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Scuba Forum / General / April 2007Recent trip to the doc (equalization problems)
I just got back from the doctor's office. As I said before, he is an ENT and a diver. I was having so much trouble I decided to follow through on the rest of my tests. I'm the one who dropped out of the NAUI course, but really want to sign up again with the local PADI guys and see if it goes better (it couldn't be worse). I was able to get to the bottom of a 14' pool if I took my time equalizing. In other words, I need air to get down there. The audiologist now sees two barotraumas in each ear, and when he stuck a camera in there there was no activity when I tried to equalize (no movement of the eardrum.). Hearing is fine for a person "my age." He was able to manipulate my eardrum from the outside with pressure and suction. "Can I dive?" "Well, everything looks okay, and I'd say it's up to you. Obviously you were able to clear or you wouldn't have made it to the bottom of the pool." I then went to get a CAT scan of my sinuses. My ENT's office called and said I have a deviated septum which might be adding to my equalization problems. Said if I have surgery it might help. I should have a full report back in a few days and then I can go over it with my doc. I can't see having surgery unless I find myself diving a lot more than I expect to, or use it in a job. Anybody else with the same problems? Solutions? Sheldon I should have said "crooked" septum, and apparently in doing a search on the net that's common among 80% of people. >I just got back from the doctor's office. As I said before, he is an ENT >and a diver. I was having so much trouble I decided to follow through on [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Sheldon >I should have said "crooked" septum, and apparently in doing a search on >the net that's common among 80% of people. Than that make a crooked septum the norm >>I should have said "crooked" septum, and apparently in doing a search on >>the net that's common among 80% of people. > > Than that make a crooked septum the norm Never thought about it that way. Just watched that video on the net about clearing your ears. I think the doc there is right. Anybody can do it. It just takes the right technique, and boy, there sure are a lot of em. Unless the doc says absolutely not to dive, which I doubt he will, I think I just need more practice at it. And, I have to get past this class phase where you go up and down and up and down a zillion times in 14' of water. That can't be a good thing. Hell, I just bought a new underwater camera! Can't let that go to waste. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-) Sheldon >>>I should have said "crooked" septum, and apparently in doing a search on >>>the net that's common among 80% of people. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Sheldon you are a very interesting poster but you can't swim very well iirc, can't clear your ears ( because of medical problems ) and can't see very well. Enjoy scuba but I am not sure that I would be grabbing you as a buddy. Having said that I hope your diving experience is great and remember little bubbles all the time >>>>I should have said "crooked" septum, and apparently in doing a search on >>>>the net that's common among 80% of people. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > Having said that I hope your diving experience is great and remember > little bubbles all the time I hear ya. Did pass the swim test without a problem, but still working on my freestyle swimming. Have an appt with my ENT (again, who is a diver) regarding clearing methods. I know I'm not the only person who has problems clearing his ears, and I'm getting to the bottom of the pool in a reasonable amount of time will little discomfort. My girlfriend tells me it can take her as long as 5 to 10 minutes to clear, and she is like mermaid in the water in all other respects. As for not seeing, I have better than 20/20 vision with contacts or glasses. I'm going to look into soft lenses for diving, but my instructor had me doing every exercise without any vision aids at all. One would think that after clearing my mask for the thousandth time he would have let me put my contacts back in. As for experience, I can now assemble and don my equipment blind -- literally. "That" said, I can see (no pun intended) why you would not want me as a buddy. I probably wouldn't want a novice as a buddy either. However, my plan is to have diving as an option to a vacation experience; to cut the cord from the snorkel. If we were to dive together we would probably be at around 35' to 40' with direct access to the surface. If you want to chase a turtle down to 100' or explore a cave you're on your own. I would never put myself or my buddy at risk, and would hope, if push comes to shove, I would come through. I just want to have some fun with a minimum of risk. Maybe this isn't for me, but I refuse to quit without giving it a good try even if I have to purchase a prescription mask. > "That" said, I can see (no pun intended) why you would not want me as a > buddy. Don't sweat it. We're note even sure if dechucka knows how to dive. Half the newsgroup has him in their kill file. > I probably wouldn't want a novice as a buddy either. Most of the people you've talked with here are perfectly willing to dive with a newbie on sites that having one with us won't keep us from doing the dive we planned. It's kind of fun to watch a new diver discover things. Lee > Most of the people you've talked with here are perfectly willing to dive > with a newbie on sites that having one with us won't keep us from doing the > dive we planned. It's kind of fun to watch a new diver discover things. Like why he shouldn't take his car key that has the built-in remote control with him while he's diving... Not that we would tell him beforehand... He'll remember it so much better if we let him learn from his