Finally something that works brilliantly. I grew up swimming, we had a pool, and I was on the swimming team. So I can swim, and I really love to swim. This week I went to hydrotherapy, and it was superb.
Well no, in fact the hydrotherapy wasn't, it was too slow for me. But being in the pool was wonderful. My arm was supported and it was so easy to move it. First I was supposed to walk up and down the lengths, swinging my arms at my sides under water. This seemed too easy, so I decided to try breaststroke instead. Initially I didn't think I could, but then it worked. My left arm couldn't quite get the full forward and out sweep of it, but it got better with each stroke, and as horrible as it sounds there were all these tearing sensations in the part of my upper arm that had had the hard, sore lump in it since the beginning. They weren't pleasant but immediately after each tear, my arm felt longer somehow, and less twisted.
I started to swim proper breaststroke, and keep my head down. This gets me in trouble - why is my hair wet? I show willing and go back to walking. This is dull and doesn't feel like it's doing anything. Halfway down I revert to breaststroke, and at the end, do a tumble turn. That means I get the health and safety lecture. In fairness I guess not as many people in the UK did as much swimming as we did growing up, so it probably seems a bit too dangerous to them.
I wonder if the physio is confused over the dates - do they think the surgery date was the accident date? I'm told my fracture hasn't knitted yet, so I could break it again with some of the stuff I'm doing in the pool. Um, it's 13 weeks, and the x-rays confirmed it's knitted really well, there's nothing I can do to damage it (except fall, as Mr Shoulder is always reminding me).
I do some knee dips with my arms on the pool edge in front of me. Then more walking (I throw in a few underwater somersaults when no one's looking).
My arm feels almost normal after this, I am euphoric. I investigate gyms with pools near me at work. The next day I go and visit Nuffield at Moorgate. It's got a great pool, and the pool is generally quiet. I join up.
Friday I'm in the pool at the gym. It's fabulous. I swim lengths of breaststroke, I attempt crawl (not that great, but my left arm is able to at least do a doggy paddle approximation), backstroke (oddly easier than crawl), but I couldn't do butterfly properly before so I don't even attempt that.
I invent some of my own exercises, including holding both arms out straight to the side at shoulder height then taking my feet off the floor and making circles with my arms to keep myself afloat. I also swing my arms across my front and then try to get them behind my back and swing across my back.
I am overjoyed when I'm able to actually clasp my hands together behind my back. This is my left arm which a week ago wouldn't even move back past my hip, now it can go back and across my back to meet my right hand.
I also hold a float out in front of me and try to kick a length of the pool. This really pulls on my arm and shoulder, and I can't quite manage it. But I keep trying, and it gets a little easier each time. Maybe in a week it will be possible (it would the equivalent of lifting my arm straight up next to my ear).
I am going to try and get to the pool every day, I think I've found the thing that is going to work for me.
Well no, in fact the hydrotherapy wasn't, it was too slow for me. But being in the pool was wonderful. My arm was supported and it was so easy to move it. First I was supposed to walk up and down the lengths, swinging my arms at my sides under water. This seemed too easy, so I decided to try breaststroke instead. Initially I didn't think I could, but then it worked. My left arm couldn't quite get the full forward and out sweep of it, but it got better with each stroke, and as horrible as it sounds there were all these tearing sensations in the part of my upper arm that had had the hard, sore lump in it since the beginning. They weren't pleasant but immediately after each tear, my arm felt longer somehow, and less twisted.
I started to swim proper breaststroke, and keep my head down. This gets me in trouble - why is my hair wet? I show willing and go back to walking. This is dull and doesn't feel like it's doing anything. Halfway down I revert to breaststroke, and at the end, do a tumble turn. That means I get the health and safety lecture. In fairness I guess not as many people in the UK did as much swimming as we did growing up, so it probably seems a bit too dangerous to them.
I wonder if the physio is confused over the dates - do they think the surgery date was the accident date? I'm told my fracture hasn't knitted yet, so I could break it again with some of the stuff I'm doing in the pool. Um, it's 13 weeks, and the x-rays confirmed it's knitted really well, there's nothing I can do to damage it (except fall, as Mr Shoulder is always reminding me).
I do some knee dips with my arms on the pool edge in front of me. Then more walking (I throw in a few underwater somersaults when no one's looking).
My arm feels almost normal after this, I am euphoric. I investigate gyms with pools near me at work. The next day I go and visit Nuffield at Moorgate. It's got a great pool, and the pool is generally quiet. I join up.
Friday I'm in the pool at the gym. It's fabulous. I swim lengths of breaststroke, I attempt crawl (not that great, but my left arm is able to at least do a doggy paddle approximation), backstroke (oddly easier than crawl), but I couldn't do butterfly properly before so I don't even attempt that.
I invent some of my own exercises, including holding both arms out straight to the side at shoulder height then taking my feet off the floor and making circles with my arms to keep myself afloat. I also swing my arms across my front and then try to get them behind my back and swing across my back.
I am overjoyed when I'm able to actually clasp my hands together behind my back. This is my left arm which a week ago wouldn't even move back past my hip, now it can go back and across my back to meet my right hand.
I also hold a float out in front of me and try to kick a length of the pool. This really pulls on my arm and shoulder, and I can't quite manage it. But I keep trying, and it gets a little easier each time. Maybe in a week it will be possible (it would the equivalent of lifting my arm straight up next to my ear).
I am going to try and get to the pool every day, I think I've found the thing that is going to work for me.
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