ESTABA EN UN VIAJE A TULAMBEN para bucear en el naufragio Liberty por tres días. El primer día hicimos buceos deportivos seguidos de dos días de buceo técnico. En los días previos al viaje había tenido un resfrío y sinusitis, pero las condiciones habían desaparecido cuatro días antes de mi partida.
Durante el primer día, las condiciones del clima fueron terribles. Se desató una tormenta y tuvimos que suspender el tercero de nuestros buceos planificados. En la mañana del segundo día, nos dirigimos al Liberty. I did a leisurely swim before the dive to stretch my muscles. The dives were uneventful, and that night I had a quiet dinner and retired early. Unfortunately, the power went out early, and I didn’t sleep well since it was hot and muggy.
The following day I woke up feeling sore and sleepy. I did a quick yoga session to ease my sore hips and shoulders. There wasn’t much to see on the first dive that day.
Before entering the water on our second dive, I had a slight headache and saw shimmering lights. I thought I could fix it by eating something, so I had an energy gel before proceeding with the dive. I’m used to pushing through pain and discomfort on long-distance swims, but I should not have had the same attitude about a dive.
During the descent I felt a slight pain in my left ear, but I wasn’t alarmed since I usually have some difficulty equalizing. I can generally equalize by swallowing, but I had to use the Valsalva maneuver. When we reached about 100 feet, I noticed the downcurrent suddenly increasing. It pushed us down to about 130 feet, where it turned vicious. I managed to hold on to a rock, but the current didn’t subside, so I kicked my way back to about 115 feet, where my dive guide was also holding a rock.
La corriente era mucho más fuerte de lo que pensaba. Agotado tras el poco tiempo que me había llevado regresar, estaba jadeando intensamente y mi cabeza se bamboleaba. Pasamos 10 minutos a una profundidad de 30 metros (100 pies) antes de dirigirnos a nuestra parada de seguridad. En lugar de quedarme quieto, aleteé suavemente de regreso a las aguas poco profundas a 6 metros (20 pies). Estaba cansado y quería terminar mi descompresión lo más cerca posible del punto de salida, que ahora comprendo fue un error.
De regreso en la superficie, lo primero que noté fue mi dificultad para respirar. Sentí como si tuviera un cinturón ajustado alrededor del pecho. Después de unos minutos comencé a sentirme mareado; cuando las luces brillantes regresaron, supe que estaba en problemas. Le comenté a mi guía de buceo cómo me sentía. Me pidió que tomara agua y descansara, pero cuando comencé a tener una sensación de cosquilleo en el brazo derecho y tuve dificultad para cerrar el puño, supe que tenía una enfermedad por descompresión (EDC). El guía de buceo me dijo que me acostara en la camioneta y respirara oxígeno a través de una válvula de demanda. Mi brazo se sintió normal en unos pocos minutos, pero rápidamente desarrollé un vértigo severo y tuve que parar. Cada vez que giraba la cabeza hacia la izquierda, sentía fuertes náuseas.
My guide called the dive shop and asked them to call DAN, who recommended immediate treatment. I am very grateful for DAN’s advice, because my guide dropped everything to take me to the hospital. By the time we got there I could not sit up without assistance due to vertigo. The nurses whisked me away to the emergency room and put me on an IV and oxygen. I vaguely remember having an X-ray and being moved to a private room.
It is a testament to DAN’s efficiency and reputation that the hospital didn’t once bother me about payment. I was on oxygen all night with occasional breaks for air since the hyperbaric doctor wouldn’t be there until the morning. The first thing she did was tell me I would be just fine. What a relief! On the first day I had a Navy Table 6 treatment, after which I could walk unsupported but was still unsteady. I had two more treatments, and although my DCS resolved, the doctor advised me not to fly for a week, so I stayed in Bali to recover.
If DAN hadn’t stepped in, I don’t know if I would have gone to the hospital that night, and I would have struggled to arrange to get the money for the hyperbaric chamber treatments in time. Three months after my incident, I have no lingering symptoms in my arm and have been exercising regularly in the gym and sometimes swimming. I still have an occasional bout of vertigo, but it’s just lightheadedness more than actual dizziness.
The doctors say it can take up to six months for the inner-ear damage to heal. Considering everything, I was lucky to get off easy. Things could have been much worse had I not been immediately given oxygen after the first onset of symptoms and if DAN hadn’t been involved to ensure I was in the chamber as soon as possible. Otherwise I might have ended up with permanent damage.
Estoy muy agradecido con la tienda de buceo y con DAN por su rápida intervención para que recibiera el tratamiento que necesitaba.
© Alert Diver — Q2 2022