Author Topic: Swimming  (Read 8155 times)

Karen4639

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Swimming
« on: August 30, 2010, 08:20:52 am »
Has anyone heard that swimming is not good for balance issues? My daughter is a swimmer and she said that swimmer have bad balance-it make it worse. I have been wondering if it would be a good think but now I'm not so sure.
Karen
translab 7/13/10
2.5cm AN removed
facial paralysis on AN side and balance issues

cindyj

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Re: Swimming
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2010, 08:33:14 am »
Hi, Karen...interesting.  I've never heard that...I have been swimming a good bit this summer.  It did make me a bit seasick at first with the motion of the water, but nothing that stopped me.  I haven't noticed my balance suffering any, I don't think?  Know we have some true swimmers around here and I don't remember anyone saying it was detrimental to their balance, but perhaps others have experienced or heard different? 

Cindy
rt side 1.5 cm - Translab on 11/07/08 Dr. Friedman & Dr. Schwartz of House Ear Institute,
feeling great!

"Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing well those you do hold."  Josh Billings

leapyrtwins

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Re: Swimming
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2010, 09:04:54 am »
I'm not a swimmer, but I've never heard of this.

I would imagine that any kind of exercise would be good for the balance, but I'm not 100% sure.

Jan
Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

texsooner

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Re: Swimming
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2010, 09:42:10 am »
I swim in my backyard pool quite a bit and have had no balance issues. Now, if you combine swimming with consuming several cervezas , then all bets are off on the balance question.  :D

Patrick
« Last Edit: August 30, 2010, 09:45:15 am by texsooner »
3.5cm left side AN; 11 hour retrosigmoid surgery 8/11/08 @ Memorial Hermann, Houston - Texas Medical Center with Drs. Chang and Vollmer; home on 8/13/08;
SSD(w/tinnitus); dry eye; Happy to be here and feeling good.

sunfish

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Re: Swimming
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2010, 10:50:26 am »
I'm a triathlete, and have swam miles and miles and miles since CK in March.  Yes, I do have some balance issues, but I'm 100% confident they're not related to swimming.  Swimming is the only time my balance feels "normal."  Plus, isn't freestyle swimming where you turn side to side kinda like some of the balance therapy exercises?  In my opinion, good, safe exercise.
Rt. side 14mm x 11mm near brain stem
Severe higher frequency hearing loss
I use a hearing aid (Dot 20 by Resound)
Balance issues improving!!!!
Cyberknife March17, 2010
Roper Hospital Cancer Center, Charleston, SC

Nickittynic

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Re: Swimming
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2010, 03:00:22 am »
The only thing I've ever heard about swimming and ANs is that people missing vestibular nerve(s) shuoldn't swim underwater. I guess there's a risk, without the visual stimuli, of becoming disoriented and hitting the wall or bottom of the pool?
25 year old OBGYN nurse, wife, mother of two
5.5cm x 3.1cm left side AN removed via retrosigmoid 9/09 @ Hopkins
SSD, Tinnitus, Chronic Migraines, Facial paralysis (improving!)
Resolved - Left sided weakness, Cognitive issues
Gold weight, upper and lower punctal plugs, tarsorrhaphy

grega

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Re: Swimming
« Reply #6 on: August 31, 2010, 02:20:09 pm »
Hi Karen,

Like Patrick, backyard pool swimming is almost a daily thing, with no balance problems whatsoever.  I see by your "signature" that it's been only six weeks since your surgery.  Perhaps more time will help you more fully overcome balance issues.

Best to ya!

Greg
1.5 cm AN retrosig 11/04.
Drs. Henry Brem & Michael Holliday @ Johns Hopkins, Baltimore
SSD right. Tinnitus big-time, only when thinking of it.
BAHA since 7/20/10 ... really helps w/ hearing, specially after programming in subliminal message: "Hey, don't listen to your tinnitus!"

leapyrtwins

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Re: Swimming
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2010, 11:24:52 am »
Daily swimming?  :o  Backyard pool?  :o

I don't know about anyone else, but right now I want to move in next door to either Patrick or Greg  :D

Karen -

I think Greg might have hit the nail on the head.  Six weeks post op isn't a long time - especially where balance is concerned.  I'm guessing things will get better in time.

