TNS (post #3)

Nearing the halfway mark now. As with the TMS treatment I tried earlier this year, it's been snagged by "technical difficulties."

I sleep with the device which sends an on and off alternating current through wire leads to electrodes adhered to my forehead. The sensation varies from a pleasant tingling to an unpleasant stinging depending on how much voltage is sent and where the electrodes are placed. I've found that as much as a centimeter's difference with placement can mean 'ting' or 'sting.'

Early into the third week, I awoke in the wee morning hours to find there was no current flowing to the electrodes. The device was powered up but no sensation at all. I fiddled with the wires, the voltage setting, switched the lead plug to a second port but nothing. Further fiddling of the wires seemed to fix the problem but only for a few moments....then nothing again. It was an obvious short circuit in the wires. I slept most of the night with a brick. It worked fine when I turned it on. This went on for another four nights resulting in restless sleep and frustration knowing that I wasn't getting a full night's "treatment." I had a follow up evaluation scheduled in a couple days so I just dealt with it. I did e-mail the facilitator to inform him of the problem.

It then occurred to me that I was given a spare set of leads that I completely forgot about. They worked fine. I only wished I'd have remembered I had them the whole time.

During the third meeting with the facilitator there were many questions and forms to document my progress, or lack thereof. I brought the defective leads back and he provided another set just in case. I asked if I would be able to make up the lost time due to the glitches but he said no. It is what it is and it's all documented so there's no do-overs.

Another week went by and the device worked fine until the same scenario repeated itself. Awoke to no electrical current. Now this set has a short somewhere. I was angry and exhausted. I switched to the third set of wires and they worked fine for the time being. Another night of treatment lost. I wonder how many sets of wires I will have to go through and if I'm the only one of the subjects in the group that's having this ridiculous problem.

Though it's still early in the process, I am not benefitting in the least as of yet. Losing time to defective wires just adds to the irritability. There's about five more weeks left and I'm already feeling pangs of this treatment's eventual failure. My mind wanders wondering what the hell I'm going to do next. I realize it's too early and my negative attitude will probably cause it to fail but I have little control of my thoughts and emotions so this is where I am thus far.