#Hydrotherapy

[whatiswhump]

Christmas 1957, Alfred Finch

A continuation of this series

Hi I’m back :) and this one’s LONG and I’m proud of it. Yay happy holidays

***

“Merry Christmas, Alfie,”

His head had just been shaved again, lice were making their way through the wards. It made his cheeks look so hollow despite the paper crown that had been clumsily placed on his head by a nurse.

Words didn’t come right away to Fie so he nodded back to Sean. He was aware today though, Sean could tell.

Turkey and mashed potatoes were unceremoniously still strewn across his tin tray. So much for a holiday meal. Sean wished he would eat it though.

“Th- that’s why I’m wearing this?” A wry smile snuck in as Fie nodded to his flimsy holiday accessory.

Sean felt an instant warmth that made his heart swell and he laughed a bit too loudly, “Yes it's what they call it holiday cheer, although I think Eddie took the square of chocolate you got with it.”

The wry twist of Fie’s mouth remained a bit longer signifying what would be a strong response these days.

Sean had read the charts this morning, Harris’s crony, Capshaw, hadn’t given up on the hydrotherapy yet. He had been scheduled in for it nearly every day this week.

He was surprised Fie was okay enough to even be in the cafeteria considering his typical response to the treatment.

“Hey how about you eat a few more bites of the Christmas feast for me, eh?”

Fie’s eyes trailed down at the sloppily served bits of meat in tepid gravy and potato. But despite his hesitation, he didn’t disobey, he lifted his fork and got to work. It twisted something in Sean to see how easily he followed requests... when everyone else in the institution ignored this and acted like he was feral, immediately going for force before bothering to request.

“Also Sophie says hello by the way,”

His patient paused mid attempt to skewer some meat with a confused expression.

“My wife, I think I’ve mentioned her, she and I got married a few months ago, yeah?” That had been during the no contact stage.

This did seem to jog his memory, he nodded but still seemed surprised. Sean spoke about him outside of work?

As if he read his mind, Sean continued, “Yeah, I tell her about you, especially your paintings. She’s an art history professor you know… Anyway, she asked me to wish you a merry Christmas.”

Alfie paused completely, clearly half here-half somewhere else, lost in thought, “...What year is it?”

“It’s 1957 'bout to be 1958, buddy.” Sean didn’t like thinking what that entailed for his friend, nearly four years in here now. Where had the time gone?

He was four years older than Delano now.

“Merry Christmas, Alfred.” 

Both young men jumped slightly at the arrival of Dr. Harris, how long had he been close by?

Alfie just stared back at him frozen, some of that old fear was returning as well.

Harris smiled, “I am glad the nurses are spreading some cheer,” and gestured to Alfie’s ridiculous hat, “And I am glad to hear that you’ve been trying harder to tolerate the hydrotherapy Alfred. That is brave of you as we all know how much it has frightened you in the past.”

Fie looked down at his plate ashamed. He remembered that. Over and over. A room full of people- him bare and being forced into water by so many hands. Harris watching…

“Dr. Harris, I hope that you’ve had a pleasant holiday?” Sean politely responded after a few beats of silence and an awkward cough.

“Thank you, Sean, yes. In fact I will be off soon, the wife and children are expecting me for Christmas dinner. Just like to stop in today every year. The holiday can set many of our patients off, I like to be assured that everything is under control.”

Sean agreed with that, many patients preemptively were given extra sedation today. It made him a bit sad but then he remembered the alternative- them suffering unnecessarily- missing family, memories, some even waiting for a visit from Santa Claus that would never come… It was cruel to them. Such a happy happy day turned cruel.

Dr. Harris gave Sean what was probably meant to be a polite smile, “Sean, would you give Alfie and I a minute? I’ll call you back over if you’re needed.”

An alarm bell went off in his head but he could only say, “Sure, Doctor,” And then glance to Alfie, who was still looking at his plate and walk to the perimeter of the room to join a few of the other orderlies.

