How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Helped Jim Recover His Voice
Jim Forney’s voice was an important part of his career. The longtime broadcaster spent time at a number of TV and radio stations, including a stint providing play-by-play commentary for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
But in May 2021, the Sewickley native felt something wasn’t quite right with his mouth and tongue.
“I went to see my ear, nose, and throat doctor, and he was concerned with what he saw,” recalls Jim. “Scans revealed I had cancer, and the prognosis wasn’t good.”
After three months of receiving radiation treatment on the affected area, Jim’s cancer was gone. He was grateful to receive the news, but a lingering side effect was difficult to ignore.
“I had horrible dry mouth, and I lost my sense of taste and smell,” explains Jim. “I had chronic open areas throughout my mouth and throat. The radiation also ruined the enamel in my teeth. They started falling out."
The Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Jim was referred to the team at UPMC Wound Healing Services at UPMC Passavant, where he learned about hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). This specialized treatment delivers a greater-than-normal amount of oxygen to a patient’s body tissues to stimulate growth factors and stem cells, ultimately strengthening the body’s natural wound healing process.
“Everyone there immediately gave me a sense of comfort,” says Jim. “They explained how non-invasive the experience would be and were very optimistic about the outcome.”
In November 2022, Jim started two-hour HBOT sessions every Monday to Friday. As patients lie on a bed inside of a clear acrylic chamber, they have the option of watching TV, a movie, or listening to music, but Jim initially just wanted to take in the experience.
“I didn’t feel any pressure or other indication that I was undergoing treatment. It just felt so natural.”
“Good Things Are Going to Happen”
Jim reached the halfway point in his HBOT schedule in February 2023 and said by then, his dry mouth had subsided. He didn’t need to have a water bottle in his hand all day, and his saliva glands were “coming to life” again. The open areas in Jim’s mouth and throat had healed, and his taste and smell started returning as well.
“My care team was so happy for me and the progress I was making,” recalls Jim. “It was unreal how much my improvements filled them with joy. Throughout the therapy, they kept saying ‘Good things are going to happen,’ and they were right.”
“We become attached to the patients,” says Jodi Boory, nurse manager at UPMC Wound Healing Services at UPMC Passavant. “We see them every day for several months. Their wins are our wins. We get so excited when the treatments impact their quality of life.”
And Jim is also quite joyful. At the time of his cancer diagnosis, the now 86-year-old was told he may never taste or smell again after receiving radiation. But that was before he was introduced to HBOT at UPMC.
“It’s easy to lose yourself and your self-worth when you are suddenly robbed of something you’ve always relied on,” explains Jim. “There was a time when I became a recluse and wouldn’t even go out to dinner with friends because I talked funny. But now, I can be me again.”
Jim’s treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.