A day in the water is just what the doctor ordered

Healing doesn’t always look like rest and stillness. Sometimes it looks like kicking your legs with wild abandon in a murky lake while your husband looks on amused, wondering how his 41-year-old wife suddenly turned into a giddy 10-year-old.

I’ve always loved the water, and it’s where I’ve felt the most “me.” Growing up, I was the kid who could swim for miles without breaking a sweat during long days on the swim team and afternoons racing my shadow across the deep end of the pool. Water wasn’t just fun for me, it was meditative, like a balm for a soul I didn’t know needed soothing.

Then came adulthood — and illness.

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Myasthenia gravis, seizures, and other disabilities made swimming feel like a faraway dream, one of those “maybe someday” things I tucked into a dusty corner of my heart and tried not to look at too often. But recently, with all the chaos I’ve been experiencing in the past few months — and, hoo boy, has it been chaotic — I found myself obsessing over the idea of being back in the water. I’m not talking about a hot tub, a kiddie pool, or a fancy spa, but real swimming, stroke after stroke, with floaty limbs and sore shoulders. That kind of swimming.

It wasn’t just a nostalgic itch. It felt like a calling, like something deep inside me needed to heal.

So I started doing research. But wouldn’t you know it? The nearest lap pool that could accommodate my needs is an hour away. For a girl who gets worn out just going to the grocery store, that wasn’t gonna cut it. That’s when I said, “To hell with it.”

“Take me to the lake,” I ordered my husband.

I was referring to a public lake not too far from where we live. It’s nothing fancy: no lifeguards, no lanes, no smoothie bar, just water, a boat landing, a dock, and enough open space to dip one’s toe into freedom.

The first time I went, I didn’t just dip a toe — I dove headfirst into the moment. OK, maybe not literally headfirst. Myasthenia gravis doesn’t play nice with full-blown dives anymore. But I swam out toward the horizon and back again. And I felt … alive.

Was I exhausted and gasping for air like I’d just done an Olympic sprint? Absolutely. But beyond the heavy breathing and muscle fatigue, I felt something I hadn’t in a long time: freedom.

I couldn’t stop smiling, twirling, and giggling like a fool in love with life again. My husband just shook his head and laughed. I think in that moment, he saw the girl I used to be, and the woman I’m still becoming.

I feel my spark returning, not in a big fireworks sort of way, but rather like a slow burn, a gentle kindling that catches light every time I listen to my body and it listens back.

Every time I stumble out of the water on wobbly legs I feel grateful — not just for the water, but also for a medical team that listens and encourages me to live my best life, not just survive it. They’ve supported me through the hard days, and now they’re cheering me on as I chase joy again.

Swimming might not look like it used to for me. I may not be clocking several miles in a lane anytime soon. But each day in the water is a reminder that my body isn’t done yet. My story isn’t over. My strength isn’t gone, it’s just being rebuilt — one ripple at a time.

So here’s to more lake days, to laughter that echoes off the shoreline, and to soaking in every second of sunshine, splashing, and freedom.

Because this right here? This is healing.

Note: Myasthenia Gravis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Myasthenia Gravis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to myasthenia gravis.