OW Swim... UH OH!

[jesvetmed]

OK... I'm a little worried here.
I'm a decent swimmer (not great, not bad). I've swam lakes before, swam a tri before. No problems.

Tonight I added in a wetsuit. I was excited to get out in the lake and give it a try. I got in the suit, no troubles. Got in the lake -- not that cold with the suit on! In my excitement, I took off swimming without a warm up, immediately focusing on my stroke.

Suddenly I realize how much trouble I'm having breathing. I feel like someone is standing on my chest. I pull the suit around a bit, keep going. No better, getting worse. I undid the neck and unzipped about 3 inches to see if it was truly the suit -- I felt like I could pull the chest away from my body with some ease, so it didn't seem that tight.

Soon, I started coughing up lots of liquid -- I had not inhaled any water that I can remember. But my chest was tight and the liquid seemed to be pouring out with each cough -- each deep breath I tried to take in sounded rattling -- wet. I immediately though that this must be what asthma is like. But I don't have asthma!

It has been 3 hours since I got out of the lake -- breast stroked all the way back, calm, but coughing constantly. I am still uncomfortable breathing in deeply, and with any effort to talk or move around, I'm still coughing (improving, but not over it yet).

I'm a little freaked out now -- never been an issue before! What happened?
Any ideas?

I know I didn't warm up, get comfy with the suit -- I will do that next time. But is there such a thing as some type of induced asthma that I could have triggered somehow? I know that cold can, but honestly, I didn't FEEL that cold. My tri last summer was MUCH colder and I didn't have the wetsuit.
Jes

[Wahine]

Jes - I want you to know that I just walked away from my computer to take compose myself before responding to this because my first reaction was...

WTF was she doing goin for an OWS alone?

Now that I got that off my chest.

I would guess that it started out as shortness of breath from the suit. That's not uncommon and you will get used to it with practice. Likely during the SOB episode you inhaled water. Asthma will usually start out as wheezy and doesn't get rattly until later.

To get used to OWS with a wetsuit I usually have people go out and breast stroke until they are sure their breathing is even, then we do face in the water for 10 to 20 strokes and check in again by breast stroking. If all's well, then you can go for it.

It used to take me 3 trips to the lake in the spring before I could get in the water and just start swimming without hyperventilating.

[kelownagirl]

Jes - I want you to know that I just walked away from my computer to take compose myself before responding to this because my first reaction was...

WTF was she doing goin for an OWS alone?

Now that I got that off my chest.

I would guess that it started out as shortness of breath from the suit. That's not uncommon and you will get used to it with practice. Likely during the SOB episode you inhaled water. Asthma will usually start out as wheezy and doesn't get rattly until later.

To get used to OWS with a wetsuit I usually have people go out and breast stroke until they are sure their breathing is even, then we do face in the water for 10 to 20 strokes and check in again by breast stroking. If all's well, then you can go for it.

It used to take me 3 trips to the lake in the spring before I could get in the water and just start swimming without hyperventilating.

Ooh, glad I'm reading all of this before I make my trip down to the water. I was thinking maybe after school tomorrow, or sometime this weekend. I was planning on going alone. Uh, maybe not. OK. I promise not.

[jesvetmed]

Thanks Wahine, I did need that! But you can relax some... there were several other swimmers out there tonight, and my DH on the shore (not that he could have helped from there). I PROMISE to have a kayaker by my side next time. I figured with 7 other swimmers doing the same route, I'd be ok. But I didn't know them, and they would likely have not noticed if I disappeared in mid swim! I'll definitely do it differently next time.

I found this posting about pulmonary edema and swimming, found it quite too familiar to what I experienced tonight. Very scarey that it can get as bad as described here. Maybe this wasn't it, but the symptoms are eerily similar... the wet wet wet coughing that continued until just a bit ago. All through dinner I kept coughing up liquid. I'd not heard of this before.

I will try again with the suit, and take your advice on the warm up, get used to it before immersing the face, etc. I'll let you know how it goes. Yes, I'll take a friend by my side just in case. (My hubby suggested tying a buoy to my back end!)

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE RESPONSE.
Jes

[Wahine]

Well that does sound eerily similar. Thank you so much for that link. I had not heard of SIPE. Very interesting.

And I've officially forgiven you... the only thing I would have done differently is introduce myself to the other swimmers and see if someone would be my buddy. The circumstances that you described were much safer than what I imagined.

[jesvetmed]

And I've officially forgiven you... the only thing I would have done differently is introduce myself to the other swimmers and see if someone would be my buddy.

THANKS... I feel better.

Actually I did say hello, and check on the distance, etc. So they were at least aware of me heading out. I guess I had more confidence that there would be no trouble.... never again! Hope everyone else learns that lesson! KG!!!!

[Veronica]

Have you been to the doctor yet? Or at least made an appointment?

V.

[kelownagirl]

Have you been to the doctor yet? Or at least made an appointment?

V.

Yes, I agree. Go today.

[teigyr]

Did you go? That's scary stuff...let us know you're ok?

[jesvetmed]

Well, no doc yet. Tried to call once and they were at lunch. Haven't tried back. In my defense, I've worked 5 nights out of 7, 14 - 15 hours each. So, now that I'm a little more free, I promise I will call.

I've felt ok -- biking and running all week when I had a spare hour or two. Hadn't swam till today (mentally wasn't up to it, I think). Went to the lake today with my friend in her kayak. She followed me the entire time. Really took my time getting used to water temp, slowly warming up, and then swimming only till tired and then backing off. No problems. Stayed fairly close to shore today and got in a slow 1/2 mile.

My chest still feels like I've had a cold and it's a bit heavy, especially after workouts, but other than that I seem to be fine. This bothers me more than the actual event did. I expected things to be normal by now.

THANKS FOR CARING! I'll let you know what I find out from the doc -- I know it's important that I go. Keep asking me! Guilt works wonders on me.

Jes

[KnottedYet]

Guilt, guilt, guilt.

go to the doctor ASAP, so you don't inconvenience any of us by dying in the near future

Guilt, guilt, guilt.