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Christine,
yes you may get a funny sensation in the ear when you are "surfacing". You should be able to avoid or minimize this by simply swallowing or moving your jaw from side to side. The idea is to equalize the pressure. You have to ensure that you equalize the pressure when you dive, otherwise this may really hurt! An antidecongestant may help.

I personally did not have issues with vision.

Best
M




Partial glossectomy (25%) anterior tongue. 4/6/07/. IMRT start @5/24/07 (3x) Erbitux start/end@ 5/24/07. IMRT wider field (30x) start 6/5/07. Weekly cisplatin (2x30mg/m2), then weekly carbo- (5x180mg/m2). End of Tx 19 July 07.
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Markus:

Thanks for your response. I was hoping you would be on tonight to advise me.

Christine


Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile
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Christine, I hope the HBO therapy helps you heal up from your most recent surgery. Will you be having dental work at the end of it? I may still need it myself at some point, so will be interested in hearing about your experience.

Nelie


SCC(T2N0M0) part.glossectomy & neck dissect 2/9/05 & 2/25/05.33 IMRT(66 Gy),2 Cisplatin ended 06/03/05.Stage I breast cancer treated 2/05-11/05.Surgery to remove esophageal stricture 07/06, still having dilatations to keep esophagus open.Dysphagia. "When you're going through hell, keep going"
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Christine,

Good for you. Yes, a bit of ear crackling from time to time... and after a few dives, I started feeling a bit tired on the way home. Not too tired, but not perky either.

How did you do with the helmet? Mine was really light.

Ken


SCCA T2N1M0 diagnosed 11/02, radical neck dissection, 7 weeks radiation, 6 surgeries to deal with osteonecrosis, 10 weeks hyperbaric oxygen. "Live strong. Laugh often."
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Nelie...no dental work being considered at this time

Ken.....helmets? Im not sure what you mean, I go into a glass tank which is about 4 ft diameter around and about 8 ft long.

Markus....today my ears still have the crackle sound, Im taking some cold medicine before I go.


Christine


Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 666
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Christine,
this (treatment) will seem to go forever. I found it supremely boring but managed to catch up on my sleep.
It looks like you are in the same type of device as I was. I sometimes had problems going down (HBO speak for increased pressure!!!!), similar to what you get when you dive and do not equalize the pressure frequently enough. Surfacing was never an issue, there the pressure equalization happened automatically (bubbling sensation). You could always swallow to effect a pressure equalization.
Basically the problem arises when you have a portion in your body that contains an air space (lung and ear). The lung you equalize by simply breathing and on the ear you may have to work a bit.
(there are other funny thing that may happen with trapped air such as in teeth fillings)
Sometimes they place tubes in you ears to keep the passage (eustachian tubes) open.

re dental work.... I may have to have some and will let you know how that works out.

Best

M





Partial glossectomy (25%) anterior tongue. 4/6/07/. IMRT start @5/24/07 (3x) Erbitux start/end@ 5/24/07. IMRT wider field (30x) start 6/5/07. Weekly cisplatin (2x30mg/m2), then weekly carbo- (5x180mg/m2). End of Tx 19 July 07.
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I had 30 "dives" Hyperbaric treatments earlier this year prior to more surgery in April for Osteroradionecrosis where they removed nearly all of my bottom teeth and replaced my lower jaw with bone from my hip.

The surgeons believe that my "new jaw" and the area where my neck was dissected again is healing alot quicker due to the HBO and that having the HBO will also be a huge advantage to me when I can get teeth implants early next year.

Besides short term blurred vision from the HBO I had no other side effects.

Karen


46 yrs:
Apr 07-SCC 80% entire tongue removed,T4N1M0
Neck/D,Jaw Split, Trache 2 ops,PEG 3.5yrs
30 x rad,6 x Cisplatin,
30 x HBO
Apr'08- flap Recon + ORN Mandibulectomy
(hip bone to reconstruct jaw)
Oct'08 1 Plate out-jaw
Mar'09 Debulk flap
Sep'09/Jan&Nov'10/Feb&Jun'11/Jan&Jul'12/Oct'13/April'14-More surgery
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An update on my HBO treatments.

After 10 dives, I can say I feel the difference already. My jaw no longer hurts. The fatigue had been really bad, now I have some energy. Not quite what it was before cancer but its much better. I still have 20 more to go so I feel very hopeful that I will feel even better when its finished.

Christine


Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,019
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Posts: 2,019
That's great, Christine. Especially that you don't have jaw pain anymore.


SCC(T2N0M0) part.glossectomy & neck dissect 2/9/05 & 2/25/05.33 IMRT(66 Gy),2 Cisplatin ended 06/03/05.Stage I breast cancer treated 2/05-11/05.Surgery to remove esophageal stricture 07/06, still having dilatations to keep esophagus open.Dysphagia. "When you're going through hell, keep going"
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,219
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Christine,

I'm so happy to hear that you are feeling better. It's great that the jaw pain is gone.

Jerry


Jerry

Retired Dentist, 59 years old at diagnosis. SCC of the left lateral border of the tongue (Stage I). Partial glossectomy and 30 nodes removed, 4/6/05. Nodes all clear. No chemo no radiation 18 year survivor.

"Whatever doesn't kill me, makes me stronger"
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