What Happens When You’re Told There’s No Cure?

When you’re 27 years old you feel like you have the rest of your life ahead of you. You never expect to hear that you have a life threatening condition. In July 2011, Amanda’s world was turned upside down when she discovered that the odd symptoms she had been experiencing for almost a year were the onset of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a debilitating disease for which there is no known cure.

Multiple Sclerosis affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other effectively. The body’s immune system attacks and damages its own nerves. When the nerves are damaged they can no longer effectively conduct signals. Almost any neurological symptom can appear with the disease, and often progresses to physical and cognitive disability. After experiencing a buzzing sensation in her tailbone for several months, Amanda woke up one morning numb from the middle of her waist down.

The next five months were tenuous and Amanda’s symptoms continued to progress. When she rubbed her feet together it felt as if there were spikes stabbing at her. Her back would go numb after taking a shower as the nerves became confused and sent improper signals to her brain. The numbness in her body made it difficult to sit at work all day. She would need to come home and lay on the couch on her stomach all night in order to remain comfortable. She began experiencing a sensation called binding, where her waist legs, feet and toes felt as if they had ropes and wires wrapped around them, constricting tighter and tighter.

By the time Amanda was finally diagnosed with MS, walking was difficult and she was no longer able to drive a car as she could not feel her feet on the pedals. She began the standard treatment for MS by receiving steroids in hopes of reducing her symptoms. The steroids made her feel weird and caused her mind to race. Unfortunately, after a long week in the hospital, her symptoms had not improved as well as had been hoped and she went home feeling worse than before treatments began. Amanda’s energy level began to drop and extreme fatigue became difficult to overcome. She could no longer work and had to go on short term disability.

Thankfully Amanda’s story doesn’t end there. She began researching additional treatment options and discovered Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). Over the past two decades, international medical research has demonstrated that HBOT can play an extremely effective role in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. In many European countries, HBOT is now considered an integral part of the MS treatment program. In Britain alone, over 10,000 MS patients have received HBOT from the more-than 60 centers dedicated to treating Multiple Sclerosis.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy should begin as soon as practical and preferably before irreversible lesions have become established. This does not mean that patients with long-term MS will not benefit; but it does mean that time is a factor. In a recent publication in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine researchers demonstrated significant objective improvements in 70% of patients treated.

After completing a round of 40 HBOT treatments Amanda is beginning to feel like herself again. Feeling is returning to her legs and feet. She is walking independently and has started driving again. Her energy has increased dramatically and her family is amazed at the changes they have seen take place in her. She has returned to work and is ready to resume her normal life.

Thanks to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at Sara’s Garden, Amanda has her life back. No matter what you’ve been told, there is hope… for this and many other conditions. HBOT is treatment without drugs… without surgery… without pain.

Hollywood Comedy Becomes Frightening Reality

Sony Pictures’ 50 First Dates is a romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Barrymore’s character, Lucy, has short term memory loss due to a brain injury she sustained in a car accident. She loses her memory every single night and can’t remember anything that has happened since her accident. It’s supposed to be a funny movie… but what would happen if this Hollywood comedy were to become your frightening reality?

Joleen was an active, healthy, 30 year old mother of four, including a four month old baby. However, due to an incorrect combination of medications she received in a hospital emergency room she suffered hypoxia and her blood oxygen level plummeted to 23%. She turned blue and became unresponsive. Doctors rushed to revive her.

When she awoke it became apparent that she had suffered an injury to her brain due to a lack of oxygen. She had completely lost her short term memory. Every five minutes her brain would recycle and she would have no memory of where she was or why she was there. People were unfamiliar. She felt as if a fog had descended on her and she couldn’t find her way out. It was a hopeless, terrifying experience.

After four long, frustrating days she was released from the hospital. Her family was told there was nothing more that could be done for her. They would simply need to wait and see if her memory would ever come back.

Thankfully, Joleen’s husband, Juan, wasn’t in a waiting mood and he immediately began calling for help. Their family doctor told them about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and advised them to take Joleen to Sara’s Garden as soon as possible. That’s all Juan needed to hear. That afternoon they were on their way to Wauseon for treatments.

