30 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • JANUARY 7, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com health PATIENT BECOMES ADVOCATE FOR OTHERS Anthony Towe sits on a stool at the Astor Row Café, a coffee shop on Lenox Avenue, and tells a friend about his latest acquisition: a new right foot. “I just got it this morning and I’m trying to get used to it. If you pushed me even a little I’d probably fall down,” Mr. Towe said, explaining it’s his fourth prosthetic since his right foot was amputated almost three years ago. “It takes awhile to get the balance.” “I might not even need this if I’d had topical oxygen wound therapy when my right foot got infected,” said the 58-year-old diabetic. TOWT, as the therapy is called, “defi nitely saved my other foot and no question everything would have been differ- ent if it had been available this time. “I might still have my foot.” Topical Oxygen Wound Therapy is an innovative at-home treatment for chronic, hard-to-heal wounds resulting from diabetes, melanoma, arterial insuffi ciency, ulcers and other ailments. Developed by GWR Medical, TOWT is used only when standard wound treatments fail. In many cases, that means the next option is amputation or in-hospital treatments that are more expensive, less effective and more painful for patients. TOWT applies high concentrations of 100% oxygen directly to the wound. That oxygen acts as “fuel to the fi re” of healing, directing each and every cell in the wound what to do, when to do it and how to do it during the different phases of wound healing. The success rate is remarkable. Nearly 50% of the time, chronic wounds treated with Topical Oxygen Wound Therapy completely heal, and 75% of the time wounds are healed enough that they respond to other treatments. According to the American Diabetes Association (www.diabetes. org), an estimated 2 million New Yorkers – or more than 12% of the population – have diabetes. More than 5.4 million New Yorkers – or a staggering 36% of the population have conditions likely to lead to diabetes. The impact of diabetes hits Latino/ Hispanic and African American New Yorkers even harder. Of those diagnosed with diabetes in the New York City area, 28% are Hispanic and 31% are African American or black. Mr. Towe was diagnosed in 1990 with Type 2 diabetes, the most com- mon form. He was moving along fi ne until barricades fell on his legs in a workplace accident in 1990. But because of his diabetic neuropathy, he felt little pain and was cleared to return to work. Sometime later, he felt feverish and thought it was swine fl u. Turned out it was gangrene in the 2nd toe (next to the big toe) of his left foot. After trying a number of treatments, his toe was amputated. Two months later, the gangrene returned in his big toe. That too was amputated. While returning to the hospital for outpatient wound care, Mr. Towe met Paul Basciani, a GWR representative based in Brooklyn who works with doctors and hospitals throughout the fi ve boroughs. Mr. Basciani described topical oxygen to Mr. Towe, showed him how it worked, and a friendship was born. “It was easy for me. I could do it at home. I didn’t need a physician or an attendant. Paul came to my home and showed me what to do. The therapy was very successful,” Mr. Towe said. Soon after, Mr. Towe used topical oxygen to treat a wound created when he developed a related infect- ion on the sole of his left foot. “I’ve had no problems since,” he said. That was nearly seven years ago. Fast forward to December 2012. Mr. Towe developed bumps on his right leg that he thought was chicken pox. As it turned out, it was another gangrenous infection. This time, he went to a hospital that didn’t utilize topical oxygen as part of its treatment menu. After numerous treatments failed, doctors determined amputation was the only remaining option. “I wish I’d had access to topical oxygen wound therapy that time as well,” Mr. Towe said. “As I said, I think I’d still have my foot.” After this experience, Mr. Towe had transformed into not only an advocate for topical oxygen but also an advocate for others. He’s recently been certifi ed as a “peer visitor” by the Amputee Coalition of America and recently started an Amputee Education Support Group at Harlem Hospital, which meets the second Tuesday of every month. Last March he traveled to Albany to meet with state Legislators, and spends countless hours helping fellow diabetics and others. Anthony Towe and Paul Basciani
QC01072016
To see the actual publication please follow the link above