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Under water


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.


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Put on the mask...

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Fix the equipment...

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First advices and first of all - blow out the regulator....


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.


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Final control....

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All is O.K.!

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Go downwards....

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With a little help of our friends...


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..


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Others are interested in diving too...


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:

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
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