Are you Bent.

[Daz217]

Being a hardened hypochondriac i know what you mean. Are my feet tingling because i'm cold and now have chill blaines or am i bent? Why is my arm aching am i bent? and the list goes on.
For all my hypochondria thankfully all of my "Symptoms" have always resolved themselves and eased my worry.At the time the more i worry the more "real" the symptoms seem. I was always led to believe that you would know if you were bent and you would have no doubt about the fact but never having being diagnosed with a bend i don't really know what it would or should feel like. Would it be fair to say most cases present within 20 Mins of surfacing? and yes i have sat on the boat post dive looking at my watch waiting for 20 minsto pass.
Told you i'm a hypochonriac

[ardhill]

Originally Posted by Daz217

I was always led to believe that you would know if you were bent and you would have no doubt about the fact

Sometimes you will know, but many times it will be like has been said - something insignificant that could be because of X, Y or Z or could be a bend.

Originally Posted by Daz217

Would it be fair to say most cases present within 20 Mins of surfacing?

It is taught that 'most' cases are within an hour of surfacing, but there is no reason to believe that just because you 'make it' for a hour that you won't be bent or show symptoms later on.

Sorry, I'm not trying to make you more paranoid. But, better you know than think you are fine when you wake up the day after diving with a symptom.

[ardhill]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

Can't see it being practical to cry wolf too many times (if your an old git , and paranoid)

If you feel like that, then just make a phone call rather than going to a chamber. DDRC will be happy to talk with you on the phone and make a preliminary judgement if they can. I am sure other places will do that too, maybe the RN Doc?

As the nearest chamber to me is in another country I phoned them up once myself. I believed I could explain the pain, but as I felt it after a dive, I gave them a call. Thankfully a false alarm.

Oh, and to answer your initial question, yep, people are bent and don't do anything about it - I believe this happens very often. I didn't really under stand why I felt so tired and physically drained after diving, till I understood sub-clinical DCS. Then I started to learn something about decompression diving (even though I wasn't doing deco diving by PADI standards). When I started putting in proper stops, the tiredness ceased.

These days, don't ask me to stick to PADI tables or BSAC 88 tables - I will add my own deco stops thank you.

So, it that sort of thing happens in properly executed no-stop diving, you can be sure it happens at times when things go wrong and dives are extended too long, or too deep, or whatever.

[applepie]

Originally Posted by ardhill

Oh, and to answer your initial question, yep, people are bent and don't do anything about it - I believe this happens very often. I didn't really under stand why I felt so tired and physically drained after diving, till I understood sub-clinical DCS. Then I started to learn something about decompression diving (even though I wasn't doing deco diving by PADI standards). When I started putting in proper stops, the tiredness ceased.

These days, don't ask me to stick to PADI tables or BSAC 88 tables - I will add my own deco stops thank you.

I went through the exact same experience. tiredness and occasionally mild headaches and disorientation.

then learnt more about DCI in general, adapted my deco profiles and problem solved.

[Matt-75]

Originally Posted by applepie

I went through the exact same experience. tiredness and occasionally mild headaches and disorientation.

then learnt more about DCI in general, adapted my deco profiles and problem solved.

I have gone through similar, with headaches, and the more worrying to me some severe pain in my wrist/arm. It resolved itself eventually after about 2 months. Also i remember (or maybe not) driving home from stoney after 2 dives, realised that i'd driven 35miles without actually noticing the fact (almost like amnesia) and i was tired enough when i realised to get off the motorway and get some kip. Dont know if these are all possible mild DCI related, and as far as deco theories are concerned, im still learning. But having said that, if padding safety stops is going to reduce this sort of effect im more than happy to do so. Im also hoping some 36% might help as well, but that remains to be seen.

On the point of the pain in my wrist i did talk to the RN On Call Doctor. In fact after driving home and putting up with the pain for 4-5 hours, i just wanted some peace of mind. She said it was probably a muscle strain, but the more i think about it, the less convinced i am. Maybe not a good thing to dwell on, as its in the past now.

Also thinking back on it the profile for the first dive was borderline with not being brilliant. Descended to 6m then over the cliff and slow drop to 15m, wasnt happy and aborted with a not so fast ascent back to the surface, but looking back it wasnt all that slow either, but dive time was maybe 5-10 mins. The second dive was a 6m wander around the sides of the quarry, with the only annoying thing being that i got a little too cold (shouldnt have dived in the 3mm, lol).

Matt

[ardhill]

Originally Posted by Matt-75

... Also i remember (or maybe not) driving home from stoney after 2 dives, realised that i'd driven 35miles without actually noticing the fact (almost like amnesia) and i was tired enough when i realised to get off the motorway and get some kip. Dont know if these are all possible mild DCI related, and as far as deco theories are concerned, im still learning....

I had a rather frightening near miss on a motorway one night driving back from a dive. I nearly fell asleep and awoke having to slam my brakes on a swerve out of the road of another car. I got away with it, and no-one was hurt, but it frightens me still now when I think of it. I am certain that was sub clinical DCI.

[StuP]

I spent three days with a pain in my lower leg after a 50m dive in Wast water. Everything during the dive was ok ascent rates stops etc.
The pain started as I was driving back to the NE after a suitable interval to allow for the drive back over the pennines. I put it down to sitting in the car for three hours travelling over and the same coming back.
Eventually as I started to feel generally unwell I phoned the Dive doc and ended up spending two days in the chamber in Hull.

The staff there were great but the one thing they kept saying was tell people to make the call and let the experts decide. They would rather treat people as a precaution.

SO THE MORAL IS IF IN DOUBT MAKE THAT CALL.

Stu