HYPERBARIC TREATMENT, END OF WEEK TWO

Well, it is the end of week two. My pain has spiked a little in my extremities; hands and feet. My right arm is a little sore, I think from the injections though. My eyes are fairly the same, argghhhhhh. But otherwise I think there is some improvement. I will know more on Sunday I think, when I have missed two days of treatment. Although I shouldn't notice as big a difference this weekend as I did last weekend apparently. I am hopeful to see big difference next week, maybe some big ups and probably downs, that will mean I am near the big wall!

Some have asked what other disorders/conditions/diseases are indicated for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. 

On Doctor Allan Spiegel's website, NATIONAL HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY , there is a very extensive listing. CRPS isn't mentioned there because there is an entire section devoted to it elsewhere on his site in the NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS SECTION as well as in the RSD THERAPY section. 

Something else that has come up in recent days is the more than rare occurrence of RSD patients actually popping up with Lyme Disease. If you aren't familiar with the disease and/or its symptoms you might want to check it out. Some of them; neurological changes, such as memory issues, tingling in the hands/feet, swelling and pain in the joints, pain/weakness in the arms and legs, and many more. Some of those sound familiar guys? 

I doubt you will find anyone who treats patients with HBO that doesn't have a few stories of patients who come in with a diagnosis of RSD that end up testing positive for Lyme disease. Fortunately the treatment protocol is the same, maybe a few more treatments for the Lyme disease patients I am told. But otherwise it is basically the same treatment depth. 

I am probably driving Phil, the technician, and Dr Spiegel crazy with all the questions I ask. I am a naturally inquisitive person to begin with but when I undergo a treatment such as this, which is fairly unknown to most in our community despite a plethora of information available, I am even more in the face of the people performing the procedures. Not just for me but for all the people who come after me, who come to me with questions. 

I don't want to sound holier than thou but I take the trust of my pain community friends and family seriously. When people visit our website and read the information there I want them to be assured we have checked out the information thoroughly and stand by what we write.  The websites we refer people to are sites we have checked out. The people we work with in the pain community are dedicated to healing. 

Someone asked me yesterday what I was going to do if this procedure healed me completely, left me with zero pain? I said I hadn't really thought about it. I don't think they believed me. But it is the truth. I have been dealing with CRPS since I was 14. I had numerous breaks, tears, and bruises all growing up through sports. I got in the car accident in my early twenties and broke my back, among other things. Later, I developed Fibromyalgia. I have dealt with the eye issues/vision problems since I was 14 as well. 

I am not complaining, not at all. I am simply saying, I have dealt with pain for so long I am not really sure how I would handle not being in pain. I would like to know. I am praying it will happen to some degree, meaning whether it will be 90, 95, or even 100% pain-free I don't know but I will gladly take whatever I can get, every inch, every % I can get. Because the healthier I am, the more I can help others with their pain issues. I know it is my life's work, has been and will continue to be. 

I am trying to do everything they tell me to; eat the right stuff, rest as much as I can, take my vitamin E, D, and get my B vitamin injections. I try to swim as often as I can to keep my body active as well. Not doing laps or anything but just being in the water and staying limber. I love the water.

And I try to learn everything I can.

Ok, enough of this stuff.

Have a great weekend everyone! Go, enjoy, have fun, swim a little, rest a little, do something enjoyable, read a good book, learn something new, and share a good joke!

Peace, Keith

Just a few notes

I just wanted to make a few comments about the Hyperbaric before I begin.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the treatment, and who will be following me here,  there tends to be a pattern that is important to note. Many patients start to feel better, then they sort of hit this wall where their symptoms and pain actually increase rather than decrease. This is an important and crucial point in the treatment process because it is often where some patients quit; feeling the treatment not only isn't working but is actually making them worse.

If they could only push past this spot, and where it comes depends on the patient, the medical history, treatment modality, length/depth of dives, etc., but if they could only push through this spot they usually achieve some amazing results.

That is my first point. If you read this and see that my pain starts to get worse, please stay tuned. I will stay the course, to see it through. 

The second point has to do with whether or not I am a good candidate to begin with. Who knows? I think most Drs who examine me for the first time would say I am a very tough case and one of the worst they have seen, despite the fact that some people who see me say "You don't look like you have CRPS?". Currently I am not in a wheelchair, although I did use one for a while. Currently I am not using a cane, although I did for many years. Currently I am not forced to spend all my days in bed, although like many of you there are days when it is a real struggle not to do so. Many people who see me would think I was "normal", those who are my friends and family and spend some time with mw know the truth, I have gotten much better at handling and hiding my pain. Plus, most people don't see our "down-time". 

As I mention in my bio, besides having full-body CRPS I also have Fibromyalgia, failed-back syndrome, peripheral neuropathy in my feet and legs, Uveitis, very bad eye problems (especially my left eye), Sjogren's Syndrome, and a few other minor issues. I have had quite a few surgeries from accidents over the years. In other words, I am not the ideal "clean" candidate as Doctor's like to say. But I thought it was important to try this treatment and share my experiences with others, the same way I did with the low-dose ketamine infusion. 

HBOT has such amazing potential for CRPS patients. It is non-invasive, it isn't very expensive compared to other treatment options, especially the implants, and if done in the correct environment it is a safe procedure. 

If you would like to learn more about how it works, you should stop by our website and check out the HBO Section. If you have already been through it yourself send me an email detailing your experiences so we can share them with others, especially if it was done in a facility with the hard-sided (chambers as opposed to the soft-sided home chambers). 

The section can be found by visiting AMERCIAN RSDHOPE HYPERBARIC OXYGEN TREATMENT

Thanks for reading!