Seadreamer
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Thank you, Uncle Pug, for your Special Rules. I wanted to post my experience as a warning and education to my fellow divers, but I'm really not up to any flamethrowing at the moment.
Last week I spent eight hours in the chamber. Here's the history:
September 2005. Fabulous Dive Vacation on a Fabled Dive Island in the Caribbean. On my last day of diving, a Friday, my computer accused me of going into deco, although I had dived quite conservative profiles. My diving companions, most of whom were much more experienced than me, felt it was a fluke on the part of the computer. I did one more long but shallow dive.
A few hours later, I developed a mysterious pain in my right ankle. A little later, my left ankle also started hurting. I didn't rush to the hospital. Everyone (including several instructors) felt that I had injured my ankles on a dive, since there had been a rather difficult surf entry. By the time I flew home (on Sunday), my ankles were really bothering me. I ended up in a wheelchair at the airport!
Back at home, I became more and more concerned that I the ankle pain was DCI-related. Finally went to the ER of the only hospital within 5 hours with a chamber. The doctors did a thorough exam and called DAN. Verdict: Not DCI.
September 2006. On a flight to a Tropical Third-World country on the Sulu Sea, I developed shingles. A doctor in the Big City prescribed Acyclovir. The next day, I flew to a Wreck Diving Mecca and enjoyed some awesome wreck diving, to about 100 feet. A few hours after the dive, developed pain, itching, and a red rash on my thighs. The literature for the Acyclovir said this was a possible side effect. Stopped the med. The rash disappeared. A few days later, flew to another area of the country and did a few shallow dives.
December, 2006. On a vacation to our Neighbor to the South, did a couple shallow cenote dives, and the following day two hour-long ocean dives to 70 feet. An hour after the second dive, developed the same painful, itchy rash on my thighs. Began to have Grim Forebodings about the possibility of DCI. Did a lot of research on the Internet, including here on SB. Rash disappeared in a few hours.
Six days later, did a couple more hour-long dives to around 60 feet. An hour after the last dive, developed notable pain and itching in my lower back, upper abdomen, and thighs. Upon examination, found blotchy red rashes on abdomen and back, with a curious horseshoe-shaped bruise in center, front and back. After a few more moments of Denial, called the dive medicine docs who advised that I make haste to visit their facility, which I did. After a thorough history and physical, I was given a 5-hour Chamber ride. (Boring, boring, boring.) The rash disappeared, along with most of the pain.
The next morning, on a follow-up examination, the pain had returned, along with a headache; so I was treated to three more hours in the Chamber.
The doctor spent quite a bit of time with me. He felt quite certain that the incident in the Fabled Dive Island, as well as the one in the Wreck Diving Mecca and the earlier incident in our Neighbor to the South, were manifestations of DCI. This made Four Incidents before I received treatment. Whether or not I will be able to dive again is not clear. I will probably give it a try after a few months, but I’ll need to make sure I am in close proximity to a Chamber, use Nitrox, keep it shallow, etc. In other words, much of the mystique of diving is probably past tense for me.
I flew home four days after the last treatment. At the present, I still have residual symptoms of pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and general malaise. I called DAN, and the Nice Doctor reassured me that all was to be expected as it will take time for my body to heal.
So.......what I’ve learned:
1. Trust my own instincts. If I feel something is wrong, don’t blow it off because everyone else does.
2. If in doubt, call.
3. Don’t expect a doctor in the middle of the wheat fields to know much about dive medicine.
4. Get dive insurance! Fortunately, I did have an excellent policy through NAUI.
I’m feeling pretty bummed out right now, so please be kind to me.
Seadreamer just hoping it isn’t all past tense!
Last week I spent eight hours in the chamber. Here's the history:
September 2005. Fabulous Dive Vacation on a Fabled Dive Island in the Caribbean. On my last day of diving, a Friday, my computer accused me of going into deco, although I had dived quite conservative profiles. My diving companions, most of whom were much more experienced than me, felt it was a fluke on the part of the computer. I did one more long but shallow dive.
A few hours later, I developed a mysterious pain in my right ankle. A little later, my left ankle also started hurting. I didn't rush to the hospital. Everyone (including several instructors) felt that I had injured my ankles on a dive, since there had been a rather difficult surf entry. By the time I flew home (on Sunday), my ankles were really bothering me. I ended up in a wheelchair at the airport!
Back at home, I became more and more concerned that I the ankle pain was DCI-related. Finally went to the ER of the only hospital within 5 hours with a chamber. The doctors did a thorough exam and called DAN. Verdict: Not DCI.
September 2006. On a flight to a Tropical Third-World country on the Sulu Sea, I developed shingles. A doctor in the Big City prescribed Acyclovir. The next day, I flew to a Wreck Diving Mecca and enjoyed some awesome wreck diving, to about 100 feet. A few hours after the dive, developed pain, itching, and a red rash on my thighs. The literature for the Acyclovir said this was a possible side effect. Stopped the med. The rash disappeared. A few days later, flew to another area of the country and did a few shallow dives.
December, 2006. On a vacation to our Neighbor to the South, did a couple shallow cenote dives, and the following day two hour-long ocean dives to 70 feet. An hour after the second dive, developed the same painful, itchy rash on my thighs. Began to have Grim Forebodings about the possibility of DCI. Did a lot of research on the Internet, including here on SB. Rash disappeared in a few hours.
Six days later, did a couple more hour-long dives to around 60 feet. An hour after the last dive, developed notable pain and itching in my lower back, upper abdomen, and thighs. Upon examination, found blotchy red rashes on abdomen and back, with a curious horseshoe-shaped bruise in center, front and back. After a few more moments of Denial, called the dive medicine docs who advised that I make haste to visit their facility, which I did. After a thorough history and physical, I was given a 5-hour Chamber ride. (Boring, boring, boring.) The rash disappeared, along with most of the pain.
The next morning, on a follow-up examination, the pain had returned, along with a headache; so I was treated to three more hours in the Chamber.
The doctor spent quite a bit of time with me. He felt quite certain that the incident in the Fabled Dive Island, as well as the one in the Wreck Diving Mecca and the earlier incident in our Neighbor to the South, were manifestations of DCI. This made Four Incidents before I received treatment. Whether or not I will be able to dive again is not clear. I will probably give it a try after a few months, but I’ll need to make sure I am in close proximity to a Chamber, use Nitrox, keep it shallow, etc. In other words, much of the mystique of diving is probably past tense for me.
I flew home four days after the last treatment. At the present, I still have residual symptoms of pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and general malaise. I called DAN, and the Nice Doctor reassured me that all was to be expected as it will take time for my body to heal.
So.......what I’ve learned:
1. Trust my own instincts. If I feel something is wrong, don’t blow it off because everyone else does.
2. If in doubt, call.
3. Don’t expect a doctor in the middle of the wheat fields to know much about dive medicine.
4. Get dive insurance! Fortunately, I did have an excellent policy through NAUI.
I’m feeling pretty bummed out right now, so please be kind to me.
Seadreamer just hoping it isn’t all past tense!
