dwwest101
Guest
After reading about the diver who was bent on a trip to the Flower Gardens and at the request of DandyDon I want to share my experience with DCI and going to chamber.
My family and I went to Cozumel the latter part of June. Since it had been some time, two years from my last dive, I did a refresher course. I went straight from it to my AOW course. I was originally certified in 1981 and have been to Cozumel more time than I can remember.
During the AOW course, I felt like I was not diving to the best of my ability. I seemed to struggle with some of the tasks that I should have been comfortable with. My instructor was great and I learned a great deal from him.
I dove for three and half days. All the dives were places I had done many times before. The current was stronger than usual even for Cozumel, but I had seen that before also. I finished diving on Sunday and we flew back on Monday. I more than 24 hours between the last dive and my computer was clear.
On the flight I had a terrible headache and tinnitus in the left ear. Once we got home the ear problem was so bad I could not hear out of that side. I just thought it was an ear infection. On Tuesday and Wednesday the headache kept getting worse and I had a general malaise and laid around the house. My left shouler and elbow were hurting als
n that Thursday I could not stand the ringing any longer and called my PCP. While I was talking to them something told me to call DAN. DAN had me call Hermann Hospital in Houston. I talked to Dave, one of the Dive Techs. He talked to the doc and she wanted me to come in right away with my dive profiles.
Once I got to Hermann and found the Hyerbaric Medicine Department I was taken back for an examination. The thought of DCI had never crossed my mind until the examination started. During the neuro exam I honestly felt I had experienced a CVA. The nurse practioner found a moderate neurological deficiet. Having been an EMT for several years and am finishing up my degree in Psychology I had good understanding of the exam and what she found.
The exam itself was very thorough. She checked my balance, strength, ability to touch my nose with my eyes closed, which really worried me when I couldn't. One exam that really scared me was when she took a tuning fork, rang it and put the handle end on the top of my head. I could only hear it it the left ear. Even though the nurses and techs ere getting things ready, I still could not convince myself I had DCI. Fortunatley it was mild.
I went into the chamber along with a nurse for a table 6 Navy dive. Pressured to 60 feet while breathing 100 percent O2. I breathed the O2 through a hood that covered my whole head. It was not uncomfortable, but its not something I want to wear around the house. The chamber is 6 foot in diameter and 34 feet long. It has door on each end and a lock where small items can be sent in.It was loud when they pressured it up and since the air was compressed it was also got warm. Since you are on O2 you have to wear cotton scrubs. I dont normally get claustraphobia, after the third repetition of breathing air I started feeling anxious and they sent in Xanax. It did help.The treatment was breathe O2 for 20 minutes and air for 5 minutes. That lasted for 3 hours. We then went to 30 feet and did the same except for the last 30 minutes both the nurse and I were on O2.
Once the chamber was pressured to 60 feet, the pain in the shoulder and elbow went away. The ringing in the ear subsided quite a bit. Turned out the ear had a class 2 barotrauma. Now after almost a month it still rings some.
Being in the chamber itself was pretty uneventful. Other than going off O2 there is not much to do besides take a 20 minute nap.
I had to go back the next day for a follow up. If there were any signs I would have went into the big chamber with the general population for a 2 or 3 hour ride. I don't remember since I did not have to do it.
The staff at Hermann were all very professional and extremly nice. I can't say enough good things about them. But I hope I don't see them for this again...lol
Other than having some slight tinnutis I feel great. My wife wont let me dive until I get cleared by a doc. Once I get some days off I plan on doing that then going over to Twin Lakes and get wet.
Sorry this ended up being so long and if I missed anything or if you have questions I will try to answer them.
My family and I went to Cozumel the latter part of June. Since it had been some time, two years from my last dive, I did a refresher course. I went straight from it to my AOW course. I was originally certified in 1981 and have been to Cozumel more time than I can remember.
During the AOW course, I felt like I was not diving to the best of my ability. I seemed to struggle with some of the tasks that I should have been comfortable with. My instructor was great and I learned a great deal from him.
I dove for three and half days. All the dives were places I had done many times before. The current was stronger than usual even for Cozumel, but I had seen that before also. I finished diving on Sunday and we flew back on Monday. I more than 24 hours between the last dive and my computer was clear.
On the flight I had a terrible headache and tinnitus in the left ear. Once we got home the ear problem was so bad I could not hear out of that side. I just thought it was an ear infection. On Tuesday and Wednesday the headache kept getting worse and I had a general malaise and laid around the house. My left shouler and elbow were hurting als
n that Thursday I could not stand the ringing any longer and called my PCP. While I was talking to them something told me to call DAN. DAN had me call Hermann Hospital in Houston. I talked to Dave, one of the Dive Techs. He talked to the doc and she wanted me to come in right away with my dive profiles. Once I got to Hermann and found the Hyerbaric Medicine Department I was taken back for an examination. The thought of DCI had never crossed my mind until the examination started. During the neuro exam I honestly felt I had experienced a CVA. The nurse practioner found a moderate neurological deficiet. Having been an EMT for several years and am finishing up my degree in Psychology I had good understanding of the exam and what she found.
The exam itself was very thorough. She checked my balance, strength, ability to touch my nose with my eyes closed, which really worried me when I couldn't. One exam that really scared me was when she took a tuning fork, rang it and put the handle end on the top of my head. I could only hear it it the left ear. Even though the nurses and techs ere getting things ready, I still could not convince myself I had DCI. Fortunatley it was mild.
I went into the chamber along with a nurse for a table 6 Navy dive. Pressured to 60 feet while breathing 100 percent O2. I breathed the O2 through a hood that covered my whole head. It was not uncomfortable, but its not something I want to wear around the house. The chamber is 6 foot in diameter and 34 feet long. It has door on each end and a lock where small items can be sent in.It was loud when they pressured it up and since the air was compressed it was also got warm. Since you are on O2 you have to wear cotton scrubs. I dont normally get claustraphobia, after the third repetition of breathing air I started feeling anxious and they sent in Xanax. It did help.The treatment was breathe O2 for 20 minutes and air for 5 minutes. That lasted for 3 hours. We then went to 30 feet and did the same except for the last 30 minutes both the nurse and I were on O2.
Once the chamber was pressured to 60 feet, the pain in the shoulder and elbow went away. The ringing in the ear subsided quite a bit. Turned out the ear had a class 2 barotrauma. Now after almost a month it still rings some.
Being in the chamber itself was pretty uneventful. Other than going off O2 there is not much to do besides take a 20 minute nap.
I had to go back the next day for a follow up. If there were any signs I would have went into the big chamber with the general population for a 2 or 3 hour ride. I don't remember since I did not have to do it.
The staff at Hermann were all very professional and extremly nice. I can't say enough good things about them. But I hope I don't see them for this again...lol
Other than having some slight tinnutis I feel great. My wife wont let me dive until I get cleared by a doc. Once I get some days off I plan on doing that then going over to Twin Lakes and get wet.
Sorry this ended up being so long and if I missed anything or if you have questions I will try to answer them.
