Can I go scuba diving?
Can I go scuba diving? Beverly has asked me to post this
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Scuba diving
posted on 26.01.06 3:04 pm
Beverly
Wondered if anyone could offer any advice from experience. I finished my radiation treatment 2 weeks ago (fortunately I didn’t have to have chemo). I had a lumpectomy & lymph node clearance and am currently on tamoxifen. We are going to Tobago in 4 weeks from some much needed R&R. I hope to dive if I have the energy, I have been recreational diving for 2 years. I have been told that diving should be ok but wanted to check if others had been diving so soon after treatment and what their experience was.
— Hi Beverley,
I was an open water scuba diver and had radiotherapy in November last year, but was told by the radiologist that I wouldn’t be able to dive again as the treatment causes scarring on the lung and could increase the risk of the bends. He said he had consulted BSAC who had advised him to tell his patients this, although there are no statistics or research that can confirm the risk. He suggested that I could have an MRI scan after two years to see if there is any damage before considering it again. A work colleague has suggested I contact a GP in Southampton who does a lot of dive research and carries out dive medicals, to ask his opinion. His name is Dr Adey and his details are on the BSAC website. I haven’t explored this myself, because I doubt that I would get suitable insurance cover for diving as have not passed a year post diagnosis yet. Sorry if this depresses you, I am going to the red sea in 2 weeks time and will have to be content with snorkelling. Not quite the same!
Janet
SCUBA I had radiotherapy in September 2004 and in September 2005 decided that I wanted to try SCUBA and did my PADI open water diving certificate in Egypt. I was told by a seasoned diver here in the UK that the scarring can increase the chance of the bends but if you dived for much less time than you are ‘allowed’ on the charts, and give your body plenty of time to get rid of the nitrogen, then you should be OK.
I might add that I am obese and asthmatic too !
V
— Uh oh…didn’t know about the damage caused by radiotherapy. I was dx in Nov 05 and still got all my chemo and radiotherapy ahead of me. Am quite gutted about not being able to dive. I wanted to get qualified but it sounds like I’ll have to cross it off my ‘to do’ list and that makes me sad…but better to keep on living I guess! Think my lungs have suffered enough anyway as I was diagnosed with PE in both lungs a week after my op! Snorkelling it is then…
Will dive again Just heard back from my consultant and he says that I can dive, he would just prefer for me to wait a little longer to give my body chance to recover from the treatment. He says he does not know of a reason why I can’t dive. So taking on what everyone has said I now know I will dive again and may even give it a go this time in Tobago, within safe limits.
It is really remarkable how hard it is to find good info out about this, and here we have heard 2 differing views from specialists (medical and diving).
So Twinky maybe don’t scrub it off your to do list just yet, check out about your PE? Diving is the most amazing sport, another world where you can truly forget everything other than the sea world around you 
Thanks to those of you have replied either about the diving or wishing us a happy holiday