Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy "Things They Don't Tell You"

Though this is a blog detailing my cello lessons, a big part of my cello playing lately has revolved around my health and my daily hyperbaric oxygen treatments.

While talking with my fellow divers this morning it occurred to me that no one really told me what to expect during the actual dives. Other divers concurred with this. So during the dive today, I decided to jot down everything I could think of that might be helpful to someone going through this therapy.

You need to be ready to go about 30 minutes before the dive begins so that vital signs, etc. can be taken. It is very annoying to be on time and have the same divers show up "late" every morning and hold up the beginning of the dive.

The nurses tend to downplay the importance of nose spray, but use it. It can't hurt and it beats having problems pressurizing.

During the first 10 minutes make sure you yawn, swallow, blow through your ears, whatever it takes to clear your ears. If you can't clear they have to take the chamber back to regular oxygen levels (like they did this morning) and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to cycle through this again. A real pain.

The first dive is 45 minutes. If you are going to have any nausea, it will be during the first dive. I haven't had problems, but others have thrown up. It is a good idea to have a dry, dull breakfast before the dive. I've even noticed the difference in mornings when I had oatmeal for breakfast compared with mornings I had scramble eggs. This dive seems to last forever.

After 45 minutes we have a 10 minute snack break. I have 2 saltine packets and drink lots of water. It is still very loud in the chamber so no one talks except the technician (we have either Ernesto or David).

The final 45 minute dive seems to go by quicker than the first. During the last 10 minutes of this dive the technician breathes oxygen through some kind of regulator so that is a good indicator of how much time is left. Then comes the freezing time. The final 10 minutes or so in the chamber is freezing cold. At least the helmets and neck gadgets come off, but I need two blankets wrapped tightly to keep from freezing to death. It seems to take me a couple of hours to get my body back to a normal temperature.

The whole experience takes about 2 to 3 hours. I arrive at 7 am (or usually about 6:50). If we're lucky, we get the dive started on time at 7:30. This morning it was 8:00 am because the one new lady couldn't clear her ears and we had to start over. I'm usually in my car in the parking garage by 10 a.m. Of course, on days I have appts. or my cello lesson, we seem to go overtime.

You are told you can read; not actually true. You can read but it is very difficult to maintain reading due to the ripply plastic of the dive hood. I read a book with fairly large type size, but it is very tiring after awhile. It is easier to work on Suduko; my pages are large print. I also find it helps to pass the time if I write; almost anything will work.

It is hard to talk as the air pressure is really loud.

You can wear a watch and wedding band. The watch helps pass the time.

I find it helps to move around in the chair. The chair is not the most comfortable in the world; there is also a crate with a pillow you can prop your legs on. I find I am less nauseous if I keep my feet flat on the floor during dive 1. I'm afraid to nod off as I might fall out of the chair.

The other divers indicated that initially their wounds (diabetic) seemed to feel worse. This seemed to be my experience. I am on diver 13 as of today and am hopeful that in a couple of days I might feel some improvement (this is based on another divers experience; similar type of wound and she didn't feel any change until about diver 15; I've been told not to expect improvement until dive 20).

Make sure to go to the bathroom prior to entering the chamber. Sounds like common sense, but I've been told there have been occasions when divers have had to use either a tube (for the men) or a bed pan. Would not want to have that happen to me.

After two days I got my hair cut as it was always getting in the way of the neck ring. It still gets caught somewhat, but not as bad as before. Long hair also looks HORRIBLE coming out of the dive hood.

This may just be me, but I am usually somewhat exhausted for a couple of hours after each session. Don't know if it is the early morning sneaking up on me, or something in the extra oxygen. Another diver indicated she was nauseous for about 3 hours after each dive. The nurses indicated that everyone reacts differently to the treatment.