Sunday, March 1, 2015

03-01-2015 Update

   Well over the last 2 weeks I've attended HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy) only twice I believe, due to weather. I've lost ground some on the improvement that was taking place, but that should change once everything is back on schedule. Hopefully that was the last of the extreme cold weather and snow and ice. I have to admit though, it was kind of nice to sleep in.

  I've managed to get a side effect from this that hopefully will be short lived, I've lost a lot of vision, at least half what I usually have. The only upside to that is I look better in the mirror now. If I can describe this accurately or even sort of: Nearsighted vision is worse than usual. It is a known side effect and hopefully will reverse after this is over, which looks like a long time. Everything is way out of focus and it's like the convergence is set high bleeding out on white or lighted things. I'll not give the real names of the others in there, but one, we'll call him D has lost more than I have. He has to sit at the monitor to be able to read the words on the movies.

  There are usually several of us in there and it changes from day to day. Some days it is others who have had neck or head radiation and the others have diabetes and sores that will not heal. Some have had operations that will not heal with their diabetes. The ones who suffer radiation damage are a lot like me, some are worse like D is. I'm not sure if they are in danger of losing their throat due to the radiation damage causing the cartridge to harden and die, but I suspect they are. D and another guy, H, have never recovered their Saliva Glands. From the 90 I done in 2010 a miracle occurred and I have 1 that works most days most times. It isn't enough to keep me from having to carry liquid with me or to eat without a lot of liquid, but it is better than nothing. They usually offer cough drops and D says there is no point in them giving him one because he has no saliva to dissolve it with. I remember those days.

  So tomorrow we switch areas from St Mary's, now Tennova downtown to Parkwest which is owned by Covenant Health (cough cough) Systems. I am no fan of Covenant nor the lack of care they give or the way they treat their employees. I don't care for their doctors either. Their lack of care missed mom's Leukemia and later on female cancer. Plus years past I have been there as a patient and know they are way lacking. The owners of HBOT have moved it to there though, shame it wasn't at UT. We keep the same doctors and staff plus the drivers will be the same, which is a plus. Now if Covenant will step aside and allow the ones now giving service to continue at the level they already do it will be ok. If not, then we will see what is next. I know I will not do a throat resection, but that doesn't mean I will bow.