Apart from his concert performance, the hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) had me very nervous.
I had initially planned to start HBOT on Monday morning, the day after his concert. However, I was such a nervous wreck that I couldn't even decide whether to postpone it to Tuesday instead. In the end, I just took the plunge (excuse the pun) and he had his first "dive" on Monday afternoon.
Session 1: Monday, 25 Oct 2010
Being locked up on a small space (can sit 4), having your son wear a latex neck seal and a plastic hood over his head with hoses attached, and wearing scrubs, is not a normal everyday experience. To say the least, the entire experience takes a bit of getting used to.
I was giving uncontrollably huge yawns every second to equalise the pressure as it was going down. To help my son, I was advised to have him drink through a straw (thanks for the tip Fe), which I had him do.
I'm so thankful that my son didn't cry or fuss on the 1st day. I could tell that he was a bit scared but was also being brave about it.
I think it helped greatly that he had a good experience when we visited their facility earlier this year, at which time I also had the hood briefly placed over his head (just to see his reaction). Then a few months ago, we visited their facility again at their new location on their Open Day, as I wanted him to feel comfortable with the set up. However, I must say that I prayed hard about it too!
To pass the time, they played the movie "Up" for us to watch. Since it was played on a laptop outside the chamber, viewed through a porthole, it was more of a silent movie version, and my son lost interest in it part way through. So we did some reading instead. I had prepared a bag full of worksheets, a few books, and a pencil for him so as to make it more productive (again, thanks for the tip Fe).
Session 2: Tuesday, 26 Oct 2010
He must have been very tired after the big school party that he fell asleep in the chamber.
After getting used to it, the chamber can be a bit relaxing especially when the lights are switched off, and cool air starts circulating. There are no noises, except for the blower occasionally going on and off to ventilate it. There are no distractions like the handphone, internet, visual reminders of chores yet to be done etc.
But it's not for those even mildly claustrophobic. Inside, it probably measures only 5 feet by 3 feet at widest, which is comfortable enough for my son and I.
The staff have been very kind and thoughtful. They had answered all my 20 odd questions via email, and further questions I had when I was there.
Having noted that I was very nervous, they were very patient, understanding and accomodating where possible.
They were kind enough to allow me to wear their scrubs (shirt and pants style) instead of the centre's gown. I could even bring it home for ease of changing into it in the comfort of my own home before driving to the chamber.
At the end of session 2 (when my son fell asleep), he saw that my son's hair was damp from sweat, he suggested that my son try the mask instead the next day.
So far, so good...
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