Sorry to hear of your problem (and I had to go look up what Leiden
Factor V is too):  did the hematologist give any particular rationale
for why he thinks diving is a no-no?

-hh

Time to start diving with helium.

As I understand the condition, you could be at increased risk for blood
clotting. The body's immune system sees bubbles as an invader, and will
attack them as such, including plateletts, so that could be a huge issue for
you.

Ibuprofen before the dive and helium in your mix is what I would do, if it
were me, but I guess that depends upon how serious the condition is in your
case.

Contact Milak.

Suds,
Doctors don't know much about curing illness--they and the pharmaceutical
industry specialize in "identifying symptoms" that they can treat for the
rest of your life;-)

My advice to you is to avoid these parasites as much as possible, and get a
totally different perspective---
Try going to the http://www.mercola.com/  website, spend some time reading
there, and then get the Total Health cookbook.

Also, visit  http://www.gardenoflifeusa.com/   and read about
probiotics---and get the Primal Defense product asap. This product is
NOTHING like any other probiotic --its nothing like yogurt or acidophilus
pills....it can actually make tremendous health changes in people by making
them much healthier in their intestinal tract ( where most people are quite
unhealthy, particularly if they tend to eat sugar, breads, pastas or take
antibiotics occasionally). I doubt they can promise you the Primal Defense
will cure you, but articles in independent research publications, which
cover the Homeostatic Soil Organisms  ( do a yahoo  search) which are
central to Primal Defense, indicate these have enormous ramification to a
very wide range of illnesses. Even perhaps to yours. It would be worth
checking on....

Below is one search result from Yahoo--note it discusses blood effects later
in the article:

HSOs
(Homeostatic Soil OrganismsT)
Clinical Studies
    In 1993, three single-blind, placebo-controlled studies on HSOsT were
conducted at the Dispensario Medico, Partido de la Revolucion Democratica, a
medical dispensary in Irapuato, Mexico. The researchers wanted to find out
whether Homeostatic Soil OrganismsT could help people with high cholesterol
and leukemia. They also wanted to see if the HSOsT made test subjects feel
more energetic and improved memory and concentration.

     * High cholesterol: Seventy patients with blood cholesterol counts
higher than 300 milligrams per deciliter were given HSOs or a placebo.
Subjects given the HSOsT saw their total blood cholesterol count drop by 25
percent or more; the placebo subjects showed no change.

     * Energy levels, memory and concentration: Seventy patients with no
known pathologies were given HSOsT or a placebo. Thirty-three of the 35
subjects given HSOsT reported feeling more energetic and vital. HGB
(hemoglobin) levels and red blood cell counts increased moderately in 33
subjects. In the placebo group, no subjects reported an increase in energy
or vitality levels. Only two subjects out of 33 (two subjects dropped out of
the study) saw their HGB levels increase. In only one subject did the red
blood cell count increase. Conspicuous increases in memory and concentration
improved in 28 out of 35 test patients with only 1 improving in the placebo
group.

     * Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia stage II: Thirty-five subjects with
chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) were given HSOsT. The director of
research reported that HSOs "attenuated the symptoms of approximately 80
percent of the treated patients." In 80 percent of the subjects, white blood
cell counts improved.

     Results from additional studies:

     * In a study conducted at Bio Inova Life Sciences Laboratories under
the direction of Pierre Braquet, PhD. and Jean Michel Mencia-Juerta, PhD.,
researchers attempted to identify the anti-microbial properties of Primal
DefenseT HSOsT. They were found to be effective in inhibiting various
pathogenic microorganisms, including Psuedomonus aeruginosa, a
disease-causing microorganism.

     * Another study conducted at Bio Inova Life Sciences Laboratories
evaluated the effectiveness of Primal DefenseT HSOsT on the immune system.
In this study, researchers looked at natural killer (NK) cells and
macrophage function. Natural killer cells roam the bloodstream looking for
and destroying foreign-invader cells. Macrophages are large white blood
cells that also serve the immune system by killing foreign invaders. In the
study, Primal DefenseT were found to boost the immune system by enhancing
the function of natural killer cells and macrophage function.

     * In another study at Bio Inova Life Sciences Laboratories, Primal
DefenseT HSOsT were examined with a view toward how they affect cancer
cells. They were shown to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells in the
breast, liver and lung.

