The Bends

[Duckwater 0]

Has anyone ever got this? I flew to Belize on Monday, went for my 1st dive Tuesday at 1000. I was no deeper than 70' and was down for less than 40". I stopped at 15" for 5 min and felt fine. When I broke surface at the ladder, my left shoulder immediately started killing me. The ride back was pure hell, I almost passed out.

I spent 6 hrs in the chamber that day, and 2 - 3 hr sessions the next. I couldnt fly until yesterday and finally got home last night.

After the chamber, I couldnt drink, eat spicy food, be in the sun, or be bounced around for 3 days. Pure hell in sunny Belize.

I can't figure out what happened, I was going through air faster than normal, I was at 500 lbs when everyone else was at 1200. My shoulder was sore before I went so that might have been a factor.

In a year this will be funny but right now I am SOOO glad to be home.

Being in a hyperbaric chamber sucks, believe me.

[porpoishead 8]

whats up bud, sorry to hear you took a hit.

but being a proffesional diver its hard to understand just what youre saying exactly.

70ft for 40min with a water stop, puts you treading on thin ice for a scuba dive, also I may add that if you were over exerting youself as you stated brething more air than everybody else then you should have compensated, by jumping up to the next highest deco. table.

yes being in a deco chamber sucks, I spend alot of time in and around them, unfortunately like alot of other things "stupid hurts", did they even have any pure oxygen for you to breathe on the ride, would have helped the pain some.

think a type 1 hit hurts, try a cns hit, its a crippling expierience,

good luck be safe, minimize the risk by eliminating as many hazzards as possible, and by all means be knowledgeable, mother ocean shows no mercy!

if you want a friend feed any animal
Perry Farrell

[sunshine 2]

Yikes, that sounds scary as hell. Glad you're ok now.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[headoverheels 334]

Any idea whether you might have a PFO (patent foramen ovale) or ASA (atrial septal defect)? If so, bubbles can get from your vein side to your artery side, without passing through the lungs. More likely to happen (if you have one) when you cough or clear your ears by valsalva, which causes the differential pressure in the atria to be in the direction to move the bubbles in the direction that bypasses the lungs.

About 20% of the population has PFOs. Studies have show higher incidence of decompression illness for that 20% (maybe 3x as high as the overall average), as well as an increased number of brain lesions (doesn't that sound dandy!).