How Mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Became a Lifeline in My Lung Cancer Journey

I’m now nine years down the track from receiving one of the most devastating pieces of news in my life — a diagnosis of late-stage lung cancer.

I had been a smoker for over 60 years. Deep down, I always knew I might one day have to face the consequences of that addiction, but like many others, I kept pushing that reality aside. Ironically, I’d spent most of my life around health — even running a health food store — but the grip of addiction that started in my teenage years stayed with me. Because I had no symptoms for decades, I didn’t recognize the silent damage smoking was doing to my lungs.

At 72, I was diagnosed with Stage 3B lung cancer. My oncologist, a kind and highly experienced professional, sat me down and explained that chemotherapy wasn’t a viable option at this stage. My case was considered too advanced, and the focus shifted to “quality of life.” In other words, the medical system had run out of answers for me — but I hadn’t.

With no conventional options on the table, I knew I had only one path forward: to focus on building my health and giving my body every possible chance to fight. I remembered hearing that “no one gets well by focusing on disease” — now it was time to put that philosophy to the test.

With my son’s help, we radically changed my diet, added targeted supplementation, and began a series of alternative therapies. We even traveled to Paraguay to work with a brilliant Brazilian doctor in Asunción. Each day, I received IV drips packed with vitamin C, B-complex, glutathione, and other healing nutrients. These were followed by ozone therapy, and then an hour inside a mild hyperbaric oxygen chamber.

At first, I had no idea how or why any of this worked. I was simply running on faith. The soft-shelled hyperbaric chamber felt a little claustrophobic at first, so my son would stay beside me to help me relax. But each time I came out of the chamber, I felt calmer, clearer, and somehow more alive. My body was receiving concentrated oxygen — the most essential nutrient for every cell and organ, especially my damaged lungs.

Fast-forward to today, I now use a hard-shell chamber that feels luxurious in comparison. With large glass panels along the top and ends, I no longer feel confined. I can relax completely during my sessions, and I often reflect on just how much these mild hyperbaric sessions have given me.

I truly believe that my body had long struggled to get enough oxygen to all of its tissues — especially after decades of smoking. That daily dose of pressurized oxygen was crucial in my recovery. I committed to daily sessions for five weeks, and that consistent effort helped shift the course of my health.

But I also want to be clear: modern medicine played a role too. The work we did in Paraguay prepared my body so well that when I returned, my doctors were amazed at how I responded to immunotherapy — something they weren’t sure my system could tolerate at the beginning. After just one month of nutritional therapy, IVs, and hyperbaric oxygen sessions, my main tumour had shrunk by 10%.

Then came the incredible news: within three months, the tumour had reduced by 90%. I continue with immunotherapy today, but just as importantly, I’ve kept up my daily health rituals, including mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy, clean eating, and nutrient support.

Cancer, like many chronic illnesses, often develops silently — for me, the first major symptom was coughing up blood. By then, it had already progressed. That’s why I see oxygen therapy as not just a treatment, but a lifelong tool for cellular health and prevention. It supports every system in the body — and I believe it’s one of the reasons I’m still here today.

I’m now living a full life I didn’t expect to have. I’m grateful every day — to the innovations of modern medicine, yes, but also to the power of oxygen, and the incredible healing that can happen when we nourish the body with what it truly needs.