Stirring the Pot a Bit

[Cacia]

Okay now, we have all discussed the medical history taken by operators in Australia, etc. on certed divers who have already gotten clearance from their physicians.

Recently in Indonesia, I encountered this.

Here is the scenario. I have booked, traveled thousands of miles and paid several thousand dollars. I made the death ride through the mountains to our beautiful beachfront villa, defied travel warnings from the state department and boarded my pooch. Now, I am handed a request for my medical history by an operator. I COULD be truthful and answer all about my cardiac ablation which was done three years ago by a Barnes heart EP cardiologist and completely cured me of my AVNRT, but what will happen then? The manager here has no medical background and I seriously doubt there is a knowledgable top shelf cardiologist in this remote fishing village who could clear me without a big fat hassle. No thanks, I think I have my health under control. I am on no meds and in excellent health. Still, if I answer the questions truthfully, I will scare the operator. There is just no way he can process the truth.

I am asking Dr V or anyone out there that might think I am wrong to make their case and explain if you think I am missing something. Please no PM's telling me I am a moonbat and not tracking. (kidding)

 

[fairybasslet]

What I fail to understand is why the operator doesn't send this stuff to you ahead of time? I'll answer truthfully. I would lie. (How's that for ironic?) I have done it already and I'll do it again. That being said, whenever I have needed a medical release, for a class or from an operator who gave me the time to secure a medical release before I landed thousands of miles away from the physician who knows me best, I have happily supplied it and have never been refused the opportunity to dive.

PS. You are a moonbat

 

[TSandM]

I think this issue came up to an extent when we were talking about the diabetes thing a while back.

You can look at it from several points of view: 1) The dive op is covering his legal butt with the form. If you fill it out and say you have no problems, he's in the clear if you get into trouble during the dive. 2) The dive op is being denied information that might be critical were you to develop an issue during a dive. This could result in harm to you that might not otherwise occur. 3) The dive op is being denied information that would allow them to respond appropriately in the event of a problem. This would result in major distress and pain to THEM were you to have an issue and were they to find out it was mishandled due to lack of information.

In each case, I think the diver has to make some reasonable decisions as to what needs to be communicated, and unfortunately, that decision-making is complicated by our risk-averse litigation-ridden system. I, for example, have very mild asthma. I am only symptomatic after an upper respiratory infection, and I use bronchodilators perhaps once a year. Having learned that "asthma" is an incredible red flag for diving, I now consider my condition "reactive airways disease" and do not disclose it. The likelihood that I, or anyone else will be impacted by it is virtually zero, and the hassle factor is large.

As the medical condition becomes more significant, more frequently symptomatic or in need of treatment, I think the moral obligation to disclose increases a great deal. In the case of your arrhythmia, you are no longer symptomatic and require no treatment, so I don't think you're doing anyone any harm by not disclosing it. My personal opinion.

 

[Walter]

What's a moonbat?

 

[mislav]

What's a moonbat?

That's what I want to know!

Catherine, if I were in your position, I believe I'd bend the truth as well. I trust my own judgement above anyone elses in many areas. This is one of those.

 

[fairybasslet]

Moonbat, or barking moonbat. There are other definitions if you google them, but I don't think Catherine is one of those liberal commie types.

http://www.samizdata.net/blog/glossary_archives/001981.html


Well, I think my MO from now on is to ask the operator for any forms in advance of a trip and if I need my doctor to sign them, I will. This way the operator will be well-informed and my conscience will be clear. My case is much like your's Lynne, in that mine is "history."

 

[DennisW]

I frankly don't think my medical history is any of their darned business. So I would just say everything is fine and dive.

 

[DandyDon]

I frankly don't think my medical history is any of their darned business. So I would just say everything is fine and dive.

Ditto! If there was some issue they might need to know about, I'd want to discuss it in advance of travel. Otherwise, I skip it.

I was still taking coumadin last Dec on dive trip to the Florida Keys. I discussed in advnace with our main operator, and the other 3 guys in our group, but skipped it for the other two Ops.

 

[Thalassamania]

I usually travel with a copy of the the approval page from my Diving Duty Medical, all it realy says that I'm approved to dive and meet the medical standards of the AAUS. I've been asked to fill out a history a few times, but I've always just handed them that sheet and declined to do anything further (Dan's right - it's none of their business and they have no HIPAA regulations ensuring privacy of your records). That's always been enough. For you non-scientists, just get a doc's note saying you're OK to dive.

 

[ItsBruce]

1. I concur with TSandM.
2. What if the op looks on SB to see what people have said about their medical conditions? ... Oh, wait, that's why we use user names. 3. That's just great, mine hides my identity well, really well. Great.
4. Good thing I'm the picture of health.
5. In any event, truth is relative. It all depends on what "is" means. Thus, when the form asks something like "Do you have heart disease?" it is different from it asking "Does your doctor say you have heart disease?" Just because your doctor says you do, that does not mean you *do*. And, what makes you so sure it is *your* doctor anyway?
5. Don't you just love it when lawyers get involved?