A little worried about the bends... Delayed onset?

[CyberHippie]

Overweight yes... Although I do play Disc Golf many times a week, which involves a Lot of hiking around. While I'm overweight I would not say that I'm out of shape. All the rainforest hiking we did, happened after I began noticing the knee and joint pains. All my symptoms began about 24 hours after the dive.

In any case, DAN never got back to me. I guess you have to give them money if you want answers. So based on my doctors visit and chiropractors visit (turns out she is a diver), it seems as though I may have had some DCS, but noticed the symptoms after it was too late to do much about it. My best guess is that I did have nitrogen in my system, and flying 4 days later somehow made the situation worse. I know my body well enough to know that the aches and pains I was experiencing were very unsual. And from what I've read, symptoms from DCS can last a few weeks after the incident. I'd say I'm at about 90% now, on the mend.

I'd definitley sum it up as a resort dive gone wrong. Before this incident I'd done 10 dives. So yes I'm somewhat of a diving noob, but those dives were all trouble free. I think in this case I put a little too much faith in the dive masters and equipment. I learned a few lessons the hard way. I was underweighted, but I did surface and add more weight, which would have been fine had air not been leaking into my BC. I know now if this happens again, to just pull the plug on my BC and inflate manually. At this particular operation, the dive masters assembled my BC, reg and tank. I put a little too much stock in the fact that they knew what they were doing. I should have assembeled and checked myself.

Oh yeah, I did not have the flu or other travelers ills, and was very hydrated throughout the trip.

Thanks to those that offered some good advice!

 

[CyberHippie]

sounds like bends, with residual cartilage damage

Curious what "residual cartilage damage" is?

 

[dherbman]

Curious what "residual cartilage damage" is?

It's a nasty affliction which causes you to use smileys excessively.

 

[scubamanny]

Sounds like there are many factors that could have contributed to a hit here. Did DAN get back to you? I would be very interested in hearing their opinion on this.

 

[CyberHippie]

No word back from DAN.

 

[DandyDon]

In any case, DAN never got back to me. I guess you have to give them money if you want answers.

Nope, not at all. They asnwer guestions equally for all, member, insured, or not. Something else went wrong. Call them toll free within the US.

Curious what "residual cartilage damage" is?

Excessive nitrogen can permaently damage joints, but I'm not qualified to explain. Ask DAN when you call.

It's a nasty affliction which causes you to use smileys excessively.

Nah, I've never been bent. Just like smileys. I did limp the last 3 miles of a planned 5 mile hike that turned into 9 miles yesterday, but that's an old cowboy injury. Dumb, pregnant heifer!

​

 

[dherbman]

Nah, I've never been bent. Just like smileys. I did limp the last 3 miles of a planned 5 mile hike that turned into 9 miles yesterday, but that's an old cowboy injury. Dumb, pregnant heifer!

​

I may be dumb, but I've never been pregnant and am certainly no heifer.

 

[VinceDS]

I'm 31. In average pysical condition, but I'm a fair bit overweight for my size. 5'5'' and 220lbs. I don't smoke cigarettes and hadn't smoked anything else at least 5 days prior to the dive. It was the only dive I made on this trip. Was very well rested at the time, although a little anxious. The last dive I made prior to this was about 2 years ago.

Please don't take this wrong but, if you go off of BMI, your BMI is 36.6 which, clinically, is defined as Obesity (ClassII). Morbid Obesity is a BMI of 40 or over - you are not that far off. While far from an absolute, your description does not make you overweight but obese - thats alot of mass for Nitrogen to hide in. And, based on your comment above, if you haven't smoked cigs, you apparently do smoke other things...