got the "bends" - was told im never allowed to dive again!

[jordan1990]

Recently, whilst travelling Australia for a year, i suffered from the bends. Silly act really me and my housemate (recently certified for open water) decided to go out for a dive. Although i came up a little too fast both times, due to panic because of change of tide, didnt know where we was heading, had massive waves crashing above us, aswell as many boats around. After a resurfaced and began to head home, i didnt feel well at all, left leg numb and tingly... eventually i was rushed to hospital and had 5 sessions in the decompression chamber... believe me this was the worst experience of my life... being out there without any of my family and friends was awful.

Anyway.. by the end of the treatment i was told by my dive doctor that i was never allowed to dive ever again because the bubbles in my blood were lodged into my brain (Cerebral Arterial Gas Embolism). And that he believes i am susceptible to the bends and that it isnt worth it....

Is this correct? Are there any other decompression sickness sufferers that were told the same thing?

also does anyone know anything about long term effects of this.

Thanks.

[hypertech]

I think you should get a second opinion from a real live doc who can examine you and not the Internet.

If a real doc says I have bubbles in my brain and shouldn't dive, I don't think I would toss that advice aside on the basis of Internet comments.

[TSandM]

It sounds fairly clear that you experienced Type II DCS. It may have been arterial gas embolism. But given your report of more than one excessively rapid ascent, and the fact that you were a new diver, this may have been due to pulmonary expansion injury (in which case, you were quite lucky to have survived and recovered, as many people who suffer this die). It is also possible that you have an abnormal communication between the chambers of your heart (PFO) which would render you far more likely to have a neurologic event as a result of any bubble formation in your blood. If you have a large PFO, then your physician is quite right -- you are at higher risk for a more severe type of decompression sickness, and you will need to do a serious risk assessment for yourself as to whether that risk is worthwhile.

We don't know how much diagnostic work was done in your case, or what the physician knows about your anatomy or your profiles, so it is impossible to second-guess his opinion here. I do not believe it is common practice to tell all divers who have had Type II hits that they have to abstain from diving.

[jordan1990]

Thanks very much .yeah the doctors letter mentioned a pulmonary expansion with my lungs. i am aware now how lucky i have been. They were both dive specialists that sat me down to tell me i cant dive ever again. im just rather gutted as i love diving!... though i can still snorkel they said.
thanks for the feedback.