Pain after pool dives?

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

The doctor wanted a CT, you said no, so he said OK to diving anyway? So the doctor is making a decision on inadequate data?

Obviously, you must have no health insurance, or inadequate insurance, since a sinus CT scan in this case should be covered and, as far as imaging tests go, is not that expensive (to an insurer, that is). Or are there copayment issues?

If you have no coverage, or poor coverage, and are strapped for cash, all the more reason NOT to risk your health and get into more potential problems (see risk/benefit analysis above).

But adults are free to make their own choices and accept their own risks. Once my patients make a decision like this, even if it goes against my judgement, I never berate them for it. It's their bodies, not mine, their money, not mine, and I respect that.

Good luck and good diving. I hope and pray all goes well.

 

[Togalive]

Just as far as the doctor goes, he said "in the long run, it would be a good idea to get a CT to see what might be up as far as the long term", and as i said before, he very clearly told us that he thought i would be fine diving this weekend as long as i turned back in the event i experience any pain. I would just like to make it very clear to you that I did not refuse his advice on a CT, I'm not even the one who makes the final decision. With an $8,000 deductible for my family's health insurance, there is no chance of getting something like a CT done, unless somehow I come up with the money on my own, and as an incoming college student who has to pay for every last penny of my education (Davis is 29,000 a year mind you), that is virtually impossible in anything short of a few months, but believe me, I am going to try. I hope, even though as a medical professional and you are on the other side of the fence, that you understand just
how frustrating this is for me, I am using the conditions/limitations I have been given as best I can to satisfy the timetable I have been put on.

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

Good luck, have fun and let us know what happens.

 

[Togalive]

Well I'm home, and happy to say that I am in one piece! We did our first 3/4 "units" of the certification open water dives today, and while I was pretty worried at first, once I got out into the water and relaxed a bit, everything went off without a hitch! My mask (swapped one rental out for one with more "padding" between forehead and the lens in hopes of relieving pressure) actually cause more issues than anything else. But in the end, I did feel some slight pressure (nothing compared to before) after the first dive to 15', but I considered it a distraction and my body trying to adjust, so I went on with the course, and I can honestly say that I was more comfortable down around 25 feet on our final dives of the day than I was in the shallower dives. I've still got one more "unit" and another 2 full tanks to use up tomorrow, so I suppose im not out of the woods yet, but with any luck everything should go just fine (knock on wood)

Thanks again for all the support and great advice, I really appreciate it!

P.S: How about those thermoclines! The water on the surface was 84, and once we got below the thermocline on our 25 ft dives it easily dropped to around 65! Still, it was an awesome day!

 

[TSandM]

Glad to hear it went well! Hope you don't wake up congested tomorrow.

 

[Togalive]

Glad to hear it went well! Hope you don't wake up congested tomorrow.

You and me both! But I'll be sure to post up how it goes!

Happy Diving,
Toga

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

Great news