's Grill for an excellent lunch. Of course all eyes were on us, with me on crutches and in all my braces and double facebows, Sally in her casts and headgear wearing scrubs, and Chris with his mouthful of metal and distraction device. However, it was Blake who got the most looks with not only her orthodontic work, Milwaukee brace, and KAFO on her right leg, but also her purple SATS and hinged purple LLWC. She seemed to really be enjoying the attention as we walked to our table.
 
 
It was humorous to watch Chris and Blake eat, navigating their forks into their mouths and around their appliances. Despite all the metal in their mouths and on their faces, they had no trouble eating their steaks. However, they did spend quite a bit of time in the restroom cleaning their appliances after they ate, as did Sally and I. 
 
 
After lunch, we dropped Sally off at work, then went to see Billy so Blake could get her spinal braces adjusted. Blake is like the rest of us and has numerous identical braces; the only difference is the finish of the metal and the color of the leather. Blake carried one of her braces inside, and Chris carried several more. Once inside, Blake and I chatted with Collie while Chris went and got the rest of Blake's braces, including her left KAFO and shoe since she is getting her LLWC removed.
 
 
After a chat with Collie, it was time for Blake to get her casts removed. Billy made quick work of removing Blake's casts, and her arm and leg were thin and covered in long hair and dead skin. There was quite a strong aroma, too, which Joel would have loved. Chris helped Blake get cleaned up and shaved her leg for her. 
 
 
After Blake's leg was washed and shaved, Billy had to go take a phone call and said it would be a few minutes. Chris took this opportunity to remove the KAFO on Blake's right leg, and he massaged both her legs, taking time at her knees and ankles, which have been causing her some pain at times despite her braces. Blake then got a small bottle of lotion from her bag and applied some to Chris's hands, and he massaged it into her legs and feet. Soon, Chris was placing Blake back into her KAFOs, which today had wedge sandals attached to them. It was a cute scene watching Chris care for Blake; they love each other very much. I get the feeling that there will soon be an engagement ring on Blake's finger.
 
 
While Chris was caring for his girlfriend, I noticed several prosthetic legs lying on a table next to a large box and packing materials. They were above the knee leg prosthetics; one set was the old-fashioned all-mechanical type, and the others looked like Otto Bock C-Leg 4 with covers that made them look like real legs. The feet were highly detailed, too, and looked like real feet with wrinkles and lines on the surface. There was also a small retainer case, and I was very curious as to what was in it and who these things were for.
 
 
When Billy returned, he got to work making the usual minor adjustments to all of Blake's spinal braces. As he was adjusting the brace that Blake was wearing, he commented, "Blake, you are making excellent progress with your spine. I think we have your curves corrected as much as possible. On your next visit, give yourself time to visit Dr. Moore and get X-rays taken for her and Ben to look at. I'm pretty sure that you won't need any more adjustments to your braces; you will just wear them to maintain the correction we have achieved. Oh, I spoke to Joe about your orthodontic situation earlier, and we need to discuss a few things."
 
 
Blake and Chris were so happy to hear that Blake's spine is making excellent progress. However, they were both a bit nervous about what Billy wanted to discuss in regards to their orthodontics. Billy and Joe have a history of creative solutions, integrating orthodontic and orthopedic bracing. Looking at Blake, Billy said, "So Blake, you are wearing one of your Kuehnegger braces for at least fourteen hours a day?"
 
 
"I wear it full-time most days, Billy. More than Ben said I need to." Blake replies.
 
 
"Very good; I know you find it comforting to wear. So for your orthodontics, you will go back to wearing your orthodontic attachment when you wear that brace after your distraction device is removed. Joe will give you all the details at that time. Will that work for you?" Billy asks with a smile.
 
 
"Yes, that will work just fine; I like how it feels to have my orthodontic braces connected to my spinal brace. I enjoy the support my big braces give me, and I always wear one around the house and to sleep in, plus all weekend, too. Chris enjoys wearing the big brace you made him, and he always sleeps in it." Blake seems happy to use the orthodontic attachment again.
 
 
"So you wear your Kuehnegger brace every night, too, Chris?" Billy looks at Chris.
 
 
"Yes... Yes, I do. I have slept in it every night since I got it. I do it for Blake." Chris shyly replies while blushing.
 
 
"Well, since you are wearing your brace anyway, we can incorporate it into your orthodontic treatment. I'll have everything ready when you get your distraction device removed. Bring all your Kuehnegger braces at that time." Billy says with a smile.
 
 
While Billy is working with Chris and Blake, I can't keep my eyes off the prosthetic legs sitting on the table along with the retainer case. Finally, I couldn't help but ask Billy about these devices, and he replied, "Normally, I could only say they are for clients, but since you know the clients and they spoke to you about them, I'll tell you. They are for Sarah and Flora. Sarah wanted a pair of spare legs to use that didn't require power. Then Flora asked me to make realistic-looking electronic legs for Sarah, with special attention paid to the feet. With molds of Shelly's feet and legs, I was able to make these very realistic prosthetics. You can open the retainer case and take a look. Flora sent molds of her teeth, and Joe made her a set of retainers with brackets on them. She plans to surprise Sarah with a metallic smile."
 
 
I looked in the case and could just imagine Sarah's surprise and animated reaction to seeing Flora wearing braces. I could also imagine Flora teasing Julie and José with her braces during one of their video chats. I miss those girls so much!
 
 
We said our goodbyes to Collie and Billy, with Billy helping to carry all of Blake's braces out to the car. They took me home, then went to visit with Blake's folks.
 
 
Later that evening, Blake and Chris arrived at our place. They had a wonderful visit with Blake's folks and went horseback riding. The couple went to bathe and change for the night, then joined Joel and me to watch a movie. Both of them were wearing their Kuehnegger braces, and Blake had on KAFOs with clog sandals attached to wear around the house. They looked so cute sitting on the couch, backs rigid and legs braced, wearing their orthodontic distraction devices, and holding hands.
 
 
The next morning, we were joined by all our friends for breakfast, as usual. We enjoyed our meal and then saw Chris and Blake off on their trip back home. Everyone leaves to go about their day except for Judy, who wants to talk to me.
 

"What's up, Judy?" I inquire.
 

"I talked to Myra Johnson last night. She would like to see us today." Judy says with excitement.
 

"Oh, for what? I don't think the devices are ready yet." I look puzzled.
 

"I don't think they are ready yet either, but Myra wants to interview us for her research. It's just a formality; we get to meet her husband and sister and see her lab, too." Judy explains.
 

"Sounds good; this will be an exciting day!" I said with a smile, and with that, Judy and I were off for today's adventure.

Offline napacaster

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #96 on: 21. September 2024, 15:55:33 PM »
Ch. 194 - MJ BioTronics II
 
 
Judy and I are on our way to MJ BioTronics; we are excited yet nervous. The hour-long trip seemed to take an eternity, but we finally pulled up to a large building in an industrial park with many nondescript buildings that looked alike. There were quite a few cars in the parking lots, with many trucks backed up to loading docks. This seemed to be a small-scale manufacturing and warehousing complex, not what we were expecting for a medical research facility. After some difficulty, we finally found Myra's office with a very small sign reading 'MJ BioTronics' above the door.
 
 
Judy parked the car in one of the reserved parking spots that was simply marked with the suite number but no business name. As we crutched towards the entrance, we noticed a camera above the door, then the door buzzed and began to open. We looked at each other with nervousness and almost turned back; we both had a bit of a creepy feeling. However, we crutched inside the small lobby, which had an old couch, some dust covered boxes, and not much else except for an old pair of crutches leaning in the corner. A tall and well-built man with a long graying ponytail limped into the room wearing a MJ BioTronics T-shirt, worn-out blue jeans, and sport sandals. 
 
 
"Hi! You must be Leigh and Judy. I'm Myra's husband, Mike, and I do all the engineering and programming here. It's a pleasure to finally meet you; Myra has told me a lot about you two ladies." Mike smiled as he spoke with a deep but caring voice.
 
 
I introduced Judy and myself, and seeing us on crutches, Mike said, "I'll shake your hands after you take a seat. Let me take you to Myra's office." We followed Mike, who leaned on the wall as he limped along the hallway, passing several offices, a break room with a full kitchen, fully accessible restrooms that appeared to have showers, and what looked like a medical exam room with a lot of computer equipment, before arriving at Myra's office. 
 
 
The office was well appointed, with a large leather couch and two recliners; we both felt very comfortable in these surroundings. Myra sat strapped in her wheelchair at her desk, dressed very casually in a T-shirt that matched Mike's. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and she was wearing no makeup. When Myra wheeled out from behind her desk, she was simply wearing a pair of shorts with her feet bare and making no attempt to hide her catheter bag or scarred, withered legs. She wheeled over to Judy and me, extended her arms, and we leaned over to hug her.
 
 
"Good morning, girls! I'm so glad you could come today. I see you have met Mike. He's a great guy, and despite his little disability, he takes excellent care of me." Myra winks at Mike.
 
 
Mike left the office, closing the door behind him, with Judy and I taking a seat on the couch with Myra sitting in her wheelchair facing us. Judy, being her usual inquisitive self, bluntly asks Myra, "What happened to Mike? Why does he limp so badly?" Myra explained that he was a football player in high school and then went to college on a football scholarship. Mike played tight end, and his team even made it to the Rose Bowl, where his left leg was badly broken. It never healed correctly, and it left him with a gimpy leg ('gimpy' was the term Myra used).
 
 
We talked for a while more, just getting to know each other better as friends. After about an hour or so, Myra suggested that we get the formalities of the day out of the way and begin our interviews. She explained that everything would be confidential and that she was now acting as a medical researcher and not as a friend, which we understood would be the case at times. Myra also explained that some of the questions would be extremely personal but necessary for her research. Since Judy was my inspiration for 'letting go of my legs', Myra wanted to do part of the interview with us together. We agreed since we already knew all there was to know about each other. Myra wheeled over to her desk and set a small video camera to film Judy and me being interviewed.
 
 
Before the camera was turned on, Myra told us that we could use our real names, initials, or a made-up name. We chose simply to use our first names; we have nothing to hide. We were also told that after our interview was transcribed, we would have a chance to review it before it went on record. With that all said, Myra turned on the camera and began the interview.
 
 
The questions asked were simple at first: our names, sex, ages, sexual orientation, marital status, education, employment, our relationship to each other, and to give a brief biography. Then we were asked to describe our current health status, including the reason we are wearing the braces that we are wearing, including our orthodontic braces and appliances. Myra had a bit of a shocked look on her face as I explained the details of my orthodontic braces and the fact that I can immobilize my jaw at will with my modified Herbst appliance. Many questions were asked about our orthodontics, our feelings towards our appliances, and why we have the ones we don't really need. 
 
