Christi with Blue XTSEA Takes a TypeII DCS Hit (+)

[sddiver]

Wow, Christi take the doctors orders to the tee. Sounds like a serious hit. Thoughts and prayers your way for a 100% full recovery.

Rich

 

[DIVECOZUMEL]

Although she didn't do anything specifically to cause the hit, there were just a string of events, when all mixed together, stacked the cards against her, so to speak.

Sometime, we never even know what causes us to take a hit but it's wise to keep the odds in our favor.

So you are saying she did not know what the cause is and we may never know?
Well actually she already stated she knows exactly what it was.
From here:
DR: D2D member takes a Type II hit +

In the meantime - HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE - get that? HYDRATE please!!!! That doesn't just mean the day of your dive, but also in the days leading up to your dives, Dehydration is the leading cause of DCS in recreational diving, because most of us either don't take hydration seriously enough and/or we really don't understand things that dehydrate our bodies nor do we realize that we are often in a chronic state of dehydration - especially if you are engaging in any, some or all of the following.

and this:

This time I KNOW what went wrong and yes, occupational hazard

I thought you said she didn't do anything specific to cause it? Well if she knows what caused it and knows she could have prevented it, ESPECIALLY being an instructor, I would say she DID cause it by not being properly hydrated so she claims in that quoted post. I would disagree with her trying to partly brush this off as an "occupational hazard" as there are MANY, MANY, dive guides and instructors in Cozumel who have managed to not get bent during their 10-20 years of diving. I would be interested to see the dive profile to know if there were any violating contributors from that also.

 

[arkstorm]

Thank you for sharing the info.

It's a blessing that Cozumel has the chamber, and she's not having to travel to receive ongoing help. Well wishes are being sent for a full and complete recovery!

Cozumel actually has at least two chambers that I am aware of. One at the private clinic around the corner from Aqua Safari, on the same block as Toro's Place restaurant. Then I hear there is at least one other chamber at a public clinic.

Well wishes and a speedy recovery to Christi.

 

[DeltaWardog]

Major suckage! Hope you get better soon Christi. I haven't dived with you yet, have tried to book a couple times but you are always booked up -- that says a lot about the quality of your operation right there. Best wishes for a full recovery and hope to dive with you some day.

 

[robbcayman]

Wow, sorry to hear that. Christi, I hope you get better!! I would love to hear the full story when you're up to it!! I was planning on dropping in to see you in May to talk about a future trip with you. I wish you a speedy recovery!!

 

[Christi]

Thank you Jennifer and thank you everyone for your well wishes. I am optimistic that my spa treatments in the "Barbie Bubble Dreamhouse" are over! I was prepared to redecorate if I had to spend another moment in there

First I want to say thank you to Meditur Cozumel located at San Miguel Hospital (private hospital) on Calle 6 between Av. 5 and AV. 10. Dr. Piccolo, Heidi Piccolo, Dr. Chey Nieto, Dra. Viridiana Arroyo and my favorite "divemaster" Michael who all provided (and continue to provide) excellent care! I am grateful to all of them!!!

I won't sugar coat this and pretend that it has been easy - it hasn't been. It's been an extremely rough two weeks now (my hit was Sunday, Feb.27) - with good days and bad days. Right now, I'm just trying to rest so I can string more good days together than bad and getting my strength (mental and physical) back. I have AMAZING friends and support here, specifically Kevin (FirstDive2005), Jenn, Michaela of Liquid Blue, Chuck86, and countless others as well as all of my divers that were here during and after my incident. My crew has also been phenomenal in keeping things running as smoothly as possible when I haven't been able to be physically present.

I was in a classic case of denial, and thought I was ONLY suffering skin bends in my torso area. Incredible pain within an hour or so of the dive accompanied by a purple splotchy rash - this pain reached the level of excruciating pain during the night). I made the grave mistake of going home that night thinking I would sleep it off. Throughout the night, my symptoms proceeded to get worse in no particular order - irritability, restlessness, vertigo, dizziness, nausea, extreme migraine, balance/stability issues, slurring words, fever, diarrea, foggy out of body feeling - textbook! I contacted Dr. PIccolo first thing Monday morning and explained my symptoms. After he lectured me about not calling him the night before, he said he would meet me at the clinic/chamber. As soon as I saw him, he looked at me and he said "you know don't you" - I said, "Yes, I'm bent - I know it." He proceeded with the full exam and some lab work just to rule anything else out - within an hour, I was in the chamber for my first Navy Table 6 (4:45 hours at 65 feet 100% O2 on a full faced demand mask). Along with the skin "belly" bends - I suffered a Type II inner ear hit and quite possibly more than one bubble based on all of my symptoms. I have now had 7 treatments, improving with each one. I did have a relapse 48 hours out - but had a better day today with STRICT bed rest (meaningm bed and TV - and my iPad I pray that my chamber days are over! I am not sure at this point how long I will be out of the water - it's news I am not looking forward to and overwhelms me just to think about it.

