An End to 37 Years of Chronic Pain

My name is Tom Ryan. I am 57 years old and I came to the Whitaker Wellness Institute because of 37 years of 24/7 pain in my right shoulder, which was wounded in Vietnam. I had several surgeries and actually had a shoulder replacement. I also had problems with my knees, my right leg dragged when I walked, and my right arm just hung at my side. My right hand was blue and puffy to the point that I was unable to shake hands, so for the last 37 plus years, I’ve been shaking hands with my left hand. I felt pain throughout my entire body, and it progressively got worse. It had brought me to a point in my life where I could no longer work or do much of anything.

At Whitaker Wellness my doctor set up a program for me, which has worked out just absolutely terrific. The prescribed treatments were hyperbaric oxygen, infrared light therapy, and IV vitamin C. The first two days I was so sick I was ready to quit, give up, forget it, and go home. I had a headache that was worse than any migraine headache that I had ever had. (Headaches were another big problem. I was having migraines all the time and taking several medications for them).

But after the first two days, I started feeling much, much better. In fact, on the third day, I was feeling actually great. The pain in my arm had almost completely gone away, I also had a tremor in my right hand and that tremor had completely gone away. After the fourth day, there was no longer any pain in my right arm. There was no more puffiness in my right hand, and for the first time in over 37 years, I was able to shake hands using my right hand. This might seem like a small thing, but to me it was just a tremendous accomplishment.

I didn’t get much sleep the first two days, but after that I got a normal night’s sleep. Prior to that time, I would sleep two, maybe three hours maximum of interrupted sleep. I'd be getting up and down because of the severity of the pain. It’s so amazing to feel energized again. It’s great to be able to get up in the morning feeling rested and refreshed. Today I'm totally pain free. It's really a miracle. It's like being reborn—especially after all of those years. I have no pain in my knees, fingers, or right arm.

I’m smiling, I’m having fun with other people. I’m able to joke with people again. I haven’t done that in all those years. I know it’s a relief to my wife. I don’t see myself as a burden anymore, as I saw myself for a long, long time. I kind of had a hopeless feeling during those 37 years. Had I known about Whitaker Wellness years ago, I could have done something about this and not lived the majority of my life in pain and disappointment to myself and my ability to work and make a living. It’s almost like I’ve been given a second chance at life. I’m really thankful for that.

Being here has been such a blessing. It has really been uplifting to my spirit and to me physically. I will continue to tell other people about this place, about the great and loving people here and how there is hope for others if they will just come here. People don’t have to go to hospitals all the time for everything, that there are alternative ways to get well.

— Thomas Ryan