Today, we went to the pool. This was after Elena had PT in the morning (which was fantastic), and a picnic at the park (lots of exercise on a beautiful day). After we got home, we went to the pool with a friend.
There were other neighbor friends there. Elena tries to hang with some girls her age--nice girls, but they simply move too fast for her to keep up. Elena is a weak swimmer at best (as is Viv), but she is improving.
I am enjoying talking to some friends--always with a watchful eye on Elena and Vivian. I notice that Elena has her hand on the wall--she has been swimming to the deep end, following her friends, a few feet at a time as they gravitate down the pool. I'm watching. She's behind them, they see her but they are moving as a loose group, and they are more interested in the three main girls than E on the fringe.
Suddenly, the girls take off to the other side of the pool (deep end, short-side). I watch as Elena decides to follow them. She has never tried this before. I doubt she can make it across. But I give her the chance.
Always watching, I see her take a few "strokes" as she has done at swim lessons, and as she does so, she becomes more up-and-down in the water. She gets halfway across the pool.
I can tell she isn't going to make it. Suddenly, I think Elena realizes it too.
It's all of 5 seconds before I'm in the pool and get her face to the surface.
She swallowed...maybe 2 gulps of water? That's what she told me afterwards--that's a typical day's play in the shallow end for her--but she was scared. I held her as I walked to the shallow end (I am only 5' tall), told her she was safe, I have her, remember to breathe, etc. She was stiff and tight (the water was pretty cold anyway), coughing, surprised.
The kids didn't notice a thing. The parents did, and asked if I was okay. Surprisingly, I was--only b/c I anticipated it and was ready. Elena and I (and Vivian, who saw me jump in to save E) talked a lot about water safety, knowing your limits, and the possibility of drowning. It's hard for Elena, b/c all of her friends can swim, they are all taller than her, and she's been doing so well at her swim lessons that I bet she didn't think much about it.
We are all fine, thankfully. Elena can do a survival back float pretty well now, but I guess in her panic she forgot about that. Vivian still needs to learn that one, but she can paddle better than Elena. Elena was back in the shallow end, playing, shortly after her rescue--swimming and going underwater as normal. And was I ever thankful.
I feel very strongly that Elena will be able to swim safely in a pool. It will just take more time.
3 comments:
This stuff happened to me at her age. I have CP. Be patient with her as she learns!! She just didn't know and probably sees herself as being as strong and capable as the other girls(which she pretty much is except she has some physical limits)it takes awhile to remember and implement the safety stuff. Show her that the safety is important but don't be overly negative about it or she may not want to try again when she truly is physically able to handle the deep end. btw it is harder for people with SDCP to flip over to do the emergency back float due to weaker core strength. It takes longer to overpower the protective reflexes brought on by the CP and do a controlled float. The natural instinct of the CP/Moro Reflex is the exact opposite of a back float. That's why she was so tight when you rescued her. She WILL learn to swim and she WILL learn to float Amy. Don't worry, I can swim and float in ocean water easily as an adult. Pool water is nothing for me and it will be for E.
It took me over 20 years to be fully comfortable swimming. I eventually managed. Went through 14 adapted PE instructors. My former Scoutmaster who was a double amputee taught me successfully to swim. Maybe him being physically challenged made me more comfortable as a teacher.
Great post :) I had an accident when i was 6-7, and almost drowned, it really got me scared of the water and swimming for years, but when I was around 12-13 i conquered my fear and learned to swim. Now a days i love it because I can do things in water that simply isnt possible out of the water. Movement wise etc. The older I got as well the more I started to "float" by myself as well, so I would not worry about that.
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