The Swallows Australian Edition Magazine

Hyperbaric Medicine
Post Treatment
Fran’s Story
- Fran Levy
have seen several patients in my treatment
times have limbs and/or digits saved from
amputation by the hyperbaric treatment they
have received. I tell everyone I know about this
treatment, and cannot recommend it highly
enough. It has meant that I have been able to
successfully slow down the inevitable
degeneration of my jaw and gums.
In 2004, at the age of 47, I was diagnosed with
a rare and aggressive cancer called
Rhabdomyosarcoma. This is a children's
cancer, which goes from nothing to
life-threatening in 8-10 weeks. My tumour was
in my soft palate, was very advanced and I was
not expected to live. I was given very intense
chemo for 10 months, with six weeks of
radiation in the middle. It was a shock to all
when my treatment stopped and we
discovered that the cancer was gone! What a
relief, as I had young children still at the time.
The side effects from radiation began to show
soon after, with the worst ones in my mouth
and jaw, which had taken the full brunt of the
radiation.
My major ongoing problem was, and still is,
non-healing ulcers in my gums and
osteoradionecrosis of my jawbone. The
limited saliva that I have left has no healing
properties, resulting in ulcers that become
extremely painful, open wounds.
Soon after my first bout of these ulcers,
someone I knew recommended the Wesley
Hyperbaric Centre to me. I contacted them,
was referred by their doctor, and commenced
my first round of treatment, known as 'dives'. It
was so successful that the ulcers closed and
healed completely, and I have been back many
times since with the same fantastic outcome. I
also have pre and post dives when I need teeth
removed, and my specialists are always
amazed that the wounds heal so quickly and
so well.
The chamber is comfortable, the staff are
extremely helpful and understanding and the
treatment clinic for wound dressing of
non-healing Diabetic ulcers is outstanding. I
“My specialists are
always amazed that the
wounds heal so quickly
and so well”