My View of Patients Before and After Ketamine Treatments

A blog post by Pam Barnes, Office Manager at Lone Star Infusion:

Many people who suffer from mental illness look for anything that is possible to help treat them. Since I have been working at Lone Star Infusion I have seen the results of how Ketamine works for people. 

People start out by giving me a call to ask questions to see what this is all about and how it works. They are hesitant to try something that seems so new and different. They have had long roads dealing with their feelings and trying many other things before they call me. Sometimes the patients don’t even call, sometimes it's their families who call because the patients may have given up even to the point of not wanting to look for things that might work for them. I love explaining to people what ketamine can do in just a short timeframe. Who would of thought that Ketamine, which was made many years ago as an anesthetic for surgeries, is now something that they can use to treat Depression, PTSD, OCD, Anxiety and some Bipolar tendencies?

What scientists have found is that Ketamine helps rebuild the nerve connections in the brain that have not been working properly and gives them a jumpstart to start firing properly again - A totally different way of healing then the other medicines people have tried before. 

Patients and families don’t usually believe me when I tell them that they can start noticing a difference within a week and they still are very unsure that this will work because of all the things they have already been through.  When people finally decide that they want to move forward with this treatment, as they come in for the first time, and as they are walking in the door, you can see how defeated they often are. You see it in their clothes and the way they carry themselves, and you can hear it in their voices. You can tell they still are not sure that this is going to work for them. 

It’s still so rewarding and amazing to me even after almost a year at the clinic, but once people have the first treatment they notice a little bit of a difference - and it gives them hope, something they may not have felt for a long time.  And then they schedule their next appointment, and their third, and by the fourth treatment  - a week or two later - they’re coming through that door knowing this is working! I love to see the change in the way they dress and sound. I can see it in the way they interact with the family or friend who came with them. Watching people get better and see that there’s something more to their life then just feeling depressed or anxious or having no control over their own feelings! At that point in time, I tell them “It’s working! Isn’t it amazing how this one little treatment can change your life!“  

So if you are wondering if this actually works here is one story that I remember about a patient who came in one day for their 6^th treatment. The patient came in and was whistling and when I said they must be having a great day, they shared that they have not whistled in years “This is awesome! I love it! Thank you.” The thank yous we get in person from patients and family and the cards people send telling us about their improvements make my day.

If you are suffering from depression and do not believe that there will ever be anything you can do, just give us a call and I would be happy to talk with you about what Ketamine can do for you.  Do not feel alone, there are people who will be happy to talk to you and help you get through this difficult time.