My Trip to the Cozumel Chamber
First of all let me say that this is a report of the things that happened to me on a freak deal in Cozumel. There is no one person or Dive Operation at fault. I am blaming no one and there is a story here that people can learn from and that is the only reason for writing this report. I will try as best as I can to keep everything in a chronological order as best as I can remember it.
Where there are rule Numbers in this report there will be a corresponding rule for my diving at the end of the report.
February 20, 2005 (Sunday)
My wife, Linda and I leave Hutchinson Kansas around noon for the drive to Dallas airport so we can fly to Cozumel Monday morning. It is about a six hour drive and we have plenty of time do make it and then stay in a motel tonight. While we drive down we stop several times to get something to drink and snack on. Usually Diet Coke and a candy bar. Carbonated drinks Should have been water to Hydrate my body before diving.
February 21, 2005 (Monday)
After not sleeping very well in anticipation of the flight we get up at 4am to go to the airport for the 7:30am flight to Cozumel. After standing inline for what seemed to be hours we are finally checked in and clear the security gates on our way. The first thing I do is go to Mickey Ds and get an Egg Mac Muffin and a Diet Coke. (Should have been water) **RULE #1**
This is where my first mistake was made. I was not drinking enough water to hydrate my body as it should be for diving.
We waited another 2 hours for the boarding call and then we were on our way. After a smooth flight we landed 2 hours and 15 minutes later in beautiful Cozumel.
We made our way to the hotel and checked in with no problems and by 10am we were at the pool enjoying the sunshine.
I went down to the Blue Angel Dive shop and checked to see if I could get on the afternoon dive boat. They told me yes they would pick me up at the pier at 1:30. **RULE #2**
I went back to the hotel to have lunch with Linda at the pool. We sat around the pool in the sun and enjoyed a great sharing lunch of nachos and a cheese burger and drinking Coke Light.
I had all my dive gear with me and went down to the pier at about 1:15 to meet the boat. They were as usual on time and I got on the boat and we headed south. Getting all my stuff together and getting ready for my first dive of this trip went smoothly and we arrived at Santa Rosa Wall for the first dive. Ramon the dive master tells us that we are at Santa Rosa and we will dive to a max. depth of about 70 feet and we will be there for about 40 to 45 minutes then we will come up to 15 feet for a 3 minute safety stop before surfacing. **RULE #3**
This dive was beautiful, it went off great. Several swim throughs seen loads of sea life, just plain a beautiful dive. The last swim through I went through was at about 55 feet. When I came out I looked up and all the divers were at about 25 feet, way above me. I looked at my gauges and seen I still had 1300 pounds of air left but we had been down for about 38 minutes. I assumed that we were headed for the safety stop. I started to rise and when I hit 30 feet my computer alarmed that I was rising too fast. I stopped and stayed at that level for sometime. Then I started to rise again. When I got to 20 feet my computer started a 3 minute count down. I looked up and the rest of the divers were already at the surface. I motioned to Ramon that I had some time left before I could surface and he signaled back to me that was okay they were going up. I signaled ok and finished my stop. When I surfaced everyone was in the boat and all seemed normal. I got up into the boat and we all set in the boat for about 30 to 45 minutes talking about cave and connote diving.
All of a sudden something hit me like a ton of bricks. I got super dizzy and could not hold my head up. I placed my hand on a tank and lowered my head and closed my eyes in order to try to regain my senses. This did not work. It became progressively worse as time went by. In the next 5 minutes I went from being fine to being so dizzy and disoriented that I was vomiting violently and told the crew I had to get on solid ground. We went immediately to the closet pier to get me on something solid. (Reef Club Pier)
When we arrived at the pier I could not steady myself in any way. My head felt as though it was swinging in 6 or 8 foot circles and every time I opened my eyes I vomited. While I was laying on the pier in my wet suit in the hot sun I was dehydrating even worse that I already was. I asked Ramon if there was a chance that I got BENT. He said no that I probably had food poisoning or motion sickness from setting on the water in the boat.
My condition continued to get worse as time went on. This is where I have a problem with the way this was handled. I know that as a certified diver I am responsible for myself and I agree to that, but there is also an implied responsibility to the dive operation to understand and recognize the symptoms of DCS and respond accordingly. At no time was I given any Oxygen and now I know that should have been the first step above all else. **RULE #4** It should be a regulation that all dive boats have oxygen on board that boat. All books and pamphlets on first aid for diving state that the first thing is get oxygen to the patient ASAP full flow. I would later find out that if oxygen would have been administered immediately after the dizziness hit that it could have saved as many as 2 treatments in the chamber.
After lying on the pier in the sun for about 30 minutes and vomiting violently (Dry Heaves) I asked if they could pull my wet suit off, I was getting terribly warm. After getting my suit off the symptoms were not getting any better. Two of the divers from the boat lifted me up and carried me up into the shaded area where it was much cooler. At this point I could not open my eyes. Every time I opened my eyes I would vomit almost to the point of convulsions. At this time I knew that food poisoning or motion sickness was not my problem.
