Stuck In A Pool

Virginia law dictates that, should schools start before Labor Day, the Friday and the Monday must be provided for vacation.  Given a four day weekend, Scott and I decided to squeeze one final adventure into our summer. When I found out that Night Ranger was playing at the Maryland State Fair, our plans were made. Friday afternoon we packed up the family and headed north.

Scott and Robby had plans to see Night Ranger in the evening, so we decided to spend the afternoon playing and swimming in the hotel pool. We all had a great time splashing around and swimming. Despite being a holiday weekend, the pool was empty so we had free reign. After a few hours, we realized that it was time to get out so that the boys could get to the concert on time.  

Because of my wonky leg and socket issues, I don't have a swim leg at the current time. Although my regular prosthesis is waterproof, I wasn't keen on wearing a wet leg and liner for the rest of the day. Instead I opted to remove my prosthesis and liner before sliding into the pool. I thought it was a great idea, until I realized that I had failed to plan for how I was going to get out of the pool.

The ladder was missing a rung, which meant that I couldn't put my knee up to get leverage. The walls were too high to lift myself to the edge. I quickly became embarrassed and frustrated as I realized my predicament. I was stuck in the pool!

After much debate, I agreed to use the pool lift. Scott went to get it lowered into the pool only to discover an "out of order" sign. At this point, my frustration was turning into ire. I hated that I couldn't get out of the pool by myself, and I despise feeling helpless and vulnerable.  

I ended up contorting into some unflattering poses, especially for somebody in a swimsuit, but I managed to pull myself to the side of the pool. Robby laid down towels so that I could crawl to the chair to don my liner and leg. I felt humiliated crawling on the floor and I was grateful that only my family stood as witnesses. 

I am going to make sure I bring a spare leg from now on, because I never want to have to crawl across a pool patio again!