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Hey Mr Smoothy : )

Dude, a couple if lengths when you haven't swum for ages is actually pretty taxing exercise - so well done!

I wonder, did you jump in the pool and go hard out right from the start, or did you build up to your lengths by splashing around a bit first and swimming for shorter sections? It is completely normal to feel sick and a bit wierd when you exert yourself. It happens to me sometimes when I work out, I've seen people puke when slogging uphill with a pack on or after they've run a long way. A sports science student friend once explained the mechanism to me, the reason why it happens. I don't recall the exact details but it's just the body trying to cope with the fact you are going hard out. If you stop and chill for a bit, you should recover pretty quickly. I reckon...maybe take a sport drink with you next time, leave it at the pool edge and sip on it now and then. That should help your muscles keep going and stop you getting fatigued too quickly. Also, it's very important to make sure you are FULLY hydrated before exercise. So....drink a lot of water the night before a swimming session.

Ok, having said all that, it is possible that ETS has affected your heart and lungs but it hasn't necessarily affected them to a severe degree, so try not to imagine the worst just yet. Some doctors say ETS reduces the maximum heart rate of all who have the surgery. That means there is a ceiling on your heart's ability to pump fast but it doesn't have to mean your heart is kaput. I think if you had major heart rate issues, you would know about it by now. I don't fully understand how ETS can affect the lungs but I think it affects their ability to dilate?

Swimming IS tough. It's a MAJOR heart/lung workout and uses all your muscles, but in a low-impact way, which is excellent. It's one of the best forms of exercise you can do - great for fitness and flexibility and pretty hard to hurt yourself doing it : )

With any exercise, always start slowly, take baby steps, just build yourself up gradually. Even marathon runners had to start out with 1-2km runs.

Don't compare your self to other swimmers either. The guy over there doing 20 lengths without even getting puffed has probably been swimming weekly for ten years.

It's awesome that you are doing something positive for yourself. I don't think you will harm your heart and lungs by swimming, if anything you will strengthen them. Go home after your swim and have a nice big steak or tuna sandwich as a protein reward for your body (and tastebuds) : )