Returning to Swimming After a Break: A Realistic Timeline

Question
I was unable to swim summer this year, so I have been out of the water for 5 months now.....how long will it take me to get back to where I was before?......our meets start the end of November and the beginning of December.....thanx for your time!

Answer
Christina-
Swimming is like riding a bike, you don't forget how to do it.  It's very possible, if you work at it, that you could be very competitive by the end of October if you train seriously. Five months isn't that long of a break.
Good Luck,
George