I just taught a lady how to swim! I went to do my therapy today. I'm now in what they call "open gym". It just means that I go and do the exercises they've taught me in the gym and then in the pool. I was in the pool, pretty self-absorbed- focused on my aches and pains, when this cute, little black lady- Jackie - came in to get in the pool. She was probably about 5'2", 45-50 years old. She obviously wanted to be right by the wall, so I scooted over and let her have that space. We chatted a bit as we walked. I noticed her clinging to the wall at the three foot level. The indoor therapy pool is three-foot deep at either end, graduating to six-foot in the middle. I went on with my exercises, which include treading straight-legged, then bicycling for ten minutes each. She watched me closely. She just couldn't believe I could do that. She asked me many questions about how I stay up. I told her I could teach her. She was on a "noodle" so was afloat, but as we chatted, she suddenly noticed that she was at the 5-foot level. She had a bit of panic attack. I told her how to move her feet and arms and helped her back to the three-foot area. Then, I taught her how to basically doggy paddle on the noodle. She went back and forth, just thrilled to death. "I'm swimming! I'm swimming!" she said. I told her that 80% of swimming was just overcoming fear. I then had her try it at 4 foot, then 5- foot. "Do you think I could go clear down the whole pool?" "I sure do!" And she did! I wish I could describe the look of sheer joy she had as she touched the other "bank". "I did it!" I was clapping and cheering! I get tears in my eyes even now as I recall. What a thrill! She told me that when she first came to therapy, she had a panic attack and simply couldn't get in the pool. So, they rescheduled her and then the therapist (Katrina- she's the pool gal) got right in with her. Jackie said she still was very frightened as she had never been in a pool before. She said Katrina had to hang on to her the whole time. Katrina had helped her several times that way, then let her do it on her own. She still was very frightened, but finally graduated her to "open gym" And now, by sheer determination, she was swimming! She then paddled all the way back down the pool. She was just so excited and thanked me over and over. I left today with a new friend and feeling SO much better than when I came. I don't think that had much to do with the exercises, either!
"Never again!" Ken swears this was the last time (he said that last time he did it, too) So sorry, Jared, Blake, Brian, and Tom . .. you'll have to hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim without Ken. He says he'll be glad to be the driver. Twenty-four miles of grueling hiking is a lot when you're 50-hmmm, well plus. But, he did it! I'm so proud of him. Four guys from the ward went- Dave: a young buck in his forties, Steve- slightly older than Ken and Ken hiked and Kurtis drove them (Kurtis has a bad back and can't hike right now). They left here about 3:30am on Friday and started the hike about 6:45am on the North Rim. They hiked all day long and reached the south rim about 6pm that evening - A long, grueling day. They spent the night on the south rim and drove home on Saturday, so tired and so sore. He walked a lot like an eighty- year- old man, and per Tom's instruction, tried not to groan every time he stood up or sat down. He's recovering, and in spite of it all, is glad he did it!
At the bottom
"Please sir, I want some more"
I gotta go where?
Still smiling!!!
