I used to joke while I was in hospital that if I went swimming again I’d end up going around in circles. Well I got the chance to test that theory and I can categorically state that I can still swim in a straight line!
We’ve been having a few challenges with our pool, nothing had been done to it while we’d been away and the PH had dropped to a level that it started to strip copper from the pipes. When Kerry took the water in to be tested while I was still in hospital in San Francisco they told her we’d need to empty the pool and get the pipes replaced…not something she really wanted to hear at the time. However, once I was home a couple of weeks later we started to try to sort it all out, apparently if we’d gone swimming in it we’d have come out with green hair! After practically emptying the pool and treating the water for copper we finally manged to restore it to its normal state and after a couple of weeks I got to go swimming.
I wasn’t quite sure how I’d fair with only one hand so I climbed in slowly, just in case I suddenly found I couldn’t swim anymore. I’m glad to say that I can swim pretty much as normal. Breaststroke is no problem, I’m sure I don’t quite have the same power as before but it doesn’t feel odd. Front crawl is a little lopsided, I think mainly because as I bring my right arm out of the water I don’t have my left hand to push down and back and so I submerge more than I used to…results in a slight bobbing effect as I swim. What I did find interesting though was when I jumped in I could feel the cold water all over my body except for my left arm, which doesn’t have much sensation. It was like the rest of my body was chilled but my arm was still warm…rather peculiar if I do say so.
So swimming is no problem, and neither is sitting in the spa with a margarita!
You’ll have to forgive us, we are just getting a handle on this ‘blog’ thing!! Nevertheless we are extremely glad that the recovery is well on its way and that you are doing very well indeed. It was a worrying time and the fact that Kez kept us up to date was fantastic. Be well and keep up the good work…Pool looks good!
John and Charlottexxxxxxxx
We actually had the same question when our guy was an infant. A few months ago, my husband checked out an instructional swimming video from the library and was pleasantly surprised to see that one of the models used for the video was missing her hand and part of her forearm in the exact same place as our boy.
I just looked at him after I watched it and said, “well, I guess that answers our question.
It was pretty cool to see her there though, and the video made no special mention of it.
Pretty cool.