Our FacilitiesOne Patient's Experience James Johnson and his daughter, Lani L. James Johnson, a recent patient of the Chico Hyperbaric Center, provides the following description of our facilities. Patients' Lounge Visitors' Lounge Private-Care Room Kitchen Support Office Support The Apartments Bed & Breakfast To Sum Up Two things stand out about my first visit to the Chico Hyperbaric Center. First, I actually enjoyed being there. I suppose I was expecting a cold and clinical environmentmuch like what I've experienced in hospitals and other clinics. Instead, I discovered a spacious, comfortable and functional facility that was easy to be in. Considering the number of "dives" I ended up completing, the sheer comfort level of the Chico Hyperbaric Center would become more important to me than I realized during that initial visit. The second thing that stood out about the Chico Hyperbaric Center was the friendly staff. Not only did smiling faces greet me the first time I walked through the door, but I continue to be greeted by smiling and caring faces every time I return to visit. The following are more practical things I came to appreciate about the Chico Hyperbaric Center. Patients' Lounge The patients' lounge is a great place to hang out with other patients and their families both before and after each "dive." Also, as a Lyme patient, the lounge became a practical classroom where we exchanged details about our experience with doctors, insurance companies, medications, treatment, etc. During these group discussions I learned more about new treatments, antibiotics, testing, supplements, and how others deal with the wide variety of Lyme symptoms, than at any other time during my experience with Lyme disease. I also made a lot of good friends during my treatment at the Centerin large part, because of the time spent with others in the lounge area. Visitors' Lounge The visitors' lounge is at the entrance of the Chico Hyperbaric Center. In reality, patients, staff and visitors mill around wherever they like. However, friends and family often spend time in this area while loved ones are "diving." You never know when you walk in to the Center if you'll see kids playing board games or people just reading or talking. Often, the only way to tell the patients from visitors is because the patients are the ones wearing surgical scrubs. (All "divers" wear surgical scrubs in the hyperbaric chamber. The scrubs are provided by the Center.) Having more than one lounge area is useful, especially if you want quiet time or a private conversation. Private-Care Room Speaking of "quiet time," I appreciated the private-care room when I really needed it. There were days during my HBO treatment that I didn't feel like talking to anyonedays when I wasn't feeling well and when I just wanted to be alone. It was during those times that I took refuge in the private-care room. One reason I appreciate the room so much is because it has the most comfortable reclining chair I've ever relaxed into. I often raised the footrest, reclined the back of the chair, turned out the light, covered myself with a blanket and slept during our break between dives. However, there were other times when I simply closed the door and read by myself. Other patients took advantage of the privacy the room affords to meet with their nurse for IV dressing changes, etc. Kitchen Support Kitchen support came in handy for a number of reasons. First, I was at the Center for half a day, five days a week. Having a microwave, toaster oven, fridge and a steady supply of microwave popcorn came in handy. Also, someone was always bringing snacks for us to munch on: muffins, cookies, almonds, fruit, etc. (People on restricted diets brought their own snacks or lunch.) In my case, I stored my yogurt in the fridge, heated snacks in the microwave, and took advantage of the ready supply of bottled water that the Center furnished. Also, the fridge provided easy storage for those of us who needed to keep our medication refrigerated. Office Support It was a pleasant surprise to have office support when I needed to take care of business. A lot of patients were similar to myself: They had traveled from outside of Chico to receive treatment at the Center. We appreciated the fact that the telephone, copier and fax were available for us to use. I would often see patients calling or faxing their insurance companies, doctor's office, or place of employment. Like many other things that the Chico Hyperbaric Center did for us, this was another example of practical support that made a real difference in the day-to-day lives of their patients. The Apartments The apartments are a lifesaver if you plan on traveling to Chico to do HBO therapy for an extended length of time. In my case I did treatment for more than five months. Having my own apartment made such long-term therapy possible. The Chico Hyperbaric Center has two 2-bedroom, fully furnished, ready-to-move-into apartments available for out-of-town patients and their families. I was thrilled the first time I walked into my apartment. When Mitch and Karen told me it was fully furnished they weren't kidding. All I needed to bring was my toothbrush, a change of clothes and a little food. Everything else is supplied. For example, the television is already hooked up to cable, the telephone is working, the kitchen has everything from pots and pans to dishes and glassware, the bathroom has soap, shampoo and towels, and the bedrooms are better equipped than most motel rooms. The apartments have their own vacuum cleaner, iron and ironing board, and each facility has on-site laundry, swimming pool and whirlpool. Also, each apartment is located in a quiet residential area of Chico. A personal note about the apartment: When I moved to Chico to do HBO therapy, the last thing I needed to worry about was organizing long-term living accommodations. Having the apartment available for my use took a lot of worry and stress out of my life at a time when my chief concern was using that energy for healing. Bed & Breakfast I often heard patients at the Chico Hyperbaric Center bestow kudos on how much they enjoyed staying at a local bed & breakfast called the Music Express Inn. Although the Chico Hyperbaric Center has arrangements with a number of hotels and motels in the area for out-of-town patients and their families, most patients that I talked to preferred to stay at the Music Express Inn. They mentioned the huge rooms that had their own fridge and microwave, which made it easy to prepare snacks and even meals. They also praised the homemade breakfast served each morning. Some people preferred the Music Express Inn to the apartment where I stayed because the Inn provided daily maid service and one prepared meal each day. To them, more service and less work was worth a slightly higher cost. To Sum Up The Chico Hyperbaric Center should be commended for putting considerable effort into giving out-of-town patients a wide variety of options when it comes to accommodations. The apartments are great if you value your independence and if you, or someone staying with you, enjoys cooking. The Music Express Inn is preferred if you like a little pampering with the option of preparing some of your meals or eating out. And finally, local hotels and motels provide a third alternative. In addition to accommodations, the Center provides support in many different ways, from comfortable surroundings and office and kitchen facilities to superb staff. In my opinion, the Chico Hyperbaric Center has gone above and beyond the call of duty in providing support for its patients so the patients can concentrate on treatment, not logistics. This article is Copyright © 1999 by the Chico Hyperbaric Center (HBOToday.com). Permission is given to reproduce it, in its entirety, and including this notice. Chico Hyperbaric Center Telephone: Email: Chico Hyperbaric Center Web Site Developed & Hosted by Access Now 2000. Copyright © 1999-2001. All Rights Reserved. #