Testimonials

“Before I go into details, know that Dr. Hughes has provided me with the building blocks to make me what I am today after my accident – I just turned 40 this year, but consider myself 10 years old after what took place in 2012. 

 In 2012, I suffered a severe traumatic brain injury from a 30 foot fall. After about 6 months of dedicated in-patient and out-patient therapy, I began at-home rehabilitation to make something of myself. 

Under the new life of constant rehabilitation (at-home therapy mixed with weekly physical therapy and chiropractor/acupuncture visits), my new dominant left side (right side impairment) was berated with injuries as I regained my independence. 

My issues with my left side was merely from overdoing things to try and “improve” my right side. As a result, I suffered continuous muscle tears and strains since I did not understand what I could and could not do. 

In order to treat those muscle issues, I was introduced by my orthopedic doctors to platelet-rich plasma (PRP). After successful treatments, my curiosity had me google “PRP and the brain.”  If my blood did a great job of fixing my body, why not my brain? 

As a result of my search, I was able to add Dr. Hughes to my quest to improve myself in 2017.  My initial visit was for Intranasal Brain PRP and various puzzle pieces that were introduced by Dr. Hughes. Keto/bulletproof diet, 18-6 intermittent fasting, a home 1.3 ATA hbot chamber, Vielight, alpha-stim, electrolytes, insulin, various vitamins to aid with the new me, magnesium to reduce spasticity at night and more. Dr. Hughes’ knowledge of my condition even aided in boosting my testosterone back to a normal level – then came baby #2!

Dr. Hughes knows the answers to every little question/concern relating to my injury. It took my doctors ten years to figure out how to get me to sleep properly with a vitamin to lower my cortisol level, but when I let Dr. Hughes know of that solution, he smiled and was aware of lowering night time cortisol. My brain injury questions should always go to Dr. Hughes as the practicing expert. 

So in 2017, I had intranasal PRP done not just once, but two separate times with all the extras and HBOT with Kirk Hartley – who is a great guy with high quality medical service. I advise anyone working with Dr. Hughes to add multiple medical dives before and after your blood draw/intranasal PRP or Stem Cells – the package comes with 2 dives, but do more if you have time!

So after about 6 years of continuous improvements from Brain PRP and its changes to my routine, I decided it was time to try stem cells. To prepare for my blood draw, I concentrated on extra intermittent fasting, cardio exercise, specific vitamins, wild sockeye salmon and other eating habits/cruciferous vegetables to maximize my body’s production of stem cells. 

After the initial blood draw for stem cells (following 2 hbot dives with Kirk), Dr. Hughes got my mind/body ready with a Vitamin C IV, Vielight, alpha-stim and intranasal PRP. The next day after an HBOT dive, he prepped me for the intranasal stem cells, put my remaining PRP in my IV to improve my overall cognition (hopefully!) and then on came the stem cells as I laid down. 

Mind you, the intranasal application can be a little scary, but remind yourself of why you are where you are. What you have gone through to get to this point and the hope that this will get you to a better place – you can handle a few seconds lying down with your head perpendicular to your body while you are given your platelets or stem cells. 

After the entry of stem cells to my brain, I did two more hyperbaric dives and then headed home. Now at home, I use my own chamber whenever I can, maintain proper eating habits (I told my kids the dessert monster was on vacation!), get good sleep, stay active to keep my blood flowing and concentrate on hydration to enable the stem cells and PRP in my head to work their magic. Before any home dives or dives with Kirk, I agree with Dr. Hughes and always try to do minor exercise to get my blood flowing and promote healing. 

I want more than cognitive healing with stem cells. Hoping for improvement in my chronic spasticity and any disabilities in the right side. Figure worth a shot, but no guarantees. Even if just cognitive improvements, I’ll be happy to be able to bypass any explanatory disability when answering my children. Mind you, I am hopeful my kids will bypass me intellectually, but I would like to be able to explain more and hold intellectual conversations. 

So many people talk about the “plateau” of recovery. In discussing that idea with Dr. Hughes, he smiles at that and I understand why. There’s always a hope, no matter our age, of improvement. Dr. Hughes has helped me understand and take a path of constant recovery in my life. He shares my mindset on living – always be hopeful and strive for improvement. 

I want to believe that the ability to treat a brain injury with intranasal PRP and Stem Cells does help, but i can’t provide a scientific answer and my doctors all are amazed at what that treatment has done for me.  It’s hard for them, though, to suggest the treatment to others and insurance does not approve of the treatment as “experimental.”  In my lifetime, I may never see this treatment as covered/approved by insurance or suggested by other doctors who treat brain injuries. 