 
Then we were asked why we chose to do what we have done to our bodies. Judy explained how Collene contracted polio and that she wanted to be just like her sister—crippled. This is something that Myra asked a lot of detailed questions about, since part of her ultimate goal is to allow friends and family to experience what their handicapped loved ones experience. Judy was asked how Collene felt about what she had done and to talk a little about her relationship with Jimmy and his thoughts about her decision to live as a handicapped person. After these questions were answered, I was asked the same things and to tell about how Judy inspired me to let go of my legs. We both also stated that our husbands have leg and back braces that are worn for pleasure only, Jimmy has unnecessary orthodontic appliances, and everything that Joel has in his mouth is recreational. 
 
 
The interview went on for quite a while, with Myra seeming to have a very personal interest in our lives at times. Finally, the first part of the interview was over, and Myra said, "First, thanks so much for sharing your stories with me for my research. It will be a great help in evaluating future clients, and I thank you for being so open. Second, you two are not just participants in my research; you are my friends also. You have both told me some very personal things, and I hope that I never accidentally betray your confidence in a social setting."
 
 
We both assured Myra that we are very open people and to not worry if something slips out accidentally. With that, Myra said she needed to interview each of us privately for a few minutes, then we would meet Gracie and have lunch. 
 
 
I was the first for the final part of the interview. Myra called Mike to escort Judy to the break room for a cup of coffee, leaving me alone with Myra. She then explained that what Judy and I have done is considered by mainstream psychology to be a form of self-harm. However, she doesn't see it that way and wants to change the perspective of the profession. She likens what we have done to being the same as an amputation to prevent the spread of infection or the fusion of a joint where function is lost for a greater gain. That's how Myra views what Judy and I have done and what Gracie does when she uses the BioTronic device for pleasure. We lose physical function to gain emotional function. The last few questions focused on actual self-harm through either deliberate injury or surgical means by underground practitioners. I answered no to these questions, but I had a question for Myra.
 
 
"So, Myra, you are working on an implantable device to accomplish the things that Judy, Gracie, and I desire. Won't this be considered a surgical procedure to cause harm since it renders a part of the body useless?" I inquired.
 
 
"The way I and many of my colleagues see it, no. It is a completely reversible procedure to treat paraphilias, not a form of deliberate injury or an unnecessary procedure. The device can be turned off or removed, and physical therapy would restore function to weakened muscles. Technically, people like yourself have a psychological disorder. Normal treatment involves trying to discourage the types of feelings you have. However, I believe it is better to embrace them, and I have devised a treatment to allow that—a rather unique treatment that the patient will greatly enjoy." Myra confidently and reassuringly explained.
 
 
I now left the room and made my way to the break room, and Judy went into Myra's office for the final part of her interview. It wasn't too long before Myra came wheeling out with Judy crutching behind her. Myra then showed us around the facility, which was a lot like the design area of Joel's old electronics business. In the warehouse, we met Myra's sister, Gracie, who was packing boxes for shipment. She, of course, is a few years older than Myra, and they have similar features. Gracie was simply wearing a denim skirt and t-shirt with Keds on her feet. Her black hair was spiked, and she wore several earrings in each ear and a silver ring in her septum—a look that really fit her.
 
 
"So you are the ladies that have interests similar to mine, and boy, it looks like you have done something about it! Just look at those beautiful back and leg braces you're wearing and your cute orthodontic braces." Gracie says with excitement.
 
 
"Tell us what it is like to use the device, Gracie. Myra tells us you have been doing some of the testing, and you also enjoy it in your off time." Judy asks as Gracie blushes.
 
 
"Yes, please tell us. We are really curious." I add enthusiastically.
 
 
Myra then says, "I'll leave you three alone to talk about your unique desires, and I'll go get us lunch. There is a great burger joint in the complex across the road." Gracie then goes to the corner of the warehouse and wheels over two very nice but well-used wheelchairs; they must be Myra's old chairs, and she says, "Here, take a load off, and you two can help me work while we talk. I have to get this shipment out to the Army this afternoon." 
 
 
There wasn't much we could do sitting in wheelchairs, but we did do a lot of talking. We told Gracie our story and said it was fine with us if Myra showed her our interview video to learn about us. Gracie then asked if Myra had told us anything about her, and I said that she had the night we met at the convention. With tears coming to her eyes, Gracie said, "So you know all about the incident? I still can't get over everything; it haunts me all the time. The only time I feel better is when I use the device to paralyze myself. Then somehow, it makes me feel complete and linked to Myra and her plight. I plan to get the implantable version when Mike finalizes the software and live life with the same disability that Myra has. I think that's what you both plan to do, isn't it?"
 
 
Judy explained that she wishes to experience the same disability that her sister Collene has for the rest of her life. I never gave much thought to things, but I said that I wanted to be paralyzed forever like our friend Flora. It was then that Myra's voice came over the intercom—she had arrived with lunch.
 
 
Over lunch, we all chatted and got to know Mike a bit better. He said that very soon he would have the final version of the software for the external device ready for Judy, Gracie, and myself. Mike then asked if Judy and I wear our spinal braces full time, and we explained that we did—we are almost completely dependent on them at this point. He then said he would modify the device to mount to our back braces instead of using the adhesive pads; it would be more comfortable that way. We thought that it was a great idea, and Gracie's eyes lit up.
 
 
"Do you think that I could get a back brace like yours to wear with my device?" Gracie asks us.
 
 
"Sure, call my sister Collene and set up an appointment. She and her husband, Billy, own an orthotics shop. You can talk to them about getting whatever type of brace you desire to wear with your device.But please, don't mention you know Leigh and I; we are keeping this all a secret." Judy was excited to find someone else who desired the pleasure of wearing an orthopedic brace.
 
 
After lunch, we chatted with Mike in his office about exactly what we wanted to experience. He says that what we want should be no problem, then proceeds to show us the prototype of the implantable version. He explains that it is was initially designed for pain control but can also be programmed to provide what Judy, Gracie, and I desire. Mike then goes on to tell us that the final version will have two sets of electrodes that can be placed at different locations along the spine to allow more control of the experience. We learned a lot from Mike, and I understood a lot of the technical jargon from listening to Joel and Pete, who are always working with electronics. Mike needed to get back to work, so we went and spent the rest of the afternoon with Gracie.
 
 
We talked with Gracie for a while more, and we really hit it off. She is a great person and is so full of compassion. However, we wanted to get on our way, so we were home before the guys arrived from work. Judy and I have told no one about what we plan to do, but of course Jackie has probably figured things out.
 
 
Judy and I can still move our legs a bit, and our feet spasm when tickled. I can't wait to see the look on Joel's face when I ask him to rub my feet and legs, and he finds them completely limp and unresponsive to his touch. It will blow him away!

Offline napacaster

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #97 on: 21. September 2024, 15:55:59 PM »
Ch. 195 - Lori is Free

 
Today is a big day for Lori and her recovery; she's extremely excited and also very nervous. Lori will be getting her body cast and halo removed, and then she will be fitted with the special spinal brace that Billy designed for her. Scotty once again asked if Joel would assist in transporting Lori to her appointment, and she wanted me there for moral support; she's a bit scared about what it'll be like to get her halo removed. After we had breakfast with our friends as usual, Joel helped me get on our little bus, and we headed to Scotty and Lori's place.
 
 
When we arrived, Lori was very talkative and excited, yet apprehensive. The brace she will be getting is only temporary until she regains strength in her spine and neck. Then she will be able to wear a Milwaukee brace during the day and a Kuhenegger at night like Blake is supposed to, but we know she wears her Kuhenegger most of the time. The guys strapped Lori tightly into her reclining wheelchair, then got her on the bus. As I was using the lift to get on board, Lori hollered, "Scotty! We forgot my leg and KAFO; please go get them for me. I'll be able to walk again after I get this damned cast off." Scotty went and got Lori's leg, her KAFO, and a bag with some clothing in it.
 
 
When we arrived at Rogers & Jameson, we were not only greeted by Billy and Collie, but Rita and Gary, too. They had come in to see how Lori was doing and to watch Billy fit her with the innovative spinal brace he created for her with Ben's guidance. We chatted for a few minutes, but soon realized how anxious Lori was to have her halo cast removed. Billy and Gary led Scott, who was at the attendant controls of Lori's wheelchair, into the cast room while the rest of us continued our conversation. 
 
 
A few minutes later, we could hear the cast saw buzzing away, cutting Lori free from her fiberglass prison. Then we heard the water running in the shower; Scotty must be getting Lori cleaned up. Finally, we heard the hydrotherapy tub running, and I knew how good Lori must be feeling at this point, free from her extremely immobilizing and contorting cast. The hot, swirling water felt so good whenever I got any of my big casts removed. I'm sure she is enjoying herself right now. 
 
 
Billy came into the waiting room, where we were all talking, and said, "Lori is getting ready to get out of the hydrotherapy tub and needs her clothes, leg, and KAFO. Can you go get them, Joel?" Joel went out to the bus to retrieve Lori's things and handed them over to Billy, who said, "Lori wants you all there when her new brace is fitted and her halo removed, but give us a few minutes."
 
 
When we all gathered in the fitting room, Lori was lying on the slightly inclined table wearing only her bra and panties along with a Philly collar, looking quite content but still with her halo ring around her head. Billy went to the workshop and returned with Lori's new brace, which is another of his orthopedic masterpieces. At first glance, it appeared to be a rather standard-looking Lyon brace. Since this brace is only temporary while Lori regains strength in her spine, it was made with white plastic, which was fairly thick. It's designed to press on Lori's left side and to push her shoulders back with parts that curled under her arms—a run-of-the-mill Lyon brace. 
 
 
The thing that was very different was at the top of the brace in the back. Attached to the vertical bar was a ball joint at the back of the neck. Attached to this ball joint was a neck-ring-like framework that was hinged to open to allow the brace to be put on. On the framework were occipital pads and a large chin cup like the one on the Milwaukee brace that Rita enjoys wearing. There were also curved outriggers that went behind the ears with pads along the temples. There are also attachment points for an orthodontic facebow, too. Billy began to explain how the brace works and how it's to be worn.
 
 
"This is another of the special braces that Ben helped me design. The main part of the brace is nothing special, just a standard Lyon brace. What is different is the cervical extension, which incorporates an orthodontic component, and the ball joint, which allows controlled movement of the head. It is designed to gently hold the head in the proper resting position, which is tilted to the right and back slightly; however, it also allows for tilting and slight turning of the head. For sleeping, it should be locked in the resting position. Do you or Scott have any questions, Lori?"
 
 
They had no questions, as Billy had previously described the brace and sent pictures as he was fabricating it. With no questions and Lori excited to wear her new brace and move onto the final stage of her recovery, Billy got the fitting under way.
 
