Its Therapeutic!
Meet Ryan Dale Groves- a true American Hero
Retired Sergeant, USMC
Infantry Squad Leader
Senior, Georgetown University, Pre-Law
At first glimpse, Ryan Groves appears to be like any other university student. In speaking with him, it isn’t long before you realize that his drive, determination and spirit combine to make him quite extraordinary. It is hard to put your finger on it, but the military bearing is impressive. You see Ryan is a Marine, once a Marine always a Marine. In 2004 he was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade while on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq. Fortunately for Ryan, a forward surgical center was nearby, the injuries he sustained from the explosion required his left leg to be amputated above the knee. His right leg was also severely damaged by the force of the rocket blast and shrapnel, but was not amputated. After coming out of a medically-induced coma 8 days later at National Naval Medical Center (NNMC), the doctors, in speaking with Ryan made the decision to attempt to salvage what was left of the limb despite the damage. Ryan like so many injured veterans, knew the road ahead would be long and arduous. As Ryan describes the decision to keep his remaining leg “ For psychological reasons, I also knew the importance of keeping what was mine.”
After months of debridement surgeries, severe bone infections, and a failed knee reconstruction, the doctors were left no choice but to remove the knee joint completely and they eventually fused the tibia and femur straight. Knowing the road would not be a smooth one though not ideal, Ryan wanted to keep his leg. Following 4 months multiple courses of antibiotics and 36 surgeries, the DOD transferred Ryan to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to begin his physical therapy.
After two months at Walter Reed, however, Ryan began experiencing a very deep pain in his right thigh, and “puss was oozing from the pin sites of my external fixator”. Ryan realized there was something wrong, but the doctors assured him that, if there was infection, it was merely superficial. Ultimately, he convinced the doctors at NNMC to re-admit him as an inpatient in order to ensure that the osteomyelitis had not returned. To make a long story short, the doctors agreed after several MRIs and blood tests that his right femur and fibula still suffered from deep bone infections. Ryan found it difficult to fairly describe the feelings his family and he experienced upon hearing that news. “I knew that I was running out of options and that the antibiotics had not been effective”. He was at a turning point where he simply could not continue with his rehabilitation until his knee fusion was complete, or his second leg was amputated. “ I did not want the doctors to amputate my leg. This was important”
Meanwhile, the doctors at NNMC again placed Ryan on a very aggressive antibiotic regiment; however his family and he were not very optimistic. It was at this time that he remembered a visit a few months earlier by Bill and Susan Casner, from Flower Mound, Texas. “During their visit, they had shared with my family and me the advantages of combining Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment with my current antibiotic regiment; however, at that time we were receiving good news and did not consider it necessary. But, it was obvious this time that HBOT was worth a shot, so I contacted Mr. Casner.
“In response to my call, Bill began to forward any and all research on HBOT that was relevant to my case, and I began to forward the same information to my doctors. Every doctor on my case told me the same thing, that HBOT was purely experimental and would not help with my circumstance.” “They were quite opinionated, most likely because they not taken the time to properly evaluate it, and did not feel it necessary to indulge in nonsense. Fortunately for me, I was compelled to seek out this therapeutic option whose rationale to me was so very obvious,” said Ryan.
“Frankly, it should not have been my duty – I had fulfilled my duty in Fallujah – to conduct research from my hospital bed on whether or not HBOT could have contributed to the salvage of my right leg, but in the end it was,” said Ryan. He added, “ You are your best advocate and should be involved in directing your care, your rehabilitation and recovery.” “It is therapeutic,” he said.
Ryan eventually convinced the doctors and the hospital administration to refer him to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore for 25 HBOT treatments. For 5 straight weeks, he took a ride in an ambulance to Shock Trauma with hopes of keeping his leg. By this time, Ryan had had 40 surgeries and was “ losing faith” that he would keep his leg.
“After only 10 treatments, my appetite and energy had increased noticeably, but most importantly – my positive attitude had also returned,” Ryan said. Ryan attributes his turning point to hyperbaric oxygen saying, “Many doctors would still have us believe that it was solely their unmatched wisdom that had eliminated my leg of the incredibly dangerous osteomyelitis and staph infections; however it is clear to my family and me that, without the HBOT, the antibiotics simply could not do their job until my body was strong enough to utilize them effectively.”
In response to the question from Examiner Alternative Medicine reporter Thomas Fox, Are there any final comments you would like to what we have discussed today?
Ryan answers “I have witnessed firsthand the benefits of HBOT in augmenting the treatment of combat related injuries. I understand that every wounded warrior’s case is not exactly like my case; however we have also learned from countless medical journals that HBOT can help manage numerous combat-related symptoms. It is because of this that I am incredibly disappointed that HBOT is not incorporated into the treatment of any and all of the returning wounded who would benefit. We can only speculate as to how many limbs would have been salvaged given immediate HBO treatments, but when we weigh the pros and cons, it seems almost a dereliction of duty to actively disregard success stories like mine. It simply does not seem that the incorporation of HBOT into the treatment of battlefield injuries can do anymore harm than removing someone’s limbs. It may make perfect sense to lean on the traditional textbook wisdom of medical school, but for those who are lying in those hospital beds, hooked up to numerous machines and countless tubes, HBOT is worth the very minimal risk. For whom are we working so hard anyway? Who are we to decide that HBOT will not help? Have you tried it?”
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