Diving Accident, Self-Responsibility and Balance

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Deleted response to gianaameri, since actual science apparently has no hold here.

Molecular Biology and Neuroscience are actively researching the subject and there is large research grants available... but sure all the psychotherapy approaches are more art than science.

Science or art, FOF and the way the reptilian brain shapes our behavior is something we have to contend with including in this forum discussions where the emotional responses to acceptance and rejection form the drive to the very existence of phenomenas like this forum, this thread and its responses, Twitter, Facebook...

It just is, and somehow we feel the urge to explain Theas behavior... funny!

Sent from my GT-P3110 using Tapatalk
 
Thea, I've had ARDS and a dear friend of mine that we almost lost last year had ARDS; that is most likely not going to be a diagnosis. Do be prepared to be told that you may have asthma, even though in actuality you may not, despite the diagnosis and treatment for same that may be coming your way.
 
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I am pretty sure my doctor is going to tell me I have COPD, lung cancer or a cardiac issue tomorrow. While some feel I just freaked and went to the surface and freaked some more, that is not the case. And you G, helped me SO much.
This dive seemed so... BIG, so HUGE. Yet, I have surfaced and hung out with my BCD inflated in rough seas {like Kauaii in the winter on the northern shore, in Tunnels beach the day before the tsunami hit), and chilled.
I have been in similar circumstances and never, ever, experienced ARDS.

I worked at a Level 1 Trauma Center for years as a heart transplant, then later trauma social worker. What I learned, was NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE, in that hospital cares about your health more than you do.

And I told each patient that in an effort to improve patient self-education and advocacy. Not the doctors, not the nurses, no one on the medical team cared more than the patient about his health. So, learn about your diagnosis, make them LISTEN when your body is telling you one thing and the doctors are telling you something different.

What is defined as "panic"? I came up because I my strength prevented me from swimming against the current over that reef. The dive shop owner said he had considered many times, putting a rope over the ascending reef.

In the mean time, I ignored my internal signs of distress, because I attributed them to the dive itself. I was unable to wet my own mouth because I was dehydrated, I was fighting my weight belt, fighting to get pics, all the while my lungs were drying and constricting.

By the time I surfaced, I could no longer breath. My ONLY thoughts were "don't panic, keep reg in, breath". And I did. I did not fight, I remember desperately searching for the BCD hose, waves, otherwise small, washing over my face, that felt HUGE. I remember that 40 minutes after I surfaced, STILL having the same symptoms as I entered the clinic.

I did not listen to my own body, yet the signs were there. I did not panic, I was losing my physical ability to move. And think. Not because I freaked, but because I was hypoxic due to an undetected medical condition. G is, to me, absolutely correct. I think my doctor will confirm that, in some form or fashion, tomorrow.

G, thank you. I would not be baring my soul here if I had just panicked. I did everything I could think of to live. Had I known what I know now though, I would have ended that dive much earlier, would have paid more attention to my body, would have listened to my internal voice that something was not going right. I could have killed myself and worse yet, traumatized people who were otherwise doing their jobs.

Thank you G. From the bottom of my heart. And again, I implore any DM to NEVER let someone in distress just "tire themselves out". The thought of it terrifies me. Even high school athletes occasionally die during sports from an otherwise undetected medical issue. Having adequate O2 (short cut phrase) on the dang boat and knowing how to use it is just... essential. DM's are not doctors. Smacking a mask on someone just in case just cannot hurt.

Really? Really? Well if that is what you want to believe and yes it is a lot easier to blame a medical illness than to admitt that you paniced. Sure the MD is going to Dx you with something. You smoke, are older, drink, have a very stressful job and over weight....you better believe your MD is going to Dx you with something. The MD will start out with vitals, then labs, chest X-ray, echocardiogram and stress test. Pulmonary function test might follow. My bet is that you will be Dx with mild obesity, mild COPD and hypertension.

You really think you have ARDS and dry lung complications. You really worked at a level 1 trauma hospital? As what? I don't know what a "heart Transplant" is. To everyone in the world reading this; you do not get ARDS diving like the dive at hand.

I truly hoped that I was able to help you and that has been my intent all along. Please take care and have fun with that, "Science or art, FOF and the way the reptilian brain shapes our behavior is something we have to contend with including in this forum discussions where the emotional responses to acceptance and rejection form the drive to the very existence of phenomenas like this forum, this thread and its responses, Twitter, Facebook...thing and the sidemount class.

