I agree. As far as diving and doctors go there is no more experienced than cozumel. I remember after freind who needed a chamber ride after a bad injury and dan wanted to fly them to Houston or miami for the chamber. It was like we have 3 chambers in cozumel and some of the most experienced dive doctors. As far as infrastructure I agree. I stay in a small mayan village In the Yucatan and for anything serious we go to merida.
Trip Report Why I Won't Be Returning to Cozumel-Part 1,2&3
- Thread starter Living4Experiences
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OP
You are not seeking any medical advice at all.
What is the chance for a full blown DCS?
Your life and I hope it won't affect anyone.
You have informed DAN on the issue so would it affect your future diving insurance with DAN or others?
OP
When I was in South Africa in 2002, the game ranger assigned to us said whenever he got malaria, he'd cross the border into Zimbabwe or Mozambique to get treated, as only a small part of South Africa is a malaria zone, while just across the border, the entire countries are malaria zones, so the doctors there have more expertise.
I'd imagine the doctors on Coz are pretty darn good at treating DCS.
The mosquito does recognize boundary and will not cross over! Very impressed.
Stoo
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I'll try to choose my words carefully, since I am really trying hard not to sound like a dick, but as I read this report:
1) You kinda knew the diving sucked due to prior experiences and the fact that two recent hurricanes had done damage. Why did you think the diving was going to be awesome again? Because it's one of the few places that puts money ahead of public health during a global health pandemic?
2) As you accurately diagnosed your skin bends, the hospital sent an ambulance for a non-emergency. A taxi with flashing lights. I don't know about the US, but in Canada, a dispatcher would have told us to hitchhike rather then dispatch an ambulance for what is basically a rash. I imagine if you'd called complaining about chest pains, they wouldn't have taken an hour. I hope not anyway. But also, note that Mexico isn't the US. Or Canada. Or Germany. It's a dirt poor, third-world country... One shouldn't really expect world-class anything there, except perhaps fish tacos.
3) It does sound like there was poor communication with the nurse. But you weren't in "America", you were in Mexico. English is not the native language there, although it's widely spoken in tourist areas. Perhaps consider learning Spanish. My wife and I had a similar experience when she broke her leg in rural Quebec. As you may know, French is the main language spoken in Quebec, and English is rarely spoken in rural areas. My wife is the Principal of a French Immersion school. She speaks decent French, but not when it comes to medical stuff. The context isn't usual, so like you, we also had a communication problem. But it wasn't the French-Canadian nurse's fault... it was ours. We didn't speak our host's language well. Cozumel gets visitors from all over the world. By your comment, it sounds like there is an expectation that medical staff really should learn about 20 languages so they can communicate in patient's native language.
4) And finally, with regard to the "dangerous medical care", you correctly self-diagnosed skin bends... something you had ignored previously on multiple occasions. The appropriate treatment for skin bends is O2, fluids (the IV that they tried to stick in you was undoubtedly saline solution... look at the label next time) and time. I suppose some places might do a chamber run, but it's rarely necessary, as you knew from your previous experience. And oddly, this "dangerous medical care" resulted in a "90% reduction in pain, and a very faint rash". It seems to me that the dangerous medical care was spot on. The Doctor didn't climb of bed to come see you at 3 or 4 AM, because you had the hyperbaric equivalent of a stubbed toe. He wasn't needed.
I apologize for sounding harsh, but damn man... you screwed up and got bent. The medical response was appropriate given the minor nature of your problem. Be glad it wasn't worse, 'cuz you're sounding a little Karenish in my humble opinion. That never goes over well when you're a guest in a foreign country. I can't help but wonder if that nurse was as klutzy as you think...
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