A mixture of enthusiasm, nervousness, impatience, and readiness gently awoke me from my slumber on June 20, 2022 at 5:30 AM. My first day, EVER, of physical rehabilitation was about to begin at Neurokinetix. After months of waiting for this day to come, its arrival was hard to believe. Like a student on the first day of school, the angst of the unknown stirred my stomach, but did not override the exhilarating prospect of what lay ahead: Being able to treat my CMT2A, strengthen my brain/body connection, and an overall eagerness of feeling better. In short, I woke up with hope.
Of course, like any first day, stress urged my misbehaving body to perform worse than it had in a while. Frustration teased my anxiety. I did not want to start a new program late, or with a negative mindset – so I didn’t.
My trainer of 10 years, Bob, agreed to drive me from North Dallas to Fort Worth. A source of comfort, he would be a definite constant during a day of unfamiliarity. By the skin of my teeth and with a smile on my face, I made it into the car. We said a prayer and then we were aoff, promptly pulling out of the driveway by 10 AM. Neither of us knew what my new Fort Worth adventure would hold, but I am so thankful that Bob would be my inaugural driver for my first time at Neurokinetics.
The bubbly Clinic Director and Patient Coordinator, Jenna Campbell enthusiastically greeted and escorted us to the therapy room for an evaluation by a physical therapist. It’s funny how sometimes you’re unaware of what you can’t do until somebody blatantly tests your abilities. It’s even harder not to take it personally. I set my pride aside. Getting stronger was my # 1 priority. I was here to work, not stroke my ego. My balance was really off that day, I guess solidifying the need for PT. Like a watchdog, Bob stayed by my side making sure I was comfortable during the eval. My squirminess and lack of balance was obvious during the car ride so Bob, being extra attentive, held my feet whenever I needed to resituate my body. I am so blessed to have such a special friend!
After my evaluation, I met with the Medical Director and Lead Physician, Dr. Brian Wood. He reviewed the initial protocol for treatment of CMT2A (Charcot Marie Tooth); 40 sessions of both the hyperbaric chamber (HBOT) and physical therapy every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. He explained that of the two protocols, the hyperbaric chamber is more important than physical therapy. The chamber fills every cell in the body with 100% pure oxygen under pressure, compared to the 20% oxygen we breathe on a daily basis. It’s an effective treatment for neuropathy by driving oxygen deep into tissues, reducing cell death, regenerating cells faster, and increasing the production of healthy cell growth. It decreases inflammation in the body and clears harmful toxins. Hyperbaric oxygen also stimulates the growth of new blood vessels, enabling efficient oxygen and nutrient delivery to the body’s cells.
I appreciated the benefits of HBOT, and in my mind, I was cool as a cucumber. But, in reality, this cucumber was on her way to losing her cool. Dr. Wood could sense that I was nervous about my first dive in the hyperbaric chamber, especially after sharing my claustrophobic tendencies. The thought of being shoved into an enlarged pneumatic bank tube (with no money) for an hour was unsettling. He suggested shortening the length of my first session from one hour to 30 minutes, making sure that I was comfortable, and that my body had a favorable reaction. I agreed. Dr. Wood made me feel at ease. His kindness and compassion were truly remarkable.
Before I knew it, I was staring at a glass tube with a metal vaulted door. My clammy hands reminded me of my claustrophobia. Panic wanted to set in. I refused to let my fear overcome my need to try. It was mandatory that I shift my focus from the tube to the gurney.
Little did I know, the most stressful part would be positioning myself on the 2 foot wide, long skinny table so I could lie comfortably for 30 minutes. Jim Feliciano, the HBOT Director, informed me that it would take five minutes to open the chamber if ever there was a problem. This shot my blood pressure through the roof. I instantly realized that once I entered, there was no turning back. There would be no one to call. No one to help me adjust my leg or turn my foot for a full 30 minutes. The thought was unsettling. I had to get this right.
Under normal circumstances, maneuvering from one position to another is not easy. Lots of squiggling and wiggling takes place between the act of sitting and lying down. 45 minutes later, with Bob still patiently by my side, I finally found an acceptable position on that tiny table for both my mind and my body to enter the chamber.
Hyperbaric chamber dives feel and sound like an airplane taking off. A loud, jet noise tapers off after accompanying popping ears due to a gradual increase in pressurized oxygen filling the chamber.
My biggest fear once inside the chamber was not the noise or popping ears, but rather uncontrollable body parts flinging off the table. Ones unretrievable by me, or anyone else. My best strategy would be to invoke the methodology goats have used for centuries when facing fear – The Fainting Goat technique! When scared, goats freeze and fall on their back with their legs straight out as stiff as a board.
It was time to face the chamber. So, lying still as a goat with cozy pillows under my legs and large towels under my arms for comfort, Jim ushered the bed into the chamber as the door slammed behind it. The option to view TV made the experience seem more normal, but the irony of watching Naked and Afraid when trapped in a glass coffin just seemed wrong!
I prayed, watched TV, and channeled my inner-goat… bahhhh.
After 10 minutes, I could feel unusual movements in my muscles. Their stringy, crêpe paper texture started plumping up like small internal Rice Krspies… Snap, crackle, pop!. If this was the initial dive result under 100% oxygen with only 0.1 lbs of pressure, I was excited about what the future might hold.
The squeaky turn of the lever which unlocked the chamber door brought music to my ears after 30 elongated minutes. I made it through! Dare I say, it was almost relaxing. This preliminary run gave me the confidence needed for my next elevated hyperbaric session; 70 minutes with more pressure.
The opportunity to be part of Neurokinetix is such a blessing. But, after the completion of today, I’ve come to the stark realization that my biggest Neurokinetix challenge is not at Neurokinetix. The greatest challenge is getting to Neurokinetix. Recruiting a person, or people, to drive 110 miles round trip, 3 days a week for 41/2 months seemed like an insurmountable task. I had absolutely No idea how I was going to pull this off. I was going to have to call on a higher power.… all with Strides of Faith!