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Haley's Therapy
Haley's rehab started with traditional physical therapy, occupational therapy, & speech therapy. These therapies have there place & Haley still does them everyday, but we felt that she was going to need something more. The additional therapies we chose are not what many conventional dr.'s would agree with, but I must emphasize that no one knows your child like you do!
During Haley's stay in the hospital, I said many times that the first dr. I was going to take her to when we got home was my chiropractor. That is exactly what I did. Haley was in alot of pain upon her first visit. She had developed scoliosis due to the stroke she suffered & was unable to move her head or neck without crying out in pain (& let me tell you Haley is one tough cookie). She also had lost the movement in her left leg from the knee down during her hospital stay. Haley was being asked to walk in physical therapy which she did & gave it her all, but she was in agony.
Her chiropractor & I developed a new plan for Haley's rehab. We decided upon a more developmental approach (like when your a baby). First, you roll over, then sit up, then crawl, etc... We stopped asking her to walk (which looking back was asking too much, because she had laid in a hospital bed for months, lost most of her muscle mass, & had even gotten down to 39 lbs. when she was supposed to weigh 68 lbs.). I can't begin to tell you the immediate difference the new approach made accompanied with her weekly adjustments. She has been getting stronger & stronger & mastering each step along the way & is now able to move pain free. She has, also, regained the movement in her left leg from the knee down & is now, currently, working on her walking.
Next, we chose hyperbaric oxygen therapy for Haley. I probably won't be able to say enough about the difference it has made in her life! A brief synopsis of hyperbaric oxgen therapy follows. It is essentially the use of oxygen under pressure to treat a condition. Normally, we breathe a very small % of oxygen, but with hyperbaric therapy a patient is able to breathe in 100% oxygen during a hyperbaric dive. This increases the oxygen into the blood stream & body fluids, increases the oxygen in the tissues, & reduces inflammation ( which causes alot of the damage). This process allows damaged neurons to restore their function. It also stimulates growth of new capillaries that restore blood supply. Hyperbarics also increases stem cells & regeneration of tissue. For hyperbaric articles & links, please visit the "hyperbaric oxygen therapy" page.
Haley's results have been quite remarkable & after only 80 dives! We thank God everyday to leading us to this therapy for her! She has regeneration of her brain tissue, increased blood flow, & increased brain function. Please see "Haley's SPECT scans" page to see the changes. Also, the area of her brain that was damaged from the stroke she sufferred is no longer visible.
We cannot emphasize enough how instrumental hyperbaric oxygen therapy is for her & we estimate she will probably need to receive it for another 2 years. Everyone who sees her is constantly "Wowed" by her progress. Please, visit the "Haley's HBOT Progress" page for a more detailed list of her progress.
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