Am I bent?

[robert80]

And let me say this, I don't know why I always thought it was a big deal to call DAN but it's not!!! If you ever think you have the slightest symptom, call them immediately, they are so nice and there to help you, that's what you pay for, I have learned that lesson. I have also learned a lesson and may have been lucky enough to get away with it but I am ashamed of myself for even having to ask these questions!! I have had the proper training and still partially chose to ignore them and that is unacceptable!! Thanks again everyone!!

 

[KD8NPB]

DAN had some good seminars on the topic at "Our World Underwater" last year.

Apparently DCS for air/nitrox divers typically takes about 2 hours to show up, but occurs before 4 hour mark. It starts as tingling or pain in the extremities, typically the hands for SCUBA divers. I'll have to dig up the statistic, but it was like greater than 90% of treated patients fit this progression. Delayed occurrences past 12 hours are almost non-existent. Early onset DCS (less than 2 hours after) predominantly only shows up with divers utilizing helium mixes.

So in short:
It's probably just muscle strain. Stretch before diving.

With that being said, your profiles are pretty aggressive. I would strongly recommend utilizing EAN32/36 for repetitive diving whenever possible.

Air is for tires.

 

[Stoo]

Late to the party here, but I was going to say that it sounds more like you've used a few muscles that you haven't in a while. I don't dive SM, but I am too familiar with the contortions involved in strapping on stages, especially in the water.

Curious: How old are you, and how would you describe your general fitness/flexibility level? I'm turning 58 next week, and while I feel I am in decent shape, the number of general aches and pains I have on a daily basis is comical. I have to take an inventory of everything that hurts BEFORE I fall out of the boat so I can recognize anything NEW that hurts when I get out. Advil has become one of my major food groups.

The saving grace is that most stuff feels better while I am diving. With degenerating disks in my neck and back, old injuries and some arthritis, I think the "full-body icing" we get up here in Tobermory, and the weightlessness is like therapy. It's hauling all the cr*p around before and after the dives that's the problem.

As some wise person once said, "Had I known I was going to live this long, I'd have looked after myself better!"

Glad you aren't bent, BTW!

 

[robert80]

+1 on the air is for tires lol. I did my tec classes with air (except for o2) because of the depths and just haven't got away from that yet but I will definitely be moving to a higher mix depending on the MOD. That's exactly what she said about the muscles. I haven't been diving sidemount long and the muscles involved with carrying 100's to the water and to keep clipping and unclipping and swimming with them causes muscle strain. I only have @20 s/m dives currently and this was only the 2nd time I have used steel, it's usually al80s with a al40 o2.

 

[drbill]

A medical doctor familiar with diving is the correct place to go for an answer. Personally I didn't find your four dives to be that out of line (unless I missed something) but of course your personal physiology and other factors enter into the picture and make it difficult for anyone else to assess the impact of those dives. I would seek professional help.

 

[TSandM]

I'm turning 58 next week, and while I feel I am in decent shape, the number of general aches and pains I have on a daily basis is comical. I have to take an inventory of everything that hurts BEFORE I fall out of the boat so I can recognize anything NEW that hurts when I get out. Advil has become one of my major food groups.

It's a bit of a hijack, but six months ago, I would have written the exact same thing (and I'm 59).

Then I started doing yoga -- and I have never taken a class, just done stuff with videos from on line. Today, I have 80% less pain than I had at the beginning, and I'm hauling dive gear around much better than I was, and with virtually no back pain. (If I could get rid of the tendinitis in my right shoulder, I'd be golden!)

I think we all underestimate how much we stop moving with time, and how much of a toll that takes on the body. I think everybody our age ought to be doing some kind of flexibility training and core strength training. The nice thing about yoga is you can do whatever YOU can do.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

This is a alight hijack but I'd be interested in knowing what videos you used. I'm going to be 54 and just started side mount diving last season. And plan on most of the coming season doing the same. Sidemount is nice on my knees and back.

 

[Stoo]

I think we all underestimate how much we stop moving with time, and how much of a toll that takes on the body. I think everybody our age ought to be doing some kind of flexibility training and core strength training. The nice thing about yoga is you can do whatever YOU can do.

How right you are... And how bad I am at it. Good thing for wine. My right elbow KICKS ASS!

 

[TSandM]

I've been using Sean Vigue's videos on YouTube. I started with the two beginner ones that are 30 minutes, and now I'm doing the one hour one. I like his approach, because he isn't "peppy", and he doesn't get too new-agey, either. Mostly about the exercises.

I really can't say enough about how much of a difference this has made for me. We used to buy ibuprofen at Costco; I haven't taken a tablet in over a week, and that was for a headache, not back pain.

 

[DocVikingo]

Doesn't matter if you have Dan insurance or not your primary will pay the bill, Dan is a secondary insurance and only pays the deductible.

I don't believe it's quite that simple at all, CaptJT.

1. Some primary medical insurance policies may exclude scuba diving as a hazardous recreational activity, or pay only a minimal amount for chamber treatment. This is not to mention that some policies may not cover dive accidents that occur outside of your geographical region, and especially outside of the country. And, even when covered, dive accident expenses incurred in a foreign venue will only be reimbursed, not paid up front (See post #10 in this recent forum thread--> http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/diving-medicine/470206-dcs-treatment-obama-care.html).

2. Although DAN does bill its dive accident plans as secondary, functionally DAN accident insurance is only "secondary" when one has a "primary" health policy. If you are one of the alarming many who does not have primary medical coverage, your DAN policy essentially is "primary" as far as dive accidents are concerned.

3. The semantics in #2 above aside, even if one has true primary coverage, DAN policies don't just pay "the deductible". In short, DAN plans pay up to 100% of reasonable & customary costs of all remaining eligible expenses after any other medical coverage one may have has made good on its obligations, This includes co-pays, shortfalls in payment of the full charges for chamber treatment, the potentialy astronomical expenses of air evaluation to appropriate medical/hyperbaric facilities, etc.

Regards,

DocVikingo

"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein