Pool Breakthrough - Good News!

           This was exciting for me so I wrote a lot.  If you are pressed for time just read the last paragraph.

The pool on the top left is the one where I swam and did therapy.  

           After settling in a bit into the new apartment, I decided to explore the area a little more.  Tuesday morning, I had ventured over in my wheelchair to scope out how the heck I was gonna get in there.  The good news was that a crosswalk exactly where I needed it to me to shorten the trip from the apartment.  The bad news was that the wheelchair ramp was still under construction.  My options were an extremely steep and long ramp for use by work trucks, or walk on crutches up a flight of steps, through the entrance, then down two more flights.  The work vehicle ramp looked like a good opportunity for me to hurt myself.  With the good luck of the crosswalk, I opted to walk that afternoon. 

            I made it across the street and up the stairs without too much trouble.  I understood that the cost to enter was 20 rand, or about $1.75.  But as I pulled out the bill to pay, I saw a sign that said “Entrance: 20 R.  Disabled: 0 R.”  I asked if I needed proof other than my crutches that I was disabled, and the guy said go on in.  Sweet!  Free pool! 

            As I was about to finish descending the next two flights of steps, a man walked up and said, “That’s right!  Don’t stop trying!  That’s great!”  So that was nice.  A minute later another man walked up and said, “I saw you coming down and thought, oh no what a waste of energy!”  I annoyingly responded that it was no trouble.  He then explained that what he meant was that there was a much easier entrance I could use.  “The work truck ramp,” I thought?  He went on to explain that right next to the steps was the entrance for the police department, with ramps on both sides.  I was skeptical until I saw that there were several people in wheelchairs by the pool.  So that was good news!  Now, with the crosswalk, the FREE pool would be easy access for me!  The year quickly became more promising. 

            Another plus was that instead of pool lounge chairs like you see a lot in the US, there were wooden benches built into the surrounding wall.  Extremely sturdy and higher up than a lounge chair, it was perfect for me.  More good news.

            After relaxing a bit and taking it in, I took off my shoes and braces, grabbed my crutches, and headed to the pool.  The edge was surrounded by tile.  To me, wet tile means a great chance of my crutch slipping and me on the ground.  But when I came up and tested it, I was happy to discover that it had some sort of non-slip treatment.  More good news. 

            There were steps with a rail to get into the pool at every corner.  I threw one crutch down onto the side, walked down the steps, and threw the other crutch to the side.  Easy entrance!  More good news.  I wasn’t quite ready to swim so I stretched my legs a bit. 

            It had been a LONG time since I had tried any pool therapy at RIC, – well over a year - so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  Before, I could walk with my left hand pushing hard down on a side railing – my right hand free – walking down the side of the pool.  I couldn’t really do that more than a few steps with the left hand on the rail.  I could precariously walk with a cane a couple steps before my legs would inevitably fully-extend of their own volition and I would kind of pirouette into the water. 

            Remembering those exercises, I decided to try them out.  I started with my left hand on the side (no rail – the side would have to do).  Immediately I was surprised at how much easier it was.  The pool creates a kind of weightless environment, making everything easier.  I had forgotten.  I was far better off than the last time I had tried this.  I walked about half the length of the Olympic pool – 25 meters – like that before trying to make it harder.  I just used my fingertips to push down with my left hand.  It was harder but I adjusted and used my left leg (Louie) more.  My right leg (Ralph) was killing it.  Huge steps lifting the foot far off the ground.  I wasn’t walking like Frankenstein, either.  I was bending a lot at the knees.  It was great. 

            After just a few steps with my fingertips pushing down on the side, I made it harder again.  I moved my hand to the inside of the pool wall, not really pushing at all but using it for balance.  Harder, but I adjusted again.  This was going great! 

            With just a few steps to go until the end, I decided to go for it and moved my hand from the wall.  I used just the flow of the water with my left hand to be able to walk the last few steps to the railing.  Pretty sweet!  Major improvement! 

            I swam back and was really excited about how that went.  At RIC, the pool was always a leading indicator of improvements I was about to see on land.  The idea that I could someday walk with nothing was pretty exciting, to say the least.  I tried not to get my hopes up.

            After swimming back, I rested a minute and then started again.  This time I went straight to the fingertips to warm up, then the inside wall.  Of course I wanted to try walking with just my left hand pushing against the water again.  So I tried it.  I went about 20 steps before my legs straightened out.  Not a bad first day at the pool!  I wanted to see how much the pushing against the water was helping me, so I lifted my hands out of the pool and tried walking like that.  It was MUCH harder.  However, I was about to take a good 15-20 steps again before Louie straightened out.  Awesome!  This was good stuff! 

            I went back to the pool again on Thursday.  I would have gone Wednesday but I was a bit sunburnt!  Thursday I went the easy route into the pool.  It was way, way busier than Tuesday, since it was pretty hot out.  One interesting tidbit is that a lot of the locals spontaneously decide to get in the pool as they walk by.  They aren’t prepared so they just strip down to their underwear and get in.  You don’t see that in the US! 

            I was wondering how the heck I was gonna do any therapy since the pool was packed and tons of people were sitting on the sides where I had planned on walking.  After reading a few minutes, I decided that I was being stupid for being annoyed.  I got in the water.  People were all over the edges so I decided this was another opportunity for me.  I just started walking towards the middle of the pool.  With no wall by my side, it forced me to make sure this worked!  I stepped probably 50 steps before Louie straightened out, but instead of spinning and falling I just balanced and waited for him to calm down, then continued to walk.  This went on for some time.  I was able to navigate through all the people, turning, walking a ways, turning again, etc.  I went from one end of the pool and back and then out to the middle and back again, all without touching anything and trying to use the force of the water as little as possible.  Very cool and huge advancement!  I’m very happy about this and the therapy I’ll be able to do in the pool across the street.  It should be a great year!

There are other things happening but that was the most exciting piece!

Dear Lord, thank you for this huge advancement in both my confidence and in my therapy!  Please let it continue.  Continue to heal me.  I very much want to do more and gain more function.  Thanks for all my friends and family and their great support.  Please be with all of them and fill them with Your Holy Spirit.  I love You, Lord.  Please keep me humble.  Let me see the positive in everything.  Let me continue to see challenges as opportunities.  Give me focus and purpose in life.  In Your name, Amen.

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