got the skin bends?????

[divingTim]

thanks everyone for the info, I will be calling DAN this morning, and also gonna attemp to see my family dr. today who likely has no clue of dci but hoping he (my dr.) or DAN has a referral here for the Kingston & surrounding area, also going to contact my instructor.

I will be off from diving for a minimum of 3 weeks, returning from a family vacation to Halifax on Aug 15, so very likely i would not be in the water till the 17th or 18th.

When i get back to it, I will try multiple stops on ascents 1st starting at half the depth for 2 minutes, and then 1 minute for every 10' there after, this is all depending on what the dr. has to say.

 

[divingTim]

Had my Echo, and bubble test on Friday, wont know the results for another week, and still trying to find out who the diving physician is here in Kingston.

 

[stairman]

An ech/bubble test is something all new divers should have done. This will tell you if you are subject to the bends from your physiology and not your profile. Saline is injected while the sonogram I believe is observed. A mixture of arterial and veinous blood is usually the culprit as told to me by a cardiologist. I havent had it done though since Ive dove since 85, with no problems or symptoms of DCS. Dan is worth its weight in gold for scuba divers.

 

[TSandM]

In fact, a PFO test is not recommended for all divers. About 25% of the population (and by extrapolation, probably 25% of divers) have a PFO. The vast majority of divers will never have any problems from one. IF you have had unexplained DCS, and particularly more than once, then you should get tested. If you get tested, you need to have decided ahead of time what you will do with a positive result. Although they can be closed, the procedure is not without complications, and the jury is still out (although this is being studied) as to whether PFO closure affects long-term DCS risk.