by 2018

Jim bought a portable HBOT chamber in July of 2016. He was still having some symptoms off and on, but still so much better than at onset in 2011.

We were able to do our usual 'fun' activities - mountain biking, dirt bike trail riding, camping, fly fishing but sometimes the 'bobbly head' would return

For one year, he used it for more than 400 hours. Usage would vary, often coupled with a few day 'water only fast'. He was on his similar diet of protein, low/no starch, veggies, fruit - modified Paleo diet.

June 2018 - in the morning Jim greeting me with, "I.m cured!" He was feeling almost perfect!.

He still will get the occasional 'bobbly head' but he is so much better. Small things will bug him. For example, if we are riding mountain bikes, he does not like being lead because it bothers him to keep twisting his head around to check on me. But he has no problem riding over rocky terrain (which was not possible prior).

It was a long journey but we feel that the HBOT was a definite aid to allowing Jim to return to a mostly normal life.

Final Results

Jim's words.....

The chamber went back on Saturday.
I feel my problem were two separate issues.
- The balance issue, which is completely gone. I would say I am back to normal.
- The light headiness is about 95%. The last week and a half in the chamber didn't change it.
It is at the annoying stage only. I function just fine --the fast head movement results in immediate clear focus, like when driving a car and looking left and quickly right.
I am back driving and loving it. Yesterday it snowed about 7 inches and roads were treacherous and I was just fine driving.
Back to normal and if this ever happens again, I will be in the chamber much sooner.
 I would say that the chamber was the key to my recovery and would recommend it to anyone.

For Joy:
She felt so much better as I have posted.
For the blood test results, very disappointing---from the great result after the 12th treatment to the end --there was no change!!!!!!!
For now, she is keeping a diary of how she feels. It will be interesting to see how long it takes to get back to here old symptoms.
It is odd that the sessions in the chamber made her feel so great, yet no change in her White Blood cell Count.

As for my Friend that got the same as I had, it sounds like it was not, I heard he was back to work, so for sure it was not..

Day 30: Almost Done

Today marks 111 hours for Jim in chamber, and 68 hours for Joy. The chamber is returned tomorrow.
Jim felt good enough today to drive to an appointment in Denver, in the truck, a 1-hour drive each way! On the highway! This is great because a) first time Jim has driven this far in months, b) maybe Karen won't have to be driving him places any more!
Joy had a blood test  yesterday so we'll see if her white blood count is still lower.
Jim feels that his use of chamber plateaued awhile back. But still has really enjoyed it.
We'll report more tomorrow for the last words on our experiences with chamber use.

Day 25: Jim is way better

We are nearing the end of the chamber - one week to go. Jim is so much better. I wish we had known about this (mild chamber) before. Our neighbor, Joy (with CLL), says she has much more energy and seems really happy - she has been going in the chamber twice a day. I like it too, but I think it's just because I get to relax, and kinda sleep. It has been rather stressful with the schedule here (the chamber shedule) and I have been getting up earlier than normal.

So we are really hoping that by May 12-15 we can take off on a trip with our trailer, animals, fly rods, bikes and get back to our normal life of fun mixed with work. I think that this week I will let Jim try to drive on the interstate and see how he does. He thinks he is ready!

I would certainly recommend this to anyone who gets severe vertigo - the sooner the better. Forget the PT training exercises. To us they seemed only like ways to gauge how bad you are or how much you are progressing.

Blood test results

Jim says..............

I had the appointment Thursday to get the results of the blood test from the chiropractor. He said that the test showed nothing out of the ordinary. There was no indication of what caused me to be this way.

The Chiropractor had a special software program that he ran the results through and came up with a Nutritional Report and Information. It showed I was.....

-Low in Vit D

-Thyroid was low!

-Adrenal System a bit weak!

-And a few other things

He came up with a supplement Schedule for me:

-Proglyco SP

-Adaptocrim

-Thyraxix PT

-Acrenacalm

-HCL Prozgme

I told him I do not just take stuff recommended to me and I wanted to look up the ingredients.

He gave me their web site:

http://www.apexenergetics.com/welcome.htm

He said that Oxygen would help me and he can administer it there;  combined with his suggested supplements and I would improve.

