Will HBO do the trick?
Hi to all,
I have received a message from Hunter inquiring how I am doing. And, yes I am in default with a late update from my last entry in this forum.
Well, everything seems to be under control.
Since my last post (below) in this forum that I had a series of "encounters" with health issues, particularly due to bladder's "functioning ".
The problem turned out to be related to the SRT I did in 2006. I was diagnosed with radiation cititis that lead to incontinence and to a TURBT. Fortunately, the results were negative to bladder cancer.
I am now involved in a Hyperbaric treatment (HBO) of 20 sessions (one month) expected to end by August 25th. I will then report on my experience.
The bandit is still "sleeping " at a PSA <0.01 ng/ml, as I am still under the influence of ADT (eligard 6-month shot).
Best wishes to all in this forum.
VG
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Hi,
Glad to hear you are still alive and kicking it in Portugal. Sounds like your mental and physical outlooks on life have served you well with your constant battle with the bandit. Keep on keeping on……
Dave 3+4
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Vasco,
Great to hear from you, my Friend.
I'm very interested in your upcoming HBO treatments. As I have stated before, your PCa journey and mine have had many intersection points over the years. I've had yet another bout of hematuria, and I had a CT scan and a cystoscopy within the last month, to see what is going on in my bladder. Like yourself, I have radiation cystitis at the bottom of my bladder from my 35 IMRT sessions (68 grays) 13 years ago. (There is much truth in the statement that side effects from radiation appear several years after the actual radiation treatments.)
My Urology Surgeon has strongly recommended HBO, as it has greatly helped other of his patients with this issue. I am seriously considering this treatment series, and there is an HBO center not far from where I live.
I'm looking forward to reading about your HBO experience.
I continue to wish you the best of outcomes on your PCa journey.
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Hi 👋
I have finished today the 20th session of the hyperbaric treatment at the military hospital. It has been a month of "20 meters deep divings" to breathe pure oxygen. The daily sessions were of two hours, easy to do but boring. We were 10 patients in the capsule wearing masks so we couldn't speak to each other. Mobile phones or books were also prohibit to take in so, for entertainment, we watched movies they played on monitors set in the walls above our heads.
I belive that the treatment did me good. The blood in urine is gone and it has eliminated the pain in my joints. My arms skin seams also rejuvenated.
The military doctor discharged me and said to meet him in one month with urine analysis, to "conclude" the treatment.
Together with me there were guys of different ages with various issues. Apart from radiation cystitis, there were people with radiation protitis, fistulas and open wounds (diabetes, etc) but I was surprised in seeing a guy doing HBO for optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve) and another with lupus myelitis (inflammation of the spinal cord). A 13 years old girl was there treating an inflammation of the knee (osteomyelitis).
Some of the patients had over 60 ++ sessions meaning that "too much" of the "stuff" is not bad.
Wouldn't that be good if HBO could also nock down the bandit?
I will tell more about what I may experience, as things move forward.
Best wishes to all.
VG
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Glad to hear it's working for you Vasco! That must be one big chamber with 10 patients all at once? Is it big enough to walk in upright? Remembering from my scuba diving days, treatments for decompression sickness hyperbaric chambers were only big enough for one person. I get claustrophobic just thinking about that. Did anyone in your group have any issues during the treatment?
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I wonder why you are going to contact the hyperbaric facility at your place.
Have you developed any complication?
I think it better to get informed before advancing with any thing. In any case, I had to do same tests and exams before being admitted to the treatment.
Well, the "vessel" is like a mini subway wagon of a sort of rounded/oval cylindrical shape with an interior size of approximately L=~5.0 m x H=~2.2 m x W=~2.0 m. Very thik walls.
On each side there are 6 individual seats being the added 2 for one accompanied navy nurse/manager plus one empty for any emergent patient. We can stand up and there were no feelings of claustrophobic.
There are rounded windows and cameras to monitor the interior by a team of specialist and military doctors in the comand desk outside. They regulate each patient breathing, the temperature inside the vessel, listening to all conversations and are constantly in contact with the nurse inside.