As Jenn said, it wasn't any one thing I did or didn't do. it wasn't reckless diving, it wasn't from diving too deep or ascending too fast. It WAS a combination of several external factors leading up to that weekend of diving - which all contributed to DEHYDRATION! As Dr. piccolo told me as well as a dear friend who is HIGHLY trained - I have been burning the candle at THREE ends! I have been pushing my body and it finally told me to slow down! Excessive and intense exercise, changing body chemistry and physiology due to nutrition (very healthy but I don't use the word di*t - it's a lifestyle) and exercise and significant weight loss, fatigue, exhaustion, not replacing enough fluids, too much coffee to offset the fatigue, 2.5 drinks the night before the dives (after not having had a drop of alcohol in months), not enough sleep to support my intense and busy lifestyle, being very cold on the dive and working hard on the dive. I also broke my own rule of diving nitrox only (gave my nitrox to a customer that I felt needed it more at the time) and I broke my own rule of no more than 2 tanks per day due to my predisposition to DCS. I suffered a Type II hit back in 2002 that was "undeserved." This time, I was complacent with regards to my own diving health.

I am already working on an article regarding my story to share with every diver I can reach out to, so please be patient. I am still recovering and have a long road ahead, but I WILL make a full recovery and I WILL dive again! For the meantime anyway, the two most important activities in my life (diving and working out) have been ripped out from under me - that in itself is tough to deal with, not to mention the physical pain and difficulties I am still managing as well as being overwhelmingly behind on my obligations as a business owner. I am human and this proves it But it's all temporary in the grand scheme of things and everything happens for a reason - I know, cliche, but very true words! This too shall pass!

If there is one thing I want to drive home to my fellow divers now is HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE and if that didn't get through to you HYDRATE!!!! Dehydration is the number ONE cause of DCS in recreational diving. Hydration doesn't start when you get on the boat...it's an ongoing thing and must start several days before you dive and continue while you are diving. If nothing else - drink an extra bottle of water a day on my behalf

Flying dehydrates
Alcohol dehydrates
Heat dehydrates
Exercise dehydrates
Diving dehydrates
Smoking dehydrates
Coffee dehydrates
Lack of sleep dehydrates

Dehydration also VERY OFTEN here leads to stomach issues which many foolishly mistake as "Montezuma's revenge" - in the case here while on vacation and diving, drinking, etc. - it's almost always from dehydration!! And guess what, diarrhea causes MORE dehydration! It's a vicious cycle!

HYDRATE - LISTEN to your body, take personal inventory of your body and how you feel before a dive and after a dive! DCS is not to be taken lightly! I won't get into the details here - but I am INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL to be alive and I am INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL that I am not paralyzed, that I didn't have a stroke or an aneurysm - all of these were very real possibilities in my case - but I listened to my body and my symptoms and got treatment rather than going on with my day (the next morning) and heading to my work-out with my trainer! God was absolutely looking out for me the morning of February 28, 2011!

Make sure your DAN Insurance is current EVEN if you have primary health insurance! The annual cost of DAN is well worth it - and when you are spending thousands for a dive vacation, what is another $75 in the grand scheme of things - REALLY! Do NOT be fooled into thinking that your $1 /day chamber fee (that goes to the public chamber on 5th) is really going to insure you - it is nothing more than a donation, which is GREAT - I support that - but it is NOT diving insurance and WILL NT cover you in the event of a diving accident - it only ensures that you will receive treatment!

In peace and love to my diving family,
Christi
Blue XT~Sea Diving

‎"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." - Michael Jordan

 

[Brules]

Wow Christi, thats scarry! Glad to see you are doing better! Take it easy and rest up! We are all pulling for you!

 

[beautybelow]

Thank you Jennifer and thank you everyone for your well wishes. I am optimistic that my spa treatments in the "Barbie Bubble Dreamhouse" are over! I was prepared to redecorate if I had to spend another moment in there

First I want to say thank you to Meditur Cozumel located at San Miguel Hospital (private hospital) on Calle 6 between Av. 5 and AV. 10. Dr. Piccolo, Heidi Piccolo, Dr. Chey Nieto, Dra. Viridiana Arroyo and my favorite "divemaster" Michael who all provided (and continue to provide) excellent care! I am grateful to all of them!!!

I won't sugar coat this and pretend that it has been easy - it hasn't been. It's been an extremely rough two weeks now (my hit was Sunday, Feb.27) - with good days and bad days. Right now, I'm just trying to rest so I can string more good days together than bad and getting my strength (mental and physical) back. I have AMAZING friends and support here, specifically Kevin (FirstDive2005), Jenn, Michaela of Liquid Blue, Chuck86, and countless others as well as all of my divers that were here during and after my incident. My crew has also been phenomenal in keeping things running as smoothly as possible when I haven't been able to be physically present.

