The HBOT went well. The chamber was pretty cool; it looks a lot like a mini submarine. I felt like Jacques Cousteau except there were no fish swimming by. I was given scrubs to wear and a plastic hood with a flexible rubber collar that fits tightly around the neck. There are two hoses hooked up to the hood. Oxygen is only flowing inside the hood--the "dive" chamber is pressurized with regular air. The seats are quite comfortable, and pillows & blankets are allowed. They have a video screen attached to the outside of one of the porthole windows, and there are speakers inside the chamber, so we can watch movies during the dive. I thought I was going to be able to read in there, but the plastic of the hood isn't crystal clear, and the lighting is a bit dim. I guess I'm going to be watching a lot of movies! I took two shorter dives today--they do that to make sure you don't have any kind of trouble with it. From now on it will be one longer dive each time which lasts a couple hours (2 1/2 hours counting the set up time and pressurizing/depressurizing time. Of course the ears pop a lot during pressurizing/depressurizing, but otherwise it's quite uneventful. I did take note of all the warnings and instructions printed inside the chamber "in case of fire"--oh, boy!
Before the vitamin C IV, I received a glutathione "push" IV--which means I had to push the IV plunger manually--it wasn't in a bag. Ooookay...I didn't really know what I was doing, but I didn't blow a vein or anything, so I guess I did it correctly. Seriously, it was pretty easy. The vitamin C took a couple hours or more. The drip is pretty slow, because if it goes in too fast, apparently you can feel burning in your veins. Oh, I was able to take my IV right into the HBOT chamber during the second dive. The pressure just made the drip slow down a bit more. I had no reactions to the IV's, either, so that's good. The nurses/attendants are always asking if I feel ok or am having any problems. I had heard that one tends to feel very energized after an HBOT dive, but when I asked the nurses, they said that doesn't happen right away. They said I will actually be exhausted by the end of the first week, but then it gets better. I don't really feel any different at all after the treatments today.
The meeting with Dr. Abfall (a woman) was very interesting. She looked at my blood under a microscope which was hooked up to a large computer monitor, so I could see what she saw. I have to say, it's pretty interesting to see a parasite, protozoa, yeast, uric acid, heavy metal particle, and what-all else swimming around with the red blood cells. Yeah, it's creepy at the same time. I have a lot of good red blood cells, but I also have a lot of unhealthy ones, and the difference is very obvious. I saw some white blood cells, too, and actually watched one move toward one of the "bad guys" and start "eating" it, which is what they are supposed to do. My white count is low, though, so we really have to build up my immune system.
Dr. Abfall is a super lady; she has strong faith and made a few references to the Creator's intelligent design/our fearfully and wonderfully made bodies, etc. I made sure to let her know we were on the same page. :) She went over some of my lab results and also did a test which measures the electric current passing through every part/organ of my body. Anywhere in which the current is slow or blocked is a problem. She detailed exactly which nutrients in which I'm deficient and what types of foods and other substances to which my body is sensitive. Mind you, I've never had any symptoms at all other than leg pain, so it is slightly discouraging to find out that my blood and gut, etc., etc. aren't actually that healthy right now. It's like when a patient goes to the chiropractor for one specific pain and finds out that their whole spine is out of line. You feel perfectly fine...and then find out that you aren't. :) She gave me a lot more specific diet and nutrition advice based on what my body needs, which is one of the things for which I was looking forward to getting help. She also added more supplements (AARRGGHH--I might have to get a bigger pill box!). :) My diet is even stricter now, but some of it is temporary. Everything--the food, supplements, and drugs--will be re-evaluated at the six-week appointment. There is a lot of stuff to fix, but it is fixable!
The next two days I have to be at the clinic by 7:45 for HBOT followed by an IV treatment (glutathione and chelation tomorrow). Thursday I will go from the clinic straight to the hospital in Sheboygan for the PET scan. Just so you all know, I am fully expecting the PET scan to show more cancer. Best case would be it is only in my hip; worst case would be it's everywhere. I'm thinking it will be somewhere between. So I'll be either pleasantly surprised, disappointed, or have my expectations met.
The day at the clinic went well, but I was feeling a bit stressed afterward. I have a lot to keep track of; I was a bit discouraged to find out I'm sicker than I thought; and it's pretty unreal the amount of money I'm dropping every visit. I've been fine the whole time since my first appointment last week, but I think everything kind of got to me this afternoon. Bob noticed, too--have I mentioned that I love that man? After I got home and sorted out all the new supplements and papers, I went outside and spent some time in the yard and garden, and then I went for a long walk--and my leg didn't bother me! I needed that, and I used the time outdoors to pray and to thank God for all the good things that happened (remember King David and ending with praise?):
- No reactions or side effects from any treatments
- A shorter than expected appointment allowing me to have time outdoors
- Dr. Abfall is a woman of faith
- Our bodies are truly amazing creations
- Leg pain is better today--hopefully, that means something is working!
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