alcholism and diving

[serapis]

A friend of mine is just out of recovery and wants to start diving. She see's how much i love it and wants to start living her life anew. So I want to back her and get her certed and out there, yet i worry that medical conditions may exist. I am not sure i will spell this right but i know she had billirubins in her urine prior to rehab. however those levels have gone back to normal according to her doc. Any advice would be apreciated.
Thanks.

 

[wedivebc]

A friend of mine is just out of recovery and wants to start diving. She see's how much i love it and wants to start living her life anew. So I want to back her and get her certed and out there, yet i worry that medical conditions may exist. I am not sure i will spell this right but i know she had billirubins in her urine prior to rehab. however those levels have gone back to normal according to her doc. Any advice would be apreciated.
Thanks.

If I were her instructor, and she answered honestly to the question on the medical form about substance abuse, I would have her see a doctor before taking her in the class. She would be doing both her and her instructor a disservice by not revealing her condition. Having said that I know a number of recovering alcoholics that dive.

 

[BigJetDriver]

A friend of mine is just out of recovery and wants to start diving. She see's how much i love it and wants to start living her life anew. So I want to back her and get her certed and out there, yet i worry that medical conditions may exist. I am not sure i will spell this right but i know she had billirubins in her urine prior to rehab. however those levels have gone back to normal according to her doc. Any advice would be apreciated.
Thanks.

Serapis,

The elevated bilirubin level was because of the stress the disease (alcohol) put on her liver. Now that she is in recovery, it should remain normal, and will not be a problem.

if she gets a good medical check-up, and her doctor certififes her for diving, then she is good to go!

Tell her to have fun! This should be part of a great new life for her. :dazzler1:

Rob Davie

 

[serapis]

Thanks for the input. I would of course encourage her to answer honestly.
BJD will tell her so, Thanks for the insight.
I should clairify that her regular doc has given her a green light to dive, however he is not a specialist in the diving field. So I was concerned that there may be some circumstances outside of his knowledge that could apply. Overprotective of my friends I guess.

 

[Dr Deco]

Hello serapis:

Your friend should not have a problem with scuba diving. She should recognize that many divers will drink alcoholic beverages and that can be a temptation and a cause for relapse.

It would be best that the other divers know they should not “push” these beverages on her. She only need say that she is “intolerant of alcohol and for medical reasons does not drink.” That is the truth.

Dr Deco :doctor:

 

[serapis]

Thanks once again, She got a clear bill from a dive doctor last week. Starting OW next week. Good advice about the amount of drinking and diving. I have already removed all the alcohol from my house yet i had not thought about after the dives. Oh and its mild cirrhosis and she is on xanax. I am hopefull that she will find the peace that i do under the surface.

 

[reefsong]

If her doctor has medically cleared your friend to dive, then I would encourage you to encourage her to throw herself into it and have a ball! There are many recovering alcoholics who dive (and do nearly anything else in society that you could name, including someone we all know who currently sits in the White House!). If she has finished her medical rehab, chances are that your friend is healthier and more fit to dive than many of the "old timers" out there who've been diving for years, yet are hypertensive, morbidly obese, smoke cigarettes, blow dope, rarely get physicals and haven't taken a refresher scuba course once since they were originally certified back in the stone ages.