This last Thursday, Tommy went into a hyperbaric chamber for the first time. His doctor wanted to have him try it the first time in the office under her supervision to make sure that he could tolerate the pressure and monitor the “dive.” He did really well!

He called it a rocket. He had no problem climbing inside, but he was pretty adamant that he did not want to go into space. After they zipped us inside, he kept looking out the little window to make sure he could still see the carpet. (I got in the tank with him so that I could give the doctor feedback on how he was feeling.)

We were in the tank for an hour and 30 minutes. It took us 30 minutes to get up to the right pressure because they had to do it slow. We tried to go up at a quicker pace, but Tommy was complaining about his ears, so they had to drop us back down and take the pressure up a little at a time.

It is a lot like climbing in altitude, because you feel pressure in your ears and you have to keep swallowing so that they “pop.” I was told to give Tommy sips of water every 5 – 10 seconds during the “dive,” and then again as we came out of the dive. Because it took us sooo long to dive and then come out, that meant he drank quite a bit! Which turned out not to be such a good thing…

He started having an intense urge to go to the bathroom about five minutes into surfacing. It took 25 minutes to surface, and he didn’t quite make it. Actually he didn’t make it at all. We had a big wet mess at his end of the tank by the time they unzipped the tank and let us out. Poor Tommy! (and the doctor’s staff too, of course!)

(They have to bring you back to normal pressure slowly because of the risk of an air bubble forming in the bloodstream. There is no quick escape from a hyperbaric chamber!)

On the whole, it went very well. Tommy did great the whole time. He played Pokemon on the Gameboy. I started to crochet something, and then I came to my senses. There was a pillow and room to stretch out. An invitation to snooze. So I laid back and closed my eyes for 30 minutes–which is a rare treat–and the time seemed to fly….until Tommy said he had to go to the bathroom, that is!!

I can’t wait to have him try it again. Next time he dives, we’ll just take along a port-a-potty!

We had a barbeque on February 9th for those who bought tickets, a raffle with some great prizes and just a plain old good time with friends and family. Steve cooked all day and Elliot helped with everything, as usual! There were about 100 people who came. I will be posting pictures shortly. Also, keep checking this blog as it chronicles Tommy’s progress with this new therapy and other news.

Very Special Thanks too:

Steve & Carol Charles
Ken & Sherry Watson
James & Cathy LaBarba
Marie Karich
Pete & Teresa Short
Bill McMullen
Mike Goldsworthy
Stacia Mancini
Elliot & Jan Brann
Felix & Kathy Rosario
Mickey & Karen Byers
All the kids who sold raffle tickets

…and the many others who helped and contributed.


Many children with Autism who have had Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatments have had these results –

•Heals stomach and brain inflammation (two that may be separate issues or experienced simultaneously)

•Deals with gut parasites, yeast or bacteria

•Increases language (pragmatics)

•Increases social skills

•Improves overall health

•Improves antioxidant status through upregulation of antioxidant enzymes

•Helps heal “leaky gut” that is common in Autism

•Strengthens the immune system

•Enhances the body’s natural detoxification mechanisms

•Improves oxygenation and blood flow to the brain

It can take between 40 and 80 treatments to see results. Treatment is expensive. It costs about $100-$300 per treatment. Unfortunately, this is not a standard care option for Autism so reimbursement from Health Insurance companies is not available.