I Have This One!

Hello Friends, How is your Tuesday evening? It is 20:51:25 here in the chamber. I overextended myself today. I am exhausted. It was a bit challenging to get in tonight but I need the treatment so here I am. Remember ‘Tag, You’re It’ “Ready or not, here I come!” ‘Remember Red Rover!’ “Send Suz over!” Flashback to childhood..good memories, aren’t they? I’m telling you…..I Have This One!

I managed to get up to the proper 1.3 ATA with still a bit of pain and fullness in my left ear. My right ear pops and never hurts. The left is a real troublemaker. I’m going to have a long talk with my left ear tonight. I brought a stick of Big Red gum in here. Let’s see how it benefits me or not.

D, my Mom and I went to Steamboat Springs today. Every time we go there I totally get why we moved to the country. Yes, a gorgeous Rocky Mountain tourist adventure is manned by very hard-working locals so that the 40K + visitors who arrive there every week can enjoy the beauty and fun that summer biking and hiking and hot springs-ing and winter skiing, snowboarding, and hot springs-ing can offer. We had errands to do there and I did too much. So, I am overwhelmed, overstimulated, exhausted and numb. The most tiring thing that I did was go shopping and visiting at my prior place of employment. Safeway is still my home-away where I get hugs and smiles and “how are you doing” from everyone who still remember me. The lights and the merchandise and the noise was way too much for me. I felt like jello when I stepped into the truck following my last hug from another friend there. The ride home was not so good either. I do not do well with motion. Walking or being a passenger in a vehicle messes with my eyes, ears, face, head and stomach. I feel the air that we are passing through. It’s hard to explain but here goes…the atmosphere that we move causes pain and numbness to my forehead and eyes and makes my stomach do gymnastics. I burp louder and louder as my head begins to pound. Once home, I then stumbled out of the truck and somehow found my way through the garage with my nearly 90-year-old Mom on my arm….o my. We ate leftovers and a fresh grilled london broil for dinner that D grilled for us. D is actually finishing up cleaning the dishes while I sit here trying to find peace again in my safe chamber. I will attempt to go right to bed when my dive is over. I hope to sleep well tonight because I need to rest all of the unrest inside of me. I Have This One!

I truly enjoy this time of solitude in the chamber. The air could be cooler but the experience is great. I trust that my Dr. understands the benefits that I am receiving from these dives. I certainly do feel energized when I exit the chamber every day. I still get very tired within a half hour and enjoy going to bed soon after the dive. My sleep seems to have improved at many levels. I am able to stay asleep even if I need to get up to use the restroom. Before hyperbaric treatment, if I woke for any reason I was awake for hours or even the rest of the night. I seem to be less restless in my sleep too. I missed too many hours of sleep over the past 2.5 years so I am totally ready for the healing rest that follows each dive. I woke this morning with a nasty headache so I sat up to take my daily Synthroid and then I laid back down and wrapped my head in my king size feather pillow. I slept another two hours and woke to the usual numbness across my forehead but the headache was gone. I Have This One!

The night air is getting cooler. The leaves are turning much earlier this year too. My garden plants are not producing as much either. I have a large number of seedlings that I am going to nurture over the winter months. I am moving them from the two-inch pots to six-inch pots so they will become robust for spring planting. We also need to get our deck stained and sealed soon since the wood is so ready for a new coat. It is fun to be a productive part of my family again, even if it is in small ways. Winter is my favorite season for many reasons. I love cold weather. I enjoy watching the snow fall. I also like to shovel snow. Yes, I do enjoy it. D does most of the work. My attention to snow is limited to the small front porch and a few of the seven stairs and the back deck. I leave the stairs for D. I do contribute to our winter needs in more productive ways such as baking breads and scones and cupcakes. I also love to cook hot delicious meals. I haven’t been able to scale down my recipes yet but that’s ok because I only have to call our son’s house and they will gladly come over to pick up the grubs or eat with us. I Have This One!

Okay, I’m dreaming and hoping too. There are those good days. And there are those not so good days. And and and there are those bad days too.  I live each and every week just like you do. It’s okay to dream. It is okay to hope. It is okay! It’s okay!! Because today I Have This One!

The time has come to begin the deflation. My left ear is not responding as well as my right one. The chewing gum seems to have helped me move my jaw so the pressure is less noticeable but when I yawn just cracklings happen in the left ear. I have noticed more clarity at the end of this dive and we are only at 2 psi. Half-way through depressurization. And guess what? I Have This One!

Hugs,

Suz