SakshiDamages Were Done
Despite getting help in time, some damages were done already. His veins were filled with nitrogen intoxicating his body. The real trouble came when Nitsch’s body went numb. They took him immediately to a nearby hospital in Athens. The diver was put in a decompression chamber.
Talk And Walk
After spending a week of recovery in Athens, Nitsch was admitted to Murnau in Southern Germany. In the institution, he was given recompression therapy stretching up to a month. Throughout the month, Nitsch relearned to talk, walk, and use of the muscles.
Situation Worsened
His stint at the rehabilitation was not an easy one. Depression took over him and he began to get suicidal thoughts. Nitsch wondered how his life would be after rehab. He had started to lose his hope.
Not An Easy Road
The man shared, “It was not an easy road. During the course of rehabilitation, I went into depression, wondering if I would ever get back to normal life again, to the point of contemplating jumping out of the window to end the mental chaos and physical limitations I endured. Fortunately, I realized that the second floor of the rehab center would not do the trick, so I gave up rather quickly on that idea.”
A Regular Diet
Nitsch knew that he needed different treatment.”Following standard routines and treatments for “˜the average stroke victims’ wasn’t doing it for me. These stroke victims were not professional athletes, and did not have the same understanding of their own bodies that freedivers have. Because of the severe side effects, I had (secretly) already stopped taking all medicines. I further refused treatments I deemed unnecessary or openly questioned them. I surely was not an easy patient.”
Recovery
After a month of strict medication, Nitsch finally recovered from the fatal accident. However, minor speech and challenges in coordination were yet to overcome. At that point, the man was not sure if he would ever go back to the water.