A New Challenge

Friday, August 08, 2008 – 11:55 A.M.   When I went to my physical therapy appointment yesterday morning, there was a surprise waiting for me. My therapist told me that my pool therapy would start on Monday, unless I flatly refused.   Although I enjoy facing challenges, I am not so sure about this one. I have not been in a pool for about fifty years, and I now have a strong fear of being in the water and drowning. In the end, I decided that if this had even the slightest chance of helping my physical condition improve, I would be a fool not to give it a try.   I believe that a large part of this “problem” stems from my inability to do some things for myself, and my need to have others do them for me. I do not like asking for help, and even when I get the needed help, I end up being embarrassed about the entire situation. In the pool case, I finally told my therapist that I needed help with certain things, about which I gave the specifics. She said that she was already aware of everything I needed. She also told me that she has done this for several other people with disabilities.   My physical therapist has provided me with a short list of things I will need, such as swimming trunks (I figured that one out by myself). It looks as though I will be going on a small shopping spree tomorrow.   While I have made the decision to go with the pool therapy, I will be glad when the first session is completed. Waiting around worrying about it is causing me to have a lot of anxiety and some panic attacks. I am hopeful that once I have gone in the pool the first time, all of this will stop.      Quotes about Challenges: “When faced with a challenge, look for a way, not a way out.” ---David Weatherford