Joyce's KP Adventure mikepasini.com headlines
A Milestone
2 May 2022
Today was a milestone for Joyce. She completed her fortieth hyperbaric oxygen session and the last one Kaiser has approved for now. She was absolutely delighted that it's over.
Milestone. Jessica, Thurman and Kathy checking Joyce as she emerged from the chamber for the 40th time.
So, in that sense, Dr. Tong has it right. The burden of going to St. Francis every afternoon was too heavy.
As was the ordeal of the Wound VAC. Since it was removed after her surgery, her mood has improved dramatically.
It could even be mistaken for Cheerful.
Dr. Mallon visited briefly while she was in the chamber. I showed him the latest wound photo and told him I'm going to miss these sessions because since she started them she has stopped snoring.
"Really?" he was surprised.
"God yes," I emphasized.
It is apparently a new finding. No one before has reported cessation of snoring as a side effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Which is odd, because it doesn't take a keen observer to notice something like that.
Then we had to say our goodbyes to the staff. On the first day (back in March), Kathy had promised we'd become like family. A lot of people say that as they twist the end of their mustache and sprinkle some sort of concoction into your welcome cocktail. So we were wary.
But she was right. It was heart-wrenching to say goodbye to each of them.
Even though Thurman the Program Director wore his two-tone Dodgers socks, we both gave him a hug. And we both hugged Kathy the LVN and Jessica the RN, who are always more appropriately dressed. We wouldn't have made it to this milestone without their expertise, care and humor. And affection.
"They're so sweet," Joyce kept saying (cheerfully) on the ride home. "They're very nice people."
Of course. We're a very loving family, after all.