STRUGGLING WITH SERENDIPITY
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Book
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Photos
  • Press and News
  • Resources
  • HolidaySale

staying afloat

8/10/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
​(This blog tells my family's story. To see more, click "blog" at the top of this webpage.)

​
After I quit my job at the high school, our new normal changed for me from an onslaught to simply overwhelming. 
 
Beth attended school most days and I met her there over her lunch period. Life continued to be exhausting. Even so, Beth looked forward to physical therapy.

I watched her complete the beginning steps of a therapy session in November, six months after her injury. Progress was obvious. She no longer needed complete assistance with hand-over-hand guidance, but she also could not move out of her chair independently. Laraine caught Beth when she tipped too far forward to pull a wheelchair brake, helped her scoot over on a sliding board, and steadied her as she sat up on the mat table.
 
At a time when every movement on land required focused exertion, Beth found unexpected freedom in the water.
 
Not a swimmer before the injury, she needed more trials with more sinking before she could stay afloat on her back for more than a few moments. Waving her arms underwater moved her backwards. When she lost her balance and tipped over, she couldn’t get back in a floating position or get to the edge of the pool by herself—or get her head up to breathe.

At the pool wall, she held herself up with both hands, then tried and failed, over and over, to get on her back without help.
 
Weeks later, Beth invited Laraine and Jill to her last therapy session in the rehab pool. In the water with another therapist, my youngest attempted to float on her own, unsuccessfully. Sinking, she worked her arms in a burst of effort, raised her head, reached up to the wall with both hands, and caught her breath. After another try, she positioned herself on her back and waved her arms underwater to stay afloat, to breathe, and to move very slowly across the small pool. Eventually reaching the opposite wall, she grabbed the ledge with effort, using both hands.
 
In an impressive feat of balance, Beth achieved a floating position independently again and dragged along a sinking trunk and legs through another lap.
           
“Once she entered the water, wow,” Jill said. “It was awesome!”           
 
Seven years later, after setting 14 Paralympic American Records, Beth told a Harvard reporter, “I discovered I had good water technique and was able to keep myself afloat pretty well. Not at the beginning—it obviously took me awhile to learn how to swim.”

2 Comments
Beth Shanabrook
8/12/2016 12:03:01 am

This is so interesting. I had Beth in class that first year I think and had no knowledge of all of these "hurdles" she was going thru.
My daughter lives in Columbia, SC and I was just there last week helping her move. Perhaps we can get together sometime when I'm down

Reply
Cindy Kolbe link
8/12/2016 08:40:20 am

Thanks, Beth! She had (and has) the gift of minimizing obstacles, so she was able to focus on one minute step a time. Also, John and I would love to get together the next time you're in South Carolina. Hope all is well with you!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Cindy Kolbe

    I'm a mom on a mission to share the power of hope and connection! For signed copies of my memoir, click BOOK.   
    ​
    ❤  Cindy

    Sign up for my Serendipity Newsletter by typing your email address in the box. Thanks!

    * indicates required

    Categories

    All
    Accident
    Adventure
    Anxiety
    Career
    Caregiving
    Chronic Pain
    College
    Counseling
    Depression
    Driving
    Fear
    Floating
    Friends
    Goals
    Graduation
    Gratitude
    Grief
    Group Home
    Guilt
    Harvard
    High School
    High School Swim Team
    Holidays
    Independence
    Injury
    Intensive Care
    Internship
    Job
    Moving
    Occupational Therapy
    Optimism
    Paralympics
    Paralympic Swim Team
    Perspective
    Physical Therapy
    Published Articles
    Rehab
    Road Trip
    Serendipity
    Spinal Cord Injury
    Sports
    Stanford
    Support
    Surgery
    Swim Club Team
    Swim Meet
    Swimming
    Travels
    Video
    Volunteering
    Writing

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016

    RSS Feed

    Picture

    Picture

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Picture
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Book
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Photos
  • Press and News
  • Resources
  • HolidaySale