I am swimming again

Yesterday was four months since I injured my arm. It is interesting how now from this perspective, the injury feels and looks as something ancient. At the beginning it seemed that I will never be able to move my arm, or to do anything with it.

And yesterday, I was able to swim again. That was an unforgettable feeling. Of course, as I wrote before, in the big picture of overall life, it is super small, infinitesimal thing, but in my world, it had a profound effect.

I was moving through water again! I was moving my arms, and most importantly I was moving my, still, crooked left arm. I was swimming.
I was quite protective of the arm, during first couple of meters, but then, it just became natural, as always before. I was swimming breaststroke, and it worked. Of course it wasn't fast, and it wasn't executed with a best style, but it did work. When I switched to free style, I felt a bit of pain in my left elbow, as I was now moving my arm much faster. And also, at this moment I wasn't able to extend my arm fully. I am still working on extension, and wear my "ex-tensor" splint religiously 8 hrs per night.

During the last two months since I started my (occupational) therapy, I was able to improve both extension and flexion of my elbow for 20 degrees. Of course, all of this was possible thanks to occupational therapy experts Susan, Sheryl and Sally. They have helped tremendously.
I am still far away to having a fully functional arm, but I am on the right track. Normal number for flexion is 145 degrees, and I was 114 on this Tuesday. If I can reach 130, my flexion will be in a functional range. In regards to extension, normally it is 0 degrees, and I had actually negative value of -3 degrees before the injury, and now I am 29 degrees before a treatment and I was 20 degrees after the treatment. That is almost a functional range.

This has been an interesting journey. Best thing was when I accepted that this will be a long process. It felt liberating when I understood that there is no miracle with such an injury. There was no unfortunately Dr. Leonard McCoy and his medical tricorder to instantly fix my ligaments, tendons and nerves :) 😆 But on the other hand everything else that Susan, Cheryl and Sally have used helped me to get to this stage.

I mentioned somewhere that my newest the most favourite animal was a turtle. I adopted the best attributes of a turtle - slow but steady.

I swam for 1 km, mixing breaststroke and free style, and the longest distance I was able to do at once was 150 m. When I swim next time, next week, I will try to do 1.5 km, and do 3 x 200 m at once. I am still weak, my left arm is weak, and it will take time to build muscles - that's why I still feel pain - as there has been muscle atrophy. When I look at my left biceps/triceps, they look pathetic 😮.

But it will get better and it will get to where it was, and I have an opportunity now to make it even stronger.

I am continuing this journey of recovery, and I am excited to do it.