HBOT Day 3 and some answers to some questions, lots of pictures!

Another great crazy day....

Last night I went to bed early after eating a bunch of boiled peanuts...that I had boiled myself.  For all of you who don't live in the US south, you may not have eaten them, but they are peanuts in the shells that are boiled for hours after sitting in brine over night.  YUM!!!  (brine is a water/salt mixture)

 

Sam loved them

 

I got my  DUCK DYNASTY plastic cup!

 

Shad loved them too

 

 

Then after being so tired, I woke dead awake at 2 am.....oh dear Lord, I could have solved the world's problems at that time if I'd just wrote all my thoughts down LOL!  I stayed awake for hours.  That is so unlike me!

 

Then I got up extra early since the head of our nursing agency was coming to meet us.  We had a good meeting and it was nice to meet him face to face. 

 

Sarah decided to do some posing before we left LOL

 

Is she funny or what, this was her doing it on her own. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

she just cracked me up!!!!

 

 

 

Then we were off to HBOT for the morning session!

 

 

One thing I've noticed is that she is much more alert than usual.  And the funny thing is we have given her her dose of Valium daily since we were afraid she'd get stressed out.  Tomorrow we are going to do it without the Valium.   One thing that does seem different is she seems to be back to paying attention to her DVDs again like she was before we left Rochester NY! 

 

 

 

 

This is our home away from home for the next 17 days!

 

 

Then we went home to meet with the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, Will Weatherford and his aide Ralph.  They came to our house and met our family.    We were just blown away by Mr Weatherford!  I remembered his name from voting, he happens to be our country's representative.  When I voted for him, little did I know he'd end up in my house one day, helping our family out.  he is just a regular guy, who actually seems to care.  One interesting fact about him, is he was home schooled...I like that.  I would not be surprised to see him as Governor of Florida one day and I know he will have our family's support! 

 

 

 

 

He has been in contact with the Department of Management services in Tallahassee that denied Selah's Level II appeal for nursing care,  There is a review going on and we expect to hear good news soon.  Nothing is final, but I have a very good feeling about this:)

 

Thank God for politicians like him and Mike Fasano (Pasco Co Tax Collector) who care about helping their constitutes.   We are so grateful for both men's help!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Then a quick lunch and back to the HBOT clinic.....

 

 

I've gotten some questions about HBOT, maybe this can answer some of them....

http://www.hbot.com/faq  is where I got this info. 

 

 

  What is HBOT?

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment which enhances the body's natural healing process by inhalation of 100% oxygen in a total body chamber, where atmospheric pressure is increased and controlled.  It is used for a wide variety of treatments usually as a part of an overall medical care plan.
Under normal circumstances, oxygen is transported throughout the body only by red blood cells. With HBOT, oxygen is dissolved into all of the body's fluids, the plasma, the central nervous system fluids, the lymph, and the bone and can be carried to areas where circulation is diminished or blocked.  In this way, extra oxygen can reach all of the damaged tissues and the body can support its own healing process.  The increased oxygen greatly enhances the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteria, reduces swelling and allows new blood vessels to grow more rapidly into the affected areas.  It is a simple, non-invasive and painless treatment.
  What are the benefits of HBOT?
It has long been known that healing many areas of the body cannot take place without appropriate oxygen levels in the tissue.  Most illnesses and injuries occur, and often linger, at the cellular or tissue level.  In many cases, such as: circulatory problems; non-healing wounds; and strokes, adequate oxygen cannot reach the damaged area and the body's natural healing ability is unable to function properly.  Hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides this extra oxygen naturally and with minimal side effects.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves the quality of life of the patient in many areas when standard medicine is not working.  Many conditions such as stroke, cerebral palsy, head injuries, and chronic fatigue have responded favorably to HBOT.

  How does hyperbaric oxygen help brain injury or stroke?

When cells in the brain die, either from trauma or lack of oxygen, blood plasma leaks out into surrounding brain tissue causing swelling and reducing blood flow.  These otherwise normal cells go dormant because they can't function without the appropriate amount of oxygen.  HBOT dramatically increases the oxygen carried in the blood plasma, making oxygen available to heal damaged capillary walls, preventing plasma leakage and reducing swelling.  As the swelling decreases,  blood flow can be restored to the dormant tissue (neovascularization) and these cells then have the potential to function again.
  How does hyperbaric oxygen help a child with cerebral palsy (CP) or traumatic brain injury (TBI)?
In CP and TBI patients, some of the injured brain tissues may be "dormant" and non-functioning. HBOT can stimulate these "dormant" tissues and return them to more normal function.  In young children, cognitive function and spasticity can be improved.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, used in conjunction with other therapies, ensures the best recovery possible for children with cerebral palsy and traumatic brain injury.




I hope that answers some questions.  HBOT is either loved or hated by the medical community.  None of our doctors think it is worth the money to be honest.  BUT we also had that reaction when we had Sam's corneal implant done and we thank God we didn't pay attention to anyone  then who was negative! 

We do not know what will happen with Selah.  BUT we love her and want to give her the chance to see if this helps her or not.  Either way, I am glad we are doing it for her.  If we see no change, we can think "at least we tried it"...if we see some change, even small change, it will be worth it! 

I don't know where I stand with it.  I'm excited about it, and wanted to give it a chance.  I'm a VERY conservative mom and usually goes right along with my pediatrician.  My kids get every shot, they get the flu shot every year.... I believe in circumcision for boys.... hospital births ONLY,   LOL  I'm all about taking them to the doctor/dentist etc.....  BUT I also go with my gut feeling.   Since there is very little risk with HBOT, that is done in a established clinic,  (and this clinic is very safety conscious) I didn't feel we had anything to lose in trying it. 

I've read all kinds of testimonials and heard a lot of stories, but  remember I was raised  in a Pentecostal church where I heard all kinds of "healing stories" too so I take everything with a grain of salt LOL  BUT maybe there is some truth to these claims.  I've been interested in it for years.  I originally looked at HBOT for Sam but since he has eye implants, there were real concerns about the pressure on them. 

My thought is GOD made the Fish Oil that she is still on....( He made the fish...)  and He made the oxygen....and don't get me wrong, I do believe God can heal, I just don't believe He needs PR people (public relation people) who exaggerate things for Him  LOL  So I think combining the fish oil, pure oxygen and prayer....that is a good mix! 

In my heart of hearts, I believe we will see some significant change in Selah.  I maybe wrong and I'll admit it if I am...but I think there will be change!   I'm a bit like a "doubting Thomas" but I'm not disagreeable about it.  I'd LOVE to see it work for Selah! 

 

 

Thank you for continuing to pray for Selah!  I will let you know daily how it goes and any changes we see. 

 

In spite of things being so busy, we have done well on the Daniel Fast.  I know we have no done it perfectly but I've had no sweets or meat (well I did taste a piece of bacon that I cooked for Sarah- I'd had it in the freezer for awhile but I just took one bite!)   I do still drink tea and coffee with as little sugar as possible.  Like I said, Daniel had time to go pray...I have to be a busy mom to 5 kids!   I did have some Greek yogurt, not sure if that was approved or not.   Jon has done perfect as he basically eats like that most of the time anyhow!  Steve and Shad have done good so far too.