Integrative Medicine - Ozone Therapy

LBA (lab blood analysis) and body composition test shows the following results:

1)  Cancer Marker:    Negative (thank Allah!)

2)  Overall fat:   Very high

3)  Visceral Fat (fat around organs - most dangerous that can cause heart conditions, stroke, 

      etc):   Very high

4)  Subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin): all below normal (due to exercise, which is good)

5)  Skeletal muscle: High (which is good - again due to exercise)

6)  BMI:   Obese

7)  Body age: 77 vs actual age 61

LBA also shows that every organ is my body (heart, kidney, liver, spleen, etc.) is not working at optimal level.  Apart from bad dietary habits and medication, another factor contributing to this condition is the surgery that I had undergone in 2007.  It was a surgery to remove the gall bladder due to stones.  However, during the procedure, the surgeon had accidentally nicked the central bile duct (CBD) that caused bile to flood into my abdomen.  Bile is toxic and it has caused damage to the internal organs due to peritonitis.  However, I was lucky that I was treated before more damage was done to the organs – I had an abdominal surgery and 2 litres of pus was drained from my abdomen and I was treated with antibiotics.  I was told by the doctor who did the LBA that peritonitis is potentially fatal if not addressed immediately and it affects the well-being of one’s internal organs.  Learning about this now makes me understand why my surgeon, Prof Razman Jarmin of HUKM, told me that a majority of his patients who had similar conditions to mine, usually continue to see him for between 5 – 10  years from the surgery. 

The above revelation really opened my eyes on my overall health condition.  I thank Allah that I had survived a potentially fatal condition in 2007 and I decided to try Ozone Therapy as a preventive measure before more serious health issues arise.  It is also time to adjust my eating habits and exercise regime.

Ozone Therapy originated in Germany in the 18^th century although it had also been used in ancient civilisation.  It involves introducing controlled doses of ozone into the blood to rid the blood of plaque, toxins and other free radicals that we get from the air we breathe, food, medication, lack of exercise and our unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking.  The blood goes through a process of “cleansing” when ozone is added and blood is re-infused into the body.

Ozone therapy is a simple naturopathic medical procedure that improves both circulation and utilization of oxygen by the tissues. Circulation is improved as ozone decreases the thickness and viscosity of the blood, and may stimulate dilation and relaxation of the artery walls. This can help compensate for blockages in the arteries from fats (atheromatous plaques).  Ozone therapy strongly stimulates both proper circulation (delivery of oxygen), and proper energy generation (utilization of oxygen). The cells in your body, including the heart (angina), muscles (claudication pain) generate their own energy for use. Oxygen is vital to this process. If the cells can generate enough energy, there will be less fatigue and less pain. Ozone helps with both oxygen delivery and with the way the cells use oxygen once it has been delivered.

Ozone also has very well-defined effects on the immune system, particularly by regulating the activity of the white blood cells. This makes it extremely useful in allergic and autoimmune conditions.

Ozone consists of 3 Oxygen atoms, whereas Oxygen has only 2 oxygen atoms. It is this extra oxygen atom which gives ozone its instability and its power.  The extra oxygen atom is not comfortable where it is, and it makes the ozone very unstable. This extra oxygen atom wants to immediately attach itself to something else to find stability and to release an oxygen molecule.

Let’s take for example how ozone works to neutralize viruses or bacteria and other pathogens (an agent that causes disease, especially a living microorganism such as a bacterium or fungus).

When ozone comes into contact with a virus for example, it immediately disrupts the very delicate and frail viral cellular envelope surrounding the viral organism. This leads to a breakdown of the viral cell wall and also a rupture of the virus, leading to its destruction.  Ozone therapy  has been proven in studies to be able to destroy virtually all viruses, some more so than others.  It has also been successfully used in Germany to treat HIV.

Ozone therapy is a medical act and must be done by a professionally-qualified medical practitioner.  The doctor that I visited has been practising Integrative Medicine for the past 28 years.  Integrative Medicine is a blend of western and alternative medicine.  Integrative medicine is fast gaining popularity in Malaysia as cure for certain conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart conditions and also as preventive measure to maintain good health.

Detractors of ozone therapy claim that it is dangerous to introduce ozone into the blood because when you mention ozone, most think of smog and toxicity.  Rising incidence of asthma and other respiratory disorders in polluted cities bear testimony to this line of thinking.  Yet, on the other hand, experts warn us that the depleting ozone layer in the atmosphere are putting us in danger of cancer as the ozone layer fail to block out the ultraviolet rays from the sun that cause cancer.  In this instance, ozone is seen as good.

Many people do not seem to realize that ozone in pure form and ozone mixed with pollutants behave differently. (Furthermore, the ozone layer in the stratosphere has a different impact on humans than that on a beach.).  Many people have benefited from ozone therapy so the jury is still out there on this form of therapy but I am willing to give it a try given the current state of my health.

 Toxins and proteins removed from the blood.  Excess protein (bubbles) in the blood may indicate immune system disorder

Procedure is carried out in a clinic setting

         Blood  (dark in color ) is drawn from the left arm and re-infused into the right arm (blood is lighter in color after being infused with ozone)

    

On The Brink....

