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I’m Not Blind, ya Know…
By Vinny Distefano
Double blind studies. What are they? Well, it’s where neither the doctor nor the patient knows whose getting a real drug or a placebo. Only the administrator of the study knows. This is the scientific basis for drug effectiveness. Why try to fool them? Are you telling me that if they “think” they are getting a drug, that somehow their minds can help heal them, without the drugs? Hmmm, sounds like voodoo, don’t you think, doc? How could our mind’s be so powerful, that tricking it into using sugar to heal a real medical condition can work? Hmmm, once again. What if you’re not sure if the person knows or as in Angie’s case, was in a coma at the time she was given a drug ( or not ) to protect her brain from the injuries she sustained. I think it’s time for science to take a look at itself and find out what’s really going on.
Existing programs out there do not cover her HBOT treatments. Why? Because science can’t figure out a way to trick the mind into thinking it’s receiving oxygen under pressure. So, the answer for patients who could be helped is, “NO, it doesn’t work”. If you have a wound, sure. It’s wonderful. The oxygen helps the tissue to heal. Anyone can see that. My point exactly. If you look at where Angie was before she began her HBOT treatment and now, there is a marked difference that can be seen by anyone. Here’s a partial list of conditions covered by HBOT…
· Actinomycosis - only as an adjunct to conventional therapy when the disease process is refractory to antibiotics and surgical treatment
· Acute carbon monoxide intoxication
· Acute peripheral arterial insufficiency
· Acute traumatic peripheral ischemia - HBO therapy is a valuable adjunctive treatment to be used in combination with accepted standard therapeutic measures, when loss of function, limb or life is threatened
· Chronic refractory osteomyelitis - when unresponsive to conventional medical and surgical management
· Crush injuries and suturing of severed limbs - as in the previous conditions, HBO therapy would be an adjunctive treatment, when loss of function, limb or life is threatened
· Cyanide poisoning
· Decompression illness
· Gas embolism
· Gas gangrene
· Necrotizing fasciitis - as an adjunct treatment, as above
· Osteoradionecrosis - as an adjunct to conventional treatment
· Preparation and preservation of compromised skin grafts
· Soft tissue radionecrosis, as an adjunct to conventional treatment
A pretty impressive list... In all of these conditions, the oxygen reaches the cellular level as it heals. So why are brain cells so different? It seems to me, of all the cells in our bodies that could be helped by increased oxygen, they are at the top of the list. Keep an eye out for this special…
Let’s Get Wet
Swim with the dolphins?…
OK, let’s move on now. I’ll keep on the HBOT story and update it as we get the info. What about physical therapy? All of us are familiar with athlete’s getting whirlpools, massages, heat/cold packs to keep them in top shape for competition. Who hasn’t sprained an ankle and put ice on it to keep the swelling down. Stretching before exercise is known to reduce injuries, too. And we’ve all heard the phrase, “Use it or loose it”. Our bodies respond to such things. Then why, as in Angie’s case, is it like talking to a wall when we request exercises to help keep her body ready fit. The answer most often given, “It’s not worth it”. Short and sweet. Oh sure, if they’re wrong and Angie recovers, then they want to operate to repair her tendons and ligaments. Sounds nuts. As I have written in past issues, I’ve seen folks “exercising” Angie in a way you would not be able to do to someone who could respond, because it has to hurts! So we search and search for alternatives. I have said many time, I would like to buy Angie a wet suit and get her over to Discovery Cove to swim with the dolphins. It’s not as crazy as it sounds. Angie really relaxes when she get her twice a week whirlpools at the nursing home. While they are done to help with her hygiene, the benefit to her body is quite evident. All of her muscle spasms are reduced significantly and it’s easier for her to “work out”, i.e., rotating her shoulders and hips. So why not take it a step further? Well, Barbara and Ronnie have found a pool for disabled folks where we can actually get in with Angie and “swim” around. We should know something in a couple of weeks. And as for Discovery Cove, well, the summers coming, The Angie Hobbs Foundation is coming, the wheels are turning to get our documentary wrapped and on the air and nothing is going to get in our way. I want Angie to be proud of what we’re all trying to do here.
We’re gearing up for the fight of our lives. We’ll use their own logic to convince them that a traumatic brain injury is not the end all they’ve made it out to be. There’s evidence out there. Next month, studies about the healing power of prayer.
Till next time, be safe…
Pass it on and tell a friend to stop by. Thanx