 
The first thing Billy and Scotty did was put Lori's left leg on and then her KAFO on her right leg. Billy then attached a rolling traction frame to Lori's halo, and Scotty helped her stand. She was a bit unstable, but her right leg was as strong as it could be from the exercises she had done while in her cast, and her stump also still had good strength. She had been keeping her muscles toned by straining against her cast, despite it being extremely uncomfortable to do so. Billy then had her sit on a stool, and he removed her Philly collar, then took the outriggers off the neck ring of her new brace. 
 
 
Billy, with Gary and Rita looking on proudly, began to show Scotty how to put Lori into her brace; she would be unable to do it herself. The brace and neck ring were opened, and the orthosis was placed around Lori's body. The brace was secured in the front with thumbscrews; Lori's torso was now firmly supported by the brace. The neck ring was then closed and secured, with Billy making a few slight adjustments. Billy then removed traction from Lori's halo ring, and her new brace was fully supporting her spine. At this point, Lori moved her head around slightly but found it rather painful to do so. It was the first time she had been able to move her head in almost a year.
 
 
"How does it feel, Lori? Is there anything causing your pain or discomfort?" Billy asks with concern.
 
 
"No, Billy, the brace feels good. Well, as good as a brace like this can feel, I guess." Lori says with a smile. "I'm so happy that I can begin PT now and begin to regain strength and mobility in my spine."
 
 
"That's great, Lori. I'm glad your brace is comfortable and you have a positive outlook. Attitude is everything when it comes to recovery, and you are a real inspiration." Billy smiles at Lori with a look of admiration. "Now, let's get that halo off and take care of a few final details."
 
 
I had warned Lori that getting her halo off would not be pleasant, but it would be a relief to be free from the pressure of the pins. Gary and Billy loosened the lock nuts on all eight of Lori's pins. Then Scotty and Joel held Lori's hair away from the pins so it didn't get tangled as the pins were loosened. Billy and Gary worked swiftly, removing opposing pins at the same time. Lori whimpered a few times, and I crutched over and held her right hand as her pins were removed. Once all eight pins were removed, Lori had a look of relief as her halo ring was lifted away. A small amount of ointment was put on each pin site, along with small bandages.
 
 
After giving Lori a few minutes to compose herself, Billy said, "OK, Lori. I know you have been through a lot today, but there are a couple more things we need to do, and then you will be on your way. All the painful and uncomfortable things are done for the day. Then you can go visit Dr. Moore's office for X-rays so Ben can take a look at you wearing your brace." 
 
 
Lori was ready to go, so Billy attached the outriggers to each side of her neck ring. They really stabilized her head, and I could tell she found the extra support very comforting. Billy then handed Scotty a small retainer box and said, "This is Lori's orthodontic splint that she needs to wear when she is in her spinal brace. It is just like the ones the other ladies wear and is held in place with the magnets that Joe already placed on her bands." Scotty then opened the box. Lori removed the splint and placed it in her mouth, where it snapped in place. She takes a few moments to get used to how it felt in her mouth, then, with a very pronounced lisp, says, "This feels really funny, and I have a lisp now. I can hardly speak, but my lisp sort of sounds cute." Lori is laughing as Scotty says, "You do sound cute with your lisp; I like it!" and we all have a good laugh.
 
 
Scott then places Lori's facebow in her mouth and attaches it to the outriggers on her brace with heavy elastics. This entire time, Lori had not been wearing her hand, so Scott helped her put it on. Now was the big moment for Lori; she would try walking for the first time in several months. Billy gave Lori a crutch to use with her good arm, and Scotty held Lori's left arm. Lori slowly and carefully stood up and made sure her right knee was locked; she didn't know if her leg was too weak to walk without it locked. Lori then, with some effort, took her first steps. She and Scott walked around the room, then up and down the hallway a few times together, then Lori walked on her own without much trouble at all. The exercises she did while in her cast paid off.
 
 
Scotty helped Lori put on her skirt and blouse, and as we were preparing to leave, Billy reminded Lori that her brace is waterproof. He suggested she wear it into her swimming pool, have Scotty remove it once she is weightless to do water exercises, and put it back on before getting out. Lori then asked Billy, "That reminds me, Billy. I would like to get a leg and, I guess, a hook that are completely mechanical and waterproof. I don't want to have to rely on electronics for my mobility in an emergency or disaster situation. I would feel a lot better and more confident if I had an option other than my electronic prosthetics." Billy said it was no problem, and they would talk when her new carbon fiber sockets are completed.
 
 
We said our goodbyes and thanked Billy for everything, and Scotty helped Lori walk out the door. I followed on crutches with Joel close behind, carrying Lori's cast with the halo ring reattached. As he was stowing the cast in the bus, I saw him take a moment to smell Lori's cast, which was rather ripe. Joel loves the smell of a dirty old cast, but I find both the odor and his fascination revolting. However, he enjoys it, and I don't mind if he indulges his desire as long as he is discreet.
 
 
Lori had her X-rays taken at Dr. Moore's office, and they were sent off to Ben for his review. We waited a few minutes, and soon Dr. Pam Moore crutched into the waiting room. She had spoken to Ben and reviewed the X-rays herself; everything looked good. Pam wanted to talk a bit and take a good look at Lori's brace, but had patients to see. However, Pam gave Lori her cell phone number and said to call sometime as she wanted to just chat as friends.
 
 
At this point, Lori was really tired, and her body was complaining about her new brace. However, she wanted to get something to eat, so we decided to stop at Rancho Gordo for a late lunch. When we arrived, the place was quiet, so we could chat with Shelly, who was wearing hot pink combination headgear today. She was out of her ROM boots and back into her signature high heels. I always wore sky-high heels to work since I'm so short, but that was in an office. I don't know how Shelly can be on her feet for eight or more hours a day in the heels she so loves to wear. 
 
 
Shelly actually took her dinner break early and ate with us, and she had many questions about Lori's brace, how she was feeling, and how her recovery is going. Lori said that everything was going great, and she was excited to start PT and exercising in her pool, which she has not been able to enjoy yet. We had a great meal as always, and it was even better since Shelly joined us.
 
 
After we had lunch and our chat with Shelly, we went back to Scotty and Lori's place to relax. Lori was really tired but still wanted to talk. She was sitting next to Joel, and at one point she quietly and shyly asked him, "Joel, could you do something for me?"
 
 
"Sure, anything, Lori." Joel smiles at Lori.
 
 
With her face turning red Lori says, "When Leigh visited me at the rehab center, she put on her old halo brace for me to see. Do you think you could make those padded pins so I could wear my old brace sometimes just for fun?" Now Lori is turning a deeper shade of red and whispering into Joel's ear. "It really turned Scotty and I on when I was wearing it."
 
 
Joel chuckled and replied, "No problem, Lori. Leigh sometimes wears hers for our enjoyment, too."
 
 
We spent another couple of hours together, but finally Lori was too tired to carry on and wanted to get ready for bed early. Joel and I wished her well, and we were on our way.
 
 
Lori began her PT and exercise regime the next day with the therapist that Kathy used. Everything is going really well for her, and we are so happy for Lori and the excellent progress she has been making.

Offline napacaster

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #98 on: 24. September 2024, 15:39:38 PM »
Ch. 196 - MJ BioTronics III
 
 
Judy and I got a text message the other day from Gracie at MJ BioTronics. She informed us that Mike had finished the software for the device to simulate various disabilities caused by spinal cord injuries or disease. We set a date to visit to get our devices to try out. Judy and I will finally get to experience what it is like to be paralyzed, and it's all very exciting to us. No one knows that we have visited with Myra except for Jackie and Ben, and that is only because Jackie set up our initial meeting. We have not told anyone about the external devices that we will be trying out or that we plan to get devices implanted in our bodies to paralyze us.
 
 
When we spoke to Gracie, she offered to have us stay with her for a few days to get used to our paralysis. Since we had hit it off so well when we first met, and we have been texting and talking quite a bit, we graciously accepted her offer. It will be interesting to spend time with someone who has the same desires as Judy and me. We have also spoken to Mike and Myra several times to discuss what we wanted to experience with the devices.
 
 
Gracie did suggest a few things to us since she said she has been using her device for the last few weeks and only removes it to bathe. She suggested that we bring the following: manual wheelchairs, power chairs, and strap-on heeled shoes so our heels hold our feet in place on the footrests of our wheelchairs. She also suggested that I bring along a Milwaukee brace without KAFOs attached and that we should either bring diapers or use catheters; we opted for catheters.
 
 
Judy and I taking a trip together won't arouse any suspicion with Joel or Jimmy. It's not unusual for us to take short trips together, especially since Judy works remotely most of the time these days. We told Jimmy and Joel that we were going to the city for a few days, and that was not a lie. After a few days with Gracie, we are going to the city for a few days as truly handicapped ladies. 
 
 
I packed one of my old Milwaukee braces, one without KAFOs attached. It will be enjoyable to just wear my spinal brace without anything on my legs and just a pair of regular shoes on my feet—shoes that will not see any walking. I had several pairs of new heels that are too high to ever wear with my HKAFOs, so I picked out a pair of black boots with high block heels; they will go with any outfit. Judy didn't have any shoes that were not already modified for her braces, but I happened to have a pair that were a bit too big for me that fit her fine—a nice pair of strappy, heeled sandals. Judy enjoys driving our limo bus, so it was no problem to take both our manual and power wheelchairs, too.
 
 
We all got together for breakfast as usual before leaving on our journey. Myra had told us not to arrive too early; she and Mike were being interviewed for a paper that will be published in the American Journal of Psychology. We took back roads to enjoy the scenery and arrived at MJ BioTronics just before noon. When we wheeled up to the door, it opened automatically as before, and the lobby had new furnishings and pictures on the walls. It was much more inviting than before.
 
 
Just as we entered, Gracie wheeled into the room in a sleek manual wheelchair just like ours. She was wearing scrubs with white Keds on her feet. Her legs were strapped to the leg rests of her wheelchair, and there was also a strap around her lower body. From her stiff posture, I could tell Gracie was wearing a spinal brace of some sort, and it appeared that she was paralyzed from the waist down. Gracie warmly greeted us with hugs, which was awkward for us in our wheelchairs, especially for Gracie since she was strapped into hers, and she said, "It's so good to see you ladies again. Let's order lunch, and I'll tell you all about what the last two weeks have been like for me. Myra and Mike will be back soon; they are having lunch with the people from the AJP."
 
 
We went to Gracie's office, and she recommended we only have a light lunch with what will be going on later. Judy and I decided to split a burger and fries, and Gracie placed the order for delivery. Then she began to tell us what the last two weeks have been like, paralyzed like her sister.
 
