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Ken, could you shed some light on your medical training....I think the key
word here is 'risk' not cause, not everyone who is overweight, or out of
shape, is at risk of diabetes. Conversely not everyone who is in shape and
within weight is free of the risk of diabetes. Diabetics normally know what
their blood sugar is thru testing, a simple procedure that can be done
predive. It is the individual who does not know he is diabetic who is most
at risk of a sudden hypoglycemic coma. What makes you think that the extra
stresses of decompression have anything to do with diabetes? It is good
that the individual you met in Atlanta beat his diabetes thru diet and
exercise, many can. Diabetes does not usually preclude diving,
decompression diving or extreme environment diving providing the individual
knows his/her limitations (and if the diabetic individual takes the care of
predive testing). Much like knowing how long your dive gases will last.
Your fear that your diabetic buddy will go into a coma seems to be based on
ignorance rather than fact.
Captain Tom Mercier BSc
Diver Medical Technician Advanced
Nationally Registered Paramedic
Hyperbaric Medical Technician
----------
> From: Ken Sallot <kens@ac*.ne*>
> To: Bill Cowan <BCowan@pc*.gu*.ne*>
> Cc: cavers@cavers.com
> Subject: Re: in all seriousness
> Date: Friday, February 12, 1999 7:06 AM
>
> Bill,
>
> Turn off the caps lock before writing email to anyone or you'll not
> get much in the way of pleasant responses.
>
> Type 2 is adult onset, correct? Usually caused by being overweight. A
> quote from www.diabetes.org, "The risk of developing type 2 diabetes
> increases with age, obesity, and lack of physical activity."
>
> The risk is that at some point during the dive a diabetics blood
> sugar drops to such a point that they go into a diabetic coma.
> Decompression diving especially puts the diver at risk of this
> because of the extra stresses on the body (hypothermia, extra
> exertion, etc).
>
> For recreational diving I would say to a non-insulin dependent
> diabetic they should be ok as long as they get doctors approval to
> engage in the activity.
>
> But, for decompression diving, overhead environment (cave/wreck), or
> deep diving, any diabetic who engages in the activity (insulin
> dependent or non-insulin dependent) is needlessly putting both
> himself and his dive buddies at risk. If you're a type 2 diabetic
> then you need to quit cave diving, period. I know you may not like
> this answer, but it's for your own good. If you're insulin dependent
> you need to quit diving of any sort.
>
> On the other hand, there are numerous studies of non-insulin
> dependent type II diabetics who have beaten the diabetes curse
> through diet and exercise. I know a guy in Atlanta who a year ago was
> diagnosed as a diabetic, and when I saw him at the NACD conference in
> November he informed me the doctors couldn't find a trace of diabetes
> in him now. He beat it through diet and exercise (although his diet
> is a little radical). So, if you're a non-insulin dependent diabetic,
> take the weight off and start a regular exercise program. The only
> thing holding you back is yourself.
>
> Ken
>
> > From: "Bill Cowan" <BCowan@pc*.gu*.ne*>
> > To: "Ken Sallot" <kens@ac*.ne*>
> > Subject: Re: in all seriousness
> > Date: Thu, 11 Feb 1999 19:56:23 -0600
>
> > I DO NOT KNOW OF THIS INCIDENT, BUT AS A CAVE DIVER WHO IS A TYPE 2
> > DIABETIC, I WAS WONDERING WHAT DIABETES HAD TO DO WITH HIS APPARENT O2
TOX.
> > IF ANYONE HAS ANY GOOD INFO ON DIABETES (TYPE 1 OR 2) AND DIVING PLEASE
> > EMAIL ME WITH IT. THIS SUBJECT IS CURRENTLY UNDER STUDY BY DAN AND IS
OF
> > VERY SPECIAL INTEREST TO ME.
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Ken Sallot <kens@ac*.ne*>
> > To: cavers@cavers.com <cavers@cavers.com>
> > Date: Thursday, February 11, 1999 3:27 PM
> > Subject: in all seriousness
> >
> >
> > I did hear someone toxed at Wakulla yesterday. I have heard he's
> > alive, but that's all.
> >
> > Does anyone know how long he's been a diabetic? The word was his
> > diabetes coupled with a head cold (which made him take a bunch of
> > sudafed) contributed to his higher then usual susceptability to
> > oxygen toxicity.
> >
> > Ken
> > "Say, is that your Captain Marvel secret decoder lunchbox you got
> > hanging back there?" - Anon E. Mouse
> >
> >
> >
> "Say, is that your Captain Marvel secret decoder lunchbox you got
> hanging back there?" - Anon E. Mouse
>
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