Although the swimming and the garden railway
are not connected directly with each other at first sight, I want to invite
all those people who usually count the rivets on their engine tender to
a short excursion under water. Yes indeed, it isn't the big under-water-world
but the first step of the habituation to the respirometer and the habituation
to the water is done.
Since my childhood I've been familiar with water.
Just the accident more than 20 years ago provided for a certain break. In
the meantime there is the opportunity of diving in a swimming club
near by my hometown, at Bitterfeld, to get experienced with all the equipment
of diving with a group of divers. Some of these people are to see on following
photos.
First advices and first of all - blow
out the regulator....
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The physical restraints caused by the handicap can
result to dangerous physical damages. This include for instance the danger
of easy breaking of the bones because of the lack of load or difficulties
in breathing (the breathing muscles are affected by the handicap too), problems
with the skin, with the weight, the danger of stiffing of the joints etc.
To inhibit this you should do something for your body. On the other side,
I was searching for a sports disciplin not overburdening the joints in contradiction
to athletics in the wheel chair (for instance, I hardly know wheel chair drivers
driving marathon runs and not having problems with the elbow or shoulders).
On this way, we returned to the water where physical activities don't result
to trouble with the joints.
But at first we had to solve problem a „normal“ non-handicapped
isn't faced with. Par example, we had to find a form of a common communication
because the usual used sign language under water we couldn't use because
of the paralyzation of my fingers. We use special common signs.
With a little help of our friends...
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The next was to find the right speed because I'm not
able to use flippers.All the movements under water have to performed with
the arms. Important exercises like the change of the regulator under water
I havn't done yet. Since the pool has a depth of only 2 meters and somebody
watches me at all my movements I'm optimistic to make it.
The Jacket (a kind of life jacket which can be pumped
up by compressed air from the respirometer) enables the weightless gliding
through the water, something you can't do on earth. This makes diving to
a phantastic possibility of recreation and protection against the daily stress..
Others are interested in diving too...
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From our point of view the value of this experiment
is undenied. A tetraplegic acquaintance of mine didn't need to go to hospital
due to decubitus ulcer she overcame it at home.
At the beginning of 1998 I stayed for a control examination
at the BAVARIA-Hospital
at Kreischa. The doctors determined the following values:
- useable lungs content: 5,4 litres
- fastest exspiration speed: 4,79 litres/min
- inspiration pressure (average): 9,7 kPa; the peak
value was more than.11 kPa!
- static diving: 96 sec.
- quiescent potential of the lungs: 4,96 %
Those values are not normal for a tetraplegic, additional
to that there the pschychic effects on overall state of health - in other
words: I feel fine!
Photos: 1997 - 1999
© Bahnrolli 01/11/2000 | Sitemap
