Should I still continue??

[okidiver21]

Ok a few weeks ago I went diving after a typhoon. The waters were a little rough but no reason to call off a dive. Our first dive was a max depth of 76 ft for maybe 10 min the rest was above 40 with a 10 min safety stop at 15 ft. After an hr and 45 min surface intercal. Second dive was a max depth of 101ft for 10 min and up to 55 ft for 20 then a safety stop at 15ft for 30 min. On the first dive we got a little beat up on the exit and I was grabbing hold of the bottom to stay close to shore while getting a little beat up getting my fins off. Well after an hr and 15 minutes later I felt pains in my elbow and shoulder my dive partner was fine. I was with a Divemaster who took me to the hospital and a doc came in and didn't really examine me to well and took me to the Chamber well it took 5 cycles of oxygen and a little pain subsided. After it was all said and done I took the computer to my instructor who said I never came within 5 min of Decompression time and said I wasn't bent it was from the waves after he had downloaded the computer. My question is well we'll never really know if it was the bends but I want to try Tek Diving is it still safe to try to complete the training??

 

[padiscubapro]

okidiver21 once bubbled...
Ok a few weeks ago I went diving after a typhoon. The waters were a little rough but no reason to call off a dive. Our first dive was a max depth of 76 ft for maybe 10 min the rest was above 40 with a 10 min safety stop at 15 ft. After an hr and 45 min surface intercal. Second dive was a max depth of 101ft for 10 min and up to 55 ft for 20 then a safety stop at 15ft for 30 min. On the first dive we got a little beat up on the exit and I was grabbing hold of the bottom to stay close to shore while getting a little beat up getting my fins off. Well after an hr and 15 minutes later I felt pains in my elbow and shoulder my dive partner was fine. I was with a Divemaster who took me to the hospital and a doc came in and didn't really examine me to well and took me to the Chamber well it took 5 cycles of oxygen and a little pain subsided. After it was all said and done I took the computer to my instructor who said I never came within 5 min of Decompression time and said I wasn't bent it was from the waves after he had downloaded the computer. My question is well we'll never really know if it was the bends but I want to try Tek Diving is it still safe to try to complete the training??

Usually upon getting to depth and on Oxygen there is some immediate relief when DCS is involved especially in mild cases... taking 5 cycles is a long time, and you said the pain subsided a little, so I doubt its DCS. It also sounds like you were brought to the chamber pretty quickly, another reason why I doubt its DCS, if there was a long delay getting treatment it could take longer for symptoms to improve, too long and there probably wount be any improvement.

a few questions to consider
was the pain in the shoulder and elbow on the same arm?? was it on the arm you were hanging on with??
If you answered "yes" to both I'd suspect muscle strain.

Just because you didn't hit the NDL doesn't mean you cant get bent your instructor should know better..

 

[rmediver2002]

I see your stationed on Japan, ensure you inform the staff at the medical facility it is a suspected diving injury. You should have been examined by a diving medical officer.

Were you treated in a civilian chamber or Navy?

Type I pain most often presents in one joint, having pain in both your shoulder and elbow would seem to point away from DCS.

The pain from type I is usually not affected by movement, did you happen to notice if the pain was changing at all with movement or when pressure was placed on the affected area? This can be another indicator used to point towards or away from DCS.

You report that symptoms were not resolved after completion of the treatment table, most likely you had a mechanical injury and if you review the medical file I am sure the chamber supervsor will have reached the same conclusion before completion of the treatment.

Regardless of whether or not you experienced DCS "Unless you can absolutely rule out DCS or AGE the best course of action is to conduct a recompression treatment"

As far as your profile, although your computer may have shown you were on a "No D" dive if you check the Tables (any agencies tables in fact) you ommited decompression. (this is not an argument for or against the use of computers just a statement of fact)

The Navy dive manual recommends against diving for a few weeks after a type I symptom that is completely resolved on treatment table 5 (if you did five cycles of 02 total then you most likely completed a treatment table 5)

Even if it was DCS (more than likely not by your description) it does not preclude you from diving in the future.

Request a consultation with a diving medical officer to discuss the injury and treatment and let the doctor decide when it is safe to begin diving again.

When discussing diving injuries you are attempting to make an educated guess about an injury, and always treat for worst case. Absolute statements such as "you were not bent" because you were "no D" require some explanation, could it have been a mis-understanding?

The only time you can absolutely rule out DCS or AGE is when there has been no change in ambient pressure...

If you do not feel comfortable with you instructors explanation then consider finding another...

Jeff Lane