HBOT - Day 1...

The HBOT - Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy chamber is up and in our home. The chamber, concentrator and compressor are the three parts that deliver oxygen in a pressurized chamber. To better understand HBOT and why we're using it to help heal Aleks, here is a link to the Holland Center which is located here in MN. They are a FANTASTIC organization and a great place to start if you're new on the autism journey. They do a great job explaining HBOT and what it can do for our children.

Day 1 - June 6th - 5pm - Time in fully pressurized chamber- 45 min.

Post Dive Changes: Mood seemed better post dive/More talkative?

This is truly our first full session today using the HBOT chamber. The first time we actually tried the chamber we underestimated the pressure it puts on the ears. This scared Aleks and sent her into a panic. This time, we were prepared for the ear pressure and also for the panic of being in such a small space and the noise of the chamber.

I think both Bill and I also underestimated how difficult it would be to get our daughter into the HBOT unit. The chamber is seven feet long and once inflated just tall enough for her to sit up in and tall enough for me to sit up in, if I'm bent over. It's meant for laying down and is big enough for both of us to stretch out in. Aleks didn't mind crawling in with her blankie, Pillow pet and iPad, but she did mind when we zipped it up and started the concentrator and then the compressor. You could actually see the panic in her eyes. I saw it firsthand, because I was in there with her. In fact, one of us will be in there with her every single time we go in for a 'dive'.

The chamber pressurizes slowly and effects your ears a lot like flying. I would say it's a little more intense than flying but once it's fully pressurized you don't feel the ear pressure anymore. Today when we went in for our 'dive' I could see Aleks start to panic(pounding and screaming to let her out) and complain that the chamber was "freaking her out". We had given Aleks her first half stick of gum for her ears and also taken some juice in there for her so that she could swallow and allow her ears to pressurize. It wasn't easy keeping her calm and in there but after the first 10 minutes she did calm down and was able to watch a movie on the iPad. We actually got 45 minutes out of her before she had to go to the bathroom. All in all, success!

From here on out I'm going to update how long we went in and any changes we see with her behavior, speech, sleep or whatever the HBOT effects. Both Bill and I did notice that after the chamber she was in a great mood and seemed more talkative.

xo

Melissa