DCS hit 4 days later

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watboy

Contributor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
375
Reaction score
65
Location
Thailand
# of dives
500 - 999
Well, I never thought I would be in this situation, but here I am breathing pure o2, IV in my hand, and potentially a trip to the chamber tomorrow morning. Did a 10 day live aboard, 34 dives total. Max depth of 30meters, but most dives maxed at 24m. Dives of around an hour each with minimu 2 hour surface intervals. Tested my nitrox every dive, was between 30 and 34%. I was trying out my new shearwater petrel and had it set to VPM +2. Also carried my old suunto viper air. I found that deeper than 18meters, they both gave me ndl within 2 minutes of each other. Shallow depths, the suunto gave me quite a bit less time. I always followed the more conservative of the 2, but except for one dive where I got 1min deco obligation on both computers, I never got within 10mins Ndl. Water was 29C, all mutli level tropical reef diving.

My last 2 dives where to 20meters morning of the 9th. Flew out 27 hours later the next day and spent the night of the 10th in a hotel. Final flight home on the 11th. Relaxed on the 12th. Today (13th) I skipped my morning workout and slept a Little longer and then went into work. So far, everything normal, I've done this sort of diving several times before. After lunch, my right arm starts to tingle and then goes numb. From my armpit all the way down to my fingers. I thought it fell asleep, shook it around, massaged it.... No improvement. No other symptoms, no other triggers. I debated calling DAN. It's been 4 days, I'd just waste their time. A few hours later, no improvement. I call DAN, they tell me to get DCS treatment.
 
Geez that sucks! I wonder if maybe 27 hours flight wasnt enough? IIRC, NAUI says to do 36 hours of SIT if you do x number of dives (can't remember). Then again, I imagine it would have hit sooner. Body is a complex thing.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
well you certainly do not fit any profile for DCS I have ever heard of before. I have always been told that DCS was always bilateral. and that 24-36hours was about what the limits were, and max depth of 30M with nitrox in ten days? seems very unlikely from everything I think I know, if you are in fact bent, It would be very informative. I do have a small issue with the statement, "never got within 10min NDL" and the statement "I got 1 min deco" cant both be true but Ill assume in general you were very conservative. this is very odd. Maybe someone with a whole lot more experience with let us know why this is possible.

Any chance you got yourself dehydrated? are you very out of shape? smoker? over 50?
 
I do have a small issue with the statement, "never got within 10min NDL" and the statement "I got 1 min deco" cant both be true but Ill assume in general you were very conservative.


I believe the OP wrote: "..but except for one dive where I got 1min deco obligation..."


Anywhoo.. 1st: sorry to hear this. 2nd: this is interesting. looking back, could you say there were No symptoms till 4 days later, or perhaps you just did not recognize them?

Any chance you could upload your dive data, so those more in the know can look at them?
 
I'll go a little different route. Don't bother about your logs until you're treated and recovering. That's the most important thing.

Good luck with the chamber! I'll hope for a full recovery for you.

-Adrian
 
However, it is fairly rare to be entirely without symptoms for four days, especially considering that you had an airplane flight in the meantime. You didn't tell us anything about your age or general health, but is there any chance you could have had a stroke?
 
Hi SailNaked,

DCI is only rarely bilateral.

Regards,

DocVikingo

Yup, I've seen a lot of hits, never seen one (with my own eyes) where it was bilateral. I would think that would be indicative of a spinal cord hit, where it seems this might be in a joint. No?
 
Where was the overnight in a hotel? Turns out if you fly-after-diving *to altitude*, like Denver for example, DAN recommends more than 24h pre-flight offgassing.

You'll probably discover if you read the technical forms that VPM+2 is not actually very conservative....which makes it strange that your NDLs were lining up with your Suunto, which is *very* conservative.

And where are you that you are being given "pure o2, IV in my hand, and potentially a trip to the chamber tomorrow morning"?
 

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