Fruitographer
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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...
Recently I've been skin bent on three separate occasions following a very conservative table and all with nitro. These were all during cave classes or during my deco certification. Each time I was on O2 for about 1.5 times the duration specified on my Shearwater Petrol. My Buddies and I were all trying to figure out what the cause was since I was so conservative. One of my buddies and his wife both work in the ER and had no idea what it could be.
Skin bent is different than a regular rash and should be easy to tell the difference once you've felt it. There was the itchiness but also felt like a pressure as well that wouldn't be felt with a standard rash. For me there was the obvious rash symptom but I could see a dark area that looked almost like a bruise. The darker area was difficult for other people to see and notice but since I was used to what my body should look like, it was pretty obvious to me. I've uploaded images of what it looked like and if you look close enough you'll see the small darker blotches that almost look like a slight bruising that wouldn't be on a normal rash.
The first time it happened was around my hips and abdomen, the second was around my chest starting on the right side and them moving to the left side, while the third started in my right tricep which then moved to my left butt cheek. the last one was during my deco / advanced nitrox class where my instructor mentioned a possible Patent Foreman Ovale (PFO).
Each time I felt symptoms I would start breathing pure O2 from my deco tank and the symptoms would go away pretty quickly.
I eat a raw plant based diet and make all my own food from scratch which is extremely healthy. Normally I eat 2-3 watermelons a day and while everyone else is eating BBQ during the surface interval, I have a 3 gallon tub filled with watermelon I eat all to myself. So I'm extremely hydrated and exceptionally healthy. I weigh the same today as I did when I graduated from high school 20 years ago.
I have definitely stopped diving as much since I've become more concerned about getting bent. I have an appointment with my doctor in 2 weeks and have already asked to be checked for a PFO. Once I find out the results I'll post with an update.
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