Personal experiences of DCS - poll

[annlaur]

Had a DCSII hit in Cozumel last year.
One table 6 chamber ride, followed the next day by a table 5.

The profiles that day were more than conservative, so there was a very high suspicion that I had a PFO ("hole in my heart"). Since then, my heart has been thoroughly checked, and it turns out it's fine. So that hit will remain an unsolved mystery (cold and dehydration probably played a big role). Back to Cozumel in a few days, will dive Nitrox on air settings for added safety this time.

 

[Crowley]

I don't really know how to answer. The first time I went to Nanaimo was the first time I dove a deep (100 fsw) square profile. That night, I had several odd-looking pink-purple stripes on the back of my left shoulder. They looked a little like bruises, but they were gone in the morning. They did not itch, and I don't know whether I had a very minor skin bend or not. (I did a good minimum deco ascent with no control issues, and did not exceed planned bottom time.) I have since done extra deco time when I do deep, square profiles, and have never had anything like this. I should mention that I stood for quite a while with doubles on before the dives.

Sounds like another form of DCS... Deeply Crushing Straps?

Sorry - bad gag - but I've seen a fair few blotchy spots that, in the absence of any corroborating symptoms, and the location of the marks, could really only be attributed to chafing gear. I've seen a skin bend of the classic blotchy torso type and it was very obvious, and quite broadly spread. Honestly though, I don't know if skin bends can be so localised.

Other experiences - one guy with type II cerebral DCS after bouncing between 20-40 metres in Chuuk lagoon, the bend happened 2 weeks later after his return to Thailand - fortunately he made a full recovery and started diving again 2 years later. A good friend got very painfully bent - was in and out of the chamber for 6 weeks and could not urinate for 4 days solid after *ahem* having underwater sex with his missus. The skin bend (plus classic headache, nausea etc.) from a fellow instructor whom I personally put in the tank and who also appeared to have done absolutely nothing wrong.

A weird phenomenon, to be sure.

C.

 

[PfcAJ]

Forgive this if it is too off topic....

If someone gets bent but doesnt go to a deco chamber...will the body eventually deco on its own? Or will they continue in pain until they make it to a chamber?

The bubbles will probably go away, but the damage the bubbles cause might never go away. The point of going to the chamber is to get rid of the bubbles before they cause permanent damage.

 

[FritzCat66]

I did not realize it at the time, having less than 30 dives under my belt, but looking back I'm 90% sure I took a type I DCS skin bends hit.

Blotchy, marbly, discolored skin on chest & shoulders, appearing within a couple hours of exiting the water after four 80' dives in 24 hours. They itched like hell yet Benadryl creme did nothing, then went away almost as fast as they presented.

Sounds like skin bends to me now, but back then I chalked it up to chafing/rash/marine organisms.

 

[Sas]

I have had a fair few friends who have gotten bent but I have never witnessed it myself. I have never personally been bent either, nor had any mild symptoms where I might have been.

Also seen lots of people put on O2 as a precaution after something's gone wrong (though not myself) but no one has developed symptoms whilst I have been there.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I had a buddy get bent while on a dive with me. His profile was more conservative than mine, but he got hit.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I came up from a no-deco dive and found the skin on one leg was totally numb. Breathed oxygen for 20-25 minutes on the ride in and all symptoms were resolved without any other treatment. Next dive was a week later to around 280 feet on air, no problems.

Before I did deep stops, I would sometimes suffer from significant elbow pain while doing 4-6 dives per day in 90 to 130 ft while spearfishing which I referred to as "pole spear elbow" .. probably happened 40-50 times. Don't think I've had "pole spear elbow" since doing deep stops.

I've seen two people become permanently paralyzed from being bent (well one might have been partially a stroke).

 

[fdog]

Left humerus, mild pain only, after two 130' chamber rides.

I was one of several chamber attendants for a series of Basic Scuba Class chamber dives. Protocol was to only do a single dive, but one of us was ill, so I did two.

By the USN tables the second dive was razor thin, but permissible. <shrugs> Ouch.


All the best, James

 

[Jax]

Sure wish you had something there for the subclinical DCS symptoms of extreme fatigue, tiredness, sleepiness . . .

 

[Rhone Man]

Sure wish you had something there for the subclinical DCS symptoms of extreme fatigue, tiredness, sleepiness . . .

Lynne said something similar in an earlier post. Maybe it would have been a good idea, but the trouble with subclinical symptoms is that it is just really hard to be sure whether it is DCS or not. I remember developing some mild joint pain towards the end of a week of repetitive deep diving, and it resolved itself within a day of getting off the boat. Subclinical DCS symptoms, or just a cramped bunk?