LoudLizzard's Journal

Well, I started hyperbaric oxygen therapy 3 days ago, and now have had three 1-hour treatments. Basically, they put you in a tube and put you under the same pressure you would be in if you were 30 feet below water. Then they pump pure oxygen into the tube. When you are in this pressure, your body absorbs the oxygen 100% and it gets deep into your body. I take Mucinex prior to my appointments to clear out any fluid in my ears. I also chew gum to try to get my ears to pop while the doc is bringing the pressure down or bringing it back up. You feel great immediately afterwards, but tired a few hours later. After 2 treatments, my symptoms flared up (as the doc predicted). I've been having shooting nerve pains at random times and in random parts of my body. Through my head, neck, back, legs, feet, arms, legs, knees, etc. These symptoms have haunted me throughout the illness, but the therapy is temporarily making them worse. The bacteria release neurotoxins (nerve toxins) when they die, and those neurotoxins make you feel really sick and make your symptoms flare up. This is all expected, and frankly I'm glad I'm feeling worse because I know the therapy is working! I hope those little suckers suffer and die a painful death! :P I've also felt nauseous and "blah" and my throat was hurting yesterday. All good signs.

I made sure to get a SPECT scan of my brain prior to the treatment. I'm sure you've seen pictures of the brain that are colored red, blue, yellow, etc. That is called the SPECT scan, and it shows blood flow in the brain. Here is an example of a SPECT scan so you'll know what I'm talking about: http://www.biocompresearch.org/images/spect00sm1.jpg
 
Okay, go to this link to see the different parts of the brain: http://ww2.heartandstroke.ca/images/english/english_brain.jpg. My SPECT scan showed that my right and left frontal lobes (front part of the brain) have reduced blood flow. Also, two different areas in my left parietal lobe (towards the middle back of the brain) have reduced blood flow. This means something is cutting off blood flow in my brain. Lyme disease patients typically have this problem, and this was confirmed by the doctor who read my test. In Lyme disease, the bacteria infect your brain (nasty thought huh?). The veins and arteries in your brain get really swollen. They swell almost shut on the inside, so blood cells have a hard time fitting through the small tubes. If blood flow is reduced in the brain, many problems can arise. What has happened to me is the right side numbness/weakness and loss of muscle and coordination. I also have memory problems, depression, dizziness, shooting pains in my head, and feel "out of it" alot of the time. I would guess I'm about 5-10% paralyzed on the right side. It affects my eye, my muscles, my esophagus, and even my breathing. It makes it a little bit difficult to breathe when it really flares up because the muscles controlling breathing are also affected. It sounds scary, but I've really grown accustomed to it in the last year and a half. I also have good days and bad days. It literally varies from one moment to the next, since blood flow is constantly changing. My other symptoms not related to my brain are a laundry list at least a page long. They also seem to vary daily. They should improve more and more as the bacteria continue to be killed.
 
What this therapy will do is not only kill the bacteria, but also open up the veins and arteries again, improving blood flow. It can actually help heal any damaged areas in the brain by getting more oxygen to them. I am also on high powered antibiotics and will remain on them for probably a year or more. In addition, my blood has become thick and prone to clotting (another symptom of Lyme disease) so I may be put on Heparin, a blood thinner pretty soon. Blood clots are especially dangerous if your veins and arteries are already swollen like mine. Please say a prayer for me that no blood clots form in my body, and if I already have some, let them dissolve and go away safely. I'm really worried about this.