When they arrived, Joleen was vacant, distant and totally unsure of her situation. She was scared, confused and could not engage anyone in conversation. Juan cried as he recounted their last five days. Joleen asked him why he was crying and if she had done anything wrong. Later she commented that she felt as if “None of the parts of my brain were touching each other.”

By the end of her first treatment she looked at her attending nurse and said she felt as if a fog was lifting off of her mind. She began remembering things. Juan was amazed at the change he was seeing take place in his wife right before his eyes as he watched and listened to her on the monitors.

Five days and eight treatments later, Joleen is a completely different person than she was when she first walked through our doors… physically, intellectually and emotionally. She is now alert and able to focus on her surroundings. She is able to carry on a conversation fluidly without pausing and struggling to consider every single answer or comment. She is able to smile… and laugh… and joke with people she comes in contact with.

Thanks to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at Sara’s Garden, Joleen has her life back… and her family has their wife and mother back.

There is hope… for this and many other conditions. HBOT is treatment without drugs… without surgery… without pain.

You Don’t Know What You’ve Got Till It’s Gone

As the saying goes, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” Steve lived an active lifestyle and enjoyed many different outdoor activities. He was an avid bicycle rider, loved working out and enjoyed shooting his bow at the local club. All that changed in 2008.

After dealing with uncontrolled Diabetes and the side effects from various prescription drugs for a number of years, Steve suffered neurological damage and collapsed. Doctors diagnosed him with Ataxia. Ataxia is described as a lack of order and consists of gross lack of coordination of muscle movement. For the next three years, Ataxia has caused a variety of neurological deficits for Steve such as impaired balance, lack of energy, poor coordination, nightly body tremors and memory deterioration.

Steve longed to be able to do all of the things that he had enjoyed for so many years. To his dismay, he was not able to any longer. He sold his bike, cancelled his membership to the club and began trying to cope with life without his physical activities and exercises.

Doctors placed Steve on a number of medications that were unsuccessful in treating him so he and his wife, Linda, began researching other forms of treatment. It was during this time that they discovered Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) at Sara’s Garden.

When Steve first came to Sara’s Garden his movement was slow and deliberate and he needed the assistance of a cane in order to make it from his car to the building. His speech was slow and he looked to his wife to assist with many of the questions as he simply could not recall any of the answers. They requested treatments in the late morning and early afternoon as Steve could not get out of bed before 10:30 a.m. and took a long time to get ready.

After his first day of HBOT, Steve was out of bed and showered by 7:30 and began making coffee and reading the newspaper. A few treatments later Steve stated that, “It feels like a fog is lifting off of me.” He was able to think much clearer and his memory began to return.

By the end of his first week of treatments, Steve began walking without the use of his cane. His gait became much more confident and he began walking with much more purpose. When he needed to bend over to tie his shoes or towel off after showering, he no longer had to hold onto something to maintain his balance. The nightly tremors that they lived with for so long went away and Steve began sleeping through the night.

After three weeks of treatments Steve now has plans to start getting back into all of the activities he loved so much. Since beginning his HBOT treatments his blood sugar levels have never spiraled out of control and he has been able to reduce the medications he has been taking. He feels great and now has the confidence in his body’s abilities to resume his active lifestyle.

Thanks to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at Sara’s Garden, Steve now has his life back… and his family has their husband, father and grandfather back.

There is hope… for this and many other conditions. HBOT is treatment without drugs… without surgery… without pain.

Hard Work Pays Off for William

William Denver Burton was born not breathing and, as a result, suffered hypoxia – a lack of oxygen to the brain. His family went through two life flights, with many scary times following. After six months, it became obvious to William’s mother Angie that he was not developing as a normal baby should. That was when the typical treatment approach began – physical and occupational therapy one or two times a week.

William began individual Conductive Education sessions around ten months of age. At that time, William presented with severe hypotonia, or extremely low muscle tone. He was unable to nod or shake his head, roll over continuously, ambulate in any way, achieve a sitting position, or participate in the process of standing up. William had little to no social skills, could not or would not pick up food and bring it to his mouth, did not vocalize, and had chewing problems.

