I think there is another important lesson in here - how to effectively deal with ignorance in the medical system. Other posts have detailed similar stories, all along the lines of "It's not DCS, It's congestion/angina/upset stomach/ (insert anything but DCS in here)" from the emergency room after sitting for hours while damage is being done.
It sounds like the winning plan is to take some specific notes when you talk to DAN, or are lucky enough to get your doctor. Write down NAMES, PHONE NUMBERS, AND EXACT MEDICAL TERMS USED. Educate yourself on the diagnosis and treatment process. I'm not advocating playing doctor, just recommending being a little more direct with medical personnel. Remind them what doctor told you to come in, what it was for, and have his phone number handy. Ask for 100% O2 because it is a time-critical necessity. They aren't morons, just uninformed and unfamiliar with something like this. Eventually, an informed person usually appears, and gets you taken care of. The challenge is getting to that person before major damage occurs.
Some instructors and advanced nitrox qualified divers keep a 100% O2 pony bottle on-hand for personal deco if they feel like some insurance...
I have not dealt with the bends yet, but HAVE dealt with a medical system fiasco that could have turned serious if I had not asked for a direct, 5-minute, professional, "sit down" with the resident nurse. Once the fog was cleared as to the nature of the situation, care ensued quickly. No one's feeling were hurt and I even got a "glad you did what you did" comment from the hospital. I had names, phone numbers, and exact medical terms used on-hand.
The sad truth here is that YOU are becoming more and more responsible for ensuring quility care as a patient. I think, in this type of situation, a tradeoff of "making some noise" HIGHLY outweighs the end results of being quiet. That's what all the DCS training was for, right?
Keilidh, I am VERY glad everything turned out OK. It's a good reminder of the no-fly importance!
James