Good morning, everyone. We have a new toy at my house-a hyperbaric chamber. You know-it's the rage. Some people have botox parties; we can have a hyperbaric party.

So, I guess you are wondering what in the world is a hyperbaric chamber. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy(HBOT) is a treatment for all kinds of ailments. It was originally used to treat scuba divers that suffered from decompression sickness. It is used to treat areas in the body that suffer from low oxygen levels. HBOT sends oxygen to these areas, in many instances healing the patient. Athletes such as Terrell Owens and Lance Armstrong use them. It helps athletes heal quicker. It was rumored that even Michael Jackson had one. Some college and professional sports teams use them. HBOT is used when coal miners have been rescued after several days in collapsed mines. Studies show that where there was no live tissue in the brain, that afer so many "dives" the tissue comes back.

It treats autism, seizure disorders, wound healing, hearing loss, and the list goes on and on. Will is hoping it will make his bowed arm straight again. He had broken the same arm 3 times, and it is bowed. He gets in the chamber every chance he gets, and loves it. The first thing he does is look at his arm to check if it it straighter. His ankle was hit by a baseball at the game yesterday. He had to get in to cure his ankle. Anthony got in with Will last night, and he said he has not slept that well in years. He has some arthritis, and he also said his shoulder was not hurting any more.

Will nicknamed ours "Barry". What does Barry look like,you might ask? Well, Barry is about as long as a sofa. It looks like a capsule; kind of like a space capsule. It has one big window and 4 small ones. Our chamber is what they call a "soft" chamber. The "hard" chambers are only under strict supervision. They are pure oxygen(O2). Several people can get in some of these. The "soft" chambers use O2 concentrator which is about 28% oxygen. It is like going 10 feet below sea level. Much like diving to the bottom of the pool. Owen needs to go in 1 hour at a time for 80 treatments. We rent it from a family in Forsyth, GA who have a few chambers. This is an affordable way for families like us to use the treatment. It is impossible to drive an hour a day one way, several times a week for this therapy.

I researched hbot several years ago for the treatment of Owen's seizures. I filed it in the back of my mind because there were no chambers any where near us. Eventually, HBOT came to Dothan and even Colquitt! But, insurance won't pay, and the soft chambers cost about $20,000. But, thanks to the Harbin family, the Cobb family has its very own chamber, Barry.

Owen is not as crazy about Barry as Will and Anthony. He has been in one time with Will(of course) and made it through fine, but last night it really hurt his ears. If you stay in it until you reach pressure, it is fine - it's just getting there that is difficult. We are having his ears checked today to make sure there is no fluid build up. I have not been in yet because my ear is killing me. I am also having mine checked because I want to feel better too.

So, you may ask what you do in Barry. I am glad you asked that question. Since we do not have pure oxygen, you can light a match and not explode! Good thing, right? The boys can play their Nintendo DSi, ipods, watch dvd player, talk on then phone, read, etc. They can sit up in it or lay down. Will called me on Owen's cell phone to ask a question the other night. Anthony read and took a nap. Barry is in Owen's room right now, but we may move it because I may want to get in it late at night - my only free time!

I pray that this works for Owen. I was really hoping that after the first treatment, we could tell. Many people can, but not yet. Please pray that he will continue to get in. HBOT can cure his seizures and improve his brain function. A win-win for him.

He is so brave being our guinea pig, but we can already tell some changes with the biomedical therapy. My next post will be about his casein free gluten free diet and how much Anthony and Will love it!!!!!!!!

Last Chance at "Normal"

This journey began over 12 years ago when Owen Augustus Cobb was born on December 19, 1997. Owen is our son; mine, Anthony's , and God's. God gave him to us, to guide and protect him until our job is through.

When Owen was 14 mos. old, he began having seizures. Words cannot describe the feeling of complete helplessness that a parent feels when their precious baby is convulsing. There is absolutely nothing you can do except wait. Those few moments or minutes seem like an eternity. The questions; Do we call 911 this time? How long will this one last? Do we use the Diastat? Will this one cause brain damage?

Owen's seizures were controlled on meds that totally changed his personality and made him a zombie. When those meds made the seizures worse, meds were changed with other side effects coming into play. As a pharmacist, I know all about meds; well, I thought I did. Medical professionals do not know anything until they have a loved one sick, then you research, & research, & research. You are up until the wee hours of the morning researching; trying to find someone just like you. Trying to find answers. Wishing that you were up at all hours facebooking or shopping online instead of trying to find some kind of a cure or healing for your child.

I pray every day for God to heal Owen. Every single day without fail. I also pray for my husband, Anthony, and my other precious son, Will, my mini-me. Do not think for 1 second that Will is slighted in any way. We try to make sure both boys have as normal a life as possible. Sometimes this is very difficult, but we try. Eventhough I prayed for healing, I often wondered why I was praying for it. Haven't we been told millions of times that nothing could be done? Haven't we spent thousands of dollars on doctors, schools, & therapists only to be told that there is nothing more we can do? But, I continued to pray every, single day.

I would hear of treatments for other conditions, but Owen didn't "fall" into those categories, so it would not work I feared. Plus, how can we, here in southwest GA, put Owen on a diet that would be impossible for us. Only people in big cities can find those kind of foods, right?

Well, I bought a book for a friend whose son was diagnosed with Aspergers. The book was called Mother Warriors by Jenny McCarthy, a well-known actress. After a few pages in to the book, I ran into the den & told Anthony, "This is us! This is our life!" Jenny researched & found doctors who could "recover" these children through biomedical treatment. No, we don't grow our own food, paint rocks, & chant, but we can help heal these children.

I am a normal, middle class mother finding my way on the trail of Owen's Walk. I own a pharmacy in my small, rural hometown of Colquitt, GA. The population of Colquitt/Miller Co. is about 6000. I will do what I can to improve Owen's life, his walk through this life. He may never recover; that is okay with me. I love that child no matter what. God gave him to me for a reason. God answers prayers in 4 ways. He either says "yes", "no", deal with it because my grace is sufficient, or "wait"-the time is coming. I truly believe He wanted me to wait; wait until the time was ripe; until Owen & I were ready for this journey. Maybe we are the guinea pigs. Whatever we are I say bring it on.

The title of this post if "Last Chance at Normal". I named it that because on one of our wild goose chases & testing of Owen at an elite, Atlanta school, Atlanta Speech School to be exact, after being told of all the things Owen would NEVER be able to do, and how he would NEVER succeed in anything(and we actually paid them for this info), my husband looked at me & said don't ever ask me to take Owen to people who tell us what he NEVER be able to do, but to people who tell us what he WILL do. Those people were the folks at Lindamood-Bell in Atlanta. They never gave up on us or Owen. When we left there after Owen's first evaluation, & they told us that Owen & Anthony would need to move to Atlanta for school, we were in shock to say the least. Anthony was just voted as deacon of our church; Owen was 8 years old; I had business to run; it could be a financial disaster. We had only owned our business one year at this point. How could I let me baby move away? He needs me. His dad doesn't know the foods he likes or his favorite clothes. I am his mama. Well, no, he is God's child, and God put this in motion. So, on the way home, Anthony looked at me & said, "This is our last chance at normal." So, that began Owen's walk with his parents & God on this journey to recovery or however God sees it. Will you join us? I can promise it won't be boring!