Hi 'Survivor says'
Hyperbric Therapy is basically "oxygen therapy at pressure'. It is used for among other things, divers who have the bends, diabetics with wounds that won't heal, crush injury patients and cancer survivors who've had extensive radiation to the jaw area and find they have to have a tooth removed. Because the radiation damaged the bone in my jaw, any surgery can lead to osteoradionecrosis - the wound does not heal and the jaw dies - leading to a jaw reconstruction.
I have just finished 30 treatments and the results look promising. I had 20 visits before the removal of my tooth - which went perfectly - and 10 after. The wound is healing almost as well as 'normal' people and as a bonus the swelling in my neck and shoulder (surgery and radiotherapy related) has reduced markedly. There are Hyperbaric chambers in major hospitals in each state, as well as some regional areas. A number of Head and Neck patients on this site have had the treatment too - although not all have had the success I seem to be having. I just finished on Friday so will really know how it has gone in another month or so.
Re the time it is taking you to get "back to normal" - I finished radiotherapy 4 1/2 years ago and still find that I do too much and have to just stop. It takes a long time and it is very hard to realise that there are things that you just can't do and will never be able to do - and harder for others to realise when you look ok. I think that what people don't realise is that the seemingly same treatment can be vastly different for patients. I was so sick with radiotherapy that I when I wasn't at the hospital I was in bed asleep, yet a colleague worked right through her radiotherapy - obviously a different cancer, different levels and different side effects etc but to our work mates it was the same. I think It was at least 2 years before I had enough energy to go through the day without a nanna nap - and I still have one occasionally! Don't be hard on yourself - give yourself all the time your body and your 'self' need to feel strong - you've been through a lot so give yourself time.
