diving and diabetes

[mobster75]

Timely topic... My girlfriend is a type 1 diabetic and I've been on debating whether or not to let her try out a discover pool session... She loved snorkeling in Jan in Mexico and asked if maybe someday she could try scuba..

She's got a good handle on her sugar and I also have a lot of experience helping her maintain her sugar (I know the signs of hypoglycemia and will randomly ask her what her "number" is now if she seems to be feeling differently).. Her endo has signed off on a letter stating that she discussed inherent risks associated with her condition and scuba and that she approves scuba training.

Of course, a confined pool session is also a lot less strenuous than a real OW dive, and its a controlled environment so I'm not worried about that - I'm worried if she gets bit by the scuba bug. Heh.

I'm wrapping up my AOW this weekend and should have some specialities by summers end.. I'm planning on taking PADI Rescue next May/June and I think I'd only let her dive in easy conditions, w/ me only as her buddy. That's the only way I think I'd be comfortable with her diving, but we'll see how the pool works out.....

 

[Cacia]

do it. manage it. don't go deep for awhile.

 

[mobster75]

do it. manage it. don't go deep for awhile.

As far as I'm concerned, deep is out of the question period.. I don't want her going down to any depths that will require a 2 min safety stop or more in case she's feeling odd. I would think feeling low on sugar a bit mixed with narcosis is asking for a lot of trouble...

 

[davidworkman]

Ray,

You are a type II so you need to talk with type II divers. I'm a type I and can't talk about medication timing and amounts for a type II. I've been a diabetic for 45 years and have been diving for 36 years so I've experienced a few things. The beer logo concerns me though. Beer will run your glucose level sky high and the alcohol will play with your liver and drop you glucose level afterwards. I would avoid drinking before a dive as you need to be one with the body.

David