Swimming

I'd like to ask if anyone else has discovered they can no longer swim, having been an extremely good swimmer previously (this is, of course, with someone else in the water with you as a backup/safety precaution).  If so were you able to do anything about it and get back into the water?  Swimming was a great pleasure for my friend who is suffering from Parkinson's and who really enjoyed her swimming sessions - apart from them being great exercise for her - but now she finds them impossible.  Will she have to give them up completely?

many people with pd can swim for years, but once it becomes difficult it becomes very dangerous indeed.

perhaps she could try using flotation devices like children use, swimming would be difficult and embarassing but it would prevent drowning.

your right there turnip only one leg works now l/leg & also have trapped tendon in l/arm so only do exercise now ! pd takes your walking ,if thats not enough takes you ability way for swimming it sucks but hey life goes on !

I was diagnosed in 2009 at age 55. I have never learned to swim but about 3 months ago started to take swimming lessons. My big problem has been my poor posture. I'm OK with water wings on my arms and can just about get up and down the pool (after a fashion, as my coordination between arms and legs is poor) but because of my Parkinson's stooped posture my mouth is only millimetres above the water line. The slightest ripple in the water can fill my mouth. Similarly when I attempt to let some air out of my water wings my mouth drops below the water line and I can't get my head any higher. This is the main reason why I have given up, although the lack of coordination between arms and legs might have been another show stopper had I been able to do without my water wings. I have tried exercises to improve my posture without success.

my last trip to the Philippines I nearly drowned. Waves are very difficult with an impaired sense of balance.

Also caught cholera from imbibing seawater.

And a blood clot from having cholera.

From now on swimming pool shallow ends only.

As Gus says, it sucks, but not as much as drowning

 

Dear Daphs

If your friend finds swimming impossible then she may have to accept that in all likelihood she could have to give it  up. Unless of course she is in denial in which case phone the helpline.

Turnip; imbibing seawater suggests a deliberate act.  Could this be the case?

Mark Anthony; a semi inflated arm band mounted on  the chin and secured by a length of ribbon tied with a bow on the head would prevent the worst of the "basking shark" effect. Your pic reminds me of my days spent on the Meekong searching for Ting Tong.

in this case the imbibing was involuntary due to my mouth being closer to the centre of the earth than the surface of the water was.

i've been watching too much BIG BANG THEORY

Leyther


The photo was indeed taken on the Mekong last year, No sign of Ting Tong though.