I'm 28, 165 lbs, good shape. Recreational diver on air only, since Feb 2002.
After 3 months without diving, I went back in on Sat morning, for 2 dives.
First dive averaged ~55 ft with 40-42 mins bottom time, reached the end of the "green" on the computer (last green before the yellow c.z.) and had a loooong safety stop at 15-20 ft (6-7 min or so). Computer backed up one mark prior to heading up from the safety stop.
Surface interval was just about one hour, maybe a few minutes longer.
Second dive: averaged 45-50 ft, 35-40 min bottom time, computer indicated last green mark after 4-6 min safety stop.
3 hours after the last surfacing I did an hour of light-medium duty yardwork and went swimming for 15 mins about 4 hours post-dive. Upon return, I noticed some very minor tingling, mostly in my left hand and fingers - light enough that I didn't know if it was actually real. Perhaps it was repetitive stress of using a sprayer bottle too much during the yardwork. Later that night I felt it a little more and started to worry - it became more noticeable after I lied down.
On Sunday morning, I had no symptoms after I got up, until I had a coffee around 2 PM and did some rapid walking. I also felt like my hands were colder than they should be - like poor circulation. Could have been due to stress thinking about possibly having DCI and a high deductible heath plan.
I called DAN later on Sunday - the paramedic said it likely wasn't DCI because tingling would be continuous and not stop for hours at a time. Also, he noted my 2 conservative dives. He cleared me to fly out this morning (44 hours post-dive) on a 1000-mile business trip. Right away I felt a lot better - no more tingling and warm hands, which reinforced the mainly-psychosomatic explanation.
I thought at least the flight would be the ultimate test - if it was DCI I'd become much worse upon take off with a 25-33% growth in the size of the bubbles. At least then I'd know for sure...
The flight 2 hours and 15 mins in the air, and I was relieved not to feel worse at altitude. I even walked around to use the lavs 90 minutes into the flight and felt nothing worse than prior - just the occasional very light tingle.
This has been continuing on and off after the flight - ever-so-slight tingles, coldish hands. Very rarely, I feel light prickling in another part of the body, usually bottom of feet. Still, half the time I have no symptoms.
I know that we all get slight DCI after each dive as we off-gas (which explains feeling tired, etc.) - perhaps I've gotten it a little more than normal, for some unexplained/undeserved reason.
Is this DCI, contrary to what the DAN paramedic thought? Has anyone had any similar experiences? At 52 hours post-dive, is the chamber going to do me any good now? Could this cause any long-term damage? This has scared me enough from diving that I'll stop for a while, and switch to Nitrox on air tables if I dive in the future... Before reading these boards on Sunday I thought one is only at risk for DCI when you break the rules.
-- Alex.
After 3 months without diving, I went back in on Sat morning, for 2 dives.
First dive averaged ~55 ft with 40-42 mins bottom time, reached the end of the "green" on the computer (last green before the yellow c.z.) and had a loooong safety stop at 15-20 ft (6-7 min or so). Computer backed up one mark prior to heading up from the safety stop.
Surface interval was just about one hour, maybe a few minutes longer.
Second dive: averaged 45-50 ft, 35-40 min bottom time, computer indicated last green mark after 4-6 min safety stop.
3 hours after the last surfacing I did an hour of light-medium duty yardwork and went swimming for 15 mins about 4 hours post-dive. Upon return, I noticed some very minor tingling, mostly in my left hand and fingers - light enough that I didn't know if it was actually real. Perhaps it was repetitive stress of using a sprayer bottle too much during the yardwork. Later that night I felt it a little more and started to worry - it became more noticeable after I lied down.
On Sunday morning, I had no symptoms after I got up, until I had a coffee around 2 PM and did some rapid walking. I also felt like my hands were colder than they should be - like poor circulation. Could have been due to stress thinking about possibly having DCI and a high deductible heath plan.
I called DAN later on Sunday - the paramedic said it likely wasn't DCI because tingling would be continuous and not stop for hours at a time. Also, he noted my 2 conservative dives. He cleared me to fly out this morning (44 hours post-dive) on a 1000-mile business trip. Right away I felt a lot better - no more tingling and warm hands, which reinforced the mainly-psychosomatic explanation.
I thought at least the flight would be the ultimate test - if it was DCI I'd become much worse upon take off with a 25-33% growth in the size of the bubbles. At least then I'd know for sure...
The flight 2 hours and 15 mins in the air, and I was relieved not to feel worse at altitude. I even walked around to use the lavs 90 minutes into the flight and felt nothing worse than prior - just the occasional very light tingle.
This has been continuing on and off after the flight - ever-so-slight tingles, coldish hands. Very rarely, I feel light prickling in another part of the body, usually bottom of feet. Still, half the time I have no symptoms.
I know that we all get slight DCI after each dive as we off-gas (which explains feeling tired, etc.) - perhaps I've gotten it a little more than normal, for some unexplained/undeserved reason.
Is this DCI, contrary to what the DAN paramedic thought? Has anyone had any similar experiences? At 52 hours post-dive, is the chamber going to do me any good now? Could this cause any long-term damage? This has scared me enough from diving that I'll stop for a while, and switch to Nitrox on air tables if I dive in the future... Before reading these boards on Sunday I thought one is only at risk for DCI when you break the rules.
-- Alex.
