On my last chemotherapy treatment day, I had to skip it because I had lost so much lung capacity. The chemo drug Bleomycin had harmed my lungs to the point that I could hardly breathe. I would get dizzy standing up. I needed help to build my lung capacity and exercise to build up lost muscle tone. I visited a local swim shop, Poco Loco and purchased my first center mount swim snorkel by Finis.
My first visit to the pool was with some trepidation. I had not been in the pool for over a year. I put on my swim goggles, snorkel and a new pair of swim jammers. I moved through the water at a slow deliberate pace. I had to take consistent breaths and felt like I was going to pass out several times. My arms got tired very quickly and sometimes I would just float. I made a goal to stay in the pool for 30 minutes and achieved it. I think I almost fainted when I got out, I had no energy but I moved very slowly to get up, get dressed and leave.
After four additional visits to the pool, I noticed that my breathing capacity was increasing with each visit. I highly recommend the swim snorkel for increasing lung capacity. Being forced to breathe out of a straw is a good exercise! Anyone else use a swim snorkel?
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