PFO & Pulmonary Shunt

[weazelz]

as some of you may be aware, I have had a number of bends over the last year or so. I consulted the LDC before xmas & was referred for a PFO test, which was performed at St Mary's in London a few weeks ago. I had pretty much resigned myself to having a PFO & having to take a few months out of diving to get it fixed. in the interrim I did MOD1 on the KISS & was ramping up for some well 'ard rebreather diving

I got the results back earlier this week & the verdict is that I have a large PFO - which is potentially fixable - but also a significant pulmonary shunt - which isn't

even if I were to get the PFO closed, it seems that I'd be unlikely to get a medical signoff to dive even shallow, for limited duration, on rich nitrox. I dare say I could dive no-deco to 20m for the rest of my life & never get another hit, but if something ever happened & I ended up with a fast ascent then I would potentially be in line for a major hit. in any case, I don't really think I'm interested in continuing diving if I can't do the deep, dark, scary technical stuff

so, that's it, pretty much. I will be selling my kit & giving up diving. I may hang on to enough gear to have a gentle last hurrah in Swanage or somewhere when the weather warms up, but then that'll be me done

as much as I am hugely disappointed to have to give up, I'm glad that I found out about the shunts this way & not through getting a life-changing hit some time in the future. most people being diagnosed with heart & lung defects would probably be delighted to be given a guaranteed cure involving no surgery or medication. ho hum

I feel very privileged to have been able to do some fantastic things & meet some great people in my time in diving. I suspect I will miss the people as much as I will the diving

I'm not sure what I'm going to do next, I may stick around diving to do some messing about in boats & see how that goes. I rather fancy getting up into the mountains, or possibly the air. we'll see, I'm sure there is no shortage of above-water, expensive, dangerous & frustratingly weather-dependant pastimes for me to choose from

on a practical note, my kit - including the KISS - will be up for sale in due course, so if there's anything in particular you're interested in, drop me a pm

~andy

[neilh]

Damn Andy, sorry to hear that mate - I hope you enjoy whatever you choose to go on to instead

[GLOC]

Bummer Andy, good excuse not to do the clear up dive then!! Lots of humping and dumping boards not good for a shunt

Good luck in whatever you plan to do...

[Northern Barry]

Awfull news fella..hope things turn out well for you, good luck.

[Prometheus]

Bloody 'ell Andy , always up for a yomp on the downs.

[Chriz]

Sent you a message matey, you could still be a tea bitch though?


Chris

[copperband]

Feckin hell Andy, gutted for you, really am

[deepestandy]

Andy,

Again I can only sympathize with how horrible this must be, and as I have said before It has been an honor and a pleasure to have dived with you. Some of the stuff we got out on last year was some of the funnest diving I have done, I owe a large part of that to you and Paul.

I will genuinely look forward to the send off dive.

Thanks Buddy

andy

[ScubaSue]

[SoggyFox]

gutted for you.

i was looking forward to taking the pi$$ out of you on a boat somewhere.