Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment

When I began writing a blog, I planned to reminence about things that had affected me previously, but this year has been a challenge. Therefore, I would like to tell you about somethings which have affected us.

In February Keith was stricken with sciatic nerve problems. There were doctor visits with pain medication which did not help. Friends suggested many over the counter drugs or apparatuses to ease the pain. He continued to play golf and suffer the consequence of pain. 

Eventually he went to Therapy for relief. He went three times a week for a month. At times the pain was better, but mostly he continued to suffer. At one point he had no pain for a couple weeks. After therapy the pain began again.

In May he had a "crack"on his foot and we treated it but it did not get well. We went to Wound Care on the advice of a friend. For four weeks he was treated for the injury and it healed on the outside. We thought we were out of the woods then.

We went for lunch with our church friends on Sunday a week before Memorial Day. Keith came down with diarrhea and feeling sick. I took him to the Emergency room and they treated him for dehydration and sent him home. The next morning, at 4 a.m. I called 911 as Keith was passing out and still severe diarrhea. They took him to the hospital.  He was diagnosed with Salmonella Poisoning. He spent four days in the hospital. Fortunately the Sciatic didn't bother him too much while he was in the hospital, but enough for pain meds sometimes.

Keith was released on Sunday at noon before Memorial Day. We left for KY and Ohio at 3 p.m. That afternoon. Keith drove to Ocalla and I drove into Georgia where we spent the night. He wanted to make it to Ohio and his Union meeting by Tuesday, which he did and our family reunion on Sunday.

We had a great two weeks seeing family and friends. We got home and returned to normal activities of golf and church.

The Wound Center had asked me to put cream on Keith's feet each night, which I did. I noticed a tiny sore spot near where the other ulcer had been. I put Neosporian on it several nights. It did not get better. Keith went for a check up at the family doctor and he sent him back to the Wound Center. As soon as the dr. Saw him he said, "I'm sending you to the hospital." The foot was infected, but it had not reached the bone. Keith spent six days in the hospital taking antibiotics interveniously.  He Had surgery on the foot.  He was blessed with seven doctors.

When he was released from the hospital he was sent back to the Wound Center who planned to put his foot in a cast in order to keep his weight off his foot. The cast had to wait as Keith was going to his cardiologist, who did an angiogram on his leg and put one stent in his abdomen. Scheduling the next surgery on that leg for September 10, which will be a three hour surgery. The poor circulation is what causes the foot to not heal properly.

The foot was put in a cast and Hyperbaric Oxygen ordered. As I sit here writing, Keith is in the chamber, where he breathes 100% oxygen for one hundred ten minutes. It is supposed to make the healing faster. This is his sixth treatment in the Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber. He is scheduled for twenty. He can gist eighteen in before his next surgery.  The only adverse affect has been his ears. He had loss of hearing previously, but now his hearing is practically gone. They tell us it will return after treatment. 

I am not complaining, but informing how life can change in a flash.