Like most of us I assume, I tend to not listen very well to my body, and just keep going. I've gotten better about that though!
I did have shortness of breath a couple of times I noticed, while walking up-hill. Just figured it was me getting older or being lazy. Fatigue, maybe a little but not much. No chest pain at all, but some dizziness sometimes after coughing. I didn't know what that was all about.
I don't recall myocarditis being mentioned, but they did say cardiomyopathy a time or two. My issue was caused by the virus I caught, which we think was brought back by my son and his wife after their trip to Europe in February 2019. I got a deep chest cough that lasted for a couple of months. I work as a photographer, but was on hiatus during this time, so with the exception of a trip we took to Cuba, and some yard work around the house, (and walking a few miles sometimes), I was taking it pretty easy.
I noticed some brief, minor gurgling sounds while breathing after a dive two weeks before my IPE, but it didn't happen a week later when I did another dive. Then the following week, things got bad.
My wife said that cave diving probably saved my life in this case, as it made us aware that I had this issue. I was thoroughly checked over at the hospital for the week I was there, with every cardio test you can imagine being done. I was fine except for the very low EF. After a week in hospital, and a couple of months taking it easy, (along with some heart medicine), they saw an improvement with my EF which eventually got back to 100 percent.
I want others to know about this, so they can be aware of it. I've been back to my technical diving since January 2020, with no issues. I do not want to feel again like I did that day before, and after I surfaced.
