DAN Was There For Me

BAD DECISIONS MEET BAD LUCK

Sometimes it’s a collection of signs and symptoms that can all be easily explained as possibly due to something else and so diving continues until symptoms worsen, or new symptoms like dizziness and vertigo appear; and you finally realise something is seriously wrong.

I was on a dive trip to Tulamben to dive the Liberty Wreck for three days from Singapore. The first day was made up of recreational dives, followed by two days of tek diving. I’d suffered a cold and sinusitis in the lead-up to the trip but this had cleared up four days prior.

TOUGH CONDITIONS FROM DAY 1

On day 1 the conditions were terrible. We’d planned to do three dives up to a maximum of 30 metres using air. Unfortunately, a storm set in and we had to abandon the third dive.

The ride home was very choppy and took almost 90 minutes (it’s normally 45 minutes!)

On the morning of day 2 we headed to the Liberty wreck. Beforehand, I decided to do a leisurely one kilometre swim. As a marathon

swimmer, this was more like a good stretch for me.

Apart from the usual narcosis at depth, the dives on day 2 were quite uneventful. That night I had a quiet dinner (no alcohol) and retired early. Unfortunately, the power cut out early and I didn’t sleep well since it was hot and muggy.

The next morning, I woke up feeling sore and sleepy. I did a quick 10-minute yoga session to ease out my hips and shoulders, which were feeling quite sore.

On day 3, the first dive was quite uneventful; we’d picked a bad site and there wasn’t much to see. After the gas switch at deco, I swallowed hard and got a mouthful of water – I’d forgotten to turn the cylinder on! I fumbled about and got the air reg back in so I could breathe while I got the deco cylinder sorted out. I don’t usually make errors of this sort and I do now feel that my thinking was somewhat impaired.

After surfacing, we had to pull ourselves into a tiny Balinese fishing boat, which was a real challenge and I was quite exhausted just getting on. Later we also had to help push the boat back onto the beach, which made me more tired.

A HEADACHE AND EAR PAIN COMMENCE

Just before entering the water on our second dive I had a slight headache and saw shimmering lights. I ignored this as I thought it was a minor migraine that I could fix by eating something sweet (I swallowed an energy gel before proceeding with the dive).

As a long-distance swimmer, I am used to pushing through pain. Swimming in choppy, cold water can be tortuous but it’s a mark of perseverance and sheer bloody-mindedness, a badge of honour if you will, to push through no matter what. Of course, this approach doesn’t really translate to diving. And what’s annoying, in hindsight, is that I knew this. All I can say now is that my thinking was probably impaired at this stage.

VICIOUS DOWNCURRENT LEADS TO EXHAUSTION

During descent, I felt a slight pain in my left ear but that isn’t unusual for me, as I usually find it harder to equalise. What was strange is that while I can usually equalise just by swallowing, this time I had to use the Valsalva manoeuvre. When we reached about 30 metres, I noticed a sudden uptick in the downcurrent. It seemed to gently push us down to about 40 metres when it suddenly turned vicious. I managed to hold onto a rock. It didn’t subside after a few minutes so I kicked my way back to about 35 metres (where my dive guide was also holding onto a rock). The current was much stronger than I thought and I was utterly exhausted just in the short 30 seconds it took me to get back. I was panting heavily and my head reeled. When we eventually started heading back, I suggested to my guide that we turn the dive and head back to deco but he asked if I wanted to spend some time at 30 metres near the wreck.

Although I wasn’t feeling great at this point (tired and mental faculties a bit dulled), I figured why not check out the wreck one last time, so we spent 10 minutes at 30 metres before heading back to deco. This time, instead of staying still at deco, I gently finned my way back to the shallows at 6 metres. I was tired and wanted to end deco as close as possible to the egress point. I’m now sure this was a mistake and just another in a long chain of bad decisions and bad luck. At deco, I noticed that every time I inhaled, my right shoulder ached. Once deco cleared, I switched to air and curiously the sensation stopped.

As a longdistance swimmer,

I am used to pushing through pain, it’s a badge of honour if you will. Of course, this approach doesn’t translate to diving.

All I can say now is that my thinking was probably impaired

I was unable to even sit up without assistance due to the severity of the vertigo. The nurses whisked me away to the emergency room and put me on oxygen and an IV drip. I threw up a few more times that night

My dive guide and I were using different computers and while mine had cleared, his computer suggested we still had another 10 minutes; however, we decided to end the dive since the v-planner and my computer indicated our deco obligation was clear. He was worried because his computer was warning him about oxygen toxicity. I was happy to comply as

I was tired and already feeling a bit dizzy at this stage. I now wish I’d stayed on for those extra 10 minutes!

I KNEW I WAS IN TROUBLE

Back on the surface, the first thing I noticed was that my breathing was difficult – almost as if there was a tight belt across my chest. As a few minutes progressed, I started feeling dizzy and when the shimmering lights returned, I knew I was in trouble.

The plan was that I would collect my belongings and then make the three-hour drive back to Denpasar. But I felt that I may collapse alone in my room so I alerted my guide to how I was feeling. Initially he asked me to sip water and rest awhile, but when my right arm started tingling and I had trouble clenching that fist, I knew I had DCS.

I STARTED BREATHING OXYGEN

He laid me down in the van and gave me oxygen to breathe from a demand valve. Within a few minutes of breathing oxygen, my arm became normal but I soon developed severe vertigo and had to stop and throw up. In fact, every time I turned my head towards the left I felt this huge rush of nausea.

My guide called the shop and asked them to call DAN. I am very grateful for the advice DAN provided because my guide rapidly abandoned all plans of dropping me off at the hotel at Denpasar, and instead we headed to the hospital. By the time we got there, I was unable to even sit up without assistance due to the severity of the vertigo. The nurses whisked me away to the emergency room and put me on oxygen and an IV drip. I threw up a few more times that night.

I vaguely remember getting X-rayed and then being moved into a private room. It is a testament to DAN’s efficiency and reputation that the hospital didn’t once bother me about payment.

THE CHAMBER TREATMENTS COMMENCE

I was kept on oxygen all night (with occasional air breaks). In the morning, I was woken by the hyperbaric doctor at the hospital,

Dr. Anita Devi. The first thing she did was set my mind at rest by telling me I was going to be just fine. What a relief! The first day I underwent a Table 6 treatment in the hyperbaric chamber, which involved six boring hours in the cramped little metal tube. Thankfully after the first treatment I could walk unsupported

(albeit rather unsteadily). In the end, I underwent a total of three treatments. I was advised not to fly for a week, so remained in Bali recovering. If DAN hadn’t stepped in, I don’t know if I’d have

been admitted to the hospital that night and I would probably have struggled to get the money for the chamber arranged in time.

RECOVERY

My mother and sister flew from Delhi to be with me in Bali and even returned with me to Singapore. It was good to have family with me, especially on those terrible days when I was still recovering from the emotional and physical shock of what I’d been through. This incident was quite an eye-opener into how fragile life is.

It’s now been about three months since my incident. I have no lingering symptoms in my arm and have been exercising regularly in the gym and swimming occasionally.

I do still have the occasional bout of vertigo, but it’s just lightheadedness now more than actual dizziness.

The doctors say that it can take up to six months for the damage to the inner ear to heal. Considering everything, I believe I got off lightly. Things could have been much worse had I not been given oxygen immediately after the first onset of symptoms and if DAN hadn’t been involved in ensuring I was in the chamber first thing in the morning; I might have ended up with permanent damage. I am very grateful to the dive shop and to DAN for their fast action and providing me with immediate oxygen first aid and getting me the treatment I needed.