photographer
Registered
Hi Doc and others
I am writing to this board to broaden my thinking that has been revolving around DCS lately.
Basically, I am thinking whether I should give up diving altogether.
And this is not a light subject. For the past 20 years I have got a lot of excitement out of diving and after 1500 (incident free) dives I am as passionate as ever. I have travelled the world and done many types of dives and dive series in the recreational realm. Liveabords, warm water, cold water, dry suit, under the ice etc (but not many deep dives). So even thinking about giving up breaks my heart.
My problems began one year ago. After a series of dry suit dives I travelled home and at home I noticed that my left arm was slightly numb and my left hand fingertips tingled. The symptoms were very slight and it took me four days to get to the chamber. I went there four times. After the first time the tingling returned immediately after the chamber visit. However, after four visits I felt that the tingling had gone away completely (or almost, it is so hard to say 100 % sure as when you start to listen to your body it is easy to start imaging). The doc gave me persmisson to dive again and after a break of one month I started diving again. And very conservatively.
One year passed and after about 50 mostly warm water dives I went on a dry suit dive in cold water. I went down to 60 feet (U profile) on air. The computer started to show me deco at 43 minutes and two minutes later I started the ascent. I spent 8 minutes at 30 feet and then 8 minutes more at 15-10 feet. A long dive on air but still conservative with no prior diving and a long safety stop. Eight hours later at home I felt a little bit of tingling in my left hand fingertips. Having had exactly the same symptoms before I immediately thought that this was a supermild case of DCS.
I went to the chamber 30 hours after surfacing. I did two times. The tingling disappeared and after the two visits I felt no (or perhaps very mild tingling, hard to say) in the left hand fingertips. I was given permission to dive again.
I knew that I have to take every precaution before the next dive and the next dive would be a "test" dive. And, in the future, I would do only Nitrox dives with the computer on air. After a break of one month I did my test dive a few days ago. I went down to 55-60 feet (U profile again). I was on 32% Nitrox while the computer was on air. I had a nice and slow dive with no extra muscular activity. I started the ascent at 37 minutes, went up very slowly, stopped for one minute at 30 feet, spent 5 minutes (first at 15 feet, then at 10 feet) and whole dive lasted 46 minutes. I went home and, there is no denying, three hours after the ascent I felt, once again, very very slight, hardly noticable, tingling in the same fingertips (but it was for real as the feeling was different from the feeling of the right hand fingertips). This time I did not go to the chamber and over the course of a few days the tingling has (mostly or completely) disappeared.
Now, I am puzzled and in the process of thinking what is the implication of all this. The test dive was really negative. I had browsed thru this forum and hoped that a "real life test dive with every precaution taken" would result in absolutely no symptoms.
This raises a lot of questions like
I have done 15 liveaboards with max 25 dives in six days. Why did I not get bent on those trips ?
I have done more than 300 dry suit dives, many of them a lot more demanding than the ones described above. Why did I not get bent on those dives ?
Have my fingertips become extra sensitive to DCS ? And if so what will happen if I continue diving.
If I continue diving (ultra conservatively) do I do more damage to my body ?
Should I do another test dive to 30 feet after a break of one month ?
This is a serious matter as it is health related and I am very much conserned about my health. I am 50, very fit, do not smoke, do not drink, exercise a lot. So I don't harm my body by reckless behaviour.
So the simple answer would be to give up diving. But, diving is my obsession.
And, I will consult my dive doctor anyways on this.
All ideas, opinions and advice are greatly appreciated.
BR,
Photographer
I am writing to this board to broaden my thinking that has been revolving around DCS lately.
Basically, I am thinking whether I should give up diving altogether.
And this is not a light subject. For the past 20 years I have got a lot of excitement out of diving and after 1500 (incident free) dives I am as passionate as ever. I have travelled the world and done many types of dives and dive series in the recreational realm. Liveabords, warm water, cold water, dry suit, under the ice etc (but not many deep dives). So even thinking about giving up breaks my heart.
My problems began one year ago. After a series of dry suit dives I travelled home and at home I noticed that my left arm was slightly numb and my left hand fingertips tingled. The symptoms were very slight and it took me four days to get to the chamber. I went there four times. After the first time the tingling returned immediately after the chamber visit. However, after four visits I felt that the tingling had gone away completely (or almost, it is so hard to say 100 % sure as when you start to listen to your body it is easy to start imaging). The doc gave me persmisson to dive again and after a break of one month I started diving again. And very conservatively.
One year passed and after about 50 mostly warm water dives I went on a dry suit dive in cold water. I went down to 60 feet (U profile) on air. The computer started to show me deco at 43 minutes and two minutes later I started the ascent. I spent 8 minutes at 30 feet and then 8 minutes more at 15-10 feet. A long dive on air but still conservative with no prior diving and a long safety stop. Eight hours later at home I felt a little bit of tingling in my left hand fingertips. Having had exactly the same symptoms before I immediately thought that this was a supermild case of DCS.
I went to the chamber 30 hours after surfacing. I did two times. The tingling disappeared and after the two visits I felt no (or perhaps very mild tingling, hard to say) in the left hand fingertips. I was given permission to dive again.
I knew that I have to take every precaution before the next dive and the next dive would be a "test" dive. And, in the future, I would do only Nitrox dives with the computer on air. After a break of one month I did my test dive a few days ago. I went down to 55-60 feet (U profile again). I was on 32% Nitrox while the computer was on air. I had a nice and slow dive with no extra muscular activity. I started the ascent at 37 minutes, went up very slowly, stopped for one minute at 30 feet, spent 5 minutes (first at 15 feet, then at 10 feet) and whole dive lasted 46 minutes. I went home and, there is no denying, three hours after the ascent I felt, once again, very very slight, hardly noticable, tingling in the same fingertips (but it was for real as the feeling was different from the feeling of the right hand fingertips). This time I did not go to the chamber and over the course of a few days the tingling has (mostly or completely) disappeared.
Now, I am puzzled and in the process of thinking what is the implication of all this. The test dive was really negative. I had browsed thru this forum and hoped that a "real life test dive with every precaution taken" would result in absolutely no symptoms.
This raises a lot of questions like
I have done 15 liveaboards with max 25 dives in six days. Why did I not get bent on those trips ?
I have done more than 300 dry suit dives, many of them a lot more demanding than the ones described above. Why did I not get bent on those dives ?
Have my fingertips become extra sensitive to DCS ? And if so what will happen if I continue diving.
If I continue diving (ultra conservatively) do I do more damage to my body ?
Should I do another test dive to 30 feet after a break of one month ?
This is a serious matter as it is health related and I am very much conserned about my health. I am 50, very fit, do not smoke, do not drink, exercise a lot. So I don't harm my body by reckless behaviour.
So the simple answer would be to give up diving. But, diving is my obsession.
And, I will consult my dive doctor anyways on this.
All ideas, opinions and advice are greatly appreciated.
BR,
Photographer