Further course, no deep diving?

[Skittl1321]

I suggest you spend more time diving and less time reading - much less believing - everything you see posted on SB.

Dont worry, I don't believe everything I read.

Nitrogen is absorbed into all tissue types in your body, including bone!!!! Nothing is excluded.

Thanks for clarifying the first statement didn't make much sense. Especially since my original information came from DAN.

it is HIGHLY unlikely that he'll do a 100' wreck dive with me off the NC coast any time soon. Sad to say, from my own perspective, since there's some cool stuff down there,

eh, it's okay. I'm alive and can walk. Small trade off to have to give up roller coasters, water skiing, and apparently wreck diving

 

[tracydr]

I have talked to DAN. It was them who mentioned I would be at additional risk and refered me to the hyperbaric people. My Dr. just did a regular physical to do the PADI waiver.
The Cervical fusion is a bone graft + metal plate, but I imagine there is some level of scar tissue in the fat/muscle, because they had to cut into the neck to remove the bone before putting in the new one. (I also have scarring on my hip from where they removed the graft bone, but I'm less worried about that because it isn't in close proximity to a damaged spinal cord.)

Like I said, it is likely a non-issue, but having been paralyzed once, I have no desire to ever have that happen again. Thanks for mentioning Nitrox- that may be something I look into to reduce the nitrogen levels.

---------- Post added June 4th, 2013 at 12:07 PM ----------



Thanks. I'll ask my dive shop if they can do this for the checkout dive. (We have to go out of state for a weekend trip to check-out, so I'm not sure how accomodating they can be.) Definetly good to know though- because PADI really pushes rescue as essential for safety, and I'm not feeling too confident about the information provided in OW.

I've been diving since 1995. In 2001. I had a C-7 fracture and fusion of C5-7. I checked with DAN and one of the dive doctors here on Scuba board. Nobody told me I couldn't dive deep. They just recommended that I wait 6-9 months, until fully healed. I believe I waited about 8 months before diving again.
I've since done quite a lot of diving to 130 feet. No neck problems whatsoever tat were dive related.
If you want to stay shallow, GUE Fundies stays quite shallow.

 

[Skittl1321]

Tracydr thanks for sharing. It is nice to know you are diving successfully. No one has told me NOT to dive deep, merely that it puts me at additional risk than the general population. It is my decision to mitigate the risk by staying shallower. I obviously don't know the details of your injury, but mine was at a point where doctors told my parents I probably would not walk again. Thankfully, that wasnt the case. I don't let fear define me, but I'm a pretty cautious person because of it.

 

[tracydr]

Okay, verify this with DAN, because I could be completely wrong, but I'm pretty sure the Cervical Fusion (My mom had it done) involves bone right? So, my mom also had scar tissue on the bone, just like any broken bone. As Nitrogen isn't absorbed into bones, but rather fat and muscle tissues, I really don't think this is an issue. Add in a serious level of conservatism (like Nitrox using air tables/computer) and an extra long safety stop, and I'd bet my rebreather that you got nothing to worry about.

Except she also had a spinal cord injury.
And, bone does have a blood supply, although long bones are more at risk for infarcts from DCS. The Spinal cord is, of course, supplied by blood as well.
My fracture did not cause cord injury, although I did have nerve root injury from stretching it during the accident.
It could also depend on the type of fusion, if it was anterior or posterior entry, how much muscle is invaded and scarred.
I do think adding conservatism and nitrox will be a very good idea, in any case. I'd say a computer that she can adjust the gradient factors, to be able to stay extra conservative, would be helpful.

 

[uncfnp]

Except she also had a spinal cord injury.
And, bone does have a blood supply, although long bones are more at risk for infarcts from DCS. The Spinal cord is, of course, supplied by blood as well.
My fracture did not cause cord injury, although I did have nerve root injury from stretching it during the accident.
It could also depend on the type of fusion, if it was anterior or posterior entry, how much muscle is invaded and scarred.
I do think adding conservatism and nitrox will be a very good idea, in any case. I'd say a computer that she can adjust the gradient factors, to be able to stay extra conservative, would be helpful.

This raises a question that I have. The OP is understandably concerned with avoiding DCS but seems very focused on depth. Would she not be better served with concentrating on diving well within NDL times, using the highest nitrox mix for her depth and adhering to slow ascents and safety stops? Is 80 feet a greater risk then 60 feet if she "dives conservatively" as you suggested. If she doesn't have a computer with that function, would diving nitrox on air tables, keeping in mind MODs for the mix, be a good option for her? Thanks.

 

[Skittl1321]

. The OP is understandably concerned with avoiding DCS but seems very focused on depth. Would she not be better served with concentrating on diving well within NDL times, using the highest nitrox mix for her depth and adhering to slow ascents and safety stops

i think as far as the DAN guy and the hyperbaric physician I talked to, depth is a low hanging fruit. It's an easy thing to recommend as a precaution. Obviously staying NDL times is going to be very important. This thread has given me the idea of nitrox on air tables. Before, I thought nitrox was just for deep dives, but have since found out that is a misconception. Maybe in a few years I'll change my mind about depth, but for now, I'm not interested in deep diving.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

As you consider all of the input from everyone on your questions, let me share that my wife has an open water certification, plus emergency first responder. She has over 200 ocean dives, more than half considered "deep dives, and many very deep, though all within the 130 feet recreational limit. She dies with me, a certified and insured professional, and she is competent from experience and training to do the dives she does. She is a wonderful and safe diver. Unless you are doing highly technical diving, in which case you most certainly need substantial training, you recreational diving as you see it happening,m will not require you to get any additional certifications. You can, however, do several. You should investigate the different classes offered and look into those that interest you.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Skittl1321]

Advanced Open Water is not the prerequisite for Rescue.

Sadly, just found out at my dive shop, it is. "Prerequisite is the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Certification." and "To qualify, you must have certification beyond entry level and show proof of 20 or more logged dives documenting experience in deep diving and underwater navigation."

I know people say 'shop around' - but I'm landlocked, there really isn't anywhere else to go. The dive shop is already 40 minutes away, the next closest is over 2 hours. Guess I'm going to have to go with the original plan of making sure husband learns to be a better diver than me, and I learn from him!

 

[uncfnp]

Take CPR and First Aid. Then read the book. Not ideal but better than nothing. Of course no certification card doing it this way...

 

[Skittl1321]

Take CPR and First Aid. Then read the book. Not ideal but better than nothing. Of course no certification card doing it this way...

I'm not really worried about the card (don't want to do anything that would require it anyway)- just the experience/knowledge. It just seems like there are too many things that can go wrong with this activity, and not enough information about what to do when they happen in the OW course. It's out of date, but I've done CPR classes a number of times, should probably re-certify.