Thankfully, I wasn't the only person in the world who felt this way. Just before Christmas of 2018, I was offered the best Christmas present anyone could offer me. By then, doing my vest was just automatic, but it still got in the way, and I still got annoyed every time it disrupted my life. But suddenly, my doctor called me and told me she was writing me a prescription for total freedom. A few people with Cystic Fibrosis became engineers and scientists just to make our lives much easier. They designed a vest treatment that is completely mobile. Not only that, but it was much smarter and more effective than the old vest I was using. 

Several days later, a woman from the Cystic Fibrosis department arrived with my new vest. She was called to teach me how to use my vest, since it was a new technology I had never even dreamed of before. The new vest came in a much smaller bag that was labeled "Afflovest", and when the woman took it out, it only came in two pieces. The Afflovest was pretty much ready to use. It just had a charger for that battery that looked just like my laptop charger. The Afflovest had a rectangular battery in a zip-up pocket on the right, and on the left side was a remote to control the Afflovest, that looked like it belonged to a massage chair. In fact, the Afflovest was basically a wearable massage chair, only it was designed to clear out my lungs so I could breathe. 

The woman helped me put on and adjust the Afflovest, which weighed about 8 pounds. I could adjust the shoulders to fit around mine, as well as the straps that held it together around my torso. It was well-insulated, and had eight vibrating units (four in front and four in the back), rather than using air to inflate and shake. The units were much more focused in on my lungs rather than shaking my whole body. When I started the Afflovest for the first time, I was surprised by just how gentle and quiet it was. Of course, the settings were on low, but the woman showed me how to increase the vibrating intensity, as well as how to program the vest to do different things.

For instance, each vibrating unit was individually connected to the battery. If I only wanted to use one unit instead of using all eight units at the same time, I could. If I wanted the vest to vibrate for 10 seconds and stop for 5 seconds, or how many seconds I wanted, I could. If I wanted the units to vibrate in a cycle, from the top of my chest to the bottom and then back up, I could. The combinations were endless. It was just amazing. I was just in awe. For over an hour, the woman helped me program my vest the way I liked it the most. In the end, I settled for the highest intensity, for three, 15 minute sessions, with all vibrating units activated at once. It felt the most familiar to me, but at the same time, it was still very different. 

I couldn't thank the CF department enough for my new treatment. For once in my life, I could walk around and be free while still taking care of myself. Cystic Fibrosis had lost a lot of its control on my life. My dreams of riding my dirtbike while doing my treatments could finally be realized. Best of all, the bulky machine I grew up with and hated could finally be put away. We still kept the old vest just in case the Afflovest needed repairs, but it's been collecting dust in the storage room. 

For the first couple weeks, I was still stuck in my old ways. I had to change my thinking so I could get up and walk around without automatically checking the plug or awkwardly walking to avoid the tubes. There were no tubes or wires connecting me to the wall or a 40 pound box! I was free to do whatever I wanted. I could cook, draw, walk my dog, and even go to the bathroom without having to worry about the vest. It took awhile for me to realize all of this, and I slowly experimented with what I could and could not do while I was in the Afflovest. But, I have to say, when I went to the bathroom while doing my vest for the first time, it was one of the best things I've ever experienced. I realized, right then and there, just how much time I was saving, and just how free I was. 

Eventually, I did get used to getting up and walking around with my Afflovest. It saved so much time and hassle. It wasn't loud, it didn't disrupt my speech, and it really wasn't all that interesting to look at. Basically, it was like wearing a heavy, down feather vest, with a battery pack and a massage chair remote attached to it. It only made a little bit of noise and movement. It really wasn't attention seeking like my old vest was.

This excited me, since I figured I could travel and not have nearly as many issues, but I quickly learned that the TSA really hated the Afflovest. I learned through the Internet that some airports would throw a huge fit over the Afflovest, which is something I never wanted to trigger. I understand why. It is a vest with a remote and eight units that wouldn't look very good under the X-ray. So, to save time, effort, and reduce a lot of anxiety, I just decided to take my old vest with me whenever I flew. 

These days, just like my old vest once was, my Afflovest has become just another part of me. I enjoy the freedom I have to walk around and live my life without having to worry about sitting down. I still sit down when I do my Afflovest, especially when I'm at home and have nothing to do, but I enjoy the ability to get up and do things if I want. I can even lay down, and while I probably won't fall asleep while wearing it, I can still get very comfortable. Cystic Fibrosis lost a lot of control in my life when I received the Afflovest, and to buck something like that after being chained to it for years is a feeling I can't explain. It's a feeling like no other, and a feeling I will forever remember and feel each time I put on my Afflovest.