Thread: Does anyone else fall backwards in a pool shallow end?
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Old 11-17-2014, 08:41 PM
mdiane630 mdiane630 is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Houston area
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mdiane630 mdiane630 is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Houston area
Posts: 21
10 yr Member
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Originally Posted by Slg1 View Post
I was away for a weekend with my family - first one since the accident - and went to go into the shallow end just to float around. As I entered I found I could NOT keep my balance. Every time my husband let go of my hands, I fell backwards. I tried to focus really hard and it happened every time. I really wanted to do pool therapy but I don't see how that is an option now.
I still get dizzy in the pool, either swimming or just watching other swimmers, or even just watching the motion of the water. When I first returned to swimming, I had to look at an exit sign on the door beyond the end of the pool just to get my equilibrium. The lights shimmering off the water, the motion of the water, the waves created by the swimmers, the lane lines on the bottom, and then the different colors of suits and caps was a little overwhelming. It got a little better when I got my eye focus under control, but it still makes me feel "off" when I'm in or around the water. When I'm swimming laps, sometimes I'll switch to using a swimmer's snorkel and stay off the center line - if I don't have to turn my head, it's a lot easier. Good luck!
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What happened: I was on my Triathlon bike doing an easy ride through my neighborhood just a few weeks after completing Ironman Texas (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run). A driver on a side street pulled up to a stop sign but didn't see me and pulled out in front of me. I tried to make a sharp turn alongside her but fishtailed and went into the side of her car with the left side of my body at about 17 mph.

I walked away with a headache and a whiplash, a sore shoulder, and some bruises but was counting my blessings. I did several months of PT for my shoulder and neck, and I still had problems with headaches, neck pain, and dizziness. My PT insisted I be evaluated, and I was diagnosed with a concussion. I was still in denial, but then I transferred to a vestibular/neuro rehab specialist and learned that my eyes weren't focusing properly (nystagmus, convergence disorder). I was discharged from that PT on June 10, 2014 - exactly one year after my accident - because I was no longer making "significant progress." I did more PT for my neck/shoulder, and on Dec 16, 2014, I had shoulder surgery. I'm coming to terms with the fact that I might never do another Ironman, but I'm not giving up on returning at some level.
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"Thanks for this!" says:
Slg1 (11-17-2014)