 
"I've been using the device for the last few weeks. I got a plastic TSLO brace made with a pocket in the back for the device, and it's very comfortable once I got used to wearing it. I only take it off to bathe, and the rest of the time I am paralyzed, just like Myra. My boyfriend, Larry, has been extremely supportive. He just wants to see me happy, no matter what it takes, and I think he has a thing for crippled girls, too."
 
 
"Most of the time, I have the device setup to exactly simulate Myra's condition, including the bowel issues she has and the need for a urinary catheter. I do experiment with other things, like partial paralysis and a situation like Collene's, where I have feelings but no movement. I'm trying to figure out exactly how I want to live when I get my implant, but I think it will be just like Myra."
 
 
"Myra has been extremely supportive, too. She thinks it's very therapeutic for me to experience what life is like for her, and when I'm paralyzed, I no longer feel the guilt that I always used to feel. However, when I am bathing and I'm not paralyzed, those feelings of guilt and sadness return. Larry says I'm a different person when I'm paralyzed; I'm much more outgoing and loving, which he really likes. We even make love with me paralyzed, and it is amazing. I can sort of feel him inside me; my body responds to stimulation, and I still get very wet. Myra asked how it felt, out of personal curiosity and for her research, and she says she responds to sexual stimulation in a similar manner."
 
 
Gracie told us a few more things about living as a paralyzed woman, much of which Judy and I already knew from letting go of our legs. Over lunch, we enjoyed light conversation and made plans for the evening. This will be the first outing for Judy and me using the device, and we are both really excited. While we were eating, Myra and Mike arrived, both dressed very nicely; Myra looked ravishing strapped into her manual wheelchair. She joined us to chat, and Mike wanted to change into something more comfortable for the afternoon.
 
 
After our meal, Gracie suggested that we visit the bathroom and then meet in Mike's office. She explained that when her device was being trained to her body, she had an issue with bowel and bladder control. Judy and I did as Gracie recommended, then wheeled into Mike's office. He was now wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and sandals and looked much more at home than he did in a suit. Mike then explained what we would experience today and that things would only take a few minutes.
 
 
Mike, being very familiar with Myra's brace, could tell I was wearing HKAFOs, and he asked, "Leigh, do you intend to walk using your leg braces or do you plan to be confined to your wheelchair?"
 
 
"I brought one of my old Milwaukee braces without HKAFOs. I want to wear that brace for a few days, then I'll try walking with my HKAFO-Milwaukee brace before going to the city." I replied.
 
 
"That sounds great, Leigh. I can help you learn to walk in your HKAFO-Milwaukee before you leave for the city. When you swap the device from one of your braces to the other, just make sure it is at exactly the same level on your spine. How about you, Judy? What are your intentions?" Mike inquires with a smile.
 
 
"I want to be like my sister Collie, with just my legs not working. However, I do want to experience what Leigh wants—to be like Myra and our friend Flora. I'll use my wheelchair when I'm completely paralyzed." Judy says with a hint of excitement.
 
 
"OK, then, let's go and make your dreams come true." Mike says with a smile.
 
 
We follow Gracie to a large room with a hospital bed, several computers, and two racks full of electronic equipment while Mike goes to the bus to get my old Milwaukee brace and our shoes. He and Myra soon join us, and, with a warm smile, Mike asks, "Who's first?" Judy and I looked at each other, and without saying a word, a game of roshambo settled the matter. Judy's paper wrapped up my rock—she would go first. Mike then helped her out of her wheelchair and onto the table. 
 
 
Once on the table, Mike helped Judy undress and take off her KAFOs and Milwaukee brace. He then placed the device with its numerous electrodes on Judy's back. Then Mike had Judy lay down on a pad that looked like a heating pad. Mike explained that the pad allows the device to communicate with the computer as it is trained to respond to our nervous systems. He said there might be some muscle spasms and feelings of pain, but nothing too uncomfortable. Mike also said he believes he corrected the problem that caused Gracie to lose bowel control during the training of her device. With us understanding everything, the procedure got underway.
 
 
Mike sat at the computer, and the first thing he had Judy do was move her legs, hips, and feet. Her hips moved fine, but her legs and feet barely moved—not from the device but because they were so weak from years of immobilization. It didn't matter since all Mike was concerned about was the nerve impulses, not actual movement. Next, he had her attempt to move her bowels, and then, despite having a catheter inside her, he had her try to urinate. Mike explained that this is to isolate the nerve impulses associated with these activities so the device would not affect them unless we desired it to.
 
 
The final part of training the device was very interesting. There was a device that looked like an electric razor attached to a long, coiled cord connected to the rack of electronic equipment. Mike explained that this is a stimulator used to map the nerve impulses involved with feeling. The device would be run over our feet, legs, and lower abdomen, and this might be the uncomfortable part. For Gracie, it tickled, but when Mike used it on himself, it felt like a mild electric shock. For both Mike and Gracie, it caused muscle spasms.
 

This device was then slowly run along Judy's feet, legs, and body, keeping clear of her vagina and anus. As Mike was doing this procedure, he said that the loss of sensation would not go overly deep into our bodies, so if we fractured our leg or had other deep-seated pain, we would feel it no matter what. Judy said the procedure tickled, despite having several muscle spasms in her thighs and feet.
 
 
Once this was all done, Mike finalized the programming and removed the device from Judy's back. The adhesive pad was removed, and the device was mounted left upright on her Milwaukee brace. Mike helped Judy into her back brace and then helped her get dressed, but she did not put on her KAFOs. She just put on the heeled sandals I gave her. Judy transferred to her wheelchair, and Mike assisted me up and onto the table. I undressed, and Mike got me out of my HKAFO-Milwaukee brace without too much effort. He said he was used to assisting Myra, but the superstructure of my brace added a bit of complication. My device was placed on my back, and the training procedure began. It was exactly like what was done for Judy, but to me, it felt like an electric shock, and I had some violent spasms in my legs and feet. It wasn't too painful; it was just a very odd sensation.
 
 
Once the programming was finalized, the device was mounted to my old purple Milwaukee brace, and I put my brace and clothing back on with my boots on my feet. Mike assisted me in getting back in my wheelchair and suggested that both Judy and I be strapped in tightly for safety. Mike got two well-padded straps from a drawer and strapped us into our wheelchairs. Then, he handed us each a controller for our devices and explained how to operate them. 
 
 
The first thing was to program a PIN to prevent unauthorized access. Judy and I chose the same PIN, 1638. (See if you can guess why and put it in the comments.) Once the PIN was programmed, the main menu came up. Since Mike knew we wished to simulate the disabilities of our friends, the menu items were simply listed as Off, Collene, Flora, Myra, and a fourth option, Custom. Under custom, specific options, such as varying levels of paralysis and feeling, along with bladder and bowel control options, could be set.
 
 
We were then told that we didn't need to keep the controller nearby, as the device on our backs would maintain whatever mode we had it set to. Then we were shown the charging mat to put under our mattress pad to charge the device at night while we slept, but that only needs to be done twice a month. It was also explained that the devices can detect elevated heartbeats and other signs of fear, excitement, or arousal and can be set to randomly cause muscle spasms at these times. I recalled Flora having spasms when she would get excited or teased by Sarah.
 
 
Mike and Myra asked us if we had any questions, and we had none. We were just anxious to turn the device on and experiment with the settings. Myra suggested that Judy and I retire to the lounge to turn on our devices in private. We went to the comfortable lounge, and Mike helped us into the soft leather recliners. Gracie said if we needed anything, just pick up the phone and push the autodial for whomever we wanted to speak to. 
 
 
Myra, Mike, and Gracie wished us well and left us alone to turn on our devices and experience what being truly disabled is actually like.

Offline napacaster

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #99 on: 24. September 2024, 15:40:05 PM »
Ch. 197 - MJ BioTronics IV
 
 
After Judy and I were left alone, we just sat in silence for a few minutes. What would this be like? Will it be a dream come true? Will it be uncomfortable? Many thoughts were swimming around in our heads. Finally, Judy quietly said, "You ready, Leigh? Let's do this!"
 
 
We picked up the controllers from the table, entered our PINs and I said, "What are you going to do first, Judy? I think I want to go slowly and experience what Collie's disability is like first."
 
 
"Me too. That is why I wanted to do this; I want to know exactly what it's like for Collie to live in her crippled body. She has always been so positive and never let her disability hold her back." Judy says with an admiring smile.
 
 
I then softly said, "OK, on the count of three. One, two, three!" and we pushed the 'Collene' button simultaneously. Immediately, our legs went completely limp, with our feet falling to the side. What little strength we had in our legs was now completely gone. However, they didn't feel any different. No parts of our bodies felt different; it was just that our legs were completely limp. For a moment, we just sat and looked at our legs and feet, then at each other.
 
 
"This is amazing, Leigh. No matter how hard I try, my legs and feet won't move at all. I can feel them, but what little movement I had before is gone now." Judy says with excitement.
 
 
"I don't know what to say... It's a dream come true, isn't it?" I reply.
 
 
"Just think of when we get our implants. Then it will be like we're really crippled." Judy smiles.
 
 
For a few minutes, we laid back in the recliners and just daydreamed. Finally, I inclined my chair, picked up my right leg, and placed it across my left knee. I took off my boot, then did the same to remove my other boot, and began to massage my left foot and leg. I could feel everything, but my foot and leg were flaccid. I had massaged Collie's legs and feet before, and mine felt just like hers in my hands.
 
 
After a few minutes, Judy took off her sandals, repositioned herself in her recliner, and lifted her legs onto the armrest with her feet resting on my chair. I did the same, and soon we were massaging each other's lower legs and feet.
 
 
"Your legs and feet feel just like Collie's now. I have helped you put on your braces before, and you could move your feet and legs a little bit. Now it is like when I help Collie, everything's floppy." Judy says in a quiet voice with a hint of excitement.
 
 
"I know what Collie's feet and legs are like, and yours are just like hers now. This is amazing!" I said this as I began to tickle Judy's foot. She laughed and squirmed, but she could not pull her foot away from me. She then tickles my foot, and I'm laughing and squirming around like her; I'm extremely ticklish. Judy's tickling was unrelenting, and she was having a great time tormenting me. With the way I had slid down in the chair, and wearing my back brace, I couldn't reach to pull my legs away from her. I finally did the only thing I could do: I picked up my controller and pushed the 'Flora' button. Immediately, all sensations below my belly button went away. It was as if my lower body and legs no longer existed. Judy continued to tickle my feet, but I felt nothing.
 
 
"You're cheating, Leigh! I love hearing you laugh and seeing you squirm." Judy said as she stopped tickling my foot.
 
