|
Karen 11/3/2021 10:49:51 AM | Hi Everybody, Mel asked me to write about my experience with hyperbaric oxygen therapy because he's been getting a lot of questions about it and he knew I'd tried it. I'd tried it because, like many of you, I'd read it can be effective for Lyme disease. This therapy involves getting into a big enclosed capsule that delivers high concentrations of oxygen under pressurized environments. The idea is that the oxygen enters the body and kills the disease-causing bacterium. Apparently, Lyme bacteria is "anaerobic" which means it can't survive in oxygen rich environments as one would find in hyperbaric oxygen therapy. After reading and hearing about this treatment de jour, I was very excited to explore the possibilities. I booked myself an appointment and arrived eagerly ready to bust some pathogens. The attendant explained the procedure and mentioned that my ears might "pop" but to just wait it out because it was no different than what one might experience in an airplane. He also said he'd be "around" to let me out if he heard me banging on the ceiling of this coffin like apparatus, and I practically high fived him as I jumped in and got ready to do some pathogen damage...although it did bother me a little bit that the attendant wasn't standing close by...he went back to his post by the front door. I got in and waited and started noticing the pressure on my eardrums right away...except...it was NOT the same thing with my ears as a flight...oh no....no no no no no. I began to feel pressure...and then extreme pressure...and it got progressively worse until I was almost sure my ear drums were going to burst. I tried to wait it out, but it was not subsiding...it was getting worse and worse. I'm not a complete wimp...I saw others around doing the same therapy and obviously no one else was experiencing this kind of distress. But for me...it was BAD. I had to really talk to myself to not panic. I started beating on the lid of the unit and asking rather loudly for the attendant to let me out. It took a while for him to get over there...and the deal is (and he did explain this before my treatment) they can't just open the lid up...there has to be some decompression for a few minutes first. Thankfully, the ear pain subsided as the unit decompressed. Luckily, I was not charged for this (very short) treatment...and I do think the attendant may have thought I was just being a whiner...but...that was really not the case. The attendant assured me that others don't seem to have this issue...including children. Maybe there's something weird about my ears...I don't know...but that is not an experience I ever want to have again. I'll admit...I'm the worst offender on this site about still (after many years) looking around for a quick fix. As much as I don't want to admit it, the people who are completely well are those who just do the sum of the parts with extreme fidelity over an extended period of time. And so...that's my two cents about HBOT. My advice...forget about HBOT...just DO the sum of the parts. And now I have to go because I'm about to jump up for what seems like the 25th time today to run to the little girl's room because I'm DETERMINED to do the sum of the parts and that involves so much water. Love, Karen | |||
2024 © All Rights Reserved.