“Alfred, please be polite and put your fork down and look at me.”

Fie dropped his fork almost robotically and wrapped his hand in the other in his lap.

“What else did I ask?”

He dragged his eyes up to the doctor standing up above him. He was wearing a red and green tie.

“You have children?” It came out before he even realized it, surprising both of them.

Harris smiled in amusement, “Yes, I generally keep my personal life separate, part of the profession I am afraid. Two boys and a girl. The eldest is sixteen.”

Harris could see the cogs turning in his patient’s head, new information about a man he knew surprisingly nothing about. He prided himself in being strictly a doctor to his patients, nothing else, no extraneous details. It was all about the patients after all.

He loved how painfully clear some of Alfie’s thoughts could be. And this was such a nice little Christmas gift dropped into his lap, especially since his initial plan was just to discuss water therapy again.

“I can tell you are surprised, what are you thinking about right now?”

“And stop picking at your hands.” He added with a touch of sterness.

Alfie’s worrying hands stilled instantly. His eyes looked bigger when they clumsily shaved his head like this. It was a shame they didn’t do a better job, he could have been a handsome young man. Even still.

“It’s just that you’re always here- I didn’t think- I didn’t know-” That he had children of his own? That he was someone's father…

It was natural that Alfred would see him as a father figure, it happened with a lot of patients, it was difficult to avoid. 

“I know you see me as a father, Alfred. I’ve helped you and taken care of you, it’s natural.”

Then Fie looked surprised again.

“This is why you still need so much more therapy, you’re a clever boy but you’re not making the most simple connections related to your psyche.”

Fie wilted a bit and after a brief moment nodded back to Harris. Sean had told him to agree when he could, he said it would help.

“Now Dr. Capshaw will restart hydrotherapy again today- only one day off. If you cooperate in our next session when I return tomorrow maybe we can consider reducing those sessions.”

Alfie looked back to him and nodded in understanding. He really would like that. He was getting better at hydrotherapy but afterwards he still cried every time. And really anything to see less of Capshaw.

“That’s a good boy. Now behave the rest of today, the nurses have enough to deal with, and you don't want to be sedated- or worse get a lump of coal, on Christmas do you?” He said with a smile and bent over and ruffled his hat partially crumpling it where it sat on his head.

“Merry Christmas Alfred, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Harris beamed in his good cheer and turned on his heels to leave the hospital for what Alfie imagined was a roasted goose with all of the trimmings and three smiling children. 

Maybe he was a good father? Maybe he played catch in the backyard and read stories alloud by the fire?

A shiver went through him as he was lost in this thought, only to jump again when he felt a hand on his back.

“Just me, bud,” Sean’s voice rumbled kindly.

Alfie deflated a little in his seat, “He said I have to have treatment today.”

Sean’s eyebrows were creased as he came into his vision, rounding the table, “On Christmas? What do they say? No rest for the wicked?”

“Is that me or them that's the Wicked?” Alfie replied dryly but lacking the smirk a joke would require.

Sean elected to ignore the dour comment and move forward, “I was watching you though, you did a good job, I saw you nodding- agreeing- just like we talked about. I know it isn’t easy.”

“You said that before- at one point… I used to fight it?”

It was Sean’s turn to smirk, “Like a tomcat, a force of nature,” He replied with a tone of distinctive pride, “You really stuck it to them.”

“Sometimes I feel like I still want to…”

Sean paused, sensing the dangerous territory, “Fie, listen, that’s not a bad thing but-”

“But then they’d erase me again… I know. So I won’t.”

He sighed, “It’s just not fair, Fie. You should be able to fight and I should help you-”

“But it isn’t fair no matter what and if you’re gone...”

Fie was frankly amazingly lucid today. It was reminding Sean of how painful it could be when he was.... as opposed to the other special kind of torture of when he was out of it- this way he was aware of the injustice, the cruelty.

“You’re right,” Sean breathed out, feeling decidedly un-cheery.