I am out of here.
 
razorbackdiver, you should DEFINITELY have been taught some kind of pre-dive buddy check, no matter what agency's class you took. Failure to do that would be a breach of standards. But even for people who are taught such a check, it seems to be one of the first things people STOP doing, at least until some easily preventable problem reminds them that it's a lot easier to fix things on the boat or on shore than it is underwater.

Oh Lordy how true this is! I did my first open water session for my stress and rescue class yesterday and Mamma Mia! Some individuals will never change no matter how much training they get. They may be more suitable to dive solo or pick up a different sport. It was a learning experience not just as a reminder on how easy it is to take things for granted and become complacent, but it also helped me to realize there is always room to improve such a simple procedure as a pre-dive buddy check despite the number of dives and years of diving.

Various people suggested to Thea to take a stress and rescue class and I full heartedly agree with them. It doesn't matter the agency the most crucial and important thing is the instructor!
 

for my own mental health.

I feel shocky, disoriented, we have been home for two days and still I cannot let this go.

I joined for emotional reasons. Something really bad happened.

I mean seriously almost, ended in my death.


the surge tossing us around after we reached the wreck.

I had some trouble with my weight belt slipping,

being unable to hover to get a decent pic

but the surge was just... too swift

that damn weight belt right and fighting the surge, I was likely getting winded.

I tried to grab the "dead coral" to pull myself up and over the reef, but couldn't get to it. Every time I reached out, the surge grabbed me and dragged me up and away. Swimming hard, I would go forward two feet, then get pulled back ten feet.

And suddenly, I was tossed to the surface and all hell broke loose.

The Master in training was gone, the Dive Master was gone, I was alone.

And breathing way harder than I knew I should be.

2-3 foot waves were washing over me, at some point,

saw the boat looking smaller than it should have been.

shouting "help!"


I immediately gave the distress signal,

I forced myself to stop, rest, catch my breath. But I could not catch my breath. My breathing was SO hard and SO shallow, I couldn't get my breath.

I dropped my weight belt, trying to calm myself, "never panic, never panic" I chanted to myself.

I was disoriented, I couldn't find it.

think the other diver inflated it but don't remember. At this point, my breathing was out of control, I was getting no air, I took my reg out, it didn't help. S suddenly appears as well, inflates my BCD, speaks to the other diver. I remember he said "keep your reg in", I told him I can't breath.


I remember, deep in my head, that I knew I was dieing. "Stay calm, don't struggle, deep slow breaths" I repeated deep in my head over and over again. I recall the other diver trying to push against my feet, while S, the dive master, had my BCD, trying to tow me in.

The waves washed over us.


A medical issue or a mental issue :crafty:. We are almost to the point where one prefers to be diagnosed with a severe disease than accept to have been in panick. Something that everybody will face in his own life.:acclaim:
 
Why don't you discuss this privately?

T.C. earlier was making up contrary to best science and knowledge that panic causes people to turn blue and used this fabrication to support his hypothesis that Thea did NOT have a medical issue and was discouraging Thea from seeking a medical evaluation.

I was not prepared to let that one go on moral grounds.

Other than that, will be happy to chat privately with T.C. on Skype (for 5 min.) so that he can call me names in private.

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk
 


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---------- Post added March 4th, 2014 at 01:11 PM ----------



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I'm very glad I stopped smoking, 37 year habit, switched to a personal vaporizer almost four years ago. I've always been active, but have noticed a definite improvement in my aerobic condition since I quit.

I always wear a snorkel, but it is one of those super flexible "rubber" foldable ones, no hard plastic bits to get in the way.
 
Discussion of snorkels or now snorkels is a personal preference and can get pretty strong support on either side. Location of the dive tends to dictate to me if I carry one. Mostly I don't. I find they pull against my mask and make it leak. Perhaps the shape of my mask:idk: Some places here REQUIRE a snorkel (Queensland) be carried. We have the fold-able ones to put in our BCD pockets for that purpose..

A high percentage of our diving is shore diving. We tend to lay on our backs on our back inflates and chat as we fin our to the point we want to drop down. We tend to stay underwater until we get to the exit point. If necessary we can surface and swim back in the way we started but we seldom do it that way after all you can see more stuff underwater:). Lots of weed and kelp to get tangled in so just not worth bothering with for most of our diving.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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