mistake... <evil-grin> >> Most of the people you've talked with here are perfectly willing to dive >> with a newbie on sites that having one with us won't keep us from doing [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > beforehand... He'll remember it so much better if we let him learn > from his mistake... <evil-grin> That's not exactly what I had in mind, but yes, that would be fun too. Lee > That's not exactly what I had in mind, but yes, that would be fun too. So far, I've seen people leave their keys in their swim trunks and even a cell phone... The keys wouldn't be a big deal if it hadn't been for the remote control... I've also seen people who did not want to leave cash in their dive bag, but were afraid of getting it wet by putting it in their swim trunks... I've had to explain to them that the 'paper' that our money is made from is very water tolerant since it's more of a cloth than a paper and the boat crew is perfectly happy to get tips in wet money... <grin> Obviously, our money was made to be laundered... >> "That" said, I can see (no pun intended) why you would not want me as a >> buddy. > > Don't sweat it. We're note even sure if dechucka knows how to dive. Half > the newsgroup has him in their kill file. your right Lee I don't dive, I just love hanging around dive groups with big butch Americans. :-). This is not a bad group when you discuss diving but it amazing how wimpy the Americans get on this group when politics or gun laws are discussed. Yes I have been k/fed apparently by some on this ng mainly because they don't want to hear a contrary view to theirs and can't argue their pov logically, better to run away and have a sulk > As for experience, I can now assemble and don my equipment blind -- > literally. And you got your nose clamped between the yoke mount of the 2nd stage and the tank only once, right? <grin> Seriously though, I had a professor back in college whose eyesight was so bad that he literally got nose prints on his monitor when he was at the computer... The really scary thing though was that he actually drove a car to work... > I just want to have some fun with a minimum of risk. Maybe this isn't for > me, but I refuse to quit without giving it a good try even if I have to > purchase a prescription mask. It really seems like you're making this a lot more difficult than it really needs to be... You must not have grown up around water... If you had, I suspect that the equalization would be second nature to you... Those of us who grew up in warm weather climates understood about equalization even before we knew the name of it since we were diving to the bottom of the pool or local lake to retrieve things while playing during our summer vacations and such... >> As for experience, I can now assemble and don my equipment blind -- >> literally. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > diving to the bottom of the pool or local lake to retrieve things > while playing during our summer vacations and such... You are correct, and I've been living high in the Rockies for the last 30 years. Almost drowned when I was a little kid in a pool for the first time, and when my parents joined a country club they got me private swim lessons and I did a lot of swimming around the bottom of the pool. I love the water and boats, especially sailing, but did not live near the water (as far as swimming and diving goes) and didn't have a pool in the backyard. So, while it's snowing like crazy here I'm going to go over to the pool this afternoon and spend some more time in the water. I actually felt very comfortable with that regulator in my mouth, and I could visually see how excited or calm I was by the bubbles. That was one of the first things I noticed. Kinda like an anxiety meter. BTW, negative or positive, I do take your comments seriously, except the ones that aren't serious. :-) > So, while it's snowing like crazy here I'm going to go over > to the pool this afternoon and spend some more time in the water. Kaitlyn had her last pool session for her SSI certification this evening... They started off the class with a 6 lap swim of the pool and then a 10 minute tread water or float... I'm kind of surprised they didn't do that at the very beginning of the course to weed out anyone who wasn't comfortable in the water at that time... Thursday will be a review class session and the test... Saturday and Sunday will be the open water certification dives... Looks like everyone will be ready for the open water certification dives except for one of her middle school classmates who is also in the dive class with her... He's probably ready for the test, but his parents feel like he should have another week to practice before he takes the open water checkout dives... Turns out the father has to work on Saturday and since all three of them are in the class, they'll all skip the certification dives this weekend and pick them up a following weekend... Current water temperature is about 70F at the lake where they'll be doing the dives from what I understand... Enough for a wetsuit, I guess... Kind of depends upon how warm it gets this weekend I guess... I know for a fact that 100F air temperature and 70F water temperature feels good without a wetsuit, but 50F air temperature and 70F water temperature definitely feels a bit cool... <grin> Current forecast is for 80F on Saturday and Sunday with a low of around 62F in the morning... Yeah, probably wetsuit weather... >> So, while it's snowing like crazy here I'm going to go over >> to the pool this afternoon and spend some more time in the water. [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > Saturday and Sunday with a low of around 62F in the morning... Yeah, > probably wetsuit weather... Good luck and congratulations. Assuming I get good news from the ENT tomorrow, which I'm sure I will, I spoke with the new instructor I'm going to take lessons from. He admitted that my current instructor is a bit over the top (he