Yesterday was another milestone. Noticing these improvements is a big source of motivation for me, so I want to write this down. Yesterday I was finally able to swim on my front, using breaststroke. I did about 600 yards on my back (my usual) and then was able to do 400 more yards of breaststroke before the pool closed. I’m not fast… but I’m finally able to coordinate both my legs well enough to kick. I’ve been working every day with a theraband to strengthen my hip abductors: glutes and sartorius. This is the first instance in which my work is paying off.

My hip adductors started firing first — they are still much stronger than the abductors. But while my legs used to cross and tangle and sink when I kicked on my front, I am finally strong enough to do a slow and steady frog kick. My abductors are bringing my legs out and successfully countering the pull in. I am also feeling more stable side-to-side when I practice walking, which is the real goal of those exercises.

This is a video taken of me in January: I am in the pool for the first time since the accident and ecstatic about how much my legs can move in the water. But as you can tell, I wasn’t able to extend my right leg.

[evp_embed_video url=”http://smallrestlesshuman.com/videos/firstSwim.mov” ratio=”0.6″ width=400 muted=true]

Here is a video taken a few days ago. I’ve graduated from needing a trainer or a flotation device. Both legs are kicking much stronger.

[evp_embed_video url=”http://smallrestlesshuman.com/videos/aprilSwimming.mp4″ ratio=”1.8″ width=250 muted=”true”]

I was never a strong or enthusiastic swimmer. But the buoyancy of the water is magical feeling right now. And the resistance it provides is usually the perfect weight for training my fledgeling muscles.

Finally, here is a video of me swimming breaststroke for the first time.

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