 
Judy then pushed the 'Flora' button on her controller, and all sensations in her lower body went away as well. We continued to rub each other's feet, feeling nothing. However, seeing our feet being massaged and being unable to feel it was extremely erotic. Our arousal was getting the best of our self-control, and soon we were both on the verge of orgasm, breathing heavy with our hearts racing. Our devices must have detected our excitement; our legs and feet began to spasm simultaneously. The spasms shocked both of us, and we let go of each other's feet. We both picked up our legs, got repositioned in our recliners, and regained our composure.
 
 
After a few minutes to compose ourselves, we were both extremely embarrassed and ashamed; we had almost caused each other to orgasm. We looked at each other and, at the same time we meekly said, "I'm sorry." 
 
 
"The moment just got away from us, Leigh. I love you very much, but not in that way." Judy apologized.
 
 
"It's OK, Judy. Don't worry about it. We both love our husbands, and nothing really happened; it was just the devices getting the best of us. I love you, too, Judy; don't worry about anything. Let's put our shoes on and try transferring to our wheelchairs on our own." I said this to Judy reassuringly.
 
 
We put our shoes back on, then, with some effort, transferred to our wheelchairs and positioned our feet on the footrests. We hugged before strapping each other into our wheelchairs, then we activated 'Collene' mode on our controllers. Instantly, sensation returned to our lower bodies, legs, and feet, but we were still unable to move them. We wheeled to the bathroom to wash our faces and fix our makeup before making our way to Myra's office.
 
 
"I thought you two were going to call Mike for help getting into your wheelchairs." Myra questioned.
 
 
"We wanted to do it ourselves, Myra, and we did." Judy stated proudly.
 
 
"So, what was it like?" Myra is very curious.
 
 
"We tried the 'Collene' mode first, then 'Flora'. We are both currently experiencing 'Collene' mode right now." I explained to Myra.
 
 
"It was super intense, Myra! More than we bargained for; it was quite pleasurable—maybe a bit too pleasurable." Judy blushes as she says these words.
 
 
"Yes, extremely intense!" I add as I feel my face going flush.
 
 
"Very good. I hope you share your experience with me someday. I'm curious personally and for my research." There was a bit of a mischievous look on Myra's face, which she tried to hide with a warm smile. "Let's get out of here and go home to relax for the evening. I bet you two are exhausted!"
 
 
Myra was right; Judy and I were exhausted!
 
 
Hearing us talking, Mike and Gracie joined us. Mike said he had put my HKAFO-Milwaukee brace and Judy's KAFOs in the bus. Seeing our exhaustion, Mike offered to drive and suggested that we all just go in our bus. He had seen the interior earlier and wanted Myra and Gracie to see it. We got loaded up, and Mike seemed to instinctively know how to use the wheelchair lift and how to secure our wheelchairs. He got in the driver's seat and said, "Don't worry. I used to drive the campus shuttle when I was in college. It was an Econoline like this, but a hell of a lot less fancy, and it didn't have hand controls either."
 
 
Before Mike put the bus in gear, I told him to flip the switches on the dash for the mood lighting in the back: the black lights and the night sky headliner. Everyone was very impressed with the lighting, and Myra said, "This is spectacular! You probably won't believe this, but Mike and I love to go clubbing, as do Gracie and Larry. The lighting has really got me in the mood; let's all go out tomorrow night for some fun!" Judy and I looked at each other. Clubbing is not really our thing, but we have had fun with Sam, Millie, and Emme before, and we agreed that it would be a great way to spend an evening.
 
 
It took about fifteen minutes to reach our destination, an upper-middle-class neighborhood with big houses on large lots. We pulled up to a pair of houses that were closer together than the others. Gracie said, "My house is on the left; Mike and Myra live in the one on the right. They are connected, so we can move easily between our homes. It makes it easier for me to help Myra when Mike is not around."
 
 
Mike helped us all off the bus, and we entered Myra's home. We followed Mike as he carried our things to our room in Gracie's house. Both homes are fully handicap accessible, and Gracie's guest room has two twin beds and a bathroom. Gracie said, "Get comfortable for the evening, and then we'll have dinner; Mike's firing up the pizza oven. It's make your own pizza night, and there is plenty of wine, too! Let me know if you need any help."
 
 
Judy and I unpacked and changed into t-shirts and shorts, then put up our hair and removed our facebows and headgear. Changing was difficult with our paralysis, but at least we had feeling in our legs. We wheeled out to find Gracie sitting on the couch wearing sweats and obviously not wearing her TSLO that contained her device. We didn't say anything as she got up and said, "Let's go! Mike says the pizza oven is hot, and I'm sure you are both hungry; I am!"
 
 
We wheeled over to Mike and Myra's, where they were also dressed casually. We made our pizzas and enjoyed them with wine. After dinner, we chatted late into the evening, enjoying more wine. Finally, Mike and Gracie pushed our wheelchairs to our room. Gracie helped us get settled in bed and said goodnight. Judy and I talked for a few minutes, then set our devices to 'Flora' and everything below our belly buttons went away. It will be quite a thrill to wake up like this.
 

******

 
It was a thrill and a shock to wake up with no feeling or movement in our lower bodies. We slept great, and I must have tossed around in bed quite a bit during the night, something my full-body brace won't allow. My legs were contorted and twisted around my catheter hose. Judy found herself in the same situation, too. We pulled ourselves up into a sitting position and just enjoyed the sensation of, well, no sensation below about our belly buttons. The only thing we felt was the need to move our bowels, one of the few things that the devices let us feel. 
 
 
I untangled my legs, carefully transferred to my wheelchair, and rolled to the bathroom. I did what I needed to do, and when I returned to the bedroom, Gracie was standing there helping Judy pick out an outfit for the day. Judy then used the bathroom, and I chose an outfit. Gracie helped us take sponge baths so we didn't have to remove our Milwaukee braces and devices, then we dressed. We got our headgear in place, and Gracie was very curious about all our orthodontic devices, which we explained. I decided to use my power chair today while Judy put on her KAFOs and set her device to 'Collene' so she could walk with crutches, which she was able to do quite well.
 
 
I rolled, and Judy crutched out to the living room, and Gracie said she would be right back. When she returned, she was in her wheelchair, wearing her TLSO, which housed her device, and said, "We can spend the day together. Let's go get breakfast, then I'll show you around town."
 
 
We went for breakfast, then stopped at the medical supply store and got contoured leg rests for our power chairs. I liked how my limp legs looked cradled and supported in the leather-covered rests; they wouldn't flop around. The rest of the day was spent visiting small shops, and we enjoyed a picnic lunch in a park downtown. We got a lot of attention from people passing by, especially Judy and me with our headgear.
 
 
That evening, we met Gracie's boyfriend, Larry, who is a great guy. He seemed to enjoy pushing Gracie's wheelchair for her when we were at the club. Mike and Myra let their hair down and had a wild time, which was fun to watch. Several people asked us about our orthodontic and orthopedic braces, which is not too common; people usually just stare. The one thing that Judy and I noticed was that there were quite a few handicapped people at the club; there were even two blind couples. We had to wonder if all these people were truly handicapped or if they were like us, or maybe  the club simply caters to disabled people. This gave me an idea...
 
 
The next morning, Judy and I showered on our own, and it was strange to have sensation in my legs when I took off my back brace and device. We got dressed, then packed and joined Gracie, Larry, Mike, and Myra for coffee and breakfast. Mike asked if I was going to try crutching while wearing my HKAFO-Milwaukee brace, but I declined; I'm enjoying my wheelchair too much. After our meal, we thanked Mike and Myra, who had to get to the lab, and Larry helped load up our things into the bus. After more goodbyes, Judy and I were on our way to the city with my device set to 'Flora' and hers set to 'Collene'.


******
 
 
Judy and I had a wonderful time in the city. I spent the entire time paralyzed, and we took sponge baths so we didn't have to take off our braces and paralyzing devices. Since our suite had two bedrooms, we both could experiment sexually in private. I used the special functions and disabled feeling down there, but using one of my toys, the vibrations were intense enough that I felt them further up in my body. As I began to orgasm, my legs began to violently spasm. It was the most intense sexual experience I had ever had alone.
 
 
On the morning of our departure, I had been paralyzed for three days and nights straight, and I didn't want it to end, but it had to. We plan to wait until we get our implants before revealing any of this to our husbands or friends. I removed my Milwaukee brace with the device and put on my regular HKAFO-Milwaukee brace.  We removed the devices from our braces and packed them away to use when alone at home. We then removed each other's catheters and put on diapers in the event of leakage, packed up, and called the bellman to get our bags. 
 
 
On the journey home, we talked about how we would surprise our husbands and friends when we get our implants. We both have great ideas, and Judy has quite the adventure planned. This week was amazing, and we will never forget it or our friends who made it possible.

Offline napacaster

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #100 on: 29. September 2024, 03:57:42 AM »
Ch. 198 - Blake, Chris, and Donna
 
 
While Judy and I were on our trip, Blake and Chris had an orthodontic appointment. They're making excellent progress with their WEDDs (Wilkinson External Distraction Devices) and will be getting them removed at their next appointment. During that visit, Billy also removed Blake's 'comfort casts', and she is doing quite well without them.
 
 
However, Blake is still having some knee and ankle pain, plus some discomfort in her wrists and thumbs. But while she was in her 'comfort casts', her casted ankle and wrist didn't hurt at all. She's going to get checked out when they visit over the long weekend.
 

******
 
 
When Blake and Chris arrived for the weekend, the back seat of their Buick was filled with all their braces. Billy is going to make minor repairs, refinish the metal, and condition the leather on all their braces. The young couple got settled in our guest suite, then went to visit Blake's parents, saying they would be late and not to wait up for them.
 
 
The next morning, we had breakfast with all our friends. Everyone was glad to see Blake and Chris and was happy that they'd be getting their WEDDs removed later today. After breakfast, Billy asked Blake, "Hey, can Collie and I just take your car to the shop today since all your braces are already loaded up?" 
 
 
"I'll drive everyone in the little bus today; you won't need your car." Judy adds, and Chris hands the keys to Billy.
 
 
We said goodbye to Billy and Collie; we will see them again later today. The guys head off to the bus shop, and Judy, Rebekah, and I will be accompanying Chris and Blake to their appointments today. Judy crutched out to get the bus, and we all got on board. As we are pulling up to the main road, Blake says, "We need to stop and pick up my mom. Dr. Moore is going to check out her back; she has been having severe pain recently." 
 
 
We picked up Donna, who was very nervous, and we made our way to Dr. Pam Moore's office. Once there, Blake and Donna were taken back to an exam room together. It was well over an hour before I got a text from Blake, "Almost done... Mom is really upset."
 
