Hanging up my fins....
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 12:09 pm
Its with a heavy heart that I share this news with my diving family.
After a pretty scary medical experience last week, I decided to stop diving and hang up the fins..
After being rushed to the ER and subsequent blood test resulting in highly elevated troponin enzymes, (Which is the heart attack gold standard test), I spent 3 tiring days in hospital undergoing cardiac catheterization ops where the cardiac surgeon was going to clean up and fix any coronary blockages and issues that he could.
He was blown away that there was nothing to fix.. more EKG’s and blood tests showed the enzymes returned to normal and heart showed no signs of permanent damage.. Which was a SERIOUS relief..
After 3 days, I was discharged with the diagnosis of experiencing a “Coronary Arterial Spasm”, which is a condition that is possible to present a repeat event. In itself these are typically not fatal and can be controlled medically with “Calcium Channel Blockers” (that i am now on..) and reduces the likelihood and severity of repeat events.
Having gone through this on dry land, I can not imagine a good outcome if I were to be on technical or advanced dive and it happened again. I can simply not in good conscious look my wife, child, family, friends and students in the eyes and continue to flippantly do something that would risk not coming home.
Diving is supposed to be serious fun, and when you and your family worry about you not coming home every-time you disappear underwater, then it becomes not fun anymore..
After looking your wife in the eyes in the ER and telling her you love and and goodbye, you cant help but to re-evaluate a lot things in life when you catch her again on the flip side..
So - I have made a painful, but in all honesty, very easy decision, that hanging up my fins, is the right thing to do.
I’m pretty black and white about these things, so its a no brainer what must be done. As one door closes, a thousand others are waiting to be opened.. SO many things to experience on this planet!!
I have had 10 years of AMAZING adventures with all of you and have made some seriously awesome friends along they, which i fully intend to keep
Feel free to drop me a note, a call if you have any questions.. I’m completely content with decision and happy to talk about it more over a beer or coffee..
Yes, you will see quite a bit of dive gear show up on the for sale groups in the next while..
“So long, and thanks for all the fish!”
Koos
After a pretty scary medical experience last week, I decided to stop diving and hang up the fins..
After being rushed to the ER and subsequent blood test resulting in highly elevated troponin enzymes, (Which is the heart attack gold standard test), I spent 3 tiring days in hospital undergoing cardiac catheterization ops where the cardiac surgeon was going to clean up and fix any coronary blockages and issues that he could.
He was blown away that there was nothing to fix.. more EKG’s and blood tests showed the enzymes returned to normal and heart showed no signs of permanent damage.. Which was a SERIOUS relief..
After 3 days, I was discharged with the diagnosis of experiencing a “Coronary Arterial Spasm”, which is a condition that is possible to present a repeat event. In itself these are typically not fatal and can be controlled medically with “Calcium Channel Blockers” (that i am now on..) and reduces the likelihood and severity of repeat events.
Having gone through this on dry land, I can not imagine a good outcome if I were to be on technical or advanced dive and it happened again. I can simply not in good conscious look my wife, child, family, friends and students in the eyes and continue to flippantly do something that would risk not coming home.
Diving is supposed to be serious fun, and when you and your family worry about you not coming home every-time you disappear underwater, then it becomes not fun anymore..
After looking your wife in the eyes in the ER and telling her you love and and goodbye, you cant help but to re-evaluate a lot things in life when you catch her again on the flip side..
So - I have made a painful, but in all honesty, very easy decision, that hanging up my fins, is the right thing to do.
I’m pretty black and white about these things, so its a no brainer what must be done. As one door closes, a thousand others are waiting to be opened.. SO many things to experience on this planet!!
I have had 10 years of AMAZING adventures with all of you and have made some seriously awesome friends along they, which i fully intend to keep
Feel free to drop me a note, a call if you have any questions.. I’m completely content with decision and happy to talk about it more over a beer or coffee..
Yes, you will see quite a bit of dive gear show up on the for sale groups in the next while..
“So long, and thanks for all the fish!”
Koos