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>Eight years ago, I suffered a severe CNS DCS hit on a remote Pacific
>island (it's a very long story:  18 single-spaced 12pt pages, to be exact,
>in case anyone wants to read it).  At the worst, I had sensory deprivation

I'd like to read it.

>below the collar-bone level, my legs were immobile, and my arm strength &
>coordination were severely impaired.  I regained by ability to habble
>after a month or so (~30 chamber treatments), could walk reasonably
>normally after a year, but suffer permanent impairment to this day
>(basically, I can't distinguish very hot from very cold in my lower legs &
>feet, and I can't dance very well....not that I ever could....).

A very bad hit, maybe a one (or two) off.  Caused (according to the Rat 
model of DCI) by you biochemical sensitivity being particularly high that 
day.  There is a bunch of things that could have contributed to this.  How 
did you get to the island?  What did you eat and drink prior to this 'hit'.  
Were you vaccinated or innoculated with anything before taking this trip?  
Were you sick with anything else?

>In addition, someone with a DCS history who wants to continue diving
>should learn EVERYTHING they can about diving physics & physiology (as I

Better add biochemistry and cell biology to your reading list

>We all have to make choices for ourselves.  What's important is that those
>choice be well-informed.

I agree.  

/Rat


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
shelps@ac*.ma*.ad*.ed*.au*         Stephen Helps
                                        Anaesthesia & Intensive Care
                                        University of Adelaide
                                        ADELAIDE, 5005, South Australia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If everything seems to be going well, you've probably overlooked something 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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