As if reading his mind in turn Alfie responded with a wry smile that didn’t match his eyes, “Merry Christmas to us then.”

Sean then smiled bigger than he should have, “I do have one thing that might tip the balances of today…”

Alfie actually looked mildly curious.

“If you’ll do me the honor of escorting me back to your quarters, there may or may not be a surprise waiting there…”

Fie tried to suppress a small smile and nodded. He almost got up but then looked apprehensively at his tray, reflexively ready to be told to eat more.

“Clean plate club as far as I’m concerned.” Sean shooed him up gently with a smile. 

Fie wobbled a bit and wasn’t fast by any stretch of the imagination but when they made it back to his cell Sean gestured inside like a prize show girl.

Fie raised his eyebrows when with a cursory look nothing was visible. 

“You think I’d let the nurses take it home for themselves? Look a little closer-”

Alfie stepped inside as he had hundreds of times before. The only thing in the white cell was an iron bed with white sheets and a gray scratchy wool blanket. 

He looked back at Sean, now really confused.

“Check the sheets” Sean smiled.

So Alfie did, tucked right within was a small bundle…

Alfie immediately sat on his bed with the green wrapped bundle on his lap and then just stopped, staring at it.

“You can open it anytime,” Sean reminded him in a teasing voice.

Fie looked up at him, almost surprised again that he was there, already so distracted by this new object.

But he nodded minutely and looked back down to the parcel.

It was wrapped with a thin red and white twine bow that he gingerly pulled loose. Before it fell away he rubbed it with his fingers, savoring the touch.

Gingerly, so gingerly he began on the paper. There was no tape so at his little tug it easily came away. First visible was a card.

“Merry Christmas! From the Cyril’s” read in cheery red script around a green snow covered tree with little yellow lights dotting it. Fie’s finger brushed slowly over the pressed inks. After a long moment, he opened up the card and something fluttered out.

Sean jumped over to retrieve it and embarrassedly spluttered as he handed it back, “Sophie wanted to give you a card but each one has our snapshot in it for family and friends out of town- it’s corny, i know...” his cheeks were red.

Fie just silently took the thick glossy cutout back and stared at it. It was Sean, that he recognized, but bizarrely out of uniform, in a knit button-up leisure shirt. And a woman beaming at the camera in his arms below him. She was so happy- beaming wasn’t enough of a word to describe it. Her hair was done stylishly in medium curls that swept off her face and her dress, even in the black and white, was obviously colorful and jubilant.

They were beautiful.

He looked at the writing in the card, “Dear Alfred, Merry Christmas from us. Good tidings and continued wishes for your improving health. With cheers and fond wishes, Soph and Sean.”

The script was decidedly ugly which unexpectedly made Fie laugh, scrawled with sharp points and careless dots and crossed t’s, somehow even that was amusing and warm.

“Oh her writing? I know!! Apparently the nuns used to use a ruler on her hands in grade school for it- she thinks she’s talented for it!” Sean laughed warmly.

Fie closed the card and smiled at Sean, “Thank you, Sean.” He couldn’t believe they would give him this, it was almost too kind.

“Well thats just the card! Look at the rest!” Sean replied giddily.

And sure enough, to his surprise, (as he had forgotten about the lumpiness of the parcel) there was more. First was a little pie, the size of a hand and absolutely delicious looking, then… a tiny notebook, again no larger than a hand with a little pencil fit into the spine. 

Fie picked up the notebook, dumbfounded. Green leather bound with tissue thin pages turned over and over in his hands.

“Mostly for drawing…. If you ever felt like it when i can’t take you to the art room but also I don’t know...” Sean rubbed the back of his neck, “For remembering things you don’t wanna forget- important things-”

Fie shifted the contents of his lap beside him to jump up and hug Sean but clumsily more fell into him than anything.

“Thank you-” He mumbled into the warm winter uniform sweater, “Thank you.”