NOTICE: THIS POST CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES OF SURGICAL WOUNDS THAT SOME MAY FIND DISTURBING. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

It was a relatively simple surgical procedure – a cholecystectomy – surgical removal of the gall bladder due to stone in the bladder. The procedure was done laparoscopically and I was discharged after 2 days. By the fifth day, I felt fine enough to drive. However, the seventh day (May 7, 2009) brought on acute stomach pain accompanied by vomiting. The pain grew progressively worse, spreading to my back and shoulders.

At about 1.30 p.m., I was admitted into the Emergency room of the same hospital where the surgery was carried out. An injection was given to help me deal with the pain. However, inspite of that, the pain continued and I requested, and was given, a second injection an hour later.

Although I was in acute pain and repeatedly requested for the surgeon, I was told that he was busy attending to patients in his clinic and I had to wait. Given my condition, it would have been comforting if the surgeon had dropped by and checked on me, even if for a while…his presence would not immediately cure my condition but would be a demonstration of a caring attitude…but maybe that was too much to expect? Sick patients do not just need medical care; they also need empathy and emotional support. I would not be surprised at such indifference if I were in a government hospital – but this was one of the well-patronized private hospitals in the Kelang Valley.

The accommodation I requested was not immediately available so I continued to wait in Emergency. Finally, at about 4.30 p.m., I was temporarily admitted into a suite and until then, there was still no sign of the surgeon. He finally appeared at 6.30 p.m. (5 hours from the time I was admitted into Emergency) and announced that it might be gastritis. Gastritis? I have never had that condition in the entire 5 plus decades of my existence; but since he is a doctor, I believed him. Medication for gastritis was administered.

In the meantime, more tests were carried out and on May 10, an MRI (x-ray) was conducted to confirm what the problem was. The x-ray showed that there was fluid in my abdomen, suspected to be caused by a leakage of bile into my system. The leakage was suspected to have occurred at the site where the bladder was clamped after removal. I was told that the condition could be managed in one of two ways – performing an endoscopy or administration of antibiotics. The surgeon advised that the former was an invasive procedure considering that I just had surgery and recommended the latter since the leakage was slight; judging from the time lapse from the date of surgery and the condition at hand.

Unable to endure the pain and placing my complete trust in the surgeon's professional opinion, I agreed to be treated with antibiotics for the next four days. By that time, I had developed fever and signs of jaundice (the whites of my eyes turned yellowish), my abdomen was bloated, my urine was the color of dark tea and my stool was greyish in color. My protein level had also fallen and I was given liquid protein intravenously for three days.

On the eighth day, the surgeon advised me that the leakage could not be fixed at the hospital and recommended that I be transferred to a teaching hospital of a local university where specialized services are available. I was transferred to that hospital in an ambulance on Friday, May 15.  At this hospital, I was assigned under the care of a surgeon specializing in hepatobiliary and pancreatic conditions.

The surgeon examined me later that evening and told me that he had scheduled for endoscopy the following day (a Saturday) when he would insert a stent to stop the leakage. After this procedure, he told me that he had to go out of town for the weekend and would check on me the following Monday.

In the meantime, my fever continued and at about 9 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, the surgeon showed up and told me that he had to return from his trip as I required immediate surgery. A laparotomy (abdominal surgery) was done at about 11 p.m. and when I woke up at about 3.30 a.m. the following day, I found myself in the High Dependency Surgical Ward of the hospital.

My condition had been life-threatening - the surgeon had drained about two litres of pus from my abdomen (I was suffereing from septicemia) but the worst was over. He confirmed that the leakage was caused by an injury to the common bile duct; which occurred during cholecystectomy.

On learning this, I freaked out; angry that I had to suffer physically and emotionally for the apparent negligence of a medical professional at an exhorbitant cost (total ~RM27K). I was still on dribs, I could not walk to the toilet for bodily functions and had to wear diapers, and I hated the tubes that stuck out from my abdomen, draining bile into a pouch that I had to carry. I had bouts of asthma due to stress and from there on, I went downhill emotionally to the extent that I required psychiatric help to cope with my condition. Although the worst was over, those were the darkest days of my life!

Bile Flowing out Post Surgery

Infection at surgical site

During the month-long hospital stay, I had to undergo physiotherapy to rehabilitate - not only due to the surgery but also other conditions caused by immobility as I was bed-ridden for three weeks. I also had to deal with an infection at the surgical site.

My condition requires long-term care and today, I still have a stent in my bile duct. This experience drove home the reality that life is fragile, temporary and fleeting. Since then, I have learnt to live for today and be thankful for what I have. I turned to prayers to give me the strength to go on and I wake up every day thankful that I have my health again. The laparotomy was my thirteenth surgery in the last 20 years, three of which were botched jobs that required follow-up surgeries, and these were all performed at private hospitals with supposedly specialist expertise.

Someone once said, "life is not about waiting for storms to pass - it is about learning to dance in the rain", and I am indeed learning to dance in the rain!

24 Ramadhan Telah Berlalu.....

Tahun ini merupakan Ramadhan yang ke-24 sejak pemergian mu.  Setiap Ramadhan yang berlalu mengingatkan diriku betapa perjalanan ini semakin menghampiri destinasi yang dituju.

"Wahai Allah, ampunilah Haji Muhandes, naikkanlah darjatnya di antara orang-orang yang mendapat hidayah, dan lindungilah keluarga dan keturunannya yang masih hidup.  Ampunilah dia dan kami, wahai Tuhan sekelian alam, luaskanlah kubur baginya dan berikanlah cahaya di dalamnya.

Al-fatihah....