Around approximately 12 months old, William began attending a more intensive group CE program. With the help of his parents and caregiver, William began to learn the crucial skills required to meet the milestones of rolling over, sitting up, and moving around more independently.

William has continued in the group CE program over the past two years and has achieved so much, including sitting up from lying; maintaining a hands-and-knees kneeling position; standing up from a seated position with his walker; and walking just about everywhere independently with the use of his walker.

The achievements are not just limited to physical skills however. He no longer has chewing problems and picks up and brings food to his mouth willingly. After eating, William opens the container of baby wipes independently, pulls one out, closes the container, and cleans his face independently.

His verbalizations are becoming more clear, and his vocabulary has expanded to approximately 25 easily understandable words and names of friends, teachers, and caregivers. His mother is amazed at how dramatically his verbalization has increased since beginning Conductive Education.

William is now incredibly social. He enjoys interacting with peers, he waves and smiles appropriately, and enjoys a good joke.

Currently William is learning to walk with tripod canes. It began slowly, as every individual part of the process must be learned. When William first began using the canes, he needed physical help to keep his balance to stand with the canes, move a cane forward, and take a step. After a few months, William now requires only verbal help to remind him what he needs to do. He can stand safely for several minutes on his own with the canes and he can move the canes forward on his own.

At three and a half years old, William is now able to attend preschool full-time. “The results are just phenomenal,” William’s mother has commented, “It’s just amazing how independent he has become since he’s started Conductive Education. William is such a hard worker. We are very proud of all of the accomplishments he has made.”

Thanks to Conductive Education at Sara’s Garden, Will has a much brighter future. No matter what you’ve been told, there is hope… and Conductive Education can help you find it.

Omira is Overcoming Her List of Nevers

Weighing in at only one pound seven ounces, Omira was born at just 25 weeks of gestation (Babies are not considered full-term until 37 weeks). Omira spent the first three months of her life in an incubator, and was in the hospital for a total of four months before finally getting to come home.

While in the hospital, a great deal of damage was done to Omira’s vocal cords. The doctors informed Adelina, Omira’s mother, that Omira would never be able to talk. In fact, Adelina was given a long list of ‘nevers’… things that Omira would never be able to accomplish… walking, talking, potty training… Even with this bleak prognosis of what her life would be like and despite exhibiting all of the telltale developmental delays. it wasn’t until Omira was 2 years old that she was finally diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy.

Omira immediately began receiving the traditional treatment for cerebral palsy – physical and occupational therapy – one to two times each week. This went on for three years, with the family seeing very little progress in Omira’s development.

Finally, when Omira was 3½ years old and about to enter preschool, she was referred to the Conductive Education Program at Sara’s Garden by school administrators. When she arrived at Sara’s Garden to attend her first CE session, her little body was curled up into itself. She was completely unable to bear any weight on her legs or use them purposefully. She did not speak… in fact, she actually cried for the entirety of her first session (2 hours a day, 4 days a week for 4 whole weeks). She showed no interest in peers, teachers, or participating in any physical activity.

Then an amazing thing happened, Omira began to change. She stuck with the program and began to develop in every aspect – socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically. The crying stopped too. Omira began to use short, two-word phrases to express her wants and needs. She began showing interest and excitement toward attempting new physical tasks. After one year in the Conductive Education program, Omira’s mother commented, “Now I can see my daughter.”

This child who came to Sara’s Garden with a list of ‘nevers’ continues to learn and develop and cross items off that ‘never’ list she was given… her mother is constantly amazed and says, “She has learned to do things that we never expected her to do.”

Omira now stands behind a ladder supporting her own body weight with only minimal supervision. She is in the early stages of learning to take steps with the help of an adult. She sits independently on a stool with no supports or straps. She now speaks in complete, polite sentences like, “I would like the pink cup, please.” Omira participates fully in the group routine and enjoys taking on a leader role. She has developed facial expressions and uses them appropriately.

“We are very pleased to be in a special place like this,” Omira’s mother has commented. Since we started coming to Sara’s Garden, I love it here. They have worked with her very well and she has progressed a lot!”

Thanks to Conductive Education at Sara’s Garden, Omira has a much brighter future. No matter what you’ve been told, there is hope… and Conductive Education can help you find it.