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Humans tend to take a lot of things for granted. Breathing, for instance.<\/p>\nHumans tend to take a lot of things for granted. Breathing, for instance.<\/p>\n
The past few months, I\u2019ve spent a lot of my free time visiting doctors because I developed breathing difficulties after bouts of bronchitis this winter.\u00a0 I apparently waited till my 50s to become asthmatic. Or at least that is the current theory.<\/p>\n
So forgive my blog\u2019s absence. All my writing time went to staying alive.<\/p>\n
Still, I still have been busy knocking things off my list. I just haven\u2019t had time to write about the experiences.<\/p>\n
But\u00a0 one experience seems particularly ironic, considering the reason for my absence.\u00a0 It is all about breathing.<\/p>\n
In April, I took scuba classes, trying to fulfill a lifelong dream of exploring oceans and reefs at a depth I can\u2019t see by snorkel alone.<\/p>\n
The 12 hours of course work, held at my health club over four weeks, incorporated both classroom time\u00a0 and water time. My fellow students were an interesting mix: a father and son learning together; a sixtyish woman who had diving on her bucket list; a high-school student preparing for a class trip; and a man in his 30s planning a vacation in Jamaica.<\/p>\n
Although the classroom work is important, we were eager to get busy doing.\u00a0 Surely practicing the skills would be more interesting than simply talking about them.<\/p>\n
But before one straps on a tank to breathe underwater, she needs to understand the science of this unnatural act. Knowing how pressure affects the body is essential to staying alive.<\/p>\n
In the pool, we learned skills that should have scared away anyone with a case of nerves. Although never stated so boldly, all the\u00a0 skills centered on the idea: Learn this or you could die.<\/p>\n
Each was a reminder that 40 feet under the surface of the ocean, you are reliant on your equipment to breathe. In any failure, you must know how to respond.<\/p>\n
What do you do if your regulator (the device that delivers air) is knocked from your mouth?<\/p>\n
What do you do if you run out of air? What do you do if you run out of air and your partner isn\u2019t close?<\/p>\n
How do you ditch your weight belt if you need to make a quicker ascent?<\/p>\n
How do you remove (and put back on) your vest should you become entangled in underwater debris?<\/p>\n
Mastering skills in a 10-foot pool is reassuring. The confines offer security. There is no real risk involved.\u00a0 If anyone felt uncomfortable, she could make a quick trip to the surface.<\/p>\n
But in the ocean, one can\u2019t simply surface on a whim. Ascension must be\u00a0\u00a0 taken at an appropriate speed to prevent complications.<\/p>\n
I finished my scuba course just a few days before my bronchitis reappeared, which has put me in limbo.<\/p>\n
I can\u2019t complete the open water dives needed for certification while my lungs are compromised.<\/p>\n
So I wait. I\u2019d really like to breathe well again, whether above water or under.<\/p>\n
Conclusion:\u00a0 Satisfaction delayed. To Be Continued.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Save<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Humans tend to take a lot of things for granted. Breathing, for instance. The past few months, I\u2019ve spent a lot of my free time visiting doctors because I developed breathing difficulties after bouts of bronchitis this winter.\u00a0 I apparently waited till my 50s to become asthmatic. Or at least that is the current theory. … <\/p>\n