Call me bender

[Doug Parker]

ECG is the bit when they stick pads on your chest,ankles and wrists.  Any DR can do that and not be able to tell wether or not you have a PFO. It's the ultrasound bit while doing the valsalva that shows proof positive, and that's where Wilmshurst excels because he nows exactly what angle to get it to show on the screen.

[Fiona]

<font color='#0000FF'>

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (DougParker @ June 05 2003,22:22)]Any DR can do that and not be able to tell wether or not you have a PFO.

Sorry again, I must get my medical explanations right

If thats the case I wish the medical referee I went to first had used an ECG instead of a stethoscope, he might not have said that I had one.    can we call it quits now Doug.

[gaz]

Hi,

I thought you might like to know that i had my 4 week checkup with the diving doctor today up at whipps cross. It was nice to see the chamber with out going into it .

To cut a long consultation short, i'm fine for diving, with the proviso that i do some warm up dives and dive conservatively, so no 18/25 mtr limits.

Interestingly, we did talk about pfos and the doc had some interesting views:

- a pfo diagnosis is often viewed as the 'best' outcome to dci as it gives you an obvious blame/fix for it.

- having a pfo closure doesn't guarantee a cure to unexplained dci.


Still, all i need now is some decent weather for the south east this w/e and i can start getting wet again and hopefully, no chamber rides.

gaz.

[Fiona]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (gaz @ July 02 2003,19:04)]To cut a long consultation short, i'm fine for diving, with the proviso that i do some warm up dives and dive conservatively, so no 18/25 mtr limits.

<font color='#0000FF'>Hi Gaz

Glad to hear you have the all clear.

When I had my checkup with diving Doc who said that I had probably got a PFO. &nbsp;I was supposed to be diving in Oban before a Red Sea trip and when I told the guy I was going with it would be best if I didn't go, he said don't worry we'll look after you. &nbsp;I though OK shallowish dives and quess what we ended up doing, &nbsp;30 meters just to keep my hand in. &nbsp;He said don't worry greatest pressure change is first 10 meters anyway after that its OK.

Day after I gave him a bit of scare, we did a scallop dive and got separated, so when they came up I decided to do a longer than normal safety stop, there were some worried looks on the surface when I got there.:nono

[Beck]

Hi to all,

I have not long had my final check post PFO closure, which I had discovered after a rather nasty bend...
Just some interesting info you may want to consider.

Bends in depths as shallow as 6mtrs are not all too uncommon, usually factors such as poor eating, inapporpriate hydration can predispose you to DCI. Also things like trying to do gas shutdowns for those of you in trying out new things such as twinset and now toys, mean that you could be working muscles that have not been worked a great deal thus also possibly causing problems.

Note if you have had DCS once, you are statiscally more likly to get it again, then anyone who has not had there first. You will find that as you have had cell damage due to DCS these areas are more prone to bubble growth and damage similarly as a person who has an area of damaged tissue due to a previous injury is more likly to have problem at those sites.

Its interesting to comment post op, as not too long after getting back in to diving post the op I had another DCS scare, which is quite interesting.

I was doing a 6 mtr dive on 40% calculating EAD which is practically the surface. Anyway after a nice 30 min dive I decided to walk my kit back to the car... felt ok.... next day I was in agony with really bad sholder pain... turns out I had damaged the ligaments etc.... But at the time I went back to the chamber and they threw me in for a USnavy 6 and and US Navy 5...

One thing that people really should be aware of is, if you come out from a dive with a symtom you did not go in with, then it is a diving relate injury... head ache...muscle pain anything..

The people at the chambers will always put you in if there is any sign of imparement to metal or physical abaility which could be due to a form of pain or possible DCI....
Put it this way if they put you in,, then you can not sue them for not.... its better to be safe then sorry.

People need to be aware that diving is not a specific science, and neither is Recompression. The idea that getting bent is something that only happens to people who do something wrong on a dive, is not always the case.. It could be due to pre or post diving activity as little as not drinking a litre of water before a dive, or walking up the ladder on a boat....

It all makes a difference

[Doug Parker]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (gaz @ July 02 2003,19:04)]
having a pfo closure doesn't guarantee a cure to unexplained dci.

As soon as i've had the op i'll be diving invincible, I'm not listening to anyone who says different.
Good news for you though.

[gaz]

Ho hum,

I went off to the diving doc on the 2nd and got my clearance to dive and booked up a couple of simple dives for the weekend. Diving on sunday was very nice, it was sunny and warm in the sea. It got to spend a couple of hours playing with crabs &amp; lobsters at 10mtr on some fat nitrox mixes.

Everything was fine, until tuesday morning. I started to get very strong niggles right in my elbows, so i ended up calling the chamber people again. the result of which had me back in the chamber .

However, the O2 therapy didn't make a jolt of difference, with the 'bend'  'probably' being a strain on ligaments or something. after a shedload of ibuprofen, it's now gone. However, i've got another '4 weeks out of the water free' card and a trip to my sports doctor.

I'm beginning to think i should take up something safe like skiing or stock car racing.

[Seadart Bob]

<font color='#000080'>Sorry to hear that Gaz just hope it will all turn out all right in the end.
My mates got a perf eardrum and he has just been back to the docs after 6 weeks and it hasn’t even started to heal yet, so he is most probably out for the rest of the season.
Totally gutted he is.
Cheers
Bob

[Beck]

Hi Gaz, sound just like me, my second diev post my op.. I had a bril dive and a good night sleep, but waking up in the morning was another matter. I was in absolute agony with a really bad sholder....
Went to the chamber and they poped me in again... made not real difference, other then me clicking the joint back in to place at 21mtrs LOL, well that was painful, anyway turns out I had probably damaged the ligaments and I now have probs with that sholder if I start lifting too much kit around, so I guess I had damaged it, (not necessarily a bend) the reasons why it was so suspecious, I did a 6mtr dive 30mins on 40%, if you calculate the EAD... see what that comes out at....
Anyway good luck with the recovery...

Just to say it is entirly natural to be pariniod about getting bent again.... Its always best to get it checked out... besides Free NHS Oxygen cant be that bad for you, besides the no dive ticket for 4 weeks... LOL

Dive Safe
Becks

[gaz]

Good news, the diving doc had a good look at my 'golfers elbows' and has declared me fit to dive - again. However, being a bit more savvy to this post bend diving lark, i decided not to go and jump straight into a rib, but instead, to spend a bit of time in the local pool trying to remember what this diving lark is all about.

At least the vis is good.