Local takes a hit

[rockjock3]

Hello all,

I haven't posted much in about a week. Some of you might not have noticed, but there are more than a few that have and some of them have an idea why. Soo, here is the first installment. I will add to this later.

I went boat diving on Saturday the 22nd with a really (read as REALLY) good dive buddy/friend. We did a couple of standard dives, both within profiles and plenty slow ascents w/SS. The dives were Sea Tiger and Kewalo pipe. Mainly fun and drill practice dives. All dives went great. All dive computers cleared. Both of mine, one being a Sunnto (very conservative) and and both of my dive buddies. No deco, no blown ascents or SS.

Well, about 1 hour after the second dive we were in a restuarant and I had just ordered food. I went to go get my drink and started feeling a little spin. Within 2 minutes (no joke) I was face down in the toilet, couldn't open my eyes, couldn't stop the world from spinning. Absolutely no pain anywhere and no other symptoms at all.


Well, this was all about 1p.m. on Saturday. Lots left blank here for certain reasons. At 4:11 a.m. on Sunday (per one dive watch I wear as my normal watch) the Mobile Dive Salvage Unit (MDSU) on Hickam took me down to 65 feet for a table 6 ride. Well, three extensions and just over 8.5 hours later I was able to sit up and walk out under my own power. Quite amazing considering I couldn't even move under my own power (except to lay down, well, controlled fall from sitting in the car that took me there). Over the next 3 days I took 5 more table 9 rides and now am pretty much back to normal. Well, as normal as I ever was anyway. The DMO from the Seal Delivery Vehicle Team (SDVT) on the point says the slight resdiuals should clear up in a few days. My neuro is all fivers and the rest is just bruised/trauma tissue that has to heal as it does normally.

I have the normal gamut of tests to be run and in a month go back to be cleared by the DMO before I can hit the water again. Don't worry though, I will be back and have no thoughts (unless a medical reason presents itself) of letting this scare me away from my love of diving.


I just want to send out a huge thanks to all that helped me out. Scuba and Dream (Sherm) - There was never a better dive buddy to have at your side above or below water (Mrs Scuba and Dream included). Rasta-man (Jo) for helping look out for me with Sherm. To my other right hand man dive buddy roll221 (Ed) who relieved Sherman after 20+hours at my side. To my chain of command, who came out to watch over me (one of them currently injured themselves).

Then last and definitely not least A Huge heaping of thanks to all the guys at the MDSU chamber who drove the rides for me and took the rides with me as well as the DMO at the SDVT that got me to the chamber and made sure I was taken care of. I have been in the service for over 18 years and always been the giver of help. This is the first time ever I have had to receive and it moved me profoundly the outpouring of support and help that I got from both my friends/family, fellow service members as well as people I had never met before.

Jay

 

[Randy43068]

Thanks for the write up. Do you have any idea what caused your hit?

I'm glad you're going to be OK!!!

Thanks again for sharing your story.

 

[DiveMaven]

Scary!! Glad to hear you're okay and will be back in the water when it's safe to do so.

 

[rockjock3]

Thanks for the write up. Do you have any idea what caused your hit?

I'm glad you're going to be OK!!!

Thanks again for sharing your story.

Looks like inner ear DCS, but all the DMOs that were involved still are trying to figure out exactly what might have caused it. They said even as a case of inner ear DCS they have never seen a case/or heard of one where the onset was so late and there were absolutely no symptoms except for vertigo. They actually briefed my case at a conference just yesterday.

 

[rockjock3]

Scary!! Glad to hear you're okay and will be back in the water when it's safe to do so.

Thanks. And yes I will. I, luckily, never lost my sense of humor or sense of awareness during my ordeal. When they first took me down in the chamber I commenced to my bucket filling duties. During that the tender said to me "so, you giving up diving now huh, nothing is worth this right". Well, when I could take breaths I laughed at him and said h*** no. I'll be back in the water when I am cleared to go. I'll do it right of course, all medical tests, clearances and then take it slow a few weeks or so to be sure, but I will be back.

 

[mrjimboalaska]

Jay,
Glad to hear you are doing fine now, glad to hear you were with Sherm, he has a cool head when things go south, remembering my incident with the vision. Hopefully we will still get to dive next month, if not, there's alaways the Sand Bar! I'll give you a hollar later........
Jimbo

 

[kidspot]

Hey Jay, So glad to hear the chamber rides have helped. Undeserved hits have happened to a number of board members and I'm glad it hasn't turned you off to diving. Best wishes as you finish healing up. Would I be right to assume a PFO test is going to be forthcoming for you?

Thanks for keeping us all in the "loop" and it's good to hear your friends have taken good care of you.

Aloha, Tim

 

[ScubaAndDreams]

I have a few lessons learned from this, and I am sure Jay does as well. Some I will not put in writing on a public forum (Come see me in person and talk to me if you like). The ones I will are--if you are military keep the number of the Hickam Chamber with you at all times: It is 808-471-9292. The other is if something doesn't seem right, call them...they are the most responsive people I have ever met.

Other then that, glad you are doing better Jay.

Sherman

 

[sea nmf]

Wow, what an ordeal! I'm glad you are on the mend. See you in the water soon.

 

[Lopaka]

Within 2 minutes (no joke) I was face down in the toilet, couldn't open my eyes, couldn't stop the world from spinning. Absolutely no pain anywhere and no other symptoms at all.

Had the same thing happen to me in Kona years ago. The local emergency center was useless, they thought it was just inner ear barotrauma because hearing shut down in one ear. All I could do was sit there with my head down. Not really nauseous, just totally racked by vertigo. The dizziness subsided in a few hours to the point I could stagger around the condo, and it was pretty much gone in a couple days before flying home. ENT guy at home had no clue other than the usual inner ear stuff.

I ended up diagnosing myself after the fact, reading up on it. It was weird, because as with you, there were absolutely no other DCS symptoms. Not literature described inner ear DCS without other physical indicators.

Glad you got good treatment by knowledgeable professionals. In retrospect, I probably should have been given a chamber ride. Hopefully the Kona Emergency center has better trained personnel these days.