     * In another study at Bio Inova Life Sciences Laboratories, Primal
DefenseT HSOsT were shown to enhance the production of healthy cells in the
colon which may positively effect those suffering from severe digestive
disorders, and oxidative stress.

     * In an open-label, 120-day clinical pilot study conducted by Paul A.
Goldberg, M.P.H, D.C. at the Goldberg Clinic in Marietta, Georgia, 16
individuals suffering from complex digestive and immune-system disorders
were given Primal DefenseT HSOsT for 120 days. The subject's
gastrointestinal and immune system disorders had been resistant to
conventional and complimentary treatments. They had a variety of chronic
diseases that were unresponsive to medical intervention for a minimum of
three years. The subjects ranged in age from 20 to 65. No dietary or
lifestyle changes were made. Fifteen of the 16 subjects reported clinical
improvements in their overall health. They had partial to full relief from
troublesome bowel problems, decreases in asthmatic symptoms, increases in
energy levels, improvements in skin conditions, improvement in chronic sinus
infection, and general improvement in overall well-being. No subjects
reported a worsening of their symptoms. Eight of nine subjects with elevated
yeast levels as verified by stool and/or blood tests had a significant
reduction in Candida yeast growth. Three subjects with asthma had a 50
percent or greater reduction in usage of inhalant medications and asthma
symptoms. One subject, a physician with chronic pulmonary fungal infection,
reported greater ease in breathing and improvement in spirometer readings as
evidenced by her medical pulmonologist. Moreover, three subjects who
suffered from long-term chronic constipation and had laxative dependency
were able to move their bowels daily without the use of laxatives. Three
subjects with chronic IBS showed between 25 and 100 percent improvement.
Four patients with chronic fatigue syndrome were completely free of symptoms
by the end of the 120-day period. Before and after blood tests and physical
examinations showed that no subject experienced a worsening of conditions or
exhibited any evidence of toxicity.

     Clinical placebo controlled studies were conducted at the Peoples
University of the Americas in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

     * A 90-day, 70-patient, blind placebo-controlled clinical study
published in Progress in Nutrition, evaluated the effectiveness of Primal
DefenseT HSOsT as a primary treatment for chronic digestive disorder and
malabsorption syndrome. Thirty-one patients in the study group and 14
patients in the placebo group completed the study. Some 52 percent of those
taking Primal DefenseT achieved full remission of symptoms; 32 percent of
the participants achieved greater than 40 percent improvement of symptoms;
no subjects had zero improvement of symptoms or a worsening of symptoms.

     According to the director of the study, Primal DefenseT qualifies as
an accomplished therapy with "significant efficacy" for treating chronic
digestive disorders coupled with malabsorption syndrome.

     Additional data from studies conducted on Primal DefenseT HSOs showed
the following results:

     1) Individuals consuming Primal Defense had a marked increase in blood
levels of several key enzymes including Amylase, Lipase and Protease.

     2) After consuming Primal DefenseT, 18 individuals with low blood
protein levels at the beginning of the study had an increase in blood
protein levels which signifies improved absorption and utilization of
protein from the diet.

     3) Individuals consuming Primal DefenseT had a marked improvement in
symptoms of anemia and the use of the product seemed to have a "blood
building" effect.

     4) Individuals consuming Primal DefenseT had a marked improvement in
blood levels of key minerals.

     5) Individuals consuming Primal DefenseT with abnormal immune markers
showed a trend towards a modulation of the immune system as evidenced by a
decrease in White Blood Cells an increase in Neutrophiles a normalization of
Lymphocytes and a decrease in elevated Monocytes, Eosinophiles and
Basophiles.

     In addition, a significant number of beneficial observations were made
in the course of the studies. These were beyond the scope of the established
protocol and therefore were not incorporated into the official reports
published in Progress in Nutrition:

     * Fourteen patients (nine females, five males) reported remarkable
increases in their energy levels beginning toward the end of the second
month and continuing through the full course of treatment.

     * Three female patients having suffered from chronic, recurrent
migraine headaches, reported total remission from their headaches by study's
end.

     * Six patients (five females, one male) having suffered from various
grades of chronic skin rash, reported total remission of these symptoms.

     * Six patients (four females, two males) reported significant
vanishing of some of their facial wrinkles by the end of the study.

Best of Luck,
Dan Volker