More Headaches ... or perhaps war and peace

Well I went swimming yesterday and I was determined to wear a different pair of goggles to the ones that gave me a horrible headache last time.

None of the chemists I visited had them and I had put on my contact lenses specially so it would be easy to try them on ... and be able to see what I was doing.

I ended up buying some at the pool. I tried a few pairs on and the one that "sucked onto my face" the best was Vorgee missiles. One other pair seemed OK too I think it might have been Vorgee Viper but I picked the one that stuck the best.

In the pool it stuck to my face so well it was near impossible to break the suction. Apparently you are supposed to dip your goggles into the water then put let the water run out and then put them on. You are not supposed to rub the lenses or you will damage and remove the anti fog coating.

I put them on and slowly went under .. my contact lenses stayed put and were in absolutely no danger at all of getting wet.

I swam in a pool with full vision for the very first time and it was fantastic!!!! I didn't realize how close to you the bottom of the pool looks in the shallow end ... as if you are going to scrape your knees on it if you are not careful. And how clear the black T at each end of the pool is ... I always thought it was fuzzy and black ... not sharp and dark and soooo close. I could also very easily see the markings on the bottom of the pool for the one quarter, halfway and three quarter mark.

I wonder what the other swimmers thought of the girl chuckling away to herself in lane 8!!! LOL!!!

I should have just looked over at them ... because I could SEE every one of them!!!! Bliss!!!

This was my third time in the pool this week and I am making really great progress ... being able to see helped enormously ... I don't think I would have had nearly as many problems learning previously if my eyesight had not been an issue.

I love swimming with flippers ... how fast they make you go and how well they keep you afloat. I got into a rhythm of breathing while holding onto the kick board. I am reminding myself to keep my head down and trying to do steady slow kicks and steady slow arms and steady slow breathing.

I can feel when I am panicking and I trying to notice what my body is doing so I can get myself back on track.

I try to spend half the time without flippers and at least a few minutes swimming completely unaided. I did "freestyle" for one quarter of the pool this way!!!

I was on cloud nine as I left ... puffing and panting but definitely still alive.

My next class is on Wednesday night, this will be my first swim with Jennie's squad ... am terrified but hopefully will be fun and not too scary.

Once I got home I was ravenous so I had an enormous lunch and tidied up and went to get KT from school.

Still feeling fine at this point ... but had indentations in my face from the goggles (it looked like these were over my eye socket bones in the right place) so I loosened off the straps later on when I rinsed the goggles in cold water.

Then as soon as I returned from school I started getting a headache again and the swirly vision in one eye. Neither was quite as bad as last time, but still a bit scary and I felt a bit like throwing up.

Both days it happened about 2-3 hours after swimming was finished. Both times I had worn goggles for the whole swim which had been tight and left face indentations (although they had not felt uncomfortable in the water).

The difference between these occasions and my first swim was that the first time I came home I had a full hot shower (rather than just a quick rinse at the pool) and washed all the chlorine off me and also washed my hair (wondering if perhaps I still have a sensitivity to chlorine) and the other difference was that when I borrowed Jennie's goggles they kept fogging up and I kept taking them off my eyes every few minutes so I could see her ... maybe I should try taking my goggles off every little and a while to give my eyes a break.

I investigated a bit on the net and discovered that you should not have the strap too tight and that if the goggles leave indentations then that is too tight. Also that you should test them on your face by pushing them onto your eyes and if they suck on for at least a second that means they fit your face well. I think my missiles fit my face toooo well ... they really suck LOL!!!

One person suggested tyr goggles apparently they have one type specifically made for the female face ... extra soft silicone etc ....

As it happened I went shopping again today and looked at and tried on many more goggles. I found a pair of these "petite femme" goggles and bought them ... hopefully they will be the right ones for me.

I have now bought 3 different pairs of goggles and spent a grand total of $50 so far.

Surprisingly Big W at duckworld had a great range including zoggs, tyr, speedo and plenty of kids size ones too so I will take KT there before we venture back to the lagoon. Super Amart and the pool only had vorgees.

I will try my new goggles tomorrow night and if they leak or are not a good fit I will continue to wear my missiles ... but will break the seal regularly while I swim to give my eyes a rest.