The Bends

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PeterB added 2006-10-05

One thing I learnt from my own bends experience is if you feel ill after diving and it does not go after a couple of days, go to the Alfred and get checked out. It's not worth the hassle.

My buddy and I got bent a few years back but I didn't know I was bent until he called me and told me to go to the Alfred. Our dive profile was 18m Eliza Ramsden, 6.5m sub swan island?, 12m popes eye newbie dive.

I went to the Royal Melbourne hospital to be told pretty much as you did - that I was just run down and my lack of balance and coordination was ear related. I was subsequently sent to the eye & ear hospital and told that all was good.

Nausia, the worst headache of my life, lack of coordination, vertigo etc were symptoms.

Try driving a small truck around the long sweeping bend of Brunton Avenue around the MCG....bouncing off the curbs the whole way is a sure sign the something is wrong! :)

I was in the chamber the day after visiting the Alfred (2 weeks after the dives) and was told I was not allowed to drive until treatment was finished.

It only took 2 chambers dives for my decompression so I was lucky.

I was also lucky that I didn't kill myself or someone else with the truck.

Cheers

Pete

jordanT added 2010-06-21

Hey. Than you for your article. I did a similar thing, i panicked under water and did a rapid ascent from 14 metres with no safety stop, but when i got the the top the currents were much too dangerous and had to go back down, then ended up coming back up again 5 minutes later because my buddy was cold and tired. Im an inexperienced diver but am very embarrassed by my actions. iv spent 5 hours in the chamber then another 2 sessions of 2 hours. they let me go home but the symptoms still persist with aches in leg, dizziness and disorientation. Im due to fly in 2 weeks but im worried this will effect me. How long did ur symptoms last for and does it get better? i dont actually feel much better after these chamber sessions.

Thanks

Jordan

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