I am a 23yo male and I have a medical question for anyone and hopefully
some doctors who may have information or know where to get it. I live in
Honolulu, Hawaii and would very much enjoy diving if I found that the
risk was not outweighing the enjoyment. I won't do anything which may
worsen my stablized neurological condition(s).
In 1992, I had an accident on North Shore which left me with multiple
problems. A skull fracture resulted in Hydrocephelus which is currently
and will always be drained via a VP Shunt. I soon after my accident had
a seisure which was a one time occurance and was put on Anti-convulsants
for a year following. I haven't had to take them since Nov 93 and
haven't had any seisure problems. The next of my problems is one which
is disturbing because the diagnoses was basically based on it's symptoms
instead of being able to find any physical damage in my spinal cord. I
have what has been diagnosed as Brown-Sequard Syndrome which is of
unknown etiology and manifests itself as a decreased strength in my
right leg and a lack of pain or temperature on my left side from T6 down
accompanied by bladder dysfunction which has been diagnosed by a
urologist as a neurogenic bladder but causes no extreme problems.
I had been prescribed Nortriptyline as a treatment for migrane headaches
and in addition to Midrin which I took on the onset. I quit taking
Midrin when I found that I was up to my daily limit every day. And,
surprisingly, my headaches were less often after the first two weeks. In
Dec 94, I was taken off the daily dosage of 100mg of Nortriptyline
because of an interaction it had with a cold medicine I had gotten for a
cold. My doctors and I then discovered a new problem, depression.
Apparently, as I was to find out, Nortiptyline is also used to treat
depression. I didn't feel "depressed" but exibited all of the classic
signs including a problem with panic attacks. I was put back on the
Nortripyline about two months ago andd have only had one panic attack
since then. Other than that I am healthy. HA! I still have a sense of
humor.
So to review my medical problems and my question:
Problems: 1 Hydrocephelus
2 Brown-Sequard Syndrome
3 Previous Seisure Disorder
4 Depression-Panic Attacks
Questions: 1 Would I be crazy to chance scuba diving with the present
conditions as I listed above?
2 If so, realizing I am still 23, in college, and
desperately seeking a hobby, what would you recommend? I have other
interests in skydiving, parasailing, flying (small airraft), and am
unsure of what would be safe. My doctors seem to be motivated by their
liability if they tell me I can do something. So they usually cop out
and say, "I wouldn't recommend it." This is getting aggravating.
3 Has anyone ever heard of Brown Sequard Syndrome developing
with no physical signs of damage? I have had multiple MRI's on a regular
basis and the doctors have not been able to find anything which would
cause such a problem. The neurology dept at Walter Reed Army Medical
Center told me that this could have been caused by a blood flow problem
to the spine in that area which was temporary. It should be noted that
this condition developed more than a month after the accident and
started out as massive muscle spasms in my back which lasted for over 8
hours until I fell asleep from exaustion. I waited in the waiting room
of Emergency at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii for the whole time
. When I awoke, I found that my left right leg felt weak. 3 hours later
it wouldn't move, and a week later I got my first toe twitch and started
my road to recovery which I have found will be a long one. I haven't
developed strength in some muscles in my right leg. I still haven't
found any therapy which works for this.
Please reply via e-mail: ernest at aloha.com THANK YOU.
