[*Opino}– HEALTH: Personal and serious alert on the cell phones’ vibration mode

Carlos M. Padrón

On 22/04/2010 I went to an urologist due to an urinary tract infection that I got on the morning of 18th of that month.

In addition to other tests, the urologist performed an endoscopy bladder through my urethra —the fourth in my life—, something that is, more than unpleasant, a little painful even with anesthesia.

Back home, I hurried away from heavy clothing, put on a robe of the type used to be at home, and I lay in bed trying not to think about the little discomfort that was increasing as the effect of anesthesia passed.

I was a little sleepy when I felt the cell phone —that I had put in the right pocket of my robe— vibrating side of my upper thigh, right where the cell phone rested.

Puzzled as because when receiving a call my cell phone should vibrate and also ring, but there was no ringing at all, I took it out of my pocket and realized it had no indication of having received any call.

With my cell phone still in my hand I felt again on my thigh the same vibration, which continued at intervals of about two seconds and lasts about three seconds or more each time.

I attributed the vibration to the aftermath of the endoscopy, but since I didn’t remember that any previous endoscopy have had a sequel, I thought that the vibration would disappear soon. But not, it reappeared the next day down, almost at the birth of the penis, which was more annoying than where it started.

This continued, day after day, sometimes in the morning, sometimes at noon and sometimes in the evening, with changes only in duration and time space among vibrations.

In my next visit to the urologist, 13/05/2010, I told him the case and how the vibrations have appeared following the endoscopy he had me.

The doctor said never to have heard about such thing, and the expression on his face as he said that suggested to me that he thought he had in front kind of hypochondriac, or someone who boasted of having exotic ailments.

To dissipate doubts, he conducted on me an echo testicular, and found nothing wrong or strange, so I went home still feeling frustrated because the vibration kept annoying me almost continuously.

In the following days the vibration presented less frequently, only at times and always when I was at rest. Thus the more noticeable lying to sitting, and more sitting than standing still, but in any case was present when it wanted, and always in the same place: lower right of my pelvis.

However, on Sunday 16/05/2010 it began to annoy at 09:30, and when it was already 18:30 and had not stopped, I decided to search the Internet for any possible explanation.

My first attempts were unsuccessful, but when as a search argument I gave Google the words PELVIC ZONE VIBRATIONS, bingo!: I found two articles on a page entitled Undiagnosed Symptoms Community (= Commonwealth of undiagnosed symptoms.)

1 .- Why is it that my Pelvic area Vibrates?
2 .- Twitching / tremor in Pelvic Area

In these articles people complain exactly about same problem I had: a vibration, like the emitted by a cell phone, in the genital area.

But although some attribute it to muscle problems, and some even to an early Parkinson’s, all said they found no clear origin or a solution to the vibration that was running them mad, as I was running mad to me.

One day my wife told me that she had suddenly remembered that once, when she used to wear the cell phone hanging from her waist, she felt briefly at the height of the hip something as I described like vibration, and when she changed the model of the cell and no longer carry it close to her body, the vibration was gone.

Then I had the vague impression that I too had felt something, but also very brief and infrequent, before I did the endoscopy. But if that happened, it was so fleeting and rare that I cannot say that was true. However, the way the vibration started just after the endoscopy could not be overlooked or forgotten.

Thinking about what was said by my wife, I remembered that I have being using cell phones since early 1996; that while I still had a job, when at work I used to carry it in the inside pocket of my jacket; that when out on errands, and without the formal dress of work, I carried it inside a “Kangaroo” (also called koala); and that after retirement and being at home most of the time, I’ve carried it in the right pocket of my trousers, where it was when I noticed for the first time the insistent vibration.

Since I had nothing to lose, I avoided putting the cell in contact with my body, and I chose to keep it close to me but on any table, shelf or alike that were in the vicinity of where I was at all times.

Then I remembered that I never used the vibration mode on the cell phones that I had before, but in the one I have now that I bought on February/2010.

On Monday 05/07/2010 I disabled the vibration feature and I kept holding the cell phone away from my body.

Two days later I noticed that the vibrations were less in frequency and duration, and Wednesday 14/07/2010 was the first day that they were not presented. Since then, and until today —just for an entire week—, I have not feel any vibration anymore.

My conclusion might be wrong, but I take refuge to that «better safe than sorry»: something in my genital area that became sensitive as a result of the endoscopy, entered into sync with the cell phone vibrations system, and replicated the vibrations even when the appliance is not already in touch with my body. And if that is true, such a system is not good for health.

So at least the cell phones that I use from now on will not be vibrating, and I’ll keep them away from my body whenever possible.