United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

This should have been posted back in November of 2007, but better late than never! Reading Fernando's posts (about his great and honorable efforts to get us fat and lazy TBPIs up and at'em) reminded me that I've got work to do!!!

Well, Dan and I drove down to Mexico on invitation from Fernando and his lovely wife, Osbelia, for a great weekend of water-skiing, eating, drinking and all around good living at the end of October of last year. The three of them had the patiences and good will to put me back up on the water and drag me around beautiful river at Campo Mosqueda (about an hour south of Mexicali, north of the Sea of Cortez). It was a bit tricky getting used to one handed operations, and it had been 20 years since I had water-skied at all (aaoowwww I'm getting old, and I like it!), but all in all it really wasn't that difficult getting up and fooling around. I was really kind of amazed. I ended up not trying out Fernando's water-skiing harness, but am looking forward to giving it a go at some point down the road (had to make sure I had an excuse for Fernando to let me come back!).

It's all about making it happen anyway! I had a great experience hanging out with two great guys that have figured things out and made them work their own way, and refused to give up! It was really inspiring, and I'm extremely grateful! I know there are others out there that were athletic outdoor adventurers before they were injured, don't give in or give up, keep searching, creating, and sharing ways to do what you love, because every second that your not is another second lost and you've already lost enough!


Alright, so here's some of the action...
http://minotaur.smugmug.com/gallery/3694323#211517918

(I wish I could say it was me doing all the fancy foot work, but it was all Dan and Fernando, I was busy being schooled!)

Cheers,
Christopher




PS for those wanting to get back on the bike, I rigged up my old sweetness to ride mostly left handed. I have grip and limited wrist function, so I got an apparatus that enabled me to use the throttle (an extended platform that raps around the throttle grip and sits under the wrist). I have to lift my arm up and on to the handle bar and place my hand onto the throttle grip, but it works! It fell of a few times while on the go, but it was just a matter of drifting to a stop and putting it back up. I might put the throttle on the left hand as well if I feel it's too risky, but probably won't. The ride was two weeks total, up from LA to San Fransisco & back all along the Pacific Coast Highway to celebrate being alive and kicking 5 years after I dodged death. After a week I got excited (and bored because I could do more!) and was up to my old tricks, taking self portraits to remember when I was feeling my best and embracing my old state of New Hampshire's moto "Live Free or Die"!!!!

http://minotaur.smugmug.com/gallery/4137060#241411692

So Glad to see "Life" goes on!
Thanks for sharing. One day I hope to share my victory ride also.

Chris,
You are going to have to teach mr to water ski. Thats so awesome.
Do you just have wicked strength in your non injured arm or did you rig something up to help with the initial pull of getting up?

I went two years ago and almost got up then I pulled some muscles in my good arm and had to stop. Now I am absolutely not allowed to use my right arm because of a surgery I had but I still really want to go water skiing again. Feel like sharing your tricks?

Way to go! And thanks againg for sharing pics!
Hugs,
Amy 20 years old ROBPI from MN

Amy,
If I had to pull my fat but out of the water on my own, I never would have made it! Probably would've ripped my arm off trying, like you almost did. The two harnesses that Dan & Fernando had made both work different ways, but they both help out the same in taking some of the necessary weight off your shoulder. I only tried Dans out, which you can notice from the photos, wrapped around the waist and rear-end. I found it to be miraculously easier than imagined, once I got the idea of how it worked. The first couple of times were slow, but amazingly all I had to do was keep me hand tight around the strap that wrapped around the tow rope handle, and the harness pulled me out fine! All the "pull" is transfered to the strap and harness, you barely have to use your arms at all, just keep a firm grip in the tow rope handle! I was weighing in at about 220 back then, so it wasn't an easy task for the boat to handle.

I wish I got some photos of the actual harness and how the strap works, its quite simple but very effective. I'll take detailed pictures next time.

You'll get out there this summer and get up no problem, just got to get you making one of these two harnesses.

Hugs Back!

ooh I want to do it. I used to waterski as a young un, would love to try again, but not in the iciness of Lake Windermere where I last did it 30 odd years ago, somewhere niiiiice and warm. We could for a crip display team!
Jen NZ

Here's a link to the best photo I could find that shows Dan's harness in action.
Notice my hand wrapped around the strap that loops around the tow bar.
No real effort on the arm required! But you can still see the whites of my knuckles in fear!!!

I blew it up and cropped it... beware of pasty white thighs!!!!

http://minotaur.smugmug.com/gallery/369 ... 92487-A-LB

Chris,
is the piece that comes from the body to the handle bar, doe sthat just wrap around the bar, then when you let got release?

That looks awesome!!!! I dont think my doc would freak out if I used something like that. I just know I am not allowed to use my right arm at all.

please do take more pics the next time you go! I can not wait to go this summer!!! Especially since it is still below zero here, its so cold! Summer fun is much welcome!
Thanks again,
Amy

Subject: Re: Water Skiing... 3 TBPIs in Mexico!!!

Hi Amy,

Thought I would comment since it is my contraction, I actually sent Chris pictures of it up close so he can upload to his website and then link. Hopefully the close up pics will give you a better understanding of how the harness works. Until then, I will give it a go to answer a few questions.

The best way to describe the harness and answer your question is to say the harness holds the handle and you hold the harness. When you let go of the harness, it lets go of the handle. I have used it for over 20 years and have made many improvements to it over the years. The biggest improvement is in the piece that holds the handle, it releases very easy now and it also is much easier to hold.

The only time you have to exert much pressure is when you are getting out of the water, once you are up, you can hold the handle with as little force as one finger. Even when you are getting up, there is little to no stress on your arm, it is in your hand and fingers. If you start like Chris did with getting up on two skiis and then dropping one, even getting out of the water it relatively stress free on your hand. You might be able to tell by the pictures, but I am a bit heavy right now and weighted about 225 in the pictures and am skiing on a single short ski with double high wrap boots, it allows me to jump higher and also manuever the ski better. But it also makes getting up much harder, even with that being the case, I can hold onto the handle very easily and get out of the water without my arm having to do much of anything, just have to hold tight with my hand.

I will leave it at that for the time being, if and when someone would want to have one made and then use it, I could give a more detailed description on how to actually get up either on one or two skiis.

I also wanted to mention the harness Fernando uses, I know his works very well for him and allows him to ski without much tension on his arm, he can describe it better than I can.

Dan

Dan, thanks! I cant wait to see the pics, I want to make something like this for myself. I have always wanted to water ski but my dad never allowed me to try when I was little. Now I can do as I please and cant wait to try again. I was hoping to try again last summer but decided to have surgery instead and spent my summer rehabbing. So this summer, I cant wait to get back on the lake and have some fun!

Thanks again for the description, it makes perfect sense!
Hugs,
Amy
20 years old ROBPI from MN

Here are the pictures that Dan took of his harness.
Surprisingly simple, but very effective, and extremely durable.


http://minotaur.smugmug.com/gallery/3694323#246785205