Sean held him securely, “Merry Christmas bud, you probably deserve a helluva lot more than this.”

---

@cursedscribbles @voidwhump @castielamigos-whump-side-blog @aliceinwhumperland @whump-it @professional-idiocy @ziptiewhump @angrystudentgoopfire @jaxonjekkels @clubbem @simplygrimly @whole-and-apart-and-between @bumpthumpwhump @rosesareviolentlyread @whumpasaurus101 @hurting-fictional-people @burtlederp @thelittlegirlwithcurlyhair @crystalquartzwhump @rotfern @sentientpileofmoss

[postcard-from-the-past]

Hydrotherapy establishment in the Auteuil neighbourhood of Paris

French vintage postcard, mailed in 1907 to Ivry

[danskjavlarna]

Source details and larger version.

Here’s my gallery of unusual imagery from vintage college yearbooks.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

🤍🐘🤍

[kemetic-dreams]

David Ruggles was born in Norwich, Connecticut in 1810. His parents, David Sr. and Nancy Ruggles, were free African Americans. His father was born in Norwich in 1775 and worked as a journeyman blacksmith. His mother was born in 1785 in either Lyme or Norwich and worked as a caterer. Ruggles was the first of eight children.

In 1826, at the age of sixteen, Ruggles moved to New York City, where he worked as a mariner before opening a grocery store. Nearby, other African-Americans ran grocery businesses in Golden Hill (John Street east of William Street), such as Mary Simpson (1752-March 18, 1836). After 1829, abolitionist Sojourner Truth (born Isabella ("Bell") Baumfree; c. 1797 – November 26, 1883) also lived in lower Manhattan. At first, he sold liquor, then embraced temperance. He became involved in anti-slavery and the free produce movement. He was a sales agent for and contributor to The Liberator and The Emancipator, abolitionist newspapers.

After closing the grocery, Ruggles opened the first African American-owned bookstore in the United States. The bookstore was located on Lispenard Street near St. John's park in what is today the Tribeca neighborhood. Ruggles' bookstore specialized in abolitionist and feminist literature, including works by African-American abolitionist Maria Stewart. He edited a New York journal called The Mirror of Liberty, and also published a pamphlet called The Extinguisher. He also published "The Abrogation of the Seventh Commandment" in 1835, an appeal to northern women to confront husbands who kept enslaved African women as mistresses.

Ruggles was secretary of the New York Committee of Vigilance, a radical biracial organization to aid fugitive slaves, oppose slavery, and inform enslaved workers in New York about their rights in the state. New York had abolished slavery and stated that slaves voluntarily brought to the state by a master would automatically gain freedom after nine months of residence. On occasion, Ruggles went to private homes after learning that enslaved Africans were hidden there, to tell workers that they were free. In October 1838, Ruggles assisted Frederick Douglass on his journey to freedom, and reunited Douglass with his fiancé Anna Murray. Rev. James Pennington, a self-emancipated slave, married Murray and Douglass in Ruggles' home shortly thereafter. Douglass' autobiography 'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass' explains "I had been in New York but a few days, when Mr. Ruggles sought me out, and very kindly took me to his boarding-house at the corner of Church and Lespenard Streets. Mr. Ruggles was then very deeply engaged in the memorable Darg case, as well as attending to a number of other fugitive slaves, devising ways and means for their successful escape; and, though watched and hemmed in on almost every side, he seemed to be more than a match for his enemies."

Ruggles was especially active against kidnapping bounty hunters (also known as "blackbirds"), who made a living by capturing free African people in the North and illegally selling them into slavery. With demand high for slaves in the Deep South, another threat was posed by men who kidnapped free blacks and sold them into slavery, as was done to Solomon Northup of Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1841. With the Vigilance Committee, Ruggles fought for fugitive slaves to have the right to jury trials and helped arrange legal assistance for them.