knows him), and feels I shouldn't have any problems in his class. The open water test will be in a natural spring that's 94 degrees all year long. No wet suit, but may need AC. :-) We talked about donning a BC and tank, and I told him I can do it in shallow water, deep water, surface and on the bottom. However, the only way we were taught was over the head. He said he was on a boat once when one of the divers, on the deck of the boat, threw his tank over the top of his head to suit up and the entire group scattered in fear. > We talked about donning a BC and tank, and I told him I can do it in shallow > water, deep water, surface and on the bottom. However, the only way we were > taught was over the head. This alone makes me think that your first instructor was a nut. > > We talked about donning a BC and tank, and I told him I can do it in shallow > > water, deep water, surface and on the bottom. However, the only way we were > > taught was over the head. > This alone makes me think that your first instructor was a nut. Bingo. The instructor is in serious need of a review. > We talked about donning a BC and tank, and I told him I can do it in > shallow water, deep water, surface and on the bottom. However, the only > way we were taught was over the head. He said he was on a boat once when > one of the divers, on the deck of the boat, threw his tank over the top of > his head to suit up and the entire group scattered in fear. That's how I was taught too. I can clearly remember listening to my instructor say that real divers only did it one way, over the head. Kind of foolish in retrospect. Lee >> We talked about donning a BC and tank, and I told him I can do it in >> shallow water, deep water, surface and on the bottom. However, the only [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Lee Especially if someone is behind you. >> We talked about donning a BC and tank, and I told him I can do it in >> shallow water, deep water, surface and on the bottom. However, the only >> way we were taught was over the head. He said he was on a boat once when >> one of the divers, on the deck of the boat, threw his tank over the top >> of his head to suit up and the entire group scattered in fear. > That's how I was taught too. I can clearly remember listening to my > instructor say that real divers only did it one way, over the head. Kind > of foolish in retrospect. That's how I do it, on land, with up to double 80s. Did it on a pontoon boat, on calm water and clear of other divers. Easiest way to don a BP&W. That said, and I'm able to easily handle my tanks, it's stupid and inconsiderate to do overhead don on most dive boats. I won't. Curtis >> We talked about donning a BC and tank, and I told him I can do it in >> shallow water, deep water, surface and on the bottom. However, the only [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > instructor say that real divers only did it one way, over the head. Kind > of foolish in retrospect. In the good old days when men were men etc and you only had a back plate that seemed to be the way to do it. Now with BCDs with so many clips and releases ( and me being older ) much easier to sit down and clip up all the clips or have my buddy lift it up. > Good luck and congratulations. She had her last class period today... A review for the first part of the class and the written test for the last part... She got a 96 on it (i.e. missed 2 questions)... She was hoping to get a 100 so that she could beat my score... Next step is just the open water dives this weekend... It's been a quick 3 weeks, but she's just about finished... Looks like the next time I go to Blue Springs, I won't have to sneak past the park rangers like I do when I don't have a buddy... > We talked about donning a BC and tank, and I told him I can do it in shallow > water, deep water, surface and on the bottom. However, the only way we were > taught was over the head. He said he was on a boat once when one of the > divers, on the deck of the boat, threw his tank over the top of his head to > suit up and the entire group scattered in fear. That's probably not a preferred method to use when on a crowded boat... On the other hand, it is probably guaranteed to give you a bit of elbow room... <evil-grin> >>>>>I should have said "crooked" septum, and apparently in doing a search >>>>>on the net that's common among 80% of people. [quoted text clipped - 50 lines] > me, but I refuse to quit without giving it a good try even if I have to > purchase a prescription mask. Sorry I did come over a bit heavy AGAIN. I am also a great believer in safety first so if you are doing everything to remain safe and uninjured that is great. Thinking about it a person who takes care about safety and analyses risk like you are doing is probably the best person to dive with. The worst diver IMHO re safety are those who have done 20-40 dives and think the know everything and stop worrying about safety and what may go wrong. As I said I hope your diving experience is a great one and with an U/W camera you are one up on me ( soon to change after I have finished my research, by the way what do you have?). btw this is all coming from a non diver so it doesn't really matter >>>>>>I should have said "crooked" septum, and apparently in doing a search >>>>>>on the net that's common among 80% of people. [quoted text clipped - 66 lines] > > btw this is all coming from a non diver so it doesn't really matter I got an Olympus FE-230, which is a very small pocket size point and shoot 7MP camera. Then I got the underwater case for it which resembles the more expensive ones that go for around a grand. This is not a simple plastic bag. I already played with it in the pool and it works great. Very happy with the normal photos the camera takes, too. Doesn't have lots of adjustments, but I have a DSLR for that. I'll be happy if I get a photo of a fish or two, and some of myself.
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