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form of European insurance made for a real headache. In
the end, DAN America agreed to cover the expenses, and
my understanding was that DAN Europe would repay them
later. Both representatives of DAN with whom I spoke were
very accommodating, pulling all kinds of tricks to make
everything flow smoothly. Thank goodness for smartphones.
After the recompression treatment and an overnight
stay in the hospital for observation, Ben was released. He
was eventually diagnosed with DCS with neurological and
cutaneous symptoms. The dive physician attributed the DCS
to the somewhat aggressive, though not over-the-limit, dive
profile, and he also believed dehydration may have been a
contributing factor (we had been out on the town with some
old friends the night before). I downloaded the profile from
Ben’s dive computer and sent it to DAN as a contribution to
their research efforts.
For months after the incident, we received bills for
ambulance services (Ben had to make the 72-mile journey
to the chamber with medical supervision), emergency room
visits (from two hospitals) and the hyperbaric treatment. All
I had to do was scan and email each bill to DAN, and the
bills eventually stopped coming. I had never had a positive
experience with a health insurance company before; it was
so nice to feel like an insurance company was actually on our
side. There were no deductibles, and there was no fine print
saying, “Well, actually, now that you mention it, we don’t cover
this or that …,” and the caring nature of all the staff members
with whom we spoke will ensure that we both renew our
DAN memberships for the rest of our diving careers.
Err on the Side of Caution
I wanted to share this story as an example of how people
should trust their instincts. I was pretty sure when I first
saw Ben’s rash that it was a symptom of DCS, but for some
reason there seems to be negative stigma associated with
acknowledging that. If you think something isn’t right,
don’t be afraid to admit it. Maybe it’s not DCS, but early
recognition may improve the outcome. Delays can matter
when it comes to effectiveness of treatment, severity of long-
term symptoms and recovery time.
Also, recognize that not all health-care professionals you
encounter will be familiar with dive medicine. Remember
your own training, mentally review what you know about
dive injuries, and don’t hesitate to involve DAN. I was caught
off guard by the absence of a doctor trained in dive medicine
at a medical center so close to a popular dive destination.
Thanks, DAN, for making this experience as painless as
possible for us, and keep up the good work.
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NICOLE BAKER
NICOLE BAKER
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