His activism earned him many enemies. Ruggles was physically assaulted and his bookshop was destroyed through arson. He quickly reopened his library and bookshop. There were two known attempts to kidnap him and sell him into slavery in the South. His enemies included fellow abolitionists who disagreed with his tactics. He was criticized for his role in the well-publicized Darg case of 1838, involving a Virginia slaveholder named John P. Darg and his slave, Thomas Hughes.

Ruggles suffered from ill health, which intensified following the Darg case. In 1841, his father died, and Ruggles was ailing and almost blind. In 1842, Lydia Maria Child, a fellow abolitionist and friend, arranged for him to join a radical Utopian commune called the Northampton Association of Education and Industry, in the present-day village of Florence, Massachusetts.

Applying home treatment upon hydropathic principles, he regained his health to some degree, but not his eyesight. He began practicing hydrotherapy, and by 1845, had established a "water cure" hospital in Florence. This was one of the earliest in the United States. Joel Shew and Russell Thacher Trall (R.T. Trall) had preceded him in using this type of therapy. Ruggles died in Florence in 1849, at the age of thirty-nine, due to a bowel infection

[diaperalex]

☀️Summer 2023 is coming soon! Try this: let yourself float safely in a life jacket, releasing all stress, breathe, and watch the sky. Simple, and great tool to beat anxiety. 👍

#beatanxiety #autismawareness #mecfswarrior #mecfs #lifejacket #lifejackets #lifejacketswag #giletdesauvetage #flytväst #chalecosalvavidas #vestedeflottaison #floatinglifejacket #abdlcommunity

[yukiwhitetm]

I had my first hydrotherapy appointment today (think like physiotherapy but in a pool that has slightly more warmth and pressure than usual). It was far more successful than any prior physiotherapy appointments have been, where my pain was too much for me to even be able to do any of the exercises. But...

As I stepped into the pool, I felt surge of joy from being in the water (I used to swim a lot, I had the swimming cup at school and I even earned the lifeguard qualification when I was eighteen) and a welling up of fear (my accident was on a waterslide at a swimming park). Swimming has long been a great love of mine; I used to be able to hold my breath and swim along the bottom of the pool from one end to the other. Water has hurt me before... and left me like this, disabled.

I'm exhausted now. But I must edit a TikTok video for tomorrow. Only I wasn't able to record something new so all I can think of is to edit my previously recorded summary for my original story Shattered into its own video with no fluff around it.

If you are interested, my TikTok is @k_lange_r - feel free to follow me on there!

[yournewfriendshouse]

for those interested in the hydrotherapy adventures by the way things have been going good. the first six weeks, it was week on week off for various reasons and even though it took a bit of juggling to see what was too much and what was too little we’re getting there. and even that, like literally thirty minutes of super light exercise in water every 14 days saw results of having some better balance and not leaning so heavily on my cane which is great.

I kept trying to stay to witness some of the stretches that came after I got tuckered out every week and this week he consented to bring those forward so I could do them and they were some really great hand and neck exercises that I’m really excited about—esp as I was drawing all day yesterday so my fingers were sore

other good news is that I’ll receive a booklet at the end so that a) I’ll be able to carry them on afterwards but also I’ll share them with you :3

anyway I’m probs going to be so tuckered out in a few days but today was great haha

[spoonies-and-knives]

Had my first (out of three) session of hydrotherapy today. Why did no one tell me how cool it is?! I mean it's not a cure or anything but it sure does make me feel better

[benefits-of-hydrotherapy]

The Healing Power of Hydrotherapy: Enhancing Physical Wellness

If you've been searching for a natural way to enhance your health and wellbeing, hydrotherapy can help with aches, pains, and other common maladies. Warm water has been used for generations as a treatment for a wide range of physical and mental ailments. More importantly, how can it be of use to you?

The Physical Wellness Benefits of Hydrotherapy

Relieving Muscle Tension and Promoting Relaxation: Hydrotherapy pool, through the use of warm water immersion, can help relieve muscle tension and induce relaxation. The warmth of the water relaxes the muscles, