There’s nothing better on a hot summer day than cool water, slippery slides and floating around with your friends. Water parks can be the place to be during the summer. The buoyancy of the water—that pressure that pushes you up, up, up to float on the surface—cushions joints and makes exercise easy.
If you do it right, you can have fun all summer long at the water park. Check in first with your team at the hemophilia treatment center (HTC) to make sure you know what you can do and what you can’t. Then, just slow down, suit up, recharge and hang loose.
Slow down
Water is awesome. Concrete is not. A stubbed toe or a wipeout on the way to the slide could do some real damage or cause a bleed if you’re not careful. So slow down. Horseplay around the rides and slides is dangerous, as is running. Take your time—all the fun will still be there when you get there.
Suit up
What do you need for the water park? Your swimsuit or swim trunks, beach towel, sandals and sunscreen, of course! But you may also need a life vest and water shoes, and whatever other protective gear your HTC team, and Mom and Dad, tell you to pack. A life vest can keep you safe in the water. And water shoes with rubbery bottoms protect your feet and keep you from slipping in the water.
Recharge
To have a super-powered time at the water park, you might have to fill up on factor before you leave home. If you get a lot of bleeds, Mom and Dad might make factoring up part of the routine before you strap on the water shoes. They might also bring a first-aid kit to the park, just in case.
Hang loose
Once you know the rules, water parks can be a silly, sunny way to pass a day. Just watch out for signs of a bleed, such as pain or swelling in the joints or muscles. Tell the adult you’re with if you get hurt or feel a bleed coming on. That way you can come home from the water park happy as a water bug.