I asked what he thought the cause of this was and he did not know!!!

There was just no indication of what caused me to be this way.

I thanked him very much and declined to take the above list of whatever it was, and went home to look this stuff.

Looking at the site, I saw the products but I couldn’t get a list of any of the ingredients.

The drive to Denver and back, about 30 min each way with an elevation change of about 3,000 feet, I felt good in the car, WAY better than just a few days ago.

I’d say he was right on about the Oxygen.

I am continuing with the two chamber sessions each day and will until the rental period is up on the 7^th of May.

I will update then.

Oh- A friend of ours, who is a decade younger than me, came down with a bout of Vertigo last Monday, the 25^th. His wife said he threw up and couldn’t stand being in the car. Same as I was!!!

He is in Reno, Nevada. We recommended he find a chamber over there and get in it.

I will keep this blog updated with his results—if he finds a chamber.

Day 21: Jim's Rambling Frustration

Jim reports....

I am at a bit of a stall in progress:

Last Thursday, I decided that I should go back to the chiropractor. He is about my age, loads of experience and specializes in neurology. He really knows this stuff, and using him along with the chamber I felt that I just couldn’t miss.

Doing a “Full Treatment”, not relying on ONE treatment (as I am still “Light-Headed”) has to be the way to go at this point. I feel I have stalled in progress and am only half way through the Chamber time. I feel it is the best use of time and skills. There should be no need to rent the chamber for another month. This way I will get better faster—a more complete therapy –both working together.

Entertaining the thought of using him again, knowing full well that the second treatment he did made me worse, I assured myself that it was just a coincidence and all will help me get better faster. Also his testing would show my progress in “Real Time” - A good test for the hours I am putting in the chamber. Karen and I discussed it and decided to go ahead and booked the appointment.

When I saw him, I told him about the HBOT and my idea of “Full Treatment”. He immediately was on board agreeing that full treatment was a great idea and how he knows all about oxygen etc.  yada yada yada.

He then wanted to see how I was doing and excited to see how I did on the balance machine—me too!

So, I jumped on the machine and the results of that test were promising. Before, I was at 24%, the very bottom of the scale, a high risk of falling. Now I am at 58% – one segment from the “Top” scale.

I also did the test – standing on foot in front of the other, get my balance and close my eyes. I was able to balance much longer than a couple of weeks prior. Before I lasted 5 seconds, now I was 45 seconds with left foot forward and a minute with the other foot forward, or visa versa—it is important, but not for this report. Now we are getting somewhere!! Yahoo.

So, with regained confidence in the Chiropractor, this “Full Treatment” is a great idea, I am happy that I booked this appointment; I will get better faster—feeling great.

So, the chiro goes on about how he agrees that O2 is a good thing—he said he even administers oxygen to patients, but didn’t with me because----??

He had a stroke patient use a chamber with good results. Chambers are good.

Then he goes on to say that HE would have gotten the same balance improvements doing his stuff, BUT, he said, “It doesn’t matter how you get better as long as you get better”--in other words, he know ALL and His way will work!!!!

He went on to say that HE can read blood test and it must be a test with Fasting—I just had one last week BUT I had coffee that morning—he said that is no good—has to be fasting---SO --I decided to get another blood test and find out what is wrong with me for sure.

He said that I was MIS-DIAGNOSED, it is not Vestibular Neuritis. BUT doesn’t know what it is!! 

With him saying that stuff, confidence just dropped somewhat, BUT it is more looking back on it then at the time.

He suggested we do the same maneuvers as before---

Hmmmm—But—it will be ok, I just got to get better, SO, I am still on this “Full Treatment” idea and all will be good.

He did the same little maneuver on me: I lay down on my side with my head on 10 inches of books (to be level) and he has this little “Clicker” thing and clicks my ear lobe –the second maneuver was me standing with my left arm over my chest—he got behind, I exhale and he kinda pulls my elbow up and into me—not too hard and seemed no big deal.

I immediately felt the light-headedness get a bit worse!!!!!!

He sez that it is odd for that to happen again!!!—NO Shit Sherlock, I thought!

The end of that session, with the blood test booked and the session with him to interpret the test, so I can finally find out what is wrong--- we spent about $400.00.