 
Donna and Blake entered the waiting room with Dr. Moore, who was in her wheelchair today. Pam said to Donna, "Don't worry about Blake; she'll be fine. The medication should halt the progression and maybe even reverse it to some degree. Don't worry about your spine, either. You will quickly get used to wearing your brace; you'll do quite well. I'll call over to Rogers & Jameson with your prescriptions and to the pharmacy for Blake's medication."
 
 
"It will be OK, Blake. Don't worry." Donna, with tears in her eyes, hugs her daughter.
 
 
"You're more worried than I am, mom. I'm fine, and it's all kind of exciting to tell you the truth." Blake says smiling.
 
 
"If you don't mind, I'm going to take a walk while you are at the orthodontist, Blake. You have Chris and your friends; I don't think I'm much good for giving you support right now." Donna says this as she hugs both Blake and Chris before going to the park.
 
 
As we made our way to Dr. Joe's office, Blake explained what happened. "I don't know why my mom is so upset; she knew she would need a back brace. She's worn one of my Milwaukee braces, and despite not fitting well, it did relieve her pain. However, I think what really upset her was what the doctor told me. Pam says I have a form of arthritis that is common in people with my hypermobility issue. I'll have to take medication to prevent it from getting worse, and it might even get better over time. What really bothered mom is that I'll be getting some modifications made to my leg braces, and I'll need to use crutches sometimes. I'll also need to wear wrist braces when I'm on crutches or when my wrists hurt. Honestly, I'm kind of excited about it all. I actually enjoy wearing all my braces now and find them comforting, like when wearing casts for fun. Now I'll get to wear wrist braces and use crutches, too!"
 
 
Once we got to Dr. Joe's office, we talked with Sally for a few minutes. She is out of her walking casts, and still wearing her bands, large tongue crib, and colorful headgear. As with when Blake and Chris got their WEDDs applied, the removal process would be filmed. Judy, Rebekah, and I made ourselves at home in Joe's office while Blake removed her Milwaukee brace for the procedure. The video monitor was turned on, and then Sally took Blake and Chris to have their WEDDs removed.
 
 
As we watched the monitor, Chris took to the chair first, and it was reclined as Blake sat on a stool and held his hand. First, the ratcheting adjusters that threaded onto the rods protruding from Chris's mouth were released and removed. He looked relieved to no longer have the device pulling on his teeth. Next, the locking caps on the six pins securing the device to his skull were removed. Mary positioned herself at the head of the chair, with Joe and Sally on either side. They first removed the center pins on each side simultaneously. Chris winced as this was done. I know how uncomfortable it is to get halo brace pins removed from your skull, and I hoped that these smaller pins didn't hurt quite as much.
 
 
Mary held on to the WEDD to support it as the final four pins were removed. Mary then slid the device forward and off of the rods protruding from Chris's mouth. He seemed very relieved that the process was over, and Sally put some ointment on the pin sites. The chair was raised, and Chris said something to Blake, probably trying to reassure her that the procedure wasn't too painful. The rest of the appliance was still in place in his mouth, with the rods protruding from between his lips as he swapped places with Blake.
 
 
The removal of Blake's WEDD began. When the adjustment ratchets were released, she seemed to be very relieved. The pressure on her teeth must still have been very intense. Now the pins were removed, which appeared to be quite uncomfortable for Blake, but she did really well holding back her tears. Once the procedure was over, we saw Mary leave the room, and soon she appeared in Joe's office with us. She said we could all go in and watch the rest of the procedure; Blake and Chris wanted us there.
 
 
We made our way to the procedure room, and Blake was still in the chair, rubbing her temples. Joe and Sally then got to work removing the appliance that Blake has been wearing on her upper arch for many months. It took quite a bit of work with the de-banding pliers, and once the appliance was out of her mouth, we were all amazed by how large it was. Watching it being applied on the video monitor was nothing like seeing it in person. There were heavy wires that ran behind all her teeth and spider web-like wires across the roof of her mouth to maintain expansion.
 
 
Sally then cleaned Blake's teeth, and her new appliances were placed. They were just like she had before beginning WEDD treatment, with a palatal expander, Bluegrass appliance, full bands, and small hooks for protraction that protruded from between her lips. Her lower archwire was changed, and all her ligatures were now bright neon green.
 
 
Chris then took his seat in the chair once again; he would be getting the exact same appliances as Blake. As Joe and Sally were working on Chris, Blake was very talkative, and she spoke with the same lisp as she had before WEDD treatment. She sounded so cute, and we could all tell that Chris loved her lispy speech. Soon, all of Chris's new appliances were placed, along with a new lower archwire. He chose the same color ligatures as Blake, so they matched. When he tried to speak, he had a very strong lisp, was salivating quite a bit, and was having difficulty swallowing. 
 
 
"This feels so weird, and I can hardly talk now." Chris says this with his new and severe speech impediment.
 
 
"Oh, you sound so cute, Chris. I love your lisp. Let me give you a kiss—our first kiss in months." Blake and Chris embrace and kiss passionately, careful of the small hooks protruding from between their lips, with Blake exploring the cause of Chris's lisp with her tongue. 
 
 
Joe then explained that since Chris enjoys wearing his Kuehnegger brace at night, Billy made an orthodontic attachment for it. He also gave them both new reverse pull headgear to use if they were not wearing their back braces, along with several bags of strong elastics. Joe begins to explain the next stage of their treatment.
 
 
"Now I want you both to use one of your protraction devices for sixteen hours a day and full time on your days off. This is necessary to prevent your teeth from relapsing back to their previous positions. Oh, and Chris, you need to turn your expander once a week, but you don't need to turn yours right now, Blake. It is just to make minor adjustments later on if necessary." 
 
 
Chris and Blake got up and went to Joe's office so she could put her Milwaukee brace back on. The rest of us went to the waiting room, where we found Donna sitting and playing with her phone. She looked much less stressed than earlier; her walk did her some good. When Chris and Blake entered the room, Donna was very happy to see them carrying, instead of wearing, their WEDDs. We decided to go grab a bite to eat before Blake and Chris's teeth began to ache from their new appliances and archwires.
 
 
As we were having lunch, Blake very excitedly told her mom about what it would be like to get her 3D scan made for her back brace. Blake also told her that wearing a back brace is fun and that she would really like wearing hers. Donna wasn't as enthusiastic, but she was looking forward to her pain being relieved.
 
 
Later in the afternoon, when we arrived at the orthotics shop, Billy took Donna back to get her 3D scan for her braces, with Blake happily going along. The rest of us stayed behind to talk with Collie, who wanted to see the appliances in Chris's mouth and hear about their orthodontic appointment. Donna and Blake spent quite a bit of time with Billy, almost two hours, which is much longer than necessary to do the 3D scan.
 
 
We were quite surprised when Blake crutched into the office wearing her newly reconditioned KAFOs that now had locks at the knees and ankles. She was also wearing her reconditioned Kuehnegger brace with the orthodontic attachment with elastics between it and the hooks on her upper arch. On both wrists, Blake wore neon green 3D-printed SATS braces and had special grips on her crutches; they were just like the ones Judy and I got at the orthopedics trade show. The most important thing was that Blake was all smiles and very happy to show off her modified KAFOs, new SATS braces, and crutches.
 
 
"Look at what Billy did for me. He limited the range of motion a bit more and put locks on my KAFOs to better support my knees and ankles when they hurt. I got crutches and these cool wrist braces, too. Whenever I'm using my crutches or when my wrists or thumbs hurt, I need to wear them. They are so cool, and I'm getting them in several colors, too. I love them!" Blake said, full of glee.
 
 
We were impressed with Billy's quick work, and Blake had us all take a close look at everything. She's very excited, and we all hoped she would stay that way; we well remember her past meltdowns.
 
 
"Come on, Chris, Billy has your big brace ready with the part that connects to all the stuff on your upper teeth, just like I have. You'll look so cute wearing it." Blake says this while tugging on Chris's arm.
 
 
Chris and Blake go into the fitting room, and they soon return to the office with Chris in his Kuehnegger brace and orthodontic attachment, with Billy and Donna following. Billy said to Donna, "I'll have all your braces done by Monday afternoon. We're open tomorrow, and I have several interns coming in. We'll fabricate your new braces and finish refurbishing Chris and Blake's braces, too." 
 
 
Over the weekend, Blake seemed to enjoy wearing her newly modified KAFOs and using her crutches while wearing her SATS braces. Since Billy was working on all her other back braces, she wore her Kuehnegger brace all weekend, which is her preferred brace to wear anyway. I spent some time alone with Donna, talking about the braces she would be wearing and trying to reassure her that they would not be as bad as she imagined.
 

******

 
The weekend flew by—before I knew it, it was Monday afternoon—and I was on my way with Blake, Donna, and Chris to the orthotics shop. Donna was quiet, seeming both nervous and excited. I know she wants her back pain to go away, no matter what kind of brace she must wear.
 
 
Once at the shop, all of Chris and Blake's braces were on a cart, including two pairs of crutches, red and blue in color, and 3D printed SATS to match all her spinal braces. Billy helped Chris get the braces loaded into the car. When they returned, Billy, Blake, and Donna, who looked terrified, went to the fitting room, with Blake saying, "It will be OK, mom. You will look so cute in your braces, and you'll feel so much better, too!"
 
 
About an hour later, Donna, Blake, and Billy entered the office. Blake was holding onto her mother's arm, guiding her along since her brace tilted her head back slightly. Donna's brown leather Kuhenegger brace had pads that pushed her shoulders back and held her head high. She looked completely at ease and confident wearing it despite its rigid support from her hips to her head, providing perfect posture. Billy was carrying Donna's brown Milwaukee brace and Blake's crutches. He reminded Donna that she is to wear her Kuehnegger for at least sixteen hours a day or more, depending on her pain level, and to only be out of her braces for an hour or two for exercise.
 
 
We said goodbye to Billy and Collie, with Donna thanking them. As we were walking to the car, Blake asked her mom how her very immobilizing and supportive brace felt. Donna's simple reply was, "It feels absolutely wonderful, honey! My pain is melting away."

Offline napacaster

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #101 on: 29. September 2024, 03:58:03 AM »
Ch. 199 - MJ BioTronics V
 
 
Judy and I still have not told anyone, not even our husbands, about Myra Johnson and MJ BioTronics. We know Jackie and Ben have things figured out, but they don't know we have been using Myra's invention whenever we get the chance. Judy and I each have old Milwaukee braces with the paralyzing device attached, hidden away in Collene and Billy's guest house. Usually we just wear them around the house for a little fun, but occasionally we go out shopping or run other errands.
 
