During a weight lifting session at the gym, Amy experienced a sudden onset of severe neck pain. After several months of discomfort she saw a neurosurgeon who requested an MRI. It showed posterior disc bulges at C34 and C45, and a larger one at C6. About 18 months after the initial injury, whilst out running her dogs, a sudden pull caused jarring and a worsening of pain. Another MRI showed further disc and spinal damage. The ongoing pain led to surgery - a C67 discectomy and disc replacement. At this point Amy had to stop working as a school teacher. Initially, after the surgery, Amy noticed some relief from the constant pain, but slowly it returned, becoming localized between her scapulae, chest and neck, and causing headaches as well. The only answer was a continuous menu of painkillers.
With no other options available, Amy's doctor applied to the Wayne Reynolds Trust to provide funding for hyperbaric oxygen treatment. The trustees supported the application and Amy underwent ten 90 minute sessions. As a result Amy reports that her health has improved significantly. Her pain scale has gone from 8/10 to 2/10. When walking prior to hyperbaric treatment she felt the impact of every step in her neck, and that has gone. Amy now has a greater range of movement in her neck. She also has more energy to tackle extra activities and has been able to return to teaching again.
RAY'S STORY
Ray, a 45 year old father of 2, had made a career as a spray painter. However, constant exposure to the solvents used at his work had left him with a condition diagnosed as chronic solvent neurotoxicity. As well as becoming very fatigued and suffering severe headaches, Ray's memory, attention span, balance, and personality were severely affected. He became unable to work and at home struggled to be the father and husband that he wanted to be.
An initial course of hyperbaric oxygen treatment was funded by ACC and that produced a marked improvement in all Ray's neurological functions. Unfortunately beyond the initial course no further funds from ACC were available and this led his doctor to approach the Wayne Reynolds Trust for assistance. The hope being that additional treatment may enable Ray to return to work, but at the very least it would result in further improvement to his quality of life.
Wayne Reynolds Trust agreed to fund a further series of hyperbaric oxygen treatments for Ray. As a result his doctor, the hyperbaric medical staff, and Ray's wife, have reported a notable improvement in his memory, well being and energy. Before and after the treatment, Ray's doctor had him undertake a health survey which provides an 8-scale profile of functional health, physical and mental health, and a health utility index. Ray showed a substantial improvement of 30 - 45% in 4 of the scales which translated into a much greater capacity to cope with daily living, self esteem and a sense of optimism for the future. He is now looking at ways to continue his overall improvement and is keen to regain sufficient health to find employment and a greater sense of fulfillment in his life.
JIM'S STORY
With a passion for building and the great outdoors, Jim Stapleton never dreamed that hyperbaric treatment would one day change his life. A builder by trade, Jim's love of the outdoors lured him to the South Island with three friends to help construct power lines in the shadow of the magnificent St Arnaud range.
"Most of my spare time was spent hunting deer - sometimes to shoot them for tucker and sometimes just to silently watch the beauty of a stag in a clearing," he says.
In Nelson he met Gwenne, and they married soon after. When the couple eventually returned to the North Island with their children, Jim resumed his building career and became a keen golfer. Suddenly in 2006, everything changed.
Jim started having trouble with his legs, which turned out to be deep vein thrombosis and vascular disease. He was told there was nothing the doctors could do to save his left leg, so it was amputated below the knee. Lying in a hospital bed after the surgery, things only went from bad to worse for Jim.
"I was very ill and my stump wound wasn't healing because the blood couldn't flow down to it. My diseased arteries were making it all pretty hopeless," he says.
Suffering intense pain from his stump and with no medical solution in sight, Jim found out about hyperbaric oxygen treatment through one of his surgeons. After being told it might speed up the healing process, Jim decided to try the treatment.
He was taken to the centre every weekday for six weeks and says the transformation over that time was remarkable. "Up to this point the pain had been extreme but the treatment was painless," he says. After a few sessions, most of the pain had gone and Jim's stump was well on the road to recovery.
"The healing of my stump against all odds was something of a miracle and a great experience," he says. "I would recommend this therapy because it makes you feel great and because it really works."