The vessel has an attached small compartment separated by a door that can also be decompressed for the purpose of allowing in a doctor or taking out a patient in case of need.
Along my 20 sessions, there was a case of a guy who vomited and one guy who fainted and was removed out through that attached compartment.
Patients are not supposed to drink alcohol, coffee, tea, etc, 3 hours before and after the treatment, including flying or climb high altitude for one week. We can take in a small bottle of water and dress in cotton clothes.
Bets to both of you.
VG
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Vasco,
I had another bout of hematuria (I've had several over the years), and after a Cystoscopy and a CT scan confirmed the source to be radiation-related periodic inflammation (from IMRT 12 years ago), my Urology Surgeon strongly recommended HBO, as a number of his patients have benefitted from it. He wrote me a script for HBO treatments, as it is particularly effective in reducing radiation-related periodic inflammation.
So, I am going to visit my local HBO treatment center and have a detailed conversation with them. I'm not new to HBO, as years ago I had HBO treatments for diving-related decompression sickness. I know that the goal of the that treatment was different, but the process is the same.
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That's wonderful. I believe that you are on the right track. Probably a course similar to mine will be good for.
Well, I had to do previously; earing and sinus tests, a chest x-ray, blood analysis and cardiovascular test. So far I am impressed with the results.
In my group there were two guys with similar related problem but in worst condition. They were in their third lot of 20 sessions.
I sincerely hope the best for you. Let me know about your doctor's advices.
VG
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Yes, I am with you.
Thought the weather precists in being hot, I will toast with a glass of red Esporão.
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Well, … I do not know in what units the oxygen concentration was measured but in a board displaying the breathing oxygen of each participant, my numbers were always between 1870 to 1970.
Without the mask the numbers in the board were 200 to 300. Such lower numbers would alert the nurse to check if the mask of that particular patient was properly set.
I got your message, thanks. Surely you are most welcome to visit my place. Unfortunately this year I didn't cultivate the traditional veggy garden (tomatoes, onions, beans, lettuces, melons, pumpkins, etc). I only cared for the fruit trees as I have been "busy" with my health issues. I have one helper once a week that doesn't much if I am absent. 😁😆😆
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No, the blood co2 level weren't monitored along the 20 days of treatment.
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I don't think this device will work the same or accomplish that objectives for hematuria hyperbaric therapy. The type of hyperbaric therapy that Vasco discusses put you into a significantly pressurized environment (versus the Gamow Bag), of 1.8 to 2.5 ATM's of pressure of highly enriched oxygen, and this may be a key difference.
I'm not an expert on the Gamow Bag by any means, so I could be wrong here. But, the Warning on the Gamow Bag would suggest that I may be correct.
WARNING: This device is intended for use with ambient air. DO NOT use with enriched oxygen concentrations.
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Well, last week I received the results of blood and urine analysis.
The PSA came out still undetectable at <0.01 and T <20. That is not a surprise as I am still under the effects of the hormonal treatment. The urine analysis was negative for blood in urine (45 days since the last hematuria), meaning that so far the HBO has been successful.
Other parameters in the analysis were ok excepting the kidney filtration rate at 35 (CKD) with the blood creatinine at 2.21mg/dL and the total cholesterol at 232 mg/dL.
Liver parameters were all ok.I have to regulate my diet, more veggys less meat and less bread.
I also had a consultation with the NHS urologist who sent me to the Hyperbaric treatment. He is satisfied with the results pointing out that it is not necessary additional hyperbaric sessions for the moment, but he did not rule out to send me again if the need arises (I would love to). 👏
Now he wants to "operate" in me something to treat the incontinence that got worse since TURBT intervention.
Accordingly, the urologist has scheduled me in October for a Urodynamics exam (functional) that evaluates the bladder and lower urinary tract, identifying changes in urine storage and elimination.
Becoming old it sucks. Each time we visit the doctor they find out something else.
Best to all.
VG
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"Becoming old it sucks. Each time we visit the doctor they find out something else".
Yeah! The last visit I had with my urologist / oncologist he told me I'll probably die of something other than prostate cancer. I told him "I'll probably die from all these treatments your prescribing" Lols!
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