 
Judy always simulates Collie's disabilities when using the device. I switch between modes and play with the custom settings. I like having my legs paralyzed, but still with feeling, but complete paralysis mode is exhilarating; I love not being able to feel my shoes on my feet. Sometimes, when I'm home alone, I play with the settings that cause loss of bladder control and wear a diaper—I wet myself but can't feel it. The setting, where I have no feeling in my private parts is also quite a thrill. I know there is a toy inside me, but I can't feel it. However, I can sense it somehow and still achieve orgasm. I can't wait to make love to Joel like this. 
 
 
The other day, Judy and I had a conference call with Myra and Mike. They explained that the implantable version of the device is now ready and that Gracie has had hers for about three weeks. She has had no complications and has been living as a paralyzed woman ever since. If we were still interested in getting implants, we could set a date for the procedure. Of course we were still interested, and that's where Judy and I are off to today. We'll be getting our paralyzing implants, then spending a week with Myra and her family while we recover from our minor surgical procedures.
 

******
 
 
We are now on the road, heading to MJ BioTronics. Judy and I were careful to ensure that Jimmy and Joel didn't see that we were bringing the special cushions, leg rests, and straps for our wheelchairs, along with regular shoes and my old Milwaukee braces. There wasn't much conversation during the trip, but when we did talk, it was about our experiences while using our devices. 
 

******
 
 
Gracie warmly welcomed us when we arrived at MJ BioTronics. She was strapped into a brand new, hot pink manual wheelchair, and she was also wearing a beautiful engagement ring. Mike and Myra were on a conference call, so we wheeled into Gracie's office to talk. She told us that the last few weeks have been wonderful. Not only is she living as a paralyzed woman, just like her sister, but her boyfriend, Larry, is now her fiance. He proposed a few days after Gracie got her device implanted and said that now everything about her is perfect. He admitted to being a devotee and never dreamed that a woman he already loved would voluntarily become handicapped.
 
 
After we congratulated Gracie and wished her all the best, the conversation got serious. She began to explain the details of the procedures we would undergo tomorrow and what the short recovery period would be like. There would be some pain and discomfort for a few days, but one of the BioTronic pain control units would be used during the actual surgical procedure. Gracie also said that we shouldn't eat anything after lunch today so our bowels would be clear; the pain control device will cause a loss of bladder and bowel control during the procedure. Gracie then warmly smiled, wheeled over to us, and gave us hugs, saying, "You'll be so happy. I know you will!"
 
 
Myra and Mike entered the office and welcomed us and suggested we go get lunch. Mike once again enjoyed driving our little bus; it reminded him of his job in college and the friends he made there. We had a great meal, the last one that Judy and I will have until tomorrow. When we got back to the office, Myra explained a few more things about the procedure to us and that her colleague, Dr. Amanda Cho, would perform the procedure. However, she would be there, observing and assisting. Mike explained that the implantable device will not require training like the ones we have currently been enjoying. He also asked if we brought our current devices so he could recondition and reprogram them for our friends to try out. Finally, Mike and Gracie left Myra's office, and she began to ask us many medical-related questions and had us sign several consent and release forms.
 
 
******
 
 
Judy and I spent the evening with Gracie. She enjoyed the company since her fiance was once again away on business, but he'll be back tomorrow. In a show of solidarity, she only consumed clear liquids, just as Judy and I are restricted to. She also went over everything with us again, but more from a friendly, personal point of view. Finally, it was time for bed, and we had a hard time getting to sleep with how excited, nervous, and scared we are. Neither of us has ever had any type of surgical procedure before.
 
 
The next morning, Gracie turned her device off for the first time since getting it to help us get ready. She removed our devices from our Milwaukee braces, and we put them on. We dressed in shorts and t-shirts and got into our power chairs; no leg braces or shoes today. Gracie then got in her manual chair, strapped herself in, and turned her device back on, instantly becoming paralyzed again. Mike drove us all to the lab, where Myra, who was wearing her HAKFOs and using crutches, once again confirmed that we desired to proceed.
 
 
Early in the afternoon, we headed to Dr. Cho's clinic. Dr. Cho went over everything with us and asked us to remove our shirts and shorts so she could mark the outline of our braces on our backs. This was to ensure our braces didn't apply pressure to the device. We then put on diapers since we might lose bowel control during the procedure. Our bladders would not be an issue since we were already cathed. Judy was very nervous at this point and asked me to go first. Gracie helped me remove my Milwaukee brace, I transferred to the provided wheelchair, and I was taken to the operating room.
 
 
The first thing done was that two nurses placed me face down on the operating table and got me comfortable before strapping me down to the table for stability. Then my back was thoroughly cleaned, an IV started, and a MJ BioTronics pain control unit was placed on my spine above the implantation site. Finally, Dr. Cho and Dr. Johnson entered the room dressed in scrubs, with Myra moving awkwardly with her HKAFOs and crutches. Gloves were put on, and a surgical robot was wheeled over and secured to the operating table. Dr. Cho asked if I was ready, and I said yes. The pain control device was turned on, and I could feel nothing below the point on my body where it was placed.
 
 
The actual procedure went quickly. Two tiny incisions were made along my spine for the electrodes to be placed, and a third larger incision was made for the actual device. The wires from the device were threaded from the larger incision to the smaller ones, and the electrodes were secured to my vertebra with bone adhesive. Then the actual device was placed, and the incisions were closed with dissolving stitches. It only took a few minutes. The pain control device was slowly turned down, then removed, and I could now feel the pain from the procedure. It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't too bad—sort of like getting a halo brace. With the procedure complete, I was lifted into my wheelchair and taken to the prep room, where Judy was waiting. 
 
 
"It's not as bad as Gracie said it would be; I didn't mess myself. Don't worry, Judy." I try to reassure a worried-looking Judy.
 
 
"Good, I was sort of scared watching everything on the video monitor." Judy seems relieved.
 

"You'll do fine, and it's so worth it to live out our dreams." I smile at Judy as she is wheeled into the second operating room.
 
 
Judy's procedure was soon complete, and it went perfectly. We were helped back into our Milwaukee braces, got dressed, and transferred to our power chairs. We were exhausted, hungry, and in a bit of pain. After thanking Dr. Cho and her assistants, Mike drove us all home, where Larry had prepared a full spread of Italian food for our dinner. After dinner, Judy and I just wanted to go to bed and get some rest. Mike helped us get ready for bed, and we didn't wear our Milwaukee braces so we could comfortably sleep on our tummies.
 
 
The next morning, when we awoke, our backs hurt like hell. Not from the procedure, but from sleeping without our braces on. Judy and I helped each other put on our Milwaukees, get dressed, and get into our power chairs. We wheeled out to enjoy a cup of coffee with Gracie and Larry. We told them that we just wanted to hang around the house and rest, which is what we ended up doing for two days.
 
 
On the third day, we went to the lab to have our devices turned on. Mike wanted to do it there in the event that any final programming was needed. He loaded the control app onto our phones and paired them to our devices; the special remote control is no longer necessary. He said to use our old charging pads, but only one night every month or so. Finally, the devices were turned on, and I became paralyzed like Flora, and Judy became paralyzed like Collie. It was absolutely wonderful!
 
 
We spent a few more days with our friends to ensure there were no problems with our devices or incisions. We played with the various settings to find what felt right and comfortable, which was a lot of fun, but it was finally time to go home. As Larry was helping us get ready for the drive home, Mike gave us a box.
 
 
"Here are the two units you used with your back braces and the two used for your surgery. They are reconditioned with updated software to work just like your implants. I know you have some friends who will enjoy these." Mike said this as Myra and Gracie smiled. We thanked our friends for everything, and Larry helped Judy into the driver's seat of the bus, and we were on our way home. 
 
 
On the way, we talked about how we would surprise our husbands. By the time we get home, the guys will be on their annual ten-day trip to the mountains. This gives us time to let our incisions heal and to plan our surprises. Judy has something big planned, but she wants to see how Joel reacts to my situation first. 
 
 
******
 
 
Well, here I am, reclining on the couch wearing just my Milwaukee brace, double facebow headgear, and sexy lingerie with a catheter inside me. My manual wheelchair is next to the couch, and I have had my device in 'Flora' mode pretty much all the time since Mike turned it on. I hear Joel's truck pull up; he comes in the front door and says, "Hey Leigh, I'm home!"
 
 
"I'm in the den, honey. Come give me a hug and a kiss." I playfully request as Joel enters the room. He gives me a hug and a kiss, then picks up my legs and sits down, placing my feet in his lap. 
 
 
"Ah, it's good to be home, Leigh, but why aren't you in your HKAFOs?" Joel inquires curiously as he massages my legs and feet.
 
 
"I wanted my legs to be free. I haven't been wearing my leg braces much lately." This is true; I have not worn them often since my device was turned on.
 
 
With a look of bewilderment as he continues to massage my legs and feet, which do not respond at all to this touch and feel extremely flaccid, he says, "What's going on, Leigh? You legs feel... um... different." As he begins to tickle my very ticklish feet.
 
 
"I had a little procedure done when Judy and I went on our trip together." I smile mischievously.
 
 
Seeing that my feet do not respond to being tickled, Joel gets a very concerned, almost fearful look on his face. "What the hell, Leigh? What did you do to yourself?"
 
 
I smile as I say, "I always wanted to be paralyzed, and Jackie introduced me to a friend who made it possible." Joel looked terrified at this point. "Don't worry, it simply involves a small electronic device that is implanted in my back. I have full control over it's effects."
 
 
Joel looks relieved to know that I didn't have something permanent done, and then he becomes very curious about the device. I explained the entire story, all the while he was still massaging my flaccid legs and feet. Finally, I grab my phone and show Joel the app that controls my device, which is set to 'Flora'. I select 'Collene' and suddenly feeling comes back to my legs and feet, and I begin to laugh and squirm as Joel tickles my feet, but I can't pull them away from him.
 
 
I show Joel all the settings that are available with my device to simulate various types of disabilities. He was absolutely amazed by how it all works and was very impressed. Joel then asks me if he can take his crippled wife out to dinner, and I say, of course. He intently watches as I transfer to my wheelchair, lifting my limp legs into place. I wheel into the bedroom, where Joel takes off my Milwaukee brace and puts me into my black HKAFO-Milwaukee for our evening out. He has a bit of trouble getting my limp feet into my booties. Finally, I'm all strapped in, and Joel helps me put on a cute dress before he quickly takes a shower and gets dressed himself. 
 
 
Joel hands me my crutches and helps me to stand. My knees and hips lock, but I am very wobbly on my paralyzed legs. I crutch a few feet and actually do quite well, but I ask Joel for my manual wheelchair. I think from now on, I'll be pretty much wheelchair bound; it's much easier.
 
