Week 17: Restart

It is now the end of October, 2015, and the symptoms of my bone infection in my leg is much better than when I started this experiment.

The end of the Summer saw more irritation in my leg, and with that came red, dry and itchy skin. It became very bad in August. The infection and irritation spread throughout my foot as well as much of my lower leg. I was very itchy, and when I scratched my skin, it started to ooze a clear-yellowish liquid. My attempts to heal my leg without the use of antibiotics failed.

At the end of July, I visited my doctor, and he resumed my antibiotic treatment. The infection began to subside once again, and I continued to wear the Oxygener to gain the full benefit of increased blood flow.

The doctor said that even with the Oxygener, I should not have tried to go without antibiotics for so long. He also said that the irritation would increase if I walked too much. This Summer, I did participate in very strenuous activities and much walking, with my trips and Summer Camps. He also said that I needed to get more sleep to ensure that my immune system remained strong.

I also took a bone scan in September, and the doctor said the results were good. There was infection localized in the bone of the lower leg, but he said it was a low-grade infection. He said that was good news.

So, I decided to take another round of antibiotics for about two months. The improvement has been dramatic. I am now about to stop antibiotic treatment again, and I will see how long I can keep the infection under control.

I will keep you posted.

Week 7: Active Summer

It has been a very busy Summer. We have organized three basketball camps, and we ran two of them last week. I was too busy to post a blog article until now.

I have been wearing the Oxygener bracelet for over 7 weeks now, and applying moisturizer or aloe vera gel on the affected area of my right leg. During the time I have been busy with the camps, I have stood on my feet the entire 3 days of each camp. This causes some swelling, which also triggers itching of the skin. But now, after having 5 days of rest, my leg is healing again.

Looking at my Week 7 photos, I can see that the reddish areas on my leg has grown slightly in size, especially on my right foot. I believe the infection in my bone may have spread (in the bone) down to the bones in my foot. However the skin on my shin has become smoother and better in color. Also, after being off of the antibiotics for 8 weeks, I know my leg would have been much worse, if I had not performed this daily treatment. My liver and kidneys are able to do their jobs without any effects from antibiotics.

I will make an appointment in the near future to let the doctor see what happening in the bone. I will keep everyone posted.

Week 5: Back to my routine

This is the 5th week. My leg feels much better than last week. I resumed my usual routine of taking care of my leg. So, I will share my routine.

Of course, I am wearing the Oxygener bracelet for 6 days out of the week. I also rub some Per Te cream on my skin on my right leg once or twice per day. Per Te cream is actually a product that the Oxygener inventor, Peter Chang, created. Sometimes, I put Herbalife aloe gel on the skin. Also, to make sure I have proper nutrition, I drink a Herbalife shake every morning for breakfast. My lunch and dinner are normal meals here in Taiwan.

Since, I have not needed to walk so much this past week, my skin has had time to heal.

Per Te cream, invented by Peter Chang.

Week 4: A minor setback

This week is the 4th week. At the beginning of the week, my wife wore the Oxygener bracelet for about a day and a half, and she said she felt a difference when she wore it.

Our family took a trip to Bangkok for 8 days and 7 nights for a long-deserved family vacation. It was during this vacation that my right leg suffered some setbacks. First, I made a mistake by bringing a new pair of shoes to wear during my trip. I didn't realize the the shoe was size 9, and I needed size 9 1/2. It was a tight squeeze for me to wear the shoes for 8 days, especially when I needed to walk for several miles every day in Bangkok. My feet became swollen each day, and the socks and shoes rubbed into my skin, causing abrasion. Also, because of the daily swelling, my leg was itchier than normal. One night, while watching the movie, "The Hangover" in my hotel room, I started scratching my leg. I didn't realize I was scraping skin off of my leg.

Now, I am back in Taiwan, and my leg looks worse than before I left on my trip. I am not discouraged. I made some poor choices. Now I am wearing the right size shoes, and I am not walking so much.  I can actually rest my leg, so I expect things will get better within a few weeks.

My scabs are already starting to peel off.

Week 3: A little itching

All I do know is that usually when I haven't taken antibiotics for so long, my leg becomes very itchy. The itch is much milder than the last time I went off antibiotics.

I just had my day where I took the Oxygener off for a day. I let my wife wear it.

Week 2: Any sign of improvement?

The front of my lower right leg.

I am in the second week of my trial using the Oxygener. I can't really see my own rashes on my leg, so I am also relying on these photos to see any change.  Does it look like there is any change? It has only been a week since I started using the product. And I took it off on Sunday as they recommended.  It is good to give the nervous system a little rest. Well, in the top photo, there seems to be an improvement in the reddish area on the foot. Also, further up the shin, there seems to be a slight improvement in color. In the bottom photo, there seems to be a slight improvement in the color in the top part of the rash. I will just have to wait until next week to see if the trend continues.