Ramon called Victor at the dive shop and advised him of our situation. They sent Jeanie down to the Reef Club to get me and take me back to my hotel. When Jeanie got there she advised me that she had called a family practice physician and he told her that I probably had food poisoning. Jeanie and Ramon loaded me into the car and Jeanie took me back to the hotel where we met my wife. Linda and Jeanie carried me up to my hotel room and I went to bed. Jeanie told Linda that it was food poisoning and that it would pass. **RULE #5** At this point I am feeling so bad I actually did not care if I lived or died. I have never been in such a sad shape in my entire life.
It was at this time, just when I thought that I might die, that Christi form BLUEXTSEA DIVING called my room about the following days dive schedule. When Linda told her the shape I was in she told Linda to hand up she was on the way over.
When Christi walked into the room she said get him up we are going to the chamber. She advised me that she talked to Dr. Piccolo on they way over and that he would meet us at the chamber. I now know that with the events taking place as they did, this decision on Christis part no doubt saved my life.
Linda and Christi loaded me in her car and to the chamber we went. As soon as I walked in and met Dr. Piccolo he said this man is bent. He checked me over and told me I had suffered DCS Type II my inner ears.
At this point I did not care what it was I just needed some relief. They strip me down and put me in some hospital scrubs and after the Doctor started an IV too hydrate my body really fast, into the chamber I went for a Table 6 treatment. This is 4 ½ hors of breathing pure 100% oxygen on and off according to the doctors tables. They took me down to a pressure equal to 60 feet of depth and I remained there for 2 ½ hours then we moved up to a depth 0f 30 feet 2 hours to finish this treatment.
I began to feel immediate relief. After this treatment I was able to stand by myself although it appeared that I was totally drunk. (Balance was really bad) This chamber treatment was over at about 1:30am on the 22nd. Here I will point out again the importance of oxygen on the boat and recognition of symptoms.
February 22, 2005 (Tuesday)
After coming out of the chamber I was still really disorientated and my balance was really bad. The Doctor placed me in supervised care at the hospital. There the IV remained and they were giving me drugs for the Nausea and the possible headaches that could come. I stayed there in the Hospital for the next 12 Hours. Dr. Piccolo checked on quite frequently and told me things were going to get better. At about noon I went back to the chamber for the second treatment. Another Table 6 treatment.
First of all let me say that this is a report of the things that happened to me on a freak deal in Cozumel. There is no one person or Dive Operation at fault. I am blaming no one and there is a story here that people can learn from and that is the only reason for writing this report. I will try as best as I can to keep everything in a chronological order as best as I can remember it.
Where there are rule Numbers in this report there will be a corresponding rule for my diving at the end of the report.
February 20, 2005 (Sunday)
My wife, Linda and I leave Hutchinson Kansas around noon for the drive to Dallas airport so we can fly to Cozumel Monday morning. It is about a six hour drive and we have plenty of time do make it and then stay in a motel tonight. While we drive down we stop several times to get something to drink and snack on. Usually Diet Coke and a candy bar. Carbonated drinks Should have been water to Hydrate my body before diving.
February 21, 2005 (Monday)
After not sleeping very well in anticipation of the flight we get up at 4am to go to the airport for the 7:30am flight to Cozumel. After standing inline for what seemed to be hours we are finally checked in and clear the security gates on our way. The first thing I do is go to Mickey Ds and get an Egg Mac Muffin and a Diet Coke. (Should have been water) **RULE #1**
This is where my first mistake was made. I was not drinking enough water to hydrate my body as it should be for diving.
We waited another 2 hours for the boarding call and then we were on our way. After a smooth flight we landed 2 hours and 15 minutes later in beautiful Cozumel.
We made our way to the hotel and checked in with no problems and by 10am we were at the pool enjoying the sunshine.
I went down to the Blue Angel Dive shop and checked to see if I could get on the afternoon dive boat. They told me yes they would pick me up at the pier at 1:30. **RULE #2**
I went back to the hotel to have lunch with Linda at the pool. We sat around the pool in the sun and enjoyed a great sharing lunch of nachos and a cheese burger and drinking Coke Light.