 
We had a wonderful evening out, and let's just say we had a hell of a good time once we got back home and into bed, especially after being apart for over two weeks. We made love, and you should have seen the look on Joel’s face as my legs and feet began to spasm as I climaxed.

Offline napacaster

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #102 on: 03. October 2024, 02:09:51 AM »
Ch. 200 - The End?
 
 
Sorry, but I had to tease you with the title of this chapter. In one way, this is the end, but it is also a new beginning, and 'New Beginning' or NB is how subsequent chapters will be titled. I'll still be writing for you sometimes, but my friends want to tell you their stories in their own words, as Sarah and some others have done in the past. Some will be just a chapter or two, while others will be longer, like a story withing a story. However, I'll still keep you updated on what's going on in my life, my adventures with Joel, and the new business that we have been working on, 'The Clinic', which most of us are involved in. We have been doing a lot of planning and work, and things are falling into place. It will still be many months before we open, and I'll tell you the complete story later on, just before we open.
 
 
I also wanted to take a moment to thank you, my loyal readers, both new and old. Especially those who have been following my story since the beginning, offering suggestions for adventures and giving advice. The adventure Judy is about to begin was suggested to her by several of you. Being from a background working with numbers, my writing wasn't so good at the start, and thanks for sticking with me as my ability to tell stories improved. Thank you, friends!
 
 
But now, Judy is getting ready for the biggest recreational orthopedic adventure of her life. If you recall, she has not revealed to anyone that she got a BioTronic implant when I got mine. Everyone thinks she went along to assist and support me when I had my procedure. Only myself, Myra, Mike, Gracie, and Larry know that Judy also got an implant, and they have kept it secret. Judy has only been able to enjoy the paralyzing effects of her device when she is alone or with me. Jimmy and all our friends have no idea that she has had the device implanted in her body.
 
 
That will soon change. Judy has one hell of a plan, and all the arrangements have been made. She will be revealing the fact she has a BioTronic implant in grand style and will enjoy the rec-ortho experience of a lifetime when she does. Judy will tell you about how she is going to reveal her BioTronic implant to Jimmy and the world. I know her plan, but it's Judy's story to tell.
 
 
Oh, by the way, I am very much enjoying living as a truly handicapped woman by using my BioTronic implant. At this point, everyone knows about it, with all my friends being very supportive and several of them being extremely jealous. No one knows about Judy's implant yet, and we won't give out the external BioTronic devices that Mike gave us until after Judy begins her adventure. We figure that Rebekah, Emme, and Kathy will really enjoy using them, and they can be easily mounted to their Milwaukee braces. We'll give one to Pam to present to Addison, too. Addy really wants to be able to understand what Pam's life is like, and the BioTronic device will allow her this experience.
 
 
You all pretty much know my old morning and evening routines when it comes to my various braces. Since getting my implant, things have been so much different and, actually, a bit easier. I'm much more independent now than ever before. I don't need Joel to put me in and get me out of my nighttime brace to keep my body immobilized and supported when I sleep anymore, unless, of course, he wants me in it to fool around. I also just wear one of my new spinal braces and use my wheelchair almost all of the time; I'm rarely in my HKAFOs anymore unless it's a special occasion or, for some reason, I really need to be on my feet. I'm excited to share with you what my life is like now that my legs have been rendered completely useless, but I'll let Judy begin to tell you about her adventure first.
 
 
I'm going to send this file to Judy so she can add the opening paragraph to her story, just to tease you all a little bit. But first, let me give some quick updates on how everyone is doing and what they are up to. I know some of you worry about our friends if you don't hear anything about them for a while, but everything is all good.
 
 
First, most of us are in sort of a status quo when it comes to our orthopedics and orthodontics. Most everyone now has perfect teeth but are still wearing braces just to wear braces and other appliances. However, several of the ladies and Chris are still in active treatment, and Sam and Millie will soon be out of their active treatment phase. Emme still has very crooked teeth in front, but her bite has been corrected in the back. Her bands and special archwires simply retain her teeth in their crooked position. She absolutely loves her banded, wonky teeth and wearing her headgear, which is completely inactive at this point. We'll have to see who decides to keep their braces, like many of us have done, and who just gets retainers. Maybe others will do like Pete and get retainers, end up hating them, and decide to get braces again with retaining archwires like so many of us. When it comes to orthodontics, we are all very happy with our metallic smiles, headgear strapped around our heads, and our mouthfuls of appliances.
 
 
We are all also very happy with our leg and back braces, too. Collene, Judy, and I, of course, walk with crutches at this point when we choose to walk, and Rebekah usually does, too. The other ladies get around just fine with their KAFOs, walking without crutches most of the time. Blake has adapted well to her situation and hasn't had any more of her epic meltdowns. Getting back together with Chris has been great for both of them; they are so happy together. Basically, we all live ordinary lives despite the braces we wear out of necessity or simply for pleasure and fashion.
 
 
Lately, Emme has been doing a lot of blindsimming. Pretty much whenever she is not at work, she is blind. She is well known in certain places as the crippled girl with orthodontic braces, headgear, and milky white blind eyes. Emme uses her white cane in one hand and a crutch in the other, and she gets along quite well. In other places that she frequents—places that she needs to sometimes go while sighted—she wears eye patches and is known for her photophobia. At these times, she has Pete or one of her friends guide her or push her in her wheelchair. Emme and Pete have even traveled quite extensively, with Emme wearing her blinding contacts for weeks on end. Judy and I are both planning our own blindsimming adventure after our experience at the retreat wearing eye patches. Since we want to portray ourselves as recently blinded for our adventure, we have not engaged in any more blindsimming or done any O&M training; we don't want to get too comfortable being blind. Once 'The Clinic' is up and running smoothly, we'll go on our adventure.
 
 
Now, onto our friends who are still dealing with real medical issues. Lori is doing great. She has built up strength and flexibility in her spine, but it seems that she will always need to wear some sort of back brace. Currently, she is wearing her Milwaukee brace or her special CTLSO that allows her to move her head during the day, and then she wears her Kuehnegger brace at night. Her orthodontic treatment is going extremely well, but slowly, as Joe is being gentle. The little gap between her front teeth is coming back, which really pleases her. 
 
 
Oh, speaking of Lori reminds me of what is going on with Sam and Millie. They have moved into one of the renovated buildings across the street from the bus shop. Their home takes up the entire top floor, and they have a private elevator to the parking garage in the basement. The decor is so much different from their previous modern, minimalist abode. Their new home is decorated much more warmly, a lot like my place. Sam wanted to be closer to work, and Millie is changing careers. Her job in the marketing department at the skate company has become less about the skate teams and more about being a marketing executive. Changing careers is where Lori once again comes into the picture.
 
 
Lori loved her old job working at a child care center before the accident. With Millie and Sam planning to adopt a handicapped child and start a family, Lori thought it would be great to partner in a child care center with Millie. Millie will take care of the administrative side and learn how to care for children, while Lori will oversee daily operations. Lori spoke to the owners of the center she was planning to work at, and they offered to open a new center in the building where Sam and Millie live. They have hired staff, and it will be opening soon.
 
 
Blakely and Chris are doing well, too. Their orthodontic progress is slow but painless with Joe's gentle methods. Blake's modified KAFOs and thumb spica braces, along with the medication Dr. Moore prescribed her, have eliminated her joint pain. However, she still quite often wears her SATS braces and uses crutches with her leg braces locked straight, saying that she is in pain. I think she just likes the attention and the way it feels to be immobilized. I say this because when she visits and we go out, she'll often wear her Kuehnegger brace, walk with her knees locked, wear her SATS braces, and use crutches. But when we get home and she wants to ride her horse or go shooting, she simply wears her Milwaukee brace and walks just fine with her KAFOs unlocked. She and Chris, who is now always wearing his KAFOs and back brace when they visit, are extremely happy, and that is all that matters.
 
 
By the way, Blake's mom, Donna, is doing great with her back braces. She no longer has any pain at all as long as she's wearing one of them. Despite being highly immobilizing, her braces, like all the braces Billy makes, are quite comfortable. Once she got used to wearing them, Donna has grown to love her back braces and the pain relief and feeling of security and comfort they bring her. She is much like her daughter.
 
 
Both Donna and I have been wearing some new braces that Billy made for us. They are kind of like the special CTLSO that Lori often wears, but instead of the ball joint that allows her to move her head, ours have fixed neck rings. I have one in black and a second in purple. One of Donna's is brown, and the other is oxblood red. They are very stylish and comfortable braces, supporting our heads with a Milwaukee-style neck ring completely from behind. Billy must have seen Hannah's brace in Artificer4's 'Glider Girls' series. He often looks to the fantasy world for inspiration, bringing these ideas to reality in a useful and therapeutic way. Our braces are like Hannah's but made of leather and are very sleek and comfortable, plus we can easily put them on and take them off on our own. Donna and I absolutely love wearing these braces.
 
 
Donna also confided in me that her and Dave's sex lives are better than ever; she knows it's her various back braces that have spiced things up. She has also noticed that Dave does a double take when he sees a woman with orthodontic braces. Donna's teeth are not too bad, but she is thinking of getting braces anyway just to liven up the bedroom a bit more and to have something else in common with Blake.
 
 
One of the things that allows us to all live comfortable lives is our success in business. We are lucky to have a community college with excellent vocational programs, so we can hire good help for all our businesses. Rose, who now runs the bus shop, Jimmy, and Billy all have interns from the college to help out, with several becoming employees after graduating. This has been a great help to Billy and Collene since Gary and Rita are now pretty much fully retired and traveling the country in their bus. Our contacts with the school have been very helpful when hiring staff for 'The Clinic', too. It's going to be a great place for a student to apply their skills and make some money in a clinical setting, but with clients who are not injured.
 
 
With you brought up to speed, it's time for a new beginning. Everyone knows about the implant I received that allows me to be paralyzed, but no one knows about Judy's yet, not even Jimmy. So for now, I'll turn things over to Judy and let her finish out this chapter and begin writing the new beginning to our lives.
 
 
******
 

New Beginning, Ch. 201 – Judy’s Adventure - The Plan
 
By: Judy Mekas
 
 
These last few months have been quite difficult for me. I want to be able to enjoy my BioTronic implant full-time instead of just when I'm alone or going out with Leigh. The other day, I almost got caught by Jimmy with my device turned on. Well, thinking about the situation, I was caught, but luckily I talked my way out of it...

Offline Braces1234

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #103 on: 04. October 2024, 04:05:45 AM »
Love this story, great mix of orthodontic and orthopaedic braces

Offline napacaster

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Re: Story: Leigh and Joel
« Reply #104 on: 04. October 2024, 04:21:40 AM »
Love this story, great mix of orthodontic and orthopaedic braces
Thank you very much! Your comment means a lot to me and give me motivation to keep going.