Diving into new beginnings: Swimming Lessons at 38

This used to be my normal watching from the edge or stepping in, fully dressed, just to be close. But with swimming lessons underway, I'm looking forward to a new normal where joining in feels natural and comfortable.

Ever thought about learning a new skill at 38? Well, I'm about to dive into swimming lessons!

In just a few hours, I will begin swimming lessons. At the age of 38 years old! As I watch my children swim beautifully in the water, each summer learning new skills, it reminds me how much I need to learn to swim. You see, it is not that I cannot swim; I can get across the pool. However, my technique is extremely poor. I drink more water than I would like, and if I cannot reach the bottom or there is not something for me to hold onto within a short distance, I will panic. All not good things!

In case you’re wondering what has been holding me back, well, you see, water and eczema can be tricky. Water has a strange duality for those with eczema, both a remedy and a culprit. At times, it can offer healing, like when it’s part of a moisturizer or wet wrap therapy, and then it can also cause irritation when exposed to hard water, long hot showers, and certainly in a pool. Over the years, I have noticed a significant difference between the different types of water, with natural bodies of water being the gentlest (provided they are clean and not too muddy or sandy). Next would be saltwater pools, and the most irritating of all is chlorine pools.

This is not the first time I will be taking swimming lessons. You see, when I was younger, I did try. My sister and I had swimming lessons, but for me, it meant trying to go down the steps and get in the water. While my sister was progressing, I was struggling with getting my body in the water. The stinging was so bad, and the burning from the chlorine often lasted hours after I had come out from the water. Eventually, it led me to stop swimming lessons.

So, what has changed now at 38? There are a few factors that have helped get me to this point. Primarily, my skin has drastically improved. I no longer have open wounds in all my joints, increasing my mobility, a basic requirement to be able to swim. Currently, without open wounds, there is less stinging or burning. Discomfort I once experience, have been minimized significantly due to recent advancements in eczema treatments. With the use of new therapies such as biologics and JAK inhibitors, my skin condition has improved, enabling the recovery of many basic skills. Additionally, seeing my children jumping off diving boards at age 7 with no fear, while I am terrified to go into the deep end, was the biggest push for me to sign up for swimming lessons.

So wish me luck as I go and learn a particularly important life skill that I am three decades behind on! It is never too late to conquer your fears and learn something new. So, what are you waiting for?