I did a mile swim in the pool on Sunday, just to check I still could. I'm doing the Salford Swim, and to be honest, I haven't done any training for ages, possibly months.
If you've been reading this blog, you'll know I had a bit of a "medical incident" at the end of May, which was initially diagnosed as a stroke, but turned out to be nerve damage in my brain. 6 weeks off work, no driving, and rest. So that was most of June and July gone by.
Then my dad became ill - he'd also had a couple of suspected mini stokes, but his too had been mis-diagnosed. Then on August 6th, after he'd got suddenly very bad, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. The cancer had spread from his lung, and was causing these stroke like symptoms.
He was really looking forward to coming to the lakes for the Great North Swim, but in the end was too ill to make the journey. He was really proud of me, of doing the swim and of the money I was raising.
I was thinking about this as I swam my mile in the pool. At about length 50, I was imagining what it will be like when I finish the mile, now being swum in Salford. How lovely it will be to climb out of the water and be greeted by my family and friends. And how sad it will be that dad won't be there. That's the point I started to well up, and then I really started to cry.
He lost his brief but intense battle with cancer on September 15th, just 5 weeks after being diagnosed and just 6 weeks before his 71st birthday. By the time I get in the water on Sunday, I will have been to his funeral, and will have shed many more tears.
I'm hoping I can get round most of the mile without breaking down - I discovered on Sunday that crying makes you sniffle, and then water goes up your nose, and the tears fill up your goggles.
So, I will be getting round that mile, and whilst I will be raising money for Alzheimer's, I'll be swimming for my dad.
Take care - life is short.
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