I’m not a doctor, but from my personal perseverance/puzzle pieces that are being pieced together with Dr. Hughes (new pieces are always created from asking questions to Dr. Hughes!) he has helped me become a better me in my second chance on this Earth.  Better sleep, more energy, better moods, increased strength, increased cognitive abilities, improved speech, etc. 

Life is unexpected at all times. No guarantees. You work with what you can and try to persevere. Dr. Hughes has aided  me in my path to continue working on the new me. Ten years later, I am still hopeful about my improvement and Dr. Hughes has helped pave the way.”

“When we first talked about the possibility of doing your TBI protocol I thought what I normally do, wow, this will make me 100% better… But as you were very up front with, it’s a percentage better.  But that percentage, has made a HUGE difference in my life!  What your treatment has given me is the ability to be so much more clear-headed in my internal thoughts that I’ve been able to think through better what is wrong with me and what is still right.  Although I’m not back to doing my career as an engineer, I’m able now to engineer my way through life.  I can now pay attention to why things go right on my good days and why they go wrong on the bad’s, then try to better set myself up for success each day moving forward.

Of all the treatments, therapies and Dr’s that I have seen in the last 5.5 years your 3 day treatment have given me the largest chunk of me back by far!  Although I continue in several other therapies where I still continue to improve, those improvements would not have been possible had I not seen you first!

Thank you for all you do!”

April 15th, 2019: 12 Year Anniversary post

The Dark Forest: A Tale of Two Pictures

They say life imitates art. I believe this is true.

When I was a little girl, I remember going to my grandparents cozy little lake house that my grandfather built in Old Lyme Connecticut.  Every summer we would spend two weeks in this sleepy town area of the northeast.

I have such wonderful memories of those summer days as a child.  I remember the view of the beautiful lake from the front porch, the murky pond just around the corner from their home, feeding the family of swans that would visit us in the evening down by the dock and family badminton games filled with competition and laughter.  I can remember the smell of freshly laid tar as I walked along the road, the smell of gasoline when my father would fill the tank of the motor boat,  the smell of varnish and wood in the basement of my grandfather’s workshop, the smell of the pine trees that we would climb, the smell of the lily pads that sat clustered together on top of the water, tucked away in secluded locations on the lake.  It’s amazing the memories our brains lock away, unwilling to ever let us forget them and it is a true blessing to be able to go back and visit those special moments of our lives whenever we want.

Another memory I have of their home was a picture of a dark forest that sat above the couch.  I can remember as a little girl always standing in front of that picture, staring and being both scared and intrigued by it.  I remember wanting to go into the dark forest even though it terrified me.  I thought about all the unknown dangers I would face if I entered that picture and my little girls mind would run wild with chilling scenarios.

Little did I know that at 37 years old I would actually enter the dark forest and it would be a scarier place than anything that I could have ever conjured up in my child’s mind.

The dark forest of my traumatic brain injury was a very sinister place for me.  No longer did I have the ability to pretend what it would be like to enter the dark forest, I was now in it and I could not escape.  I was trapped in an 11 year battle of my will to get better against a brain that I felt was betraying me. My personality changed drastically after my brain injury.  I became very angry, depressed and suicidal, the term “stable” was something I could no longer connect with.  My brain injury ripped away my identity and left me curled up like a ball feeling broken, alone and isolated.  In the dark forest negative thoughts would haunt me and it was impossible to keep them quiet.  The emotional problems were a constant tap on my shoulder from my brain injury letting me know it was still there, surrounding me.  I felt like my injury was mocking me and that no matter how hard I fought to fight my way back, it was here to stay.  The dark forest was closing in on me, I was suffocating and I needed a way out.

I dragged myself along the path in the dark forest for almost 11 years searching for answers, any answers that would free me from spending another day there. In February of 2018, a glimmer of light peeked through the blackness of the dark forest.  That ray of hope was my stem cell therapy and by the Grace of God,  brought me back to me.  After 11 long pain staking years I was able to walk out of the dark forest, no longer bound by the emotional chains that weighed me down.  I was finally free.

There is a picture of a forest that sits in my parents’ home, the forest is bright, very different from the picture of the dark forest I looked at as a child.  There is a path in the lighted forest and it represents to me the new path I now travel on, one that is filled with happiness, possibilities and purpose.

Today, I don’t think about the difficult years I spent in the dark forest, there is no reason to look back when there is so much beauty right in front me!

