SAYA SEDANG DALAM PERJALANAN KE TULAMBEN untuk menyelam Liberty bangkai kapal selama tiga hari. Hari pertama adalah penyelaman rekreasi yang diikuti dengan dua hari penyelaman teknis. Saya menderita pilek dan sinusitis menjelang perjalanan, tetapi kondisinya sudah membaik empat hari sebelum keberangkatan.
Kondisi cuaca sangat buruk pada hari pertama. Badai datang, dan kami harus membatalkan penyelaman ketiga dari rencana penyelaman kami. Pada pagi hari kedua, kami menuju ke 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.
Arusnya jauh lebih kuat dari yang saya kira. Lelah karena waktu yang singkat untuk kembali, saya terengah-engah, dan kepala saya terguncang. Kami menghabiskan 10 menit di ketinggian 100 kaki sebelum menuju ke tempat pemberhentian dekompresi. Alih-alih tetap diam, saya dengan perlahan-lahan menukik kembali ke perairan dangkal pada ketinggian 20 kaki. Saya lelah dan ingin mengakhiri dekompresi sedekat mungkin dengan titik keluar, yang sekarang saya sadari merupakan sebuah kesalahan.
Kembali ke permukaan, hal pertama yang saya sadari adalah kesulitan bernapas. Rasanya seperti ada sabuk yang mengikat di dada saya. Setelah beberapa menit, saya mulai merasa pusing; ketika cahaya yang berkilauan kembali, saya tahu bahwa saya dalam masalah. Saya memberi tahu pemandu selam saya tentang apa yang saya rasakan. Dia meminta saya untuk meneguk air dan beristirahat, tetapi ketika lengan kanan saya mulai kesemutan dan saya kesulitan mengepalkan tangan, saya tahu bahwa saya menderita penyakit dekompresi (DCS). Pemandu selam menyuruh saya berbaring di dalam van dan menghirup oksigen dari katup permintaan. Lengan saya terasa normal dalam beberapa menit, tetapi saya segera mengalami vertigo parah dan harus berhenti. Setiap kali saya menoleh ke kiri, saya merasakan rasa mual yang luar biasa.
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.
Saya sangat berterima kasih kepada toko selam dan DAN atas tindakan cepat mereka untuk mendapatkan perawatan yang saya butuhkan.
© Penyelam Siaga — Q2 2022