Swimming in Lake water?

[rcq925]

Okay, I am posting this here and in the adult section because I would like to see what everyone thinks.

Very good friends of ours, just bought a lake cottage here in Indiana and we will likely spend a lot of time there in the summers. Recently I have read in posts on another online group that children with CF should not swim in lakes or ponds. I don't think I would ever let my child swim in a pond, but, I am looking for some cold hard facts, about swimming in the lake. I am sure that there are bacteria in the lake, but bacteria is everywhere, we cannot avoid it and I don't want to raise my daughter, Hayley, 2 w/CF, in a bubble.

I have read over and over on the adult board here that adult CFers are greatful that their parents did not raise them in a bubble, let them be "normal" kids, play in the dirt, swim, ect.

But I am interested to see how many adults swim or swam in a lake as a child and has it adversley affected your health, CF wise, meaning catching or culturing new bacterias after exsposure to lake water. Does any one have links to articles about CFers swimming in lakes or the types of bacterias present in lakes?

Any help or opinions would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance for all replies!

 

[ejwiegert]

I don't have any answers, but I'm interested as well. We usually spend a weekend here and there at my aunt and uncle's mountain house and lake lot during the summer.

Thanks for asking the question Becky!

Em

 

[ejwiegert]

Becky,

On one of the infant/toddler CF lists that I have joined, they have a debate going on about swimming in general. Email me at wiegerts@gmail.com if you would like for me to forward the emails to you. I'll go through them and pick out the ones that apply to lake swimming.

Emily

 

[julie]

Becky, I don't have any cold hard facts for you, which is what I know you said you want. and I can understand. But mark grew up playing in lakes and rivers. Many camping trips with his dad fishing (which lead to some little boy play time int the lake), and playing in the lake in the summer with family and friends. As he got older that turned into waterskiing and wake boarding.

I won't deny the fact that there is bacteria in a lake. Although I completey understand the concerns, it's probably something she's going to do anyways when she's older, summer at the lake with a group of friends...

Hopefully somebody has some facts for you, because it is a very valid concern. But that being said, Pseudomonas and staph grow in soil, staph can be readily found on humans and animals... If you let her play outside and let her pet animals and be aroudn people, it's just as likely she'd get it from there than from a lake.

Good luck in your quest <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[Mathews]

Our transplant doc. warns against swimming in any lake/pond. The doc. says a private swimming pool is fine but no public pools due to germs and exposure. Lucky for us, my sis has a inground pool at her home so we hang out there a fews days a week during summer season.

 

[anonymous]

we spend all summer at camp and the kids play in the lake.. I have never restricted caleb from swimming/playing in the lake!~ I say go for it!!



Melissa mom to dylan 7 no cf and caleb 4wcf

 

[rcq925]

Thanks Emily! I am on that board too and the whole swimming debate is what got me thinking about the lake water!!

 

[rcq925]

Thanks Julie! It does help a lot to know that Mark grew up swimming in the lake water and still doing well!! Hope you are feeling good, can't wait to see new ultrasound pictures of the triplets!!

 

[rcq925]

Matthews,

Thanks for your reply!! Did you doctor state specifically why no lakes or ponds? I wouldn't let my kids CF or not, swim in ponds, but I have questions about the lake water and what specifically is in it that is so bad! I have also heard not to use the public pools as well, but we don't have any friends or relatives with a private pool and my kids need to learn how to swim. I am glad you are still doing so great after your transplant!!

 

[rcq925]

Thanks for your reply Melissa! I haven't seen you around the Infants and Toddler board lately! How are all of you doing? Is Caleb staying well and enjoying the nice weather?

 

[anonymous]

I didn't swim that often in public pools, only in semi public when we would go on vacation in the summer. I've always swam in Lakes, some ponds, creeks, rivers and oceans. I can't say whether it had any effect or not. I was pretty healthy as a child and a teen and spent a lot of my summers in the water.

John 26, w/ cf

 

[dyza]

Ponds tend to be filled with rainwater and can get stagnent, whereas a lake should have a fresh water feed, so therefore its water is getting changed.
But in hot weather no water may get in some lakes,and the levels can drop below any outlet the lake may have, this causes little water circulation.
I would need to be given cold hard fact as to not swimming in lakes for me not to allow our boy to swim in a lake.
We will be going to NJ to visit cousins and they are lakeside so we will all be in the water.

 

[Ratatosk]

We let our child swim in the lake. One thing I DO watch for is making sure that the cabin/house isn't moldy. The room we stay in has new carpet. We just make sure that neb parts are sterilized and dry, life jackets, swimsuits and towels aren't left around to get stinky. He has his OWN lifejackets that I make sure are hung up to try and not left in the bottom of the boat or in a dark closet. I do avoid stagnant water. We don't wander down to the boggy wetlands area down the road. I'm sure when DS is older he'll want to go down there, but since he's so young right now and not so great about washing hands, we won't let him know it's there for the time being.

 

[anonymous]

Hi Becky! No facts here but wanted to let you know that Sydney swims in pools and lakes. I asked her doc and was told that if the water isn't stagnant or gross, she should be fine. I still cringe sometimes (like yesterday at the lake!) but she has a blast, which is worth a LOT to us and she has been healthy so far...

Have fun at the lake!!!! See you soon!!!!
Kelli