What a week! Monday was the passing of Sammi and Thursday was Christyna’s first hyperbaric chamber session. Here’s a rundown of that experience (probably some other anecdotes and stories sprinkled in). Let’s go!

Firstly, what the hyperbaric chamber treatment looks like. Insurance finally approved the treatment. Christyna has 30 sessions in total. 5 times a week for 6 weeks- every weekday morning at 8am. She shows up around 745 to check in and get ready. “No deodorant, perfumes, or smells.” Nothing that can taint the 100% oxygen atmosphere with a combustible, basically. No electronics or even books! Christyna gets to wear the provided, highly-fashionable, hospital gown and her mastectomy bra! Arnold, her dedicated technician, attaches a ground wire to her and slide her in. The hyperbaric chamber looks like an old-school pneumatic tube, with a gurney on rails that slides in and out. She gets loaded the sealed in. Then the fun starts!

It takes 8 minutes to pressurize. Christyna has got to pop her ears, aka yawn, to equalize the pressure in her sinuses. Then the treatment is 90 minute, with another 8 minutes of de-pressuring. It’s all methodical and meticulous since we don’t want her to get the bends. During the treatment, she is on her back the entire time, looking through the glass at a television screen she has no control over. (I think) she sets the channel/show/film beforehand since she has shared with me there is a whole lotta gesturing to Arnold on the outside. Christyna treats it as an opportunity to meditate and center. After the return to atmospheric pressure and her release, she re-dresses and is released from that treatment for the day. Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday we have a home health care aide come for wound vac maintenance and breast care. I take care of changing breast dressing on Sunday/Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Christyna gets lots of personal attention from highly capable and trained people.

Several weeks ago, and I apologize if I’ve shared this here and the redundancy if I have (but I am a Gemini so I repeat myself frequently), Christyna went out with a bunch of girl friends and got their nails did. They were swooning and fawning over the luxe treatment that Christyna is getting with the hyperbaric chamber AND that insurance is paying! I strongly advise not getting breast cancer to get insurance to pay for this. All said and done, hyperbaric chamber treatment takes about 3 hours each day. Christyna is patient and stoic and meditative. I’m going crazy in the background!

Here’s what Christyna’s treatment looks like for me. Alarm goes off at 530am. No snooze, I gotta get C ready for “school.” I start tea for her and then do my morning constitutional and shower. As I get dressed, Christyna is listening to NPR and stretching. I prompt her with the current time and how long until she has to get out of bed. I then start making my coffee and her Juven. By 620 Christyna’s is up and having her morning constitutional. I putter and get things ready and Christyna sips her tea. I have PT or donate plasma, so we are out the door by 650am. I get dropped off or drop her off depending on the day. Oh, did I mention that Christyna’s car is in the shop? We are currently a one-car household! Fun! (Not really, but it’s what we got to do, so we do it and have it work.) We chat and create who we are as a possibility on the ride. Eventually we find our way back to each other’s arms and hug and kiss. That is my favorite part!

Kinda like this update, the whole thing is chaotic and productive. I love the morning! Christyna, not so much but she loves me. “This is only temporary” is the mantra. We have typically accomplished more by 10am than many will accomplish in the whole day- present company excluded! We both keep taking new ground and are healing splendidly. My therapist is amazed/floored with my recountings and progress. I am closer and closer to being able to fully straighten my arm. Both Christyna and I are going through the pain now to have a rewarding future. “Pain now, reward later” kinda sucks but sure does beat “Relief now, pain later (and compounded).” Each day we push a little further. 

We do it together. 

We do it with each of you. 

Once again, thank you for the support, kind words and intentions, and sharing this journey with us. We learn so much about ourselves and our community each day. Each of us gets to live a miraculous life with each other’s contribution. Thank you. 

Signing off with love,

Ryan