Cold water swimming saves woman from constant pain and inspires her to write a novel

Charlotte says chilly water swimming is the most effective mood-boosting ache reduction (Image: PA Actual Life)

A lady who lives in fixed ache due to her hypermobile joints says chilly water swimming is healthier than any drug she’s been prescribed.

Charlotte Leonard has wanted greater than 20 operations for her hypermobility and has even skilled joints dislocating in her sleep.

Over time, the 41-year-old has obtained numerous drugs, however has now found chilly water swimming as the most effective mood-boosting ache reduction.

‘Swimming changed medicine for me and it has labored so a lot better with none uncomfortable side effects,’ says the mum-of-three from Muswell Hill, North London.

Charlotte stubbed her toe which triggered a fracture of her fifth metatarsal (Image: PA Actual Life)

Charlotte’s shoulder earlier than surgical procedure (Image: PA Actual Life)

As a lover of utmost sports activities, Charlotte refused to let her situation maintain her again as an grownup, so beforehand took half in actions like snowboarding and ice skating – regardless of breaking her fingers, fracturing her elbow and breaking her foot, in consequence.

However, decided to stay life on her personal phrases, Charlotte puzzled if swimming might be her salvation – after recalling her love for it as a toddler.

So, from September 2014 onwards, Charlotte began swimming in Kenwood Girls’ Pond at Hampstead Heath, London.

She provides: ‘Having medical situations might be so isolating, so I discovered swimming an exquisite strategy to come along with like-minded individuals.

‘It was so good to be in an all feminine group.’

Charlotte along with her husband Nils (Image: PA Actual Life)

Charlotte ziplining on the Eden Mission in December 2017 (Image: PA Actual Life)

For years Charlotte went with out a prognosis – in search of the reason for her fixed ache – and even feared at one level that it was psychosomatic (in her thoughts).

However by the point she had her third son, Noah, in 2011, the ache had turn out to be insufferable – so Charlotte went to see a specialist.

She stated: ‘After three infants my physique wasn’t in a great way, so I couldn’t ignore it.

‘I used to be in increasingly more ache to the purpose the place I wanted to discover a resolution.

‘My joints would ache and dislocate actually simply. If I merely rolled over in mattress my shoulder dislocated.’

She’s had greater than 20 operations for her hypermobility (Image: PA Actual Life)

Caption: Charlotte wanted emergency surgical procedure on the Whittington Hospital in 2013 (Image: PA Actual Life)

Finally, she was recognized with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome hypermobility sort – an usually inherited situation inflicting unusually versatile joints.

Charlotte was additionally advised her situation is incurable, however might be managed with physio and painkillers – nonetheless, docs stated she wouldn’t have the ability to go snowboarding or skating once more.

Following this prognosis, the mum-of-three struggled along with her psychological well being on the considered counting on heavy painkillers for the remainder of her life, and from listening to about others with the situation.

She continues: ‘I’m allergic to a whole lot of medicine. I spent the primary yr after the prognosis attempting completely all the pieces and I'd find yourself with a rash, or I’d go to sleep someplace I shouldn’t.

‘The remedy was creating much more issues.

‘I actually like adrenaline, sports activities. If I can throw myself out of a aircraft or bungee soar, I'll – however with my situation that’s turn out to be tougher and tougher.

‘I stored studying tales concerning the situation and it seemed like a depressing life. I joined a Fb group and so many individuals progressed into being in a wheelchair.’

Charlotte at Kenwood Girls Pond in January 2017 (Image: PA Actual Life)

Charlotte swimming at Parliament Hill Lido (Image: PA Actual Life)

Fortunately, the problem of swimming in chilly water obtained her adrenaline pumping once more.

Charlotte says: ‘I at all times felt superb after I swam, however swimming exterior within the winter is simply magical.

‘Staying energetic is so necessary to me, because it’s a part of my id, with out which I really feel utterly misplaced.

‘Swimming has made me really feel just like the previous me once more.’

With mates at Kenwood Girls Pond (Image: PA Actual Life)

Her love of it has even impressed her to write down a guide (Image: PA Actual Life)

And, in addition to lifting her spirits, swimming has changed her ache remedy.

It has additionally impressed her to write down a novel, referred to as Afterwards, which is because of be revealed this April.

Her guide tells the story of a widow who finds her husband useless so travels to Cornwall to unravel the reality about what occurred – the place she meets chilly water swimmers who help her by way of grief.

She provides: ‘The act of chilly water swimming itself has supplied me with an enormous quantity of solace over time and has helped me navigate lots of life’s challenges, together with grief.

‘This enabled me to attract closely on my private experiences of swimming when writing the guide.’