All going
swimmingly
Swimming can be a great way to relax and take gentle exercise. Here PH patient Katie Somerfield talks to Deborah Wain about her love of water – and there’s some expert advice for others who may be thinking of dipping their toe in the water. Taking a dip in a pool is one of life’s simple pleasures and for events manager Katie Somerfield a swim has always formed part of her weekly routine. A strong swimmer, Katie, 31, of Bristol, finds moving through the water meditative and freeing. All that changed when Katie became unwell with what she later discovered was PH. Over the nine months prior to diagnosis as she struggled to find out what had caused a blackout and other debilitating symptoms, she could barely walk, let alone swim. When Katie’s condition was eventually confirmed last summer, she was told she might need intravenous medication and that could mean she may not be able to swim again. The news hit Katie hard – as hard, she stressed, as being told she would not be able to have children. At the time, she was trying for a baby. “It broke me as much,” she recalled. “I think there are certain things you do in your life that form part of your identity and for me swimming has been one of them. For me it’s a form of meditation and I go into my own world.
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“Also family summers have always been spent enjoying the sea at Weymouth and thinking I’d not be able to be part of that in the future was awful.” For two weeks, while specialists at Bath’s Royal United Hospital tried her on a course of oral therapies, Katie seized every opportunity that she could to take to the water. Fortunately her treatment proved immediately effective. Today, Katie continues to swim weekly at her local pool and enjoyed the water during a holiday in Menorca last September. Katie believes the activity aids her breathing. She commented: “You have to be very rhythmic with your breathing when you’re swimming so it’s good. It helps me to exercise my lungs but in a gentle way. “I very much love swimming more than ever and the freedom to do so. My heart goes out to anyone who can’t though.” Doctors used to think that people with PH should not exercise. They now recommend at least some exercise for people with the condition although it’s important not to overdo it. When it comes to swimming, the advice is always to make sure you talk to a doctor before you start. Carol Keen, lead therapist in specialised medicine at the