Patience,

Jan
Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

grega

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Re: Swimming
« Reply #8 on: September 01, 2010, 01:20:19 pm »
Couple more thoughts .... there I go thinking again!  ::)

Karen ..... I'm guessing that easy swimming in calm water might be avantageous, helping to overcome balance issues, cause your body is moving in ways different from usual motions (e.g.walking), and the increased different motions might increase "healing".   Maybe someone else knows if this might be true .... or at least possible.

Jan .... there are 4 pools in this cul-de-sac, and the homeowners are all friendly, so you should have no trouble swimming daily in this neck of the woods.  8)

Greg
1.5 cm AN retrosig 11/04.
Drs. Henry Brem & Michael Holliday @ Johns Hopkins, Baltimore
SSD right. Tinnitus big-time, only when thinking of it.
BAHA since 7/20/10 ... really helps w/ hearing, specially after programming in subliminal message: "Hey, don't listen to your tinnitus!"

leapyrtwins

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Re: Swimming
« Reply #9 on: September 01, 2010, 05:08:56 pm »
Greg -

I'll be there . . .

Oh yeah, just as soon as I find gainful employment and can afford the airfare - and have some paid days off!

Jan
Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

uvawfu

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Re: Swimming
« Reply #10 on: September 13, 2010, 12:14:33 pm »
Hi Karen.

I grew up swimming competitively (over 30 years ago now).  I had my AN remove March 11 and went swimming for the first time Memorial Day weekend.  It felt really strange.  I did what I could for as long as I felt like it, not pushing myself too hard.  Every week, I tried to get in the water once or twice to swim with my girls (age 10 and 8).  Over the course of the summer, things got much better.  So, I would say, don't rush to judge too early and keep working on it.  It gets better over time, even when you think its slowing down, a couple of weeks later you will notice an improvement.  I had moderate balance issues, requiring 2 months of physical therapy following surgery.

I've never heard about swimming making your balance worse.  Mine has improved over the course of the summer as I have gotten back into swimming.
40 year old male
AN - 4cm left side - removed March 11, 2010
Retrosigmoid approach
Drs. Margraf and Fukushima -- Raleigh, NC
Vestibular PT for 2 months at UNC-Chapel Hill
3-month MRI confirmed tumor completely removed
Deaf in left ear with minor balance issues and left side weakness

ixta

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Re: Swimming
« Reply #11 on: September 13, 2010, 02:59:19 pm »
I swam my first 2.4 miles for an Ironman Triathlon last June. At that distance, everyone is dizzy getting out of the water.
I did the whole race in 14 hrs, and yes, was dizzy the whole way due to ssd.
One just needs to reframe these things. I just felt drunk the whole way. No danger being dizzy until you fall off a cliff or something.
Regarding grega's post on "healing". I do find that running, swimming, and biking does take away vertigo or at least reduces it. I have not worked out hard since the IM Tri and now notice I am "dizzier".

enjoy the dizzy, embrace the dizzy, live the dizzy.
5cm left AN from IAC to cerebellum/brainstem.
Zapped out by Shahinian @ SBI over the course of 6.5 hrs on Monday 11/27 2006.
thestatus.com   h   biologyfly06

leapyrtwins

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Re: Swimming
« Reply #12 on: September 13, 2010, 03:57:52 pm »
Fantastic attitude, ixta  ;D

"enjoy the dizzy, embrace the dizzy, live the dizzy".

You are definitely proof that there IS life after an AN.

Thanks for the inspiring post,

Jan
Retrosig 5/31/07 Drs. Battista & Kazan (Hinsdale, Illinois)
Left AN 3.0 cm (1.5 cm @ diagnosis 6 wks prior) SSD. BAHA implant 3/4/08 (Dr. Battista) Divino 6/4/08  BP100 4/2010 BAHA 5 8/2015

I don't actually "make" trouble..just kind of attract it, fine tune it, and apply it in new and exciting ways

Kansas

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Re: Swimming
« Reply #13 on: November 02, 2010, 04:15:02 pm »
Swimming was not detrimental to my balance.  I don't know if there is any correlation, but my balance worsened when I quit swimming.  Newbie

Hi, Karen...interesting.  I've never heard that...I have been swimming a good bit this summer.  It did make me a bit seasick at first with the motion of the water, but nothing that stopped me.  I haven't noticed my balance suffering any, I don't think?  Know we have some true swimmers around here and I don't remember anyone saying it was detrimental to their balance, but perhaps others have experienced or heard different? 

Cindy