I had all my dive gear with me and went down to the pier at about 1:15 to meet the boat. They were as usual on time and I got on the boat and we headed south. Getting all my stuff together and getting ready for my first dive of this trip went smoothly and we arrived at Santa Rosa Wall for the first dive. Ramon the dive master tells us that we are at Santa Rosa and we will dive to a max. depth of about 70 feet and we will be there for about 40 to 45 minutes then we will come up to 15 feet for a 3 minute safety stop before surfacing. **RULE #3**
This dive was beautiful, it went off great. Several swim throughs seen loads of sea life, just plain a beautiful dive. The last swim through I went through was at about 55 feet. When I came out I looked up and all the divers were at about 25 feet, way above me. I looked at my gauges and seen I still had 1300 pounds of air left but we had been down for about 38 minutes. I assumed that we were headed for the safety stop. I started to rise and when I hit 30 feet my computer alarmed that I was rising too fast. I stopped and stayed at that level for sometime. Then I started to rise again. When I got to 20 feet my computer started a 3 minute count down. I looked up and the rest of the divers were already at the surface. I motioned to Ramon that I had some time left before I could surface and he signaled back to me that was okay they were going up. I signaled ok and finished my stop. When I surfaced everyone was in the boat and all seemed normal. I got up into the boat and we all set in the boat for about 30 to 45 minutes talking about cave and connote diving.
All of a sudden something hit me like a ton of bricks. I got super dizzy and could not hold my head up. I placed my hand on a tank and lowered my head and closed my eyes in order to try to regain my senses. This did not work. It became progressively worse as time went by. In the next 5 minutes I went from being fine to being so dizzy and disoriented that I was vomiting violently and told the crew I had to get on solid ground. We went immediately to the closet pier to get me on something solid. (Reef Club Pier)
When we arrived at the pier I could not steady myself in any way. My head felt as though it was swinging in 6 or 8 foot circles and every time I opened my eyes I vomited. While I was laying on the pier in my wet suit in the hot sun I was dehydrating even worse that I already was. I asked Ramon if there was a chance that I got BENT. He said no that I probably had food poisoning or motion sickness from setting on the water in the boat.
My condition continued to get worse as time went on. This is where I have a problem with the way this was handled. I know that as a certified diver I am responsible for myself and I agree to that, but there is also an implied responsibility to the dive operation to understand and recognize the symptoms of DCS and respond accordingly. At no time was I given any Oxygen and now I know that should have been the first step above all else. **RULE #4** It should be a regulation that all dive boats have oxygen on board that boat. All books and pamphlets on first aid for diving state that the first thing is get oxygen to the patient ASAP full flow. I would later find out that if oxygen would have been administered immediately after the dizziness hit that it could have saved as many as 2 treatments in the chamber.
After lying on the pier in the sun for about 30 minutes and vomiting violently (Dry Heaves) I asked if they could pull my wet suit off, I was getting terribly warm. After getting my suit off the symptoms were not getting any better. Two of the divers from the boat lifted me up and carried me up into the shaded area where it was much cooler. At this point I could not open my eyes. Every time I opened my eyes I would vomit almost to the point of convulsions. At this time I knew that food poisoning or motion sickness was not my problem.
Ramon called Victor at the dive shop and advised him of our situation. They sent Jeanie down to the Reef Club to get me and take me back to my hotel. When Jeanie got there she advised me that she had called a family practice physician and he told her that I probably had food poisoning. Jeanie and Ramon loaded me into the car and Jeanie took me back to the hotel where we met my wife. Linda and Jeanie carried me up to my hotel room and I went to bed. Jeanie told Linda that it was food poisoning and that it would pass. **RULE #5** At this point I am feeling so bad I actually did not care if I lived or died. I have never been in such a sad shape in my entire life.
It was at this time, just when I thought that I might die, that Christi form BLUEXTSEA DIVING called my room about the following days dive schedule. When Linda told her the shape I was in she told Linda to hand up she was on the way over.
When Christi walked into the room she said get him up we are going to the chamber. She advised me that she talked to Dr. Piccolo on they way over and that he would meet us at the chamber. I now know that with the events taking place as they did, this decision on Christis part no doubt saved my life.
Linda and Christi loaded me in her car and to the chamber we went. As soon as I walked in and met Dr. Piccolo he said this man is bent. He checked me over and told me I had suffered DCS Type II my inner ears.
At this point I did not care what it was I just needed some relief. They strip me down and put me in some hospital scrubs and after the Doctor started an IV too hydrate my body really fast, into the chamber I went for a Table 6 treatment. This is 4 ½ hors of breathing pure 100% oxygen on and off according to the doctors tables. They took me down to a pressure equal to 60 feet of depth and I remained there for 2 ½ hours then we moved up to a depth 0f 30 feet 2 hours to finish this treatment.
I began to feel immediate relief. After this treatment I was able to stand by myself although it appeared that I was totally drunk. (Balance was really bad) This chamber treatment was over at about 1:30am on the 22nd. Here I will point out again the importance of oxygen on the boat and recognition of symptoms.
February 22, 2005 (Tuesday)
After coming out of the chamber I was still really disorientated and my balance was really bad. The Doctor placed me in supervised care at the hospital. There the IV remained and they were giving me drugs for the Nausea and the possible headaches that could come. I stayed there in the Hospital for the next 12 Hours. Dr. Piccolo checked on quite frequently and told me things were going to get better. At about noon I went back to the chamber for the second treatment. Another Table 6 treatment.
