Polly's pages (aka 'Donna Williams')

Ever the arty Autie

Pandora, Avatar and vamping up my ventilation

November7

VPAP S9 Auto Adapt

VPAP S9 Auto Adapt

I’m on ventilation due to an Acquired Central Hypoventilation Syndrome which means I can’t fall asleep without my machine… anywhere. My machine is named Pandora… after the movie Avatar as Sam Worthington uses a ventilator in that film which allows him to survive in Pandora. I decided to vamp up Pandora. Got the glitz from a craft shop.

Vamping up Pandora was an important part of identifying with this important device which had to become part of my daily life… it is essentially my respiratory drive when I sleep… so a major function. When sleeping I only take over from the machine around once every 90 minutes. Once it was vamped up I felt it was more ‘me’ and not ‘medical equipment’… I stopped feeling medicalised.

Donna Williams, BA Hons, Dip Ed.
Author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter.
Autism consultant and public speaker.
http://www.donnawilliams.net

I acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Owners of this country throughout Australia, and their connection to land and community.

posted under Donna Williams, health