At HBOT Clinics we see our patients for who they are, people.  We realize that each one of our patients is unique, with their own story and circumstance.  Our staff respects that uniqueness and treats our patients with compassion and professionalism.  We’ve asked some of our patients to share their stories with you and their experience with HBOT Clinics. 

“John”, Testimonial 1

I am a 66 year old male. The purpose of this message is to acquaint you with my hyperbaric treatments. First I must give you the background, since one does not say "I think I'll have some hyperbaric treatments today."

In the spring of 1993 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, at that time I was recovering from a heart attack. For that reason the only treatment available to me was radiation. The radiation got the cancer under control but it created a whole new problem, "radiation damage".

My radiation damage was so severe that it impaired my quality of life severely. The Tom Baker Cancer Centre's Pain Clinic helped with the pain control, however megadoses of painkillers does not make for a tranquil lifestyle. Along with the severe pain, I also suffered from internal bleeding. From December 1993 till July 1997 I was a guinea pig. One medication after another was tried, but none helped the bleeding.

In June of 1997 I watched an Australian TV programme, on this programme they showed a clinic in the U.K. that used hyperbaric treatment to successfully treat radiation damage. I approached my doctor about the success the Brits had experienced using hyperbaric treatments. My doctor had read about it and immediately decided to try it. The only facility available for Albertans, however, was at the Misseracordia Hospital in Edmonton. Within weeks my doctor received approval for a trial run on five patients.

Alberta Health Care would pay for the treatments, however, the patients were responsible for all other expenses. I was fortunate, because the Westin Hotel chain offers free rooms, when available, to cancer patients who are receiving treatments in another city away from home. Without that offer I doubt that I would have been able to stay in Edmonton for the fifteen weeks of treatment.

The hyperbaric treatment was the miracle I had been waiting for. After 15 treatments I was able to start reducing my pain medication, after 20 treatments the internal bleeding slowed and was gone by treatment number 30. In all I had 75 treatments in Edmonton. I was able to reduce my pain medication from 120 mgr three times per day to 20 mgr three times per day.

Unfortunately, radiation damage never heals properly and a year after my last treatment in Edmonton in 1998, the internal bleeding started again. My pain levels were also increasing. My doctor recommended more hyperbaric treatment. He also gave me the good news, that we now have our own hyperbaric treatment centre right here in Calgary.

In the fall of 2000 I attended HBOT Clinics in Calgary for an orientation meeting with the physicians. I was impressed with the staff and the facility. My treatments started that fall and carried over into 2001. The treatments at HBOT produced the same results that the Edmonton centre had achieved. It again took 75 treatments to achieve maximum benefit.

Since it's located in Calgary patients can easily fit the treatments into their lifestyle. If a patient has something special planned, the clinic staff schedules the treatments to accommodate the patient. When I was receiving treatment in Edmonton my private life had to stay on the backburner.

I earlier stated that radiation damage cannot be permanently repaired, for that reason I am now on a plan, where every six months I receive a short series (25) of maintenance treatments. The regular sessions keeps my body at the level which was attained after 75 treatments. Being off the roller-coaster ride of feeling good after treatments, then slipping back to pre-treatment status, has greatly improved the quality of my life. Since I have to live with my problems it's great to know we have a facility like HBOT Clinics in the neighbourhood when I need them. In addition to the benefits I receive, the regional health authority also saves money.

“Mary”, Testimonial 2

My story began in 1986 when I was diagnosed with throat cancer. After surgery and radiation treatment I thought my problems were over. But, in reality, they were just beginning. The radiation treatment, it seemed, were a good news/bad news type of scenario. While the radiation did an excellent job for me as far as the cancer went, the bad news was that after a few years my teeth fell apart. That would have been a minor problem as I could always have my teeth removed, but, another problem surfaced. Due to the radiation, the bone would probably not grow back as it should, rendering healing and jaw strength somewhat unlikely.

At that time my dental surgeon, contacted HBOT Clinics, with whom he was familiar. I met with the HBOT physicians and it was their consensus that the treatment would be beneficial, and so I gave them a try.

It was decided that in order to get the maximum benefit from the treatments, I should have treatment pre-op, and twenty treatments post-op. The treatments themselves took a bit of getting used to. The pressure on my ears was what I found to be the toughest because each treatment or "dive" takes you to an equivalent of forty feet underwater, or approximately two atmospheres of pressure. I can't say enough good things about the staff, they were always there, checking with me constantly by microphone, to make sure each dive was a pleasant and comfortable as possible. If there was a problem on a "dive", due to pressure on the eardrums, they were always there and ready to stop the dive, or at least slow it down, until the pressure inside the ears had time to stabilise, before continuing.

Did the treatments work? For me, the answer is definitely YES! I healed both quickly AND completely. My deepest appreciation and heartfelt thanks go to the HBOT staff. Their compassion for others, as well as their total professionalism made each treatment an enjoyable experience. As I underwent forty treatments at an average of over two hours per treatment, I had ample time to watch them work with others as well. The time spent, and care given to each patient was unwavering. Wonderful people, doing a wonderful, and sometimes difficult, job.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!