Suffered DCS for the first time and terrified to dive again

[Crush]

Agreed. I made 3 big mistakes on the dive:

1. Didn't dress appropriately. The abrupt ending of dive #2 at least partially contributed to being frozen.
2. Didn't establish my own surface interval. One of the divers was an eager beaver and in hindsight my dive profile was deeper and longer than his.
3. My ascent on the last dive is embarrassing. My ascent rate looks like I'm a circus clown shot from a cannon. I think that the nitrogen loading in my memory was a lot less than in reality, so I didn't consider the ascent to be a risk.

4. You were brave enough to admit it to yourself and others;
5. You were smart enough to seek treatment and advice; and
6. You are open to a frank analysis of your diving and ways in which you can improve it.

Keep up the good work.

 

[DandyDon]

Safety Stops...!

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

I'd say that second dive was you're biggest problem. Max depth of over 80' with an ascent at the end from 45' to surface in just over a minute and no safety stop.

3. My ascent on the last dive is embarrassing. My ascent rate looks like I'm a circus clown shot from a cannon. I think that the nitrogen loading in my memory was a lot less than in reality, so I didn't consider the ascent to be a risk.

There are a couple of counterpoints to this. The U.S. Navy Diving Manual specifies an ascent rate of 30 feet per minute with an allowable variation of 20-40 feet per minute. That's for everything from a 10 foot SCUBA dive to a surface-supplied decompression dive. Jbird's ascent rate on his second dive was, the way I read it, just at the outer edge of acceptable if you use this standard. Also, as Quero has already noted, he followed his computer. In other words, he was within the ascent rate limits of two separate, proven decompression algorithms. Perhaps he would have decreased his risk of DCS if he'd ascended more slowly and/or made a safety stop, but it's impossible to tell what influence his ascent really had on his diving injury. Dr. Powell discussed that in detail earlier in the thread.

So jbird, don't beat yourself up so hard, huh? Take all the information that's here, combine it, and learn from it, but don't blame yourself for what happened, especially not before you've been evaluated by a diving physician.

 

[farsidefan1]

Don't feel too bad jbird or I'll start feeling I need to feel worse. I had an "unexplained" DCS hit in Cozumel August of 2009. I wonder if we were treated in the same chamber. In talking to a couple of docs I ended up having a PFO corrective procedure done a little over a yr. ago. Other contributing factors were thought to be dehydration, and immedately after diving I walked 7 miles in the August heat. Tough combination, But the most irritating thing is that it was "un-freaking- explained". Had a reasonable profile etc. I even went with a group that let me shed my bc before reboarding the boat to avoid the level of stress while pulling myself up out of the water and back it the boat. I now dive nitrox on air tables and no longer do 5 dives a day on vacations. I have just accepted a more careful regime due to the mystery left from that dive trip. Good luck, sounds like your symptoms were much more severe than mine, glad you seem to be enjoying a complete recovery.

 

[BoltSnap]

Shouldn't the person who suffered any type of DCS wait for several months after their symptoms are resolved before they can go diving again?

What is the recommendations on going back to diving after a DCS anyways please?

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Shouldn't the person who suffered any type of DCS wait for several months after their symptoms are resolved before they can go diving again?

What is the recommendations on going back to diving after a DCS anyways please?

30 days after treatment for AGE or severe DCS provided the diver has complete resolution of symptoms. For minor (pain-only) DCS it depends on the source... 1-2 weeks is normally adequate. If the diver has residual symptoms, we recommend waiting to dive until they are completely resolved. In any event we recommend evaluation by a diving physician before returning to diving.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

I now dive nitrox on air tables and no longer do 5 dives a day on vacations.

Good idea. Were you diving five dives a day with the PFO in Cozumel when you had the DCS incident? (Not that you knew you had the PFO at the time, of course).

 

[Amazz]

I apologize if I came off poorly, that was not my intent. Too often someone's first DCS incident is fatal, so i consider myself lucky. From this experience I have learned a lot about the warning signs, things to look for, and what I need to do medically to make sure that I can dive safe.

You didn't come off poorly at all to me. Your attitude simply shows me that your positive outlook on life is obvious. I'm glad things worked out in Cozumel and it sounds like you know what you can do differently next time. Still there are no guarantees where the bubbles will go. We just have to learn and use some caution. I am one who has been bent many times due to a pfo. It's been fixed and I have been symptom free for about a year and a half.

 

[farsidefan1]

No, I had only been doing 2 dives a day for 2 days then the day of the hit I put in 4 dives. My doc told me to take a 6 month hiatus from diving but he relented when I told him I was already paid up to dive with mantas in Hawaii. He said he knew that was a shallow dive and said I could go for it (it was planned for November and the hit was in August). I only noticed pain. It felt like I had been beaten with a rubber hose and my skin was turning blue. Doc gave me the drunk walk a line test and I was a bit off balance so into the chamber for a couple rides.
Prior to this I nearly alwaays put in 4 to 5 dives a day when on a dive trip. 3 to 4 trips a yr. The hit took me totally by surprise. Going to Palau in feb but still think 3 and maybe 4 dives on a few days but nitrox will be my gas and air will be my plan.

 

[jbird71]

Shouldn't the person who suffered any type of DCS wait for several months after their symptoms are resolved before they can go diving again?

What is the recommendations on going back to diving after a DCS anyways please?

I was told that the "Navy Rules" were 90 days. I will take the advice of the doctor that sees me to certify me to dive again.

From what I have learned in this thread (and from Duke's assistance) is that anyone who experiences DCS should get a physical from a doctor familiar with dive medicine. PFO may be a possibility, or it would be much more benign.