Dr. Hughes and his associates and staff are the best. We were able to coordinate over the phone our son’s treatment plan. Dr. Hughes took his time to answer questions and give his informed opinion. Our son had the PRP procedure as well as the stem cell procedure by Dr. Hughes. He had a week of HBOT and a several cranial massages. We have noticed our son’s speech is clear and he is relaxed more than usual. Cutting edge technology and treatment. Kudos to these doctors who believe medicine is not always the answer. Thank you so much for your help and understanding. We seem to have to seek out treatments ourselves and I am very glad God lead us to Dr. Hughes and TBI therapy.*

I was so hypersensitive to light and sound that I had to wear ear plugs, headphones, sunglasses, giant sun hat, and a scarf just to attend the appointment. I could not drive, I lived in darkness, and struggled emotionally. Dr. Hughes’ demeanor was filled with humor, hope, and confidence. Since hope had pretty much gone out the window, it was refreshing to learn about new therapies. After the PRP treatment, it was like a stream of information had been let loose like a dam that had busted. I saw clips of memories such as faces, numbers, and letters. I felt for the first time in a year that I had some clarity. I was excited and able to read more than 2-3 sentences without triggering a migraine. I found that I was able to get back on the computer and learn more about my trauma and recent treatments. Within the following days it was like an awakening. I could turn on lights for a few minutes and keep the TV on. It seemed like a light switch was turned back on inside my head. The ability to think and plan returned.*

To read the full testimonial, click here.

Feeling INCREDIBLE!

SECOND STEM CELL/PRP UPDATE

For those who really know me know that I am a straight up and honest person and when I decide to write and share about my TBI it is 100% the truth.  Nothing is candy coated or exaggerated, it is my real life journey through this injury, the good, the bad, the ugly and the VICTORIES!  I am now officially 5 weeks post intranasal/IV stem cell and PRP treatment and the results for me have been are nothing short of MIRACULOUS!  Over these last 5 weeks I have thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of my brain and body, basically my entire central nervous system getting stronger and stronger every day!

A little background:

For the last almost 11 years I have struggled with some very big demons from my brain injury that included a very serious depression where far too often I didn’t want to be here anymore.  I have dealt with levels of PTSD on a handful of occasions that sent me down dark roads that I didn’t think I could ever come back from.  For the last 11 years, my body has been in a constant fight or flight  response, always ready to engage whether I needed it to or not. Day in and day out, year in and year out this has become a mentally exhausting existence for me that after all these years I started to lose hope it would ever truly get better. Over the years I’ve had good days and happy moments but nothing ever felt “normal”.  My brain NEVER felt normal, my body NEVER felt normal, I and I stress “I” NEVER  felt normal after my brain injury. I would tell a good friend of mine that “I just don’t feel like I am in my body anymore” and what bothered me the most is that despite ALL my efforts and the years of hard work I put into my recovery I still could NOT for the life of me figure out what it would take to feel “normal” again.

I am going to try to explain something, you see there is a big difference between having a “highly functioning” brain and having a “strong” brain (btw, in case you were wondering, it’s best to have both!)  My TBI was very severe but by the grace of God I came out highly functioning despite how bad the damage was.  I could still hold a job and be successful in my career, organize things, pay my bills, cook, plan my day, week or month, follow up on things that needed to be done, live independently etc. However despite being “highly functioning” my brain was NOT “strong”.  My brain no longer had same resilience it had before the injury.  My self-assured, confident self was gone, instead my brain was now plagued with insecurities, self-doubt and at times emotional turmoil, it changed aspects of my personality and I felt weak and disconnected in my body, mind and spirit.  Trust me when I say that losing who you are from a traumatic brain injury is absolutely devastating!  Over the years I learned how to coexist with my brain injury and the issues that came along with it but only a select few close to me could tell I was still struggling at times.

Until now…….

Popeye may have his spinach but I have stem cells and PRP!  I am still in the early stages but there is NO doubt that this treatment has given my brain and body the building blocks it needed to hit that next level of healing and regeneration.  I can feel less inflammation in my brain with more blood flow, my brain and body are now calm and are no longer in a “reactive” state. I feel I got a HUGE part of my life back and an even bigger part of ME back!  For the last 5 weeks I have not looked back once, only forward.  My self-confidence came back in full force like it was before my brain injury and my body, mind and spirt have been reunited once again. Yes, my brain is strong!

No longer do I feel my brain injury defines me, it is now something that happened to me.

To my brain injury……I will always stay humble and respectful to how powerful you are but I will no longer be your prisoner. After all these years, I FINALLY  figured you out and got back to feeling NORMAL!*