United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Just been wondering...My husband was an ace basketball player before the accident. I have been encouraging him to take it up once again, but he says he is scared of loosing balance while running. I know deep inside he would also love to resume swimming.I am not sure how some of you on the board manage to do it?
Can anyone send me any pics or information of how you have got back to doing the things you loved to do.

Hi

I don't have pics but can tell you that the balance will come as you work your way through it.

I swim one handed and am up to 200 m as I'm qualifying for SCUBA certification. I also play squash, ride a bicycle, etc.

Sometimes I'm a bit wobbly and I have fallen, wiped out, etc. but no more than most people.

Please tell your husband to go and have some fun!

Regards,

Henry

That is so true. Just encourage him to keep practicing. You compensate and learn to balance the more you practice.

Hi Raina,

One of the things that really helps with balance is to get the arm secured down so it does not move at all when you are doing more physical activities like basketball.

(I know this sounds like a little self pro-mo for the sling we are building, but I only built it for this reason, to help others get physically active again. You can read about it under the "Athletic Arm Sling" thread. You can accomplish this other ways than buying the sling we build, we are just trying to make it easy)

The reason to keep the arm secure to your body is to help make it feel like part of your body and not flopping around, which not only reduces your balance, it also makes you think about your arm, rather than just focusing on the sport you are involved in.

I have done just about any sport I have wanted to over my 22 years, even lots of basketball.

As far as swimming, not that hard, just have to work a little harder because you are only using the one arm. Read the post on Triathlons, many of us are doing them and the swims are from 1/2 a mile to over a mile with some really good times.

What kind of pictures are you looking for? What sports? I am sure there are a few out there. I just did a tri today and should have a few good pictures as soon as they post the professional pictures. If he wants to call me to discuss the sports I have done and how I have done them, he can call me at 818-636-8109. I know there are many others who would be willing to help also.

Dan

Hello everybody,

Thank you for your response. I think it is encouraging enough for him to at least start trying.Dan, I am sure whatever you created must be very useful because I have heard a lot about it. The only problem is he does not feel very comfortable with a sling, because it invites comments and unwanted and sometimes pretty uncomfortable concerns fom others. He sticks his hand in the pocket and is happy that noone bothers him with unnecessary questions. However, I think it is high time he should do what he wants to do instead of holding back. Yesterday we had been to a volleyball match and his enthusiasm really showed that he would have loved to be a part of the game.
Dan, I would like some details regarding your sling. Is it waterproof? Would it cause over burden to the shoulder to bear the weight of the arm. Forgive me for being ignorant but I can only imagine what he and all of you are actually going through.
Also, its difficult to call you in US from India because we are half a hemisphere apart. So I would really appreciate if you could mail me or post in this forum the details you require for the sling.
As for pics I was hoping to show him pics of someone running or swimming or playing basketball with/without the sling which would definitely inspire him to carry on with the kind of life he wants to live.
Thank you all for being there

We started playing badminton yesterday.
Dan, I am interested in the sling that Heddi was weaing in the triathlon..
http://www.firstgiving.com/heddip
He showed interest in that sling and asked me to find out if that one would keep the arm tightly fixed in position. We are interested in something that will keep the arm lower at the leg level and not chest level. Are there any other slings of this sort? Will the measurements required be same?Please can I get to see more pics of Heddi's triathlon sling.
Thank you for those pics..It really got him off the couch!!


Message was edited by: RT

Unfortunately, I made my sling myself so it's not in production.

I do have instructions for making one on my yuku site:

http://images.yuku.com/image/jpeg/66436 ... 005c5e.jpg

I find it to be very secure, although it doesn't lift your arm back into the shoulder socket if that's needed. It does keep the shoulder from bouncing, so works really well for me.

To get a feel for how it works, have your husband hold his lower arm around his waste, holding the elbow in snug. If he feels comfortable jumping around or jogging in place like that then the sling should be enough support for him.

If his arm is still thicker/heavier (not as atrophied) he might want to try the first version I made, where the neoprene hand section was a longer sleeve that the whole forearm slipped into. I switched to the new one when I wanted something easier to get in and out of while my arm was wet (for triathlon).

Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions.

heddip@hotmail.com

That said, I have heard great things about Dan's sling, and know that it has worked for a lot of people. So far, I only know that mine works for me

Hey,

Personally, I think swimming the best sport ever, but I'm also rather biased. I swam before my accident so it just seemed natural to get back into it afterwards. The only difference is that now I don't use my right arm when I swim, but I like that I don't have to worry about my arm, it just floats along for the ride.

It's hard to tell, but here I am swimming breaststroke without use of my right arm: http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb73 ... 49_845.jpg
Pictures don't capture one armed swimming very well, though.

I encourage your husband to get back into sports, though! Swimming works for me, but there are so many great sports out there. Don't let him let a sling stop him from doing what he obviously enjoys.

I'd recommend running to. There are some great slings out there that really work well. Here is me after my last race (http://picasaweb.google.com/joel.rosinb ... 4522748002) and I'm running my first full marathon this weekend.

It is possible to be active and it makes you feel so much better.

Joel

RT

Getting back on track with this type of injury takes time but I am sure you guys will find the way. The sling Dan help to create is a really good option because is costume made for each individual plus it is designed by someone that know exactly what he need in a sling in order to work with this type of injury. In my personal experience what works for us in order to keep with fiscal activities is to secure your arm as good as possible so it dose not interfere in what ever you doing been badminton, going on a slide with your kids, running a marathon or even going dancing at night. It might not be as comfortable or look that nice but it sure will make the difference between staying at the bench looking at your kids rollerblade and actualy going with them rollerblading.
http://www.frappr.com/?a=myphotos&id=125232

From all the options out there Dan´s sling is a great option and I will suggest not missing the opportunity to try it out.

Saludos
Fernando