How does getting "bent" feel?

[pescador775]

I got bent, it happened in Oct 1999. After 15 minutes on the surface, I started to feel "unwell". Then, as if I was punched in the stomach I bent over with pain. Within a minute or two, my right leg gave way and I fell. I was helped to lie on a bench seat where the right leg became numb, cold limbs and continuing pain in stomach and back intensified. Within 20 minutes, my leg and hip were almost completely paralyzed. Within an hour all symptoms subsided but over a few hours, returned. I was transported to a chamber where recovery proceeded in stages, over several days. After effects were cold feet, weak right leg, clammy skin and "hot feeling" in left foot, even though the feet were ice cold to touch. It was difficult to hold urine and my genitals felt numb. Recovery after a year was 90%. However, when I returned to regular exercise including weight lifting, my body would shake under strain. Immediately at release, there had some physician recommendations: physical therapy, additional hyperbaric treatments, all of which I ignored. Scare stories did not bother me. I followed my own course of supplements and exercise. Nowadays, it's mostly just a memory and I have returned to diving.