After the Fall

HBO therapy at Mary Greeley saves a Tama man’s leg.

When Jay Potter’s tree stand fell apart, it was like a trap door suddenly opening or a dunk tank seat being released.

That’s how Jay’s wife Jen describes the accident the nearly cost her husband his leg, and which ultimately brought him to Mary Greeley for weeks of successful hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment.

Jay was in the tree stand hunting deer in October 2025 when the accident happened. The Tama man plunged 25 feet, landing on his feet. While he didn’t break any bones, he suffered a bowel tear and, more significantly, an aortic dissection, a life-threatening condition where the inner layer of the aorta tears.

He had surgery in Des Moines, but due to blood flow blockage, his feet and toes started turning black. Doctors recommended that his left leg just below the knee and half his right foot be amputated. Jay and Jen opted not to follow that recommendation.

Jay works in construction and loves the outdoors. He races cars, and has a vintage car collection, which he loves working on. He is also a devoted father to three sons.

“It was hard,” says Jen. “This is a guy who doesn’t sit still. Not being able to get up and do anything—it was emotional for him, he lost 60 pounds. He couldn’t handle his life without his legs.”

Amputation Alternative

Jen’s a nurse with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Iowa City and colleagues suggested Jay try HBO therapy. 

“As a nurse I was not going to give up easily, even if it meant I had to go to a different state,” she says. “He’s a strong man, but mentally I could see the toll it was taking.”

She looked for options in central Iowa but couldn’t find any with any immediate availability. Jay's case was complicated due to his heart surgery, which also caused concern for some HBO providers. In December, they were referred to Mary Greeley’s Wound Clinic.

“After talking to our medical director, Dr. Gregory Sachs (Mcfarland Clinic general surgeon), we agreed that we could help this patient,” says Donette Tilley, certified HBO nurse with the Mary Greeley Wound Clinic.

Mary Greeley has two hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy chambers. HBO therapy has been used for decades to treat chronic wounds. The patient lies comfortably in the chamber, which is then pressurized to allow the patient to breathe 100 percent oxygen—compared to normal room air containing only 21 percent oxygen. This oxygen-rich environment allows the lungs to absorb greater amounts of oxygen, which is delivered by the blood to the wound or injured area. It promotes wound healing by stimulating the growth of new blood vessels, tissue, and skin. It also activates the white blood cells to fight infection and works with antibiotics to make them more effective. 

“Everybody here has been wonderful. The person at the front desk smiles and greets us every time we come in,” says Jen.

In the Chamber

Jay had black, gangrenous dead tissue on the bottom of his left foot and toes, and also the same on his toes on his right foot. He has had weekly debridement by Dr. David Cain, a foot and ankle surgeon with Capital Orthopedics who practices in Mary Greeley’s Wound Clinic, and surgery to remove the tips of some toes and black, dead tissue. 

Pairing HBO therapy with surgery to “remove the areas of necrosis, salvaging as much healthy tissue as possible, allows for faster wound closure and fewer complications compared to either approach alone. This can result in reduced amputation rates and better long-term function,” Cain says.

Jay started HBO treatments the first week of January. Normally, a patient would not be able to start HBO treatments until insurance gave authorization, but Jay is a member of the Meskwaki tribe, which helped cover the cost of treatment until insurance coverage was authorized. (Following a Native American custom, Jay plans to bury the parts of his toes that were removed.)

“When these patients are receiving HBO treatments, much like radiation or daily infusions, he is here every weekday for a minimum of 6 weeks and maybe longer,” says Tilley. “We get to know the patients and their family really well, like they are part of my own family. We want them to heal, and we celebrate every little step of success with them along the way.”

The treatment was intimidating at first, but Jay knew it might be his best bet.

“The first day was nerve wracking,” he says. “Just getting in there. I’m a little claustrophobic. It took me about three days to get comfortable and now I look at it as nap time.”

He got through the whole ordeal with “support from my wife, and with the crew at the clinic. They explained how everything works and made me comfortable,” he says.

Back on His Feet

He started seeing improvement after two weeks of treatment, which “made him feel like a different person,” Jen says. “It was a rejuvenation. They got rid of the bad and then saw the healing. It felt great when he was able to put his right boot back on.”

“At first he couldn’t stand at all on his feet. Now he can stand and walk with a scooter. His right foot is completely healed, and the left foot almost is,” she says.

Jen has been at Jay’s side through everything, encouraging him through the tough days. His sons motivated him to heal, as well. 

“I still have a lot to teach them and more I want to do with them,” he says.

Jay’s life is slowly getting back to normal. He’s lifting weights to regain upper body strength. He’s driving again and working on his cars. While the accident still haunts him, he hopes to get back up in that tree one day.

“I like it up there,” he says. “It’s in my blood. You get to see a lot.”