I was in a classic case of denial, and thought I was ONLY suffering skin bends in my torso area. Incredible pain within an hour or so of the dive accompanied by a purple splotchy rash - this pain reached the level of excruciating pain during the night). I made the grave mistake of going home that night thinking I would sleep it off. Throughout the night, my symptoms proceeded to get worse in no particular order - irritability, restlessness, vertigo, dizziness, nausea, extreme migraine, balance/stability issues, slurring words, fever, diarrea, foggy out of body feeling - textbook! I contacted Dr. PIccolo first thing Monday morning and explained my symptoms. After he lectured me about not calling him the night before, he said he would meet me at the clinic/chamber. As soon as I saw him, he looked at me and he said "you know don't you" - I said, "Yes, I'm bent - I know it." He proceeded with the full exam and some lab work just to rule anything else out - within an hour, I was in the chamber for my first Navy Table 6 (4:45 hours at 65 feet 100% O2 on a full faced demand mask). Along with the skin "belly" bends - I suffered a Type II inner ear hit and quite possibly more than one bubble based on all of my symptoms. I have now had 7 treatments, improving with each one. I did have a relapse 48 hours out - but had a better day today with STRICT bed rest (meaningm bed and TV - and my iPad I pray that my chamber days are over! I am not sure at this point how long I will be out of the water - it's news I am not looking forward to and overwhelms me just to think about it.

As Jenn said, it wasn't any one thing I did or didn't do. it wasn't reckless diving, it wasn't from diving too deep or ascending too fast. It WAS a combination of several external factors leading up to that weekend of diving - which all contributed to DEHYDRATION! As Dr. piccolo told me as well as a dear friend who is HIGHLY trained - I have been burning the candle at THREE ends! I have been pushing my body and it finally told me to slow down! Excessive and intense exercise, changing body chemistry and physiology due to diet (very healthy just to clarify) and exercise and significant weight loss, fatigue, exhaustion, not replacing enough fluids, too much coffee to offset the fatigue, 2.5 drinks the night before the dives (after not having had a drop of alcohol in months), not enough sleep to support my intense and busy lifestyle, being very cold on the dive and working hard on the dive. I also broke my own rule of diving nitrox only (gave my nitrox to a customer that I felt needed it more at the time) and I broke my own rule of no more than 2 tanks per day due to my predisposition to DCS. I suffered a Type II hit back in 2002 that was "undeserved." This time, I was complacent with regards to my own diving health.

I am already working on an article regarding my story to share with every diver I can reach out to, so please be patient. I am still recovering and have a long road ahead, but I WILL make a full recovery and I WILL dive again! For the meantime anyway, the two most important activities in my life (diving and working out) have been ripped out from under me - that in itself is tough to deal with, not to mention the physical pain and difficulties I am still managing as well as being overwhelmingly behind on my obligations as a business owner. I am human and this proves it But it's all temporary in the grand scheme of things and everything happens for a reason - I know, cliche, but very true words! This too shall pass!

If there is one thing I want to drive home to my fellow divers now is HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE and if that didn't get through to you HYDRATE!!!! Dehydration is the number ONE cause of DCS in recreational diving. Hydration doesn't start when you get on the boat...it's an ongoing thing and must start several days before you dive and continue while you are diving. If nothing else - drink an extra bottle of water a day on my behalf

Flying dehydrates
Alcohol dehydrates
Heat dehydrates
Exercise dehydrates
Diving dehydrates
Smoking dehydrates
Coffee dehydrates
Lack of sleep dehydrates

Dehydration also VERY OFTEN here leads to stomach issues which many foolishly mistake as "Montezuma's revenge" - in the case here while on vacation and diving, drinking, etc. - it's almost always from dehydration!! And guess what, diarrhea causes MORE dehydration! It's a vicious cycle!

HYDRATE - LISTEN to your body, take personal inventory of your body and how you feel before a dive and after a dive! DCS is not to be taken lightly! I won't get into the details here - but I am INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL to be alive and I am INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL that I am not paralyzed, that I didn't have a stroke or an aneurysm - all of these were very real possibilities in my case - but I listened to my body and my symptoms and got treatment rather than going on with my day (the next morning) and heading to my work-out with my trainer! God was absolutely looking out for me the morning of February 28, 2011!

Make sure your DAN Insurance is current EVEN if you have primary health insurance! The annual cost of DAN is well worth it - and when you are spending thousands for a dive vacation, what is another $75 in the grand scheme of things - REALLY! Do NOT be fooled into thinking that your $1 /day chamber fee (that goes to the public chamber on 5th) is really going to insure you - it is nothing more than a donation, which is GREAT - I support that - but it is NOT diving insurance and WILL NT cover you in the event of a diving accident - it only ensures that you will receive treatment!

In peace and love to my diving family,
Christi
Blue XT~Sea Diving

‎"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." - Michael Jordan

Thank you for sharing in such detail...there are a lot of people in certain parts of the industry who need to look closely at a case like this. We get caught in that daily grind and so often forget how close we are to real danger on a daily basis.

 

[paulw]

Hey Christi sorry to hear about the problems and I hope you are better soon. Thanks for the info and I think I got it.. HYDRATE !!

 

[Texas Torpedo]

I'm glad you've come forward with all the details of your hit. Hopefully divers who don't take hydration as seriously as they should will after reading your story. Doing dives properly by the numbers obviously isn't always good enough. Lord knows I've probably been fortunate not to get bent a number of times after only having a few hours of sleep, not enough of the proper liquids, grabbing coffee and then splashing. I'm sure I'm not the only one either..

I hope you get well and recover quickly.. I know this forced down time is probably driving you crazy as driven as you are.