Bent for life?

[cynsearles@hotmail.com]

Hello there to everyone who has replied to my question.

I have been visiting with Doctors in TO and they can't come up with a logical explanation. I have an appointment with a Neurologist to see if there is an underlying condition that they will be able to detect.

I have been advised by the Doctor's that until someone can give me a definite answer that by dive career is over that is the hardest part because I have fallen in love with the underwater world. So I will keep you posted. In the interim I am being interviewed by City-TV in Toronto as well as the station in Norfolk Virginia to give a complete story as to what happened. I will keep you updated as to when that will be televised. and maybe just maybe there will be a specialist in Dive medicine that will see the show and say hey Cyn, don't worry go get your fins!

Until then fellow divers I wish you well!

Cyndi

 

[Ladydiver]

Hi Cyndi,

I just wanted to wish you good luck on getting some definitive answers and being able to get back in the water. I look forward to hearing more about you situation.

Cheers,

 

[King_Neptune]

cynsearles,


Care to give us an update on your findings?

=-)

 

[cynsearles@hotmail.com]

Hello King Neptune

Soooo here goes. I don't know how many of you have followed my story but I owe sincere thanks to Dr. Deco who was able to find a Doctor in Toronto for me who actually knew what they were talking about. Good news is that the Doctor in Toronto came to conclusion that I did not have the bends. Whew! ( He went over my medical records from Virginia as well and laughed saying at the onset the Doctors were treating me for a heart attack! no panic there on my part,:whoa: hee hee) What happened was that I suffered severe barotrauma to my right ear while in the midst of my dive. I did feel something down there but it didn't happen until I was about 1/2 hour into the dive at which point I acsended a little bit which seemed to take the pressure off. I have always had a buoyancy problem being that I float like there is no tommorow so maybe a combination of being drawn to the surface(not literally) and having to fight my way back down was part of the problem because as far as I was concerned I had equalized properly and then as I tried to go to about 50 ft POP! That's where I felt it and ascended back to about 40ft.

I was advised that because according to the Dr. "I had blown an ear" that the salt water had found an opening and started to enter the Sinus cavity which aggrevates it.

So now I have a blown ear and some salt water in the Sinus Cavity and I get on an airplane. (the next day)The pressure POW! when we reached altitude was unbearable!;-0 The pain caused me to faint (which I do fairly easily, pain, needles, I'm history) When I come to I have an oxygen mask on my face and an IV tube in my arm and flight attendants around me. Still a bit out of it and in pain the Dr. believes that I started to panic, hyperventilate, thus, the tingling.

So now I am probably going into shock because I am so freaked out and my head is just pounding. So an Emergency landing is carried out and I am wisked off to Sentara. Because of the diving the day before the Dive Unit at the hospital carries out all sorts of tests (i.e Air Gas (which is not pleasant..:bonk:. I would pick labour pains over that pain) Cat Scan (came back normal) but as a precautionary measure they decided to dive me in the chamber. Funny thing is that the tingling stopped after about the 40ft mark (in the chamber). The Dr. in Toronto said he would have taken the precautionary measure as well and would have put me in the chamber. The Dr. in Toronto said that there was no way that I could have been bent given the dive profile. He also discussed his concern about these weekend crash courses that certify you to become an open water diver. (he hates them):rambo:

And given my experience hee hee I agree with him. So I have been invited to dive with a group ( upon the Dr.'s recommendation) that does the same course I took but it goes over the time frame of 18 weeks.

I was greated with "hey we've heard about you. A total of 6 dives and two trips to the chamber.... C'mon Kid lets show you how its done!"

So thats my story, and I would not have found my answer had it not been for this forum and Dr. Deco and everyone here that has shown an interest and wanted to help.

So thank you everyone!

Every time I take the Giant Stride in,

I smile.

Cyn

 

[Dr Deco]

Cyndi:

[sp][sp] “All’s well that ends well,” as Shakespeare once said. We at ScubaSource are all pleased that this came to a successful resolution.

_________________________________________
[sp]Michael R. Powell, Ph.D. Dr. Deco

 

[Ladydiver]

Hi Cyn,

I am really glad to hear everything has worked out so well for you and that you are still able to "get wet". I am also very happy you were able to get the assistance you with the help of Dr. Deco and Scuba Board.

Good luck in your diving course. I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts on the differences between the weekend course you took and the course you are taking now.

Please keep us posted on your adventures and remember, if you every have any questions, just ask.

Cheers,