Got myself bent - not much fun.

[mud_diver]

Thanks for the input. I never really contemplated the reverse profiles.

As far as being bent, I have to trust what my hyperbaric doctor told me. I figure if anyone should know, it would be him, he unbends about a dozen divers a year, as well as several hyperbaric nurses (they somewhat  frequently get bent while doing their job. That's why they get paid so much. I was told they are the highest paid nurses in the hospital. Make more $ than the ER nurses or the ones in the ICU). He said that hyperbaric oxygen can aleviate back pain in some instances, but  the way I responded to the varying pressures, he knew I was bent. But maybe he was wrong, wouldn't be the first time a doctor made a wrong diagnosis of someone. Who knows? Like I said, until a different hyperbaric doctor tells me otherwise, I will trust what he says. ( He did have some interesting stories about bending rats when he was in school, but that is off the subject)

As far as the pain goes, it might have come on earlier than I said, but I ignored it. I regularly take pain killers for my arthritis ( I need a hip replacement) which could have masked some of the pain. (yes the ones I usually take should not affect my diving, I had my doctor check them out.)  Also I have an unusually high tolerance for pain ( I onced sawed off the part of my finger, and basically only said "oh shit. looks like I screwed up again" No tears, I didn't think the pain was that bad.)