OP
Diving with stent in the heart?
- Thread starter miserkris
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Roger (husband) just 'felt bad' with some pain in his left arm - and it was 'weird' feeling - enough so that he thought it was a heart attack. It was. He got a stent. A year later he got winded on a bike ride and felt clammy. Another stent. He had lost 40 pounds and begun exercising daily between the two events and continues now to eat a heart healthy diet (except for vacations and holidays). His doc hasn't done a stress test in a few years because he feels just going to depth while diving is a pretty good indicator that his heart is sound. He just switched to a new cardiologist and had an echo done - all looked good.
(Btw, @captain, I just pushed your reaction score to 14,500! That was fun!)
Why didn’t you call DAN before this to ask for a doc recommendation?
The good ops WILL ask for clearance to protect themselves, the diver, and any other divers in the water who may be put in a position of rescuing someone. Did you ever get in touch with the UPenn hyperbaric team? They have a hyperbaric fellowship and may be able to fit you in for clearance last-minute.
Best regards,
DDM
One really has to wonder why you didn't do anything about this in the preceding 4+ months. You were clearly advised to contact DAN for a referral to a cardiologist near you with knowledge about diving. As the earlier posts in this thread suggest, there are people with a far more serious history than yours diving every day. I can assure you that there are technical instructors teaching students on dives to 300 feet with more serious histories than yours. What they all have in common is a cardiologist who knew their situations and could sign off on their diving with clear conscience.
You can try to contact such a cardiologist now, but good luck getting an appointment in time. No reputable cardiologist will sign off without evaluating your situation.
On the other hand, most dive operations do not require a medical form for diving, so the odds are no one will ask about your condition. You can therefore decide on your own whether or not to disclose your history. That will be your decision. Please note that nothing in what I wrote gave you any advice. It is all up to you.
You can try to contact such a cardiologist now, but good luck getting an appointment in time. No reputable cardiologist will sign off without evaluating your situation.
On the other hand, most dive operations do not require a medical form for diving, so the odds are no one will ask about your condition. You can therefore decide on your own whether or not to disclose your history. That will be your decision. Please note that nothing in what I wrote gave you any advice. It is all up to you.
captain
Contributor
Dan
Contributor
Just get a clearance from your Cardiologist, just in case dive operators ask you.
OP
miserkris
Contributor
My shallow diving with aaron's went smooth. OAHU is rough compared to big island for sure. Less fish too!
Diving with people who have only OW certification ensures a shallow dive, in most places. I don't have any stents, but I did have a double bypass a few years ago. No heart attack, just some pain which led to the diagnosis, so happily no heart damage. Basically, I just don't mention it, keep a tee shirt on to hide the scar. Being 80, I limit myself to dives no deeper than around 20 meters, except when I don't.
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