OP
h20_kat
Contributor
Hi aquamarine1. I'm so sorry to hear of your DCS incident and that you didn't get adequate help in a timely manner. I too would be very interested to hear your story if you feel up to sharing it.
I have good news for you and bad news. The good news is that I have recovered from the DCS. I have not been back diving yet but that is due to ankle problems (I broke my ankle a year ago and it is still very weak and I re-injured it a couple months ago).
The bad news is that recovery from the DCS did take some time. I felt pretty terrible for about a month after treatment. I was extremely tired, had difficulty concentrating and my short term memory was terrible. My arms and hands continued to be numb/tingly. After about a month these symptoms were no longer noticeable except for the fact that when I lay down on my side my arm and hand would "fall asleep" very easily. My arms were also extremely easily fatigued. It was tiring to do even the most basic things like brushing my teeth or using a hairdryer. I was told that this was due to the damage to my tissues and it should get better. Over time it gradually got better and better. It took about 5 months though. I haven't had any noticeable symptoms for about a month.
The best advice I can give you is to rest as much as possible. This allows your body to heal. Also be patient. It may take awhile to recover. One of the hardest things for me was to believe that I would eventually get better. As time wore on I started to doubt that I would ever fully recover. That can be very hard on a person emotionally. Between the slow recovery from DCS and my ongoing ankle problems I became very discouraged as I was so limited physically. A friend of mine had warned me that depression can occur after DCS (it happened to her) and I think I did experience that. It can be a long, tough road to full recovery but believe that you will get better. The body has an amazing ability to heal itself. Be patient and don't push yourself.
I hope some of what I have said is helpful. Good luck with your recovery and keep us posted on how you are going.
I have good news for you and bad news. The good news is that I have recovered from the DCS. I have not been back diving yet but that is due to ankle problems (I broke my ankle a year ago and it is still very weak and I re-injured it a couple months ago).
The bad news is that recovery from the DCS did take some time. I felt pretty terrible for about a month after treatment. I was extremely tired, had difficulty concentrating and my short term memory was terrible. My arms and hands continued to be numb/tingly. After about a month these symptoms were no longer noticeable except for the fact that when I lay down on my side my arm and hand would "fall asleep" very easily. My arms were also extremely easily fatigued. It was tiring to do even the most basic things like brushing my teeth or using a hairdryer. I was told that this was due to the damage to my tissues and it should get better. Over time it gradually got better and better. It took about 5 months though. I haven't had any noticeable symptoms for about a month.
The best advice I can give you is to rest as much as possible. This allows your body to heal. Also be patient. It may take awhile to recover. One of the hardest things for me was to believe that I would eventually get better. As time wore on I started to doubt that I would ever fully recover. That can be very hard on a person emotionally. Between the slow recovery from DCS and my ongoing ankle problems I became very discouraged as I was so limited physically. A friend of mine had warned me that depression can occur after DCS (it happened to her) and I think I did experience that. It can be a long, tough road to full recovery but believe that you will get better. The body has an amazing ability to heal itself. Be patient and don't push yourself.
I hope some of what I have said is helpful. Good luck with your recovery and keep us posted on how you are going.
