BlackLotus
Registered
So here I am, looking for medical and also psychological support, because right now i have no clue whether i should change/cancel my vacation or not. It feels like i'm in some kind of limbo state, because i fear that if i cancel my vacation, the symptoms will be gone 2 days after cancelling/changing and if i go on as planned, the symptoms will stick with me for the rest of the vacation.
I am right now in New Caledonia and not able to dive because of acute bronchitis. The doc i saw prescribed what i'd call "the hardcore stuff":
IMO i got the bronchitis because of a cold i had just before coming here. Cold was gone after a week and i was feeling totally fine except that my breathing sounded like i'm Darth Vader. So far i think the treatment is going well, i'm now at day 6 of medication, breathing improved from deep-pitched, heavy, "bubbly" wheezing to very very minor, high-pitched, "non-bubbly" wheezing with no other symptoms. Considering that i had the same thing already happen to me a year ago and at that time it took 2 months for it to go away, i think this is good progress, because then the medication was not that "hardcore" and i was still smoking. I never had any relevant breathing problems in my life before, no asthma, no allergies, nada...
But anyways, this sucks big time, as this was supposed to be my first "big awesome dive vacation" after mainly diving in the lakes of Switzerland and my original plan was to continue from New Caledonia on to some other pacific islands for 3 or 4 additional weeks of diving. Last week i was able to keep myself more or less busy with other stuff, but the outlook of being stuck "on land" for the next couple of weeks while i am near some awesome diving spots doesn't sound exciting at all and i don't think i could fully enjoy it. Well, some of my non-diver friends tell me: "How can you not enjoy those white, sandy beaches, the warm, clear water while relaxing and sunbathing?" - "Because i cannot dive!" - "You're crazy!"
Any ideas, thoughts, hints would be greatly appreciated!
PS: One option i am considering is to cancel the whole pacific islands part and go explore a bit of the Australian east coast, seeing a dive specialist every week(getting "the works", hardcore medication, x-rays, whatever...) and hoping to be able to do at least some diving on the great barrier reef before i go back home. So, if you have any recommendations for a "mainly want to relax while keeping my mind distracted with new experiences" trip to Australia, feel free to let me know. Oh, and where can i find a list of Australian dive medicine specialists?
I am right now in New Caledonia and not able to dive because of acute bronchitis. The doc i saw prescribed what i'd call "the hardcore stuff":
- Prednisolone 80mg for the 5 days (1x per day)
- Amoxicillin 1g for 8 days (3x per day)
- Acetylcysteine 200mg for 8 days (3x per day)
- Fenoterol/Ipratropiumbromide 100ug/40ug inhaler for 8 days (4x per day)
- I also quit smoking 6 days ago (after 9 years of heavy smoking - it was easier than i first feared).
IMO i got the bronchitis because of a cold i had just before coming here. Cold was gone after a week and i was feeling totally fine except that my breathing sounded like i'm Darth Vader. So far i think the treatment is going well, i'm now at day 6 of medication, breathing improved from deep-pitched, heavy, "bubbly" wheezing to very very minor, high-pitched, "non-bubbly" wheezing with no other symptoms. Considering that i had the same thing already happen to me a year ago and at that time it took 2 months for it to go away, i think this is good progress, because then the medication was not that "hardcore" and i was still smoking. I never had any relevant breathing problems in my life before, no asthma, no allergies, nada...
But anyways, this sucks big time, as this was supposed to be my first "big awesome dive vacation" after mainly diving in the lakes of Switzerland and my original plan was to continue from New Caledonia on to some other pacific islands for 3 or 4 additional weeks of diving. Last week i was able to keep myself more or less busy with other stuff, but the outlook of being stuck "on land" for the next couple of weeks while i am near some awesome diving spots doesn't sound exciting at all and i don't think i could fully enjoy it. Well, some of my non-diver friends tell me: "How can you not enjoy those white, sandy beaches, the warm, clear water while relaxing and sunbathing?" - "Because i cannot dive!" - "You're crazy!"
Any ideas, thoughts, hints would be greatly appreciated!
PS: One option i am considering is to cancel the whole pacific islands part and go explore a bit of the Australian east coast, seeing a dive specialist every week(getting "the works", hardcore medication, x-rays, whatever...) and hoping to be able to do at least some diving on the great barrier reef before i go back home. So, if you have any recommendations for a "mainly want to relax while keeping my mind distracted with new experiences" trip to Australia, feel free to let me know. Oh, and where can i find a list of Australian dive medicine specialists?
Last edited: