CHRISTUS Health patient shares story of wound recovery using hyperbaric oxygen therapy

After seeking a remedy for an open wound on his foot for more than a year, a Sulphur Springs man is now walking unaided and back to work, thanks to treatment received at the wound care clinic at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs.

In recognition of Wound Healing Awareness Month, CHRISTUS Health is highlighting the recovery of Johnnie Stone, 56, who visited multiple specialists in East Texas and Louisiana in search of a treatment plan for an open wound on his foot.

“I had a callous on my foot that would just not go away. Even after a specialist removed the callous, the wound itself would not heal,” Stone said. “I saw several specialists, even some that were talking major surgery, and eventually I realized that I wasn’t getting the options I needed.”

Stone had a condition called “diabetic foot,” in which high blood sugar levels can damage nerves, causing numbness, tingling, pain and a loss of feeling. This can make it difficult to feel minor injuries, like blisters or cuts, which can then become infected and make healing much more difficult.

After more than a year of seeking answers, Stone booked an appointment with the wound clinic at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs.

He would receive weekly and even daily treatment from the wound care team, which included cleaning of the wound and dressing changes.

During this time, Stone also underwent Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), a medical treatment where a patient breathes 100% oxygen inside a pressurized chamber, increasing the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream and tissues. This enhanced oxygen delivery can help wounds heal faster, fight infection, and reduce swelling.

“The oxygen increase in the blood creates new capillaries which supplies more blood to the wound and stimulates faster healing,” said Leta Jolley, a registered nurse who worked on Stone’s case. “We start every patient on a 30-session plan and then re-evaluate.”

Stone completed his first 30 sessions and was recommended for 30 more.

But after an additional 20 sessions, Stone’s wound healed.

“I was just so excited to be wearing shoes again,” Stone said. “I was so impressed by what the therapy did for my foot, how the staff treated me and how everything played out. The only thing I regret is that I did not come here sooner.”

Jolley said that she hopes more people will inquire about advanced wound therapy and hyperbaric oxygen treatments, and that Stone’s recovery can serve as motivation to do so.

“Watching him get better, knowing all he had been through, was so exciting,” she said. “We have a full range of wound care treatments here in Sulphur Springs and we want people to know it’s available and it really does work.”