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Why We Are Here The following describes how the Chico Hyperbaric Center came to be, as explained by its Founder and President, Mitchell L. Hoggard, Pharmacist. The Chico Hyperbaric Center began as an idea to use hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy to dramatically improve the quality of life of those around us who are suffering from disease. The idea of helping people through the use of HBO therapy began to germinate following a series of events that started with our son falling ill.
Ted's Story In October of 1995 I picked up our twelve-year-old son, Ted, at school. At the time I didn't know that he would not be able to return to school for almost three years, and then, only on a part-time basis. Despite Ted's extreme illness, it took six months for him to be diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease. Following the diagnosis, we immediately started Ted on IV antibiotic therapy. However, six months into the therapy the disease was progressing seemingly unchecked. Ted was unable to walk without assistance; in fact, he usually used a wheelchair. During this time we discovered that two other children in our community, Chico, CA, were also diagnosed with Lyme disease. These children were suffering Lyme symptoms at the same level or worse than our son, Ted.
A New Study Early in 1997 we heard about an investigational study for the treatment of Lyme disease. Dr. William Fife, Professor of Hyperbaric Medicine at Texas A & M University, had come out of retirement to explore the potential of using hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy in the treatment of Lyme disease. Our son and two other children were initially accepted into the study. We traveled to College Station, Texas, for HBO therapy, which consisted of two one-hour treatments per day, five days a week for three weeks, for a total of thirty treatments per patient. (For preliminary results of Dr. Fife's study, see his study outline at Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Lyme Disease.)
Less than a month after completing the thirty HBO treatments Ted was walking with the use of just a cane. After two months he was walking unassisted and riding his bike like any normal 14-year-old boy. Amazingly, within a year Ted returned to one of his most-loved activities, high school rodeo, where he competed in the Team Roping event. The other two children in the study from Chico were showing similar improvement. It was at this point that our idea of helping others through the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy began to germinate. A group of us in Chico were so impressed with the results of the Texas study that we banded together to bring HBO therapy closer to home. We were determined to bring a professional and a "state of the art" facility to our communitya facility that would be available to provide HBO therapy for all approved indications and Lyme disease when ordered by a licensed physician. We accomplished that in April of 1998, when the Chico Hyperbaric Center opened its door for the first time.  Helping OthersSince the Chico Hyperbaric Center began operating we have treated hundreds of people with HBO therapy. Although Lyme was the disease that was predominantly treated in the beginning, we continue to expand the list of conditions treated by HBO therapy at our facility. These conditions include those approved by the FDAsuch as treating difficult healing wounds and osteomyelitisand other areas of investigational study that include cerebral palsy and the possible use for patients suffering from stroke. (See Approved Indications for Treatment and Investigational Research Areas.) I am thankful that our original missionto use hyperbaric oxygen therapy to dramatically improve the quality of life for many of those around us who are suffering from diseasecontinues to provide the chief motivation for those of us who are serving others at the Chico Hyperbaric Center. Also, I am pleased to report that more and more, our original mission is becoming our realized objective. 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. Telephone: Email: Chico Hyperbaric Center Web Site Developed & Hosted by Access Now 2000. Copyright © 1999-2001. All Rights Reserved. # |
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