DCI and hyperbaric chamber experience Cozumel

[KBDNP]

VEO gives you time back --- was checking at depth and never got closer to 15 min from NDL (was a drift dive with really swift current) - and did not stay down below 90 long that I can remember...as far as ascent I did a 3 minute stop at half depth (about 48 feet or so) and then did 3 min stop at 15--- I do think my mistake may have been that I popped up after that which was not the intent...was ripping current and after the 15 min stop did not do another stop at 10 feet...got pulled up (probably should have been heavier weighted...no idea the current was going to be that strong)

Yes it was strange to have the tingling start on second dive at 55 --- because it was finger where I had gotten sea urchin spines thought it was that....with my symptoms doctor at first did not think was DCI...however when he did neuro exam he changed his mine as had positive Romberg, could not do EOM easily, not able to heel/toe walk, etc...

---------- Post added September 11th, 2015 at 08:12 AM ----------

Probably about 15 min into second dive---thought is was reaction to sea urchin spines in finger from day before

 

[uncfnp]

I would never set my computer to air when on EANx - the partial pressures are very different and in the case of severe DCI hyperbaric medical staff should usually be downloading your dive profile from your computer to ascertain exactly what did go wrong. It will make their job potentially harder (and delay treatment) if equipment isn't being used correctly. EANx32 has a pp of 1.6 at 40m/130ft, most people do go for the more conservative pp of 1.4 for an extra safety margin (I hope that I am teaching you to suck eggs and do apologise) Air has a pp of 1.6 at just over 60m/200ft. BSAC limits air diving to 50m/160ft as an additional safety measure and to prevent divers incurring massive safety stops.

Sometimes, it is the nature of the beast in diving that these things will occur, no matter how safely we dive. I would recommend taking a day off every 4 days of diving, and making sure that my 4th day of diving is much easier and shallower than the 1st. Residual nitrogen build up is a pain in the proverbial!!

The main thing to take away is that you are alive and ok, and getting the correct treatment.

Happy diving

Diving nitrox on air profiles is actually fairly common for divers that wish to dive more conservatively then the algorithm on their DC. Just dive the MOD of the actual mix.

Kathleen. Looks like the VEO 2 like many Oceanic computers has a choice of 2 algorithms. If you were diving DSAT, switching to the Pelagic Z will add conservatism.

Another option would be to dive a computer known for its conservative RGBM algorithm. Like the Cressi. The RGBM algorithm will also address other concerns such as ascent rate and repetitive diving.

Either of of these choices would allow you to dive the actual mix but still add an extra layer of conservatism.

 

[Lopez116]

I'm a little confused because you said one of the lessons you learned was to check the mix yourself.

Your computer was set at EAN 32, but was that the actual mix you were diving?

 

[Wookie]

I'm a little confused because you said one of the lessons you learned was to check the mix yourself.

Your computer was set at EAN 32, but was that the actual mix you were diving?

She doesn't know that, she didn't check the mix herself.

 

[uncfnp]

She doesn't know that, she didn't check the mix herself.

Did anyone have the opportunity to analyze the tanks after the symptoms started? I thought that was fairly routine if the symptoms started immediately post dive. And apparently hers started while diving, something I understand is NOT diagnostic of DCS.

I hate to mention this (I think it tends to be over emphasized on SB) but if the dive was within NDL's and it really looks like a neurological DCS hit you might want to consider a TEE to check for PFO.

 

[FinnMom]

Diving nitrox on air profiles is actually fairly common for divers that wish to dive more conservatively then the algorithm on their DC. Just dive the MOD of the actual mix.

I agree, can't imagine why diving nitrox with air setting would cause any problems as long as MOD is known and respected.

As for idea that it would be bad because the computer's data is not correct, you just need to know what your mix was. From this it should not be much trouble to substitute that 1 variable in the extracted data.

 

[kensuf]

As others have said, an incorrectly labeled gas mix could have had something to do with this, but I am curious about the onset of symptoms while you were at 55'. That seems extremely unusual to me.

A few other considerations.

Dehydration? I know when I'm on vacation I tend to have a few more beers and a few less waters than optimal, so dehydration may have been a factor.

PFO? Some people believe as many as 1 in 4 of us have a PFO. I can speak from first hand experience that a PFO contributed to several "unearned" hits over the years. I had a closure done just about a year ago, and have logged over 230 dives since the closure with the majority requiring some staged decompression. I've logged at least one dive a month in the 200-300' range since December too. I've only had one slight niggle since the closure, which is a huge decrease from an average of one skin bends hit a month I had prior to the closure.

 

[RJP]

I am curious about the onset of symptoms while you were at 55'. That seems extremely unusual to me.

Given that OP did actually have an earlier run-in with an urchin, my bet is that the finger tingling at 55' was unrelated... but that symptom got tossed on the pile after the fact once she actually got hit.

 

[Jax]

Have an oceanic Veo 2 - had it set to EAN 32%, set for pp 1.4 set with conservative factor. Down for 46 min max depth 96 feet -- don't think I got within 15 min of NDC during dive, followed safety stops, SI of 44 min (probably too short) second dive 55 feet for 62 min on EAN 32%

I do not understand 46 minutes @ 96' fsw. I'm showing you incur deco, and that is without consideration of four days of diving. I would say it was VERY aggressive.

Do you have a graph of your dive profile from your computer?

 

[Searcaigh]

I do not understand 46 minutes @ 96' fsw. I'm showing you incur deco, and that is without consideration of four days of diving. I would say it was VERY aggressive.

Do you have a graph of your dive profile from your computer?

I understand this as max depth 96' total dive time was 46 mins and nearest to NDL at 96' was 15 mins

I was on a boat in the Philippines a couple of years ago and analysed my gas as I set up my gear.

The second tank was already on the boat, but they had no analyser on the boat to check it. I just changed my computer setting to 21% and made sure I did not exceed the MOD for 36%, and of course checked the additional tanks before they were loaded on the boat on subsequent dives.