Buck A.'s Testimonial

Toney and Todd,   Feel free to use any part or all of this testimonial on your website..   This huge THANK YOU has been a long time coming and for that I apologize. I have had a rough, rough, 8 months. I originally inquired about a FIR sauna after I'd had a total knee replacement last October. As you may recall I unfortunately slipped and fell on my way home from the hospital the day after surgery, bending my knee sideways at a 90 degree angle. My knee immediately turned into a watermelon-sized mess. X-rays of the knee the next day showed the joint was miraculously still fully intact. After a short recovery period I began intense physical therapy. While I was improving, the therapy did not seem to help me get the swelling under control, despite continuos massage designed to activate the lymph system as well as frequent and intense icing.   That's when, out of desperation, I began researching other methods of stimulating the lymph system and ran across articles about Far Infrared therapy. I found your website and learned a great deal from your informative articles and links. When I read all your client testimonials and first spoke with Toney, I knew I was at the right spot! While I was initially focused on the 110 volt Durango model, as it turns out, it was my good fortune that the Durango was so popular it was out of stock. Toney listened closely to my needs and suggested the Apollo commercial 220v model. Although I was hesitant about having to run a 220v line, it turns out it was the best decision I could have made. Toney and Todd went back and forth with me helping in too many ways to possibly list!! The Apollo had to be specially crated in order to be shipped to Alaska. It arrived exactly on schedule in perfect shape.   I'd read in other testimonials how other clients joked about how it took longer to uncrate than it did to set it up. I think that was true for us too. My son and I uncrated it in the garage and carried it up one piece at a time up a split staircase and to a spare room. Remember, I was only a few months out of surgery and my leg was still in a very bad way, with very little strength. None-the-less, the very sturdy panels were light enough for us to handle, despite having to navigate around a very tight landing. The Apollo went together like a Lego set in about two hours and it was a beautiful sight to behold! When our friends see it for the first time sitting in the spare bedroom their first words are invariably "Wow...it's beautiful". Then they have to jump in it and play with the lights and sound.   I really appreciated how much time Toney and Todd took with me, encouraging me to start low and slow, building up my temp and time cautiously. We had horrible snow and ice this winter in Alaska, which frankly was terrifying every time I had to leave the house with a totally unreliable knee. The beautiful cedar, lighting and sound system made it feel like my wife and I had a little cabin in the woods. Spending any time outdoors was out of the question. My knee began to gain more flexibility during each sauna session. However, my swelling was persistent no matter what I tried, even lying on my back with my leg running up the side wall. Finally, after 5 months of constant PT, I realized I had stopped improving and felt like I was actually getting weaker. My surgeon and my therapist were also frustrated and began to become concerned that I was back-sliding. An MRI revealed something that stunned us all.   When I fell the day after surgery I had apparently severed three of the four quadricep muscles in my left leg!!!! I had been pushing myself through therapy for five long months with only one piece of my quad still intact. The other three were torn in half. My surgeon is a terrific human being and a great doctor. My therapist is equally incredible. This is a cautionary tale of being too macho for your good! I had been pushing too hard in therapy, which concealed how damaged my leg really was. I was immediately scheduled for a major surgery the next morning.   The repair surgery was far worse than the total knee replacement. They had to remove a great deal of the muscle in my left leg since it had been floating free for 5 months. My doctor was very concerned that I might only regain very limited flexibility and strength, but I have surprised him.. Once they leg was repaired my swelling went away quickly, in large part I'm convinced due to my sauna sessions combined with icing. It kicks my lymph system into overdrive. My leg will never be the same, but it is far, far, better than it was just 3 months ago.   Thanks to being 220v and having so many heat panels, our Apollo heats up so fast that my wife and I get in it as soon as we turn it on and ride it up to about 120-125 degrees. We both begin to perspire within about 15 minutes. I use a dry loufa to scrub myself once I get a good sweat going. It took a couple of days to get used to scrubbing my skin with that rough surface, but I wouldn't have it any other way now. It is so invigorating I now understand why it's so popular. My wife has had a lot of tension in her neck and left shoulder. Once we get really warmed up, I use a massage lotion on her neck and shoulder and it really, really, helps her. We love sitting in the sauna, reading and listening to music, while we have the chromotherapy lights going. The Apollo holds the heat so well that when we come out the small bedroom where we have it installed the room doesn't seem to have heated up at all. Although I was a bit concerned that the Apollo wouldn't be wide enough to let my 6'1", 230 pound frame lay flat, it turned out to not be an issue for me at all. It's depth allows me to put my feet up on the front wall, even with my wife in the sauna. A shower after the sauna and we are both feeling terrific! I will say this, leg injury or no leg injury, our sauna has been a great purchase and we LOVE IT!!!!!   Toney and Todd.......you guys are the best and really helped me make a tough choice on which model to choose, considering available room and budget. Thanks guys-:)   Buck A. Anchorage, Alaska