Taking the plunge!

I finally felt my finances could cope with buying a prosthetic friendly swimming costume, and managed to find a tasteful one in my size. My cunning plan was to spend the money on the costume and then justify the cost by going swimming 2 or 3 times a week. I have been building up to this for some time; in fact it has been 3 weeks since I bought the costume, but today I took the plunge!

For the first time I saw myself in the costume completely (having decided to buy it without trying it on as it was the only one in my size) and immediately saw that my costume is too sexy for me! Where did that funny old body come from?  How tricky is advertising! the models in the catalogue are all double breasted plunging cleavaged beauties. Now I see the pointy bit of skin under my arm (legacy of the surgery) looks like I have a little nipple there. Quick tuck and a shift and its hidden. Also, no cleavage. Actually it has become an abyss.

Oh well, get in and swim. Very nice warm water, and gentle swimming give me a good stretch and good exercise. I think I will get up at 5.30 in the weekday mornings and head for the pool. After 45 minutes I think it is time to get out. The lifeguard has cleaned out the Ladies and the children are busy slurping their slushies, so I tiptoe towel wrapped to get dressed.

I have always struggled to dress myself after a swim. Since primary school when I had to slip my undies on undercover and find three hands to hold the towel, hold my broekies and manoeuvre myself into them, I have never quite managed to emerge from the effort cool, calm and collected. In the toilet of a heated swimming pool, one finds the whole thing even more stressful. The only place to sit that is dry is the toilet, and doing so while wiggling a breast out of a damp costume nearly resulted in a boob on the water coated floor. Then I noticed stuff... is that soggy bits of toilet paper on the floor or something more sinister? Finally it's out and the cozzie is down and I pat the breast gently dry and  sit down to put it into my bra. I get showered with water! Where did that come from? Oh. It's a heated pool so the condensation covers every wall, floor and ceiling! Every few minutes enough collects to become heavy enough to drip! lovely! As I stand to complete the dressing process, I steady myself with my hand on the wall and skid back down to the toilet seat as my hand slips. I start having second thoughts about regular swimming.

Anyone who knows me well is wondering what has come over me to decide on swimming as it has never been my favourite activity. The answer is in the blowing of the wind in Tassie, which when I'm walking gives me painful earache. Therefore during the cold Winter months and the wet, wild and windy Spring, I have ceased to walk for exercise. Fatigue is still a significant factor of my life these days, and I am convinced that exercise helps reduce fatigue, so as I am sick of dragging this tired body around and sick of coping with having a foggy brain, I am determined to move my way out of this sorry state. The pool  is warm, nearby and cheap, and swimming my way is gentle and calming. Therefore swimming it will be, but I will cover up with my daggy trackies and head home for a shower and a comfortable dressing experience.

Monday: Yay! so proud of myself. Up by 5.50am , at the pool by 6.15, swam 10 lengths (25m) slowly and home by 6.50am. Tired but no brain fog! Praise God, I woke up!