See, I absolutely LOVE the water. I always have, as have my brother and sister... thanks to our dad. I don't know if my mom was ever actually afraid of the water but she was never comfortable being in it as far as I could tell and she was truly afraid of putting her face in the water though she would sometimes stand in the shallow spots of pools or lakes while we swam and played with our dad. My dad loved the water and swimming and it was because swimming was so important to him that he had us all in swim classes starting as infants. My mom may have always hated swimming but she never put her water issues on us and spent hours upon hours sitting poolside or lakeside watching us three lil' fishies never getting enough of fun in the water. My mom did actually take swimming lessons when we were kids but she never got over the fear of putting her face in the water even though she did get more comfortable standing in it while we swam. We knew we had to be calm swimmers when Mom was in the water but man, did we have years of fun rough-housing in the water with Dad!
I've had a backyard pool for probably about seventeen years now and though our summers are short, our pool gets a TON of use! I spend usually about four or five hours every day in the pool (sometimes longer because I despise hot weather) and my sister comes over for swims at least every other day, when my niece and nephew visit, it's non-stop swim party-time. So, you might imagine that I was pretty bummed last year when I was just unable to get into the pool because of my not properly working legs. My legs are now working a little better but still not perfectly which is another reason Enz decided we should change to a new pool and bury it to a point I can more easily manage in and out of it once level with the patio slab.
Anyhow, I suddenly started to panic once I knew that I would, at some point, be in the water during my therapy. I know this will sound silly but I am truly and horrendously worried that my legs will have forgotten how to work in the water, I don't want to NOT be able to swim and if it turns out I actually can't swim, well... I just really don't want to know it. People keep telling me I am worrying for nothing, that my legs won't have forgotten how to swim BUT..... they did forget how to walk, so why should I not worry that my movements will also be uncoordinated in the water??
Despite my fearful angstiness fighting to take me over this morning, off to aquatic therapy I went...
Aquatic Therapy - Appointment 15: (July 20, 2016.)
I arrived at my aquatic therapy appointment pretty much ready for the pool in a swimsuit (with swim shorts over top to try and help hide a little of my chubbiness) and a tank top, so all I needed to do was slip off my tank and switch into my aqua shoes if I needed them. Turns out I was fine without the shoes, the pool stairs and bottom were not slippery at all, and there is an inside handhold-lip all the way around the inside of the pool so I felt quite secure holding to the sidewall even with how the water was working so hard against me, seemingly trying to topple me right into it.
My first challenge of the day was simply in climbing INto the pool. I've been relearning stairs over the past weeks but these were a little more intimidating to warp my mind around... three steps up to reach the top step and then four steps down into the water which was so hot it kind of pained my feet on contact. The steps were sturdy with rails on both sides but it wasn't the sturdiness that was my issue, my problem was trying to wrap my mind around the top step change from going UP to going DOWN all on the same run. It took me a couple of tries to get my legs to cooperate but I did eventually make the switch and I didn't fall.
Dave, the aquatic therapist, had warned me it was a hot therapeutic pool but it was still a little surprising to the system when I felt just how hot it was. I find lately that with the feelings finally coming back thanks to my gratefully healing nerves my feet and legs are somewhat hypersensitive to heat; I stepped into my sandals after leaving them in the sun for just a few minutes one day and I felt like I was suddenly blasted from my toes to the tips of my hair with a bonfire heat flare from the biggest bonfire you might imagine, the heat was so intense it almost made me seriously hurl. That's a little like how I felt stepping into the water today. But I survived and once I was in, it wasn't so bad. The pool is fairly small, maybe about 25' x 10' and has five different depth levels, each with a single step down. I slowly and carefully sidestepped my way down to the second-last level which was chest deep for me. by the time I made it to the proper depth to start my exercises I was already in need of a rest... not only was the water resistance exhausting me but also was the hot water mixed with my fear of just being in the water. Once I was deep enough to allow my body buoyancy (for lack of better term) to help lighten me, it became a whole new ordeal. It took every muscle I could muster to keep my body planted in that pool, I kid you not! My poor abs were crying out from clenching so tightly in hopes of keeping my body together, still and upright.
Once I had rested (sort of) for a few minutes we tried a few exercises; standing heel lifts, standing toe lifts and standing crossover steps. I did really well at the toe lifts and with the help of the water lifting me I felt my muscles awakening and lengthening, awesomeness! The toe lifts were not so well because the water kept threatening to pull me away when I lost control and wobbled, we had to improvise and do one foot at a time but I made it through. The crossovers were BRUTAL! But... I was so excited at the thought of getting my crossover muscles back in shape because my #2 goal is to be able to skate again and crossovers are immensely important for skating. I didn't do so well but I tried. I could lift my knees marching-step style but my legs just weren't strong enough to fight against the water and cross over each other. It was so frustrating and so disappointing to only be able to cross to the point where my heels were just barely in front of my opposite foot toes but I will keep trying and I know I will keep improving so I'm trying not to let it overtake what was mostly a really good therapy session.
I only spent about a half hour in the pool but boy was I in need of a good long rest afterward!Climbing those awkward stairs out of the pool was even more difficult with gravity suddenly kicking back in after the lightness of being in the water but I slowly made my way and I felt as proud as I did wobbly. It took me a couple of hours to get my 'land legs' back and lose some of the extra wobbliness but the gains of today were well worth the pains of effort I put into every moment.
I managed the stairs.
I managed the heat.
I managed a few simple exercises.
And perhaps BEST of all.....
I overcame my fear of getting back into the water.
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