Then he proceeded to tell me that once he gets the results he can advise a diet for me as well as supplements that will really help me. He pulls out pills—long story short, it is a MLM company. We looked the company up when we got home. Struggling MLM Company, we read that they did a study showing how great their stuff was - it was a study based on a “13 people” - need I say more.

The drive home –I was quite a bit worse and when I did the evening walk with the dog, at the end of the walk –I was just about the same as I was TWO WEEKS AGO!!!

I called him immediately and did get him on the phone, told him and he said that it would be a good idea to NOT do any more treatments in the office---  OH—he had given me that ball to use---I am stopping that too.

At this point I am furious at myself for going back to him!

This “Full Treatment” stuff is not looking too good!

What have I done? How stupid can I possibly be???

I just want to know what is wrong with me. How can I be treated for something we don’t know the cause?????

So, now Tuesday morning and I am still not to where I was BEFORE I saw him. The VOR is a bit worse looking to the left and it was just about gone!!!

I just want to know what is wrong!

I have the blood test results of 4-15-2011on my desk (the one that I had a cup of coffee, that chiro said is NO Good.) What ever good it is to me, I can compare for past ones, but I don’t have the education in that department to really make any sense of it. It is like me reading my brain scan—it is there on the screen BUT

Yesterday, the chiro's office called to say they have the blood test and I have an appointment for Tuesday at 11 am to go over the results and get his opinion of WHY I am this way and exactly what the problem is. BUT my wife is busy today and I can’t get a ride in to see him today!! –I really shouldn’t drive the car either, --I could have driven BEFORE I saw him!!!

I Told the girl this and said I would like the results by phone, perhaps we can keep the 11am appointment and just do it on the phone.—Message back it that he has a lot to go over and needs to do it in person!!!  AKKKK!

I really want to compare the tests and also see what he has to say. At least I will have a direct comparison—maybe I can see just how bad it was to have the coffee before the test---it will be interesting.

OH—yesterday I completed the first “Block” –40 treatments in the chamber. I thought I would be better by now!!

At this point right now, my ringing in my ears is still down about 25% and I am better that I was after the walk with the dog on Friday.

So, at day 21 of the chamber with 10 days to go with it, I am thinking positive - those couple of little maneuvers were really not that much, my body can’t be that sensitive!

Now that the first block of treatments is complete, I need to do Plan B.

-Finish the 10 days with 2 treatments a day.

- Get the new blood test results and have the meeting with chiro and see what he has to say. There will be no maneuvers at all, just the results and his opinion. Also, I will see what he is pitching for a diet and Pills and will not buy anything. I can get a ride Thursday, so I will book that appointment.

-   I will stay positive.

Just a thought as I am typing this:

I really would rather be the one reading this blog than the one writing this in “Real Time” –Hindsight is such a wonder thing. My progress was so good with just the chamber. I am really pissed that I even thought of that “Full Therapy” stuff.

Maybe it is as simple as going down to sea level for a few weeks; we are at 8300 feet elevation here! Perhaps that will be Plan C.

Conclusion:

I just took a bit of a break and walked around. My VOR is about 90%, not that bad looking to the left.

I think, now from my HBOT experience, that in 4-5 more treatments I will be back to where I was, so it is not too bad, just a little set back. Making decisions and acting on those decisions is a good thing—it is the way a person learns.

Not making decisions is definitely worse.

So, there is no Gloom and Doom here.

Learning from my actions is a wonderful thing.

Can’t learn if you don’t want to and all those other clichés.

To Be Continued...............

Day 16: Balance better, but still dizzy

Jim has now completed 32 treatments in the chamber over 16 days. He knows his balance is better (from various tests he was doing for PT and Chiro) and says the acceleration feeling when moving head or riding in car is gone. However, his head still gets a "swimmy" feeling when he moves it, and/or he can feel a bit dizzy.

So he went back to the Chiropractic Neurologist. We know he has a degenerated disc in his upper spine (has for years) - was this also maybe adding to the problems? Or was something else?

He's doing some exercises that the Chiro gave him. Jim did feel better after Chiro did an adjustment. One of the exercises involves the DynaBall - very cool - strengthens your wrist.