Side view of the same leg.

The benefit of healing my leg is my top priority, but I have recognized other benefits so far. I am less prone to exhaustion, and that means I can be more productive. I had a very productive week last week. But this week, I came down with a serious cold, with sneezing, slight cough, and a high fever. , After resting for one day, it is almost gone.

I am happy with the results so far. I will keep you posted.

DAY 7

I came down with a bad cold. After staying up late for 3 days to enjoy the Sigang Temple Festival, my immune system may have been more susceptible to catching a cold. It was pretty serious, with sneezing, light cough and high fever. But I went to bed early and stayed in bed until 10 am the next day, and it is almost gone.

Week 1: Let's see what happens

My right lower leg, affected by bone infection, which also irritates my skin.

I am now entering my trial, and I have high hopes. I should begin my evaluation by sharing more information about my condition. In January of 1986, I was involved in a serious car accident. It was serious enough to end my life, and provide me with an "after death" experience, just like many of those described in many books on the topic. That's another story, and I don't want to digress. My right leg was crushed, and my fractured tibia was exposed to the air and the dirt of a grassy Texas field. It is no wonder that bacteria entered my bone at that time, and during my hospitalization, the doctors had to battle with a bone infection. With a heavy dose of antibiotics, they treated the infection, and I had no symptoms for 17 years.

Side view of the same leg.

Two years ago I noticed a reddish rash on my shin. I didn't think it was anything significant, but it gradually grew, started getting itchy and released a yellowish pus. This indicated infection. I thought I had a skin problem at first, but after blood tests, I was diagnosed with a bone infection. I still had a metal plate in my leg from that car accident, and I thought that it was best that I finally remove it. I wanted to make sure that the metal didn't have any adverse reaction in my leg. I also thought removing the metal would give the bacteria one less place to hide.

The surgery was a success, and after antibiotic treatment, the infection seemed to be under control.  But after 4 months had passed, the symptoms returned. I have treated this infection with series of antibiotic treatments, with mixed results, but each time, it seems there is less improvement each time. I always need to take a substantial break from the antibiotics, to prevent an adverse reaction in my kidneys and liver. I have recently completed my 8th series of treatment. The infection is larger than ever. It has spread into my ankle and foot, so I am losing faith in the antibiotics.

As the antibiotics become less effective, I have started seeking other solutions. I may never be able to completely be rid of the infection, but it is crucial that I have it localized and under control, because it can spread through the bone to other parts of the body. Since the blood circulation in my right lower leg is very weak, it makes sense that my infection is able to grow there. It is possible that this serendipitous solution provided by Peter Chang will improve the blood circulation that my leg needs to allow my body to fight and control the infection.

I will post my progress weekly with photos and descriptions. I thank my friends for their kind words of encouragement.

DAY 1

I wore my bracelet all day and night, and was even able to keep it on my wrist during my shower. I was assured that the product was water-proof, so I didn't have to worry about taking it off. I was told that I should take it off one day per week to give my body a rest. Do I notice any differences so far in my first day? Well, there wasn't anything very noticeable. But I did feel a slight warming sensation in my extremities. It did not affect my sleep last night. I wasn't quite so tired after lunch, like I normally would be. But, I won't read too much into it.

DAY 2

I stayed up until 1 am last night working. I had to wake up at 6:30 am to get ready to teach. I dread the tiredness that I expected. Strangely, I woke up easily at 6:00 am before my alarm rang. I am a little tired, but not as much as I normally would be. Should I take off my Oxygener to get a deeper sleep?

DAY 3

Last night I went to bed at the normal time, putting my son to sleep and reading him a book. This morning, I slept in a little, but I didn't have any problems waking up. It seems waking up is much easier nowadays. I asked Peter about my altered sleep patterns. He said it is normal. He said the brain sleep deeper when it has more oxygen, so the brain is not as tired. He also said he usually doesn't sleep until 2 am when he wears the bracelet, because he is not fatigued as easily. I didn't need to take a nap today. I had an active day working on the computer, covering a local protest as a journalist, and taking my boys out to a movie.

DAY 4

I haven't taken any antibiotics in a week. I have also started eating yogurt and drinking probiotic drinks to begin building my good bacteria in my intestines again. I haven't noticed any increase in the itching or redness in the leg. It looks the same. But, usually when I stop taking antibiotics, the redness and itching grows.

DAY 5

I have been enjoying the Sigang Temple Festival, which happens every 3 years. It means I have stayed up very late for three nights in a row, and I even stayed up until 3 am tonight.

DAY 6

I took off the Oxygener for an entire day, because Peter and Shirley recommended that I take a day off every week from using the product.