Thanks OMB. Sorry for even bringing it up. Anyway, HBOT #12 will be tomorrow. My doctor told me to give it at least 20-25 dives before considering the efficacy.

How's it going??

Hi OMB,

So I have now undergone 18 total treatments, but only 12 were at full pressure and duration. I have gone the past 13 days without a spot of blood which doubles my previous record of 6-7 days. Unfortunately, my pain has not diminished significantly at all, and of course, my CRS confirmed for me this afternoon that the right side of my flap remains unhealed. He also caused it to bleed slightly following the exam, which is a depressing. I'll take the 13 days in a row as a sign of modest progress though, and so I'm going to keep up the HBOT and pray that it keeps me from having further surgery.

Annndd blood with the BM this morning, which I kind of expected after yesterday's exam. And it hurts/stings quite a bit. 13 days without blood can't be discounted though, so I'll take that as reason enough to continue with the hyperbarics I guess.

Yes.. 13 days without blood sounds very encouraging!! It's a shame you had some after being poked around by your CRS.

How are your pain levels??
And... How many more HOC sessions do you have remaining??

OMB x

Hi OMB,

My pain still gets pretty bad some days, which I how I knew that the wound couldn't really be gone even after 13 days without blood. I was hoping he could say he saw some progress though, but he said what he always said, "looks like it wants to heal." I have about 20 sessions left before I'd have to take a 1 month break. The other option I was considering was getting this steroid injection and a fissureotomy (like scraping the wound), but I think it might be better if I did this procedure ASAP, so that I can still be in the tank to recover. I'm going to run in by this CRS I've been talking to in the city soon to see if he thinks this is wise, or if he'd rather I just go through a complete round of HBOT before trying anything else.

Why is one side of the flap not healed... Have the stitches come undone?? Could it be freshened up and re stitched on that side??
The steroid injection sounds like an option... Is that what is called kenalog ?? Yeh... Good idea to discuss this. X

Yea so the right side of the flap...he said it looked like the stitches popped a few weeks after the surgery on that side but that the flap was held in place anyway, so it should heal. It has not. "Freshening" it up, at least removing old tissue is an option, and I'd ideally do that the same time as the Kenalog. If I can get in to do that really soon, then I'd still have 20 or so HBOT treatments left to help me heal from that. Kenalog guy might say to stick with HBOT for now though...so I'll have to check with him.

So Feingold basisically said, since you did 23 treatments so far, you might as well just go max to 40 before I try the kenalog thing. But I really feel he missed my point in typical doctor fashion...which is that I can do the kenalog thing now, today, tomorrow, whenever he can fit me in, AND do the hyperbarics at the same time. This is what my Obama would refer to as an all-of-the-above healing policy. Do it all. I can't imagine how hyperbarics would hurt my wound from healing (right?)...so why do those two treatments consecutively instead of concurrently. Plus, it's spring time and my friends, literally think I'm like either a serial killer or on the brink of suicide because I NEVER see them anymore because I try to eat 1 meal a day, no booze, no late night eating, etc. etc. etc. for no known reason to them and I am so fucking fed up with this I'd rather get the steroid and have it kill me than continue to for another 4 weeks of hyperbarics after 23 treatments and continued bloody poop and painful butt.

I'm calling him back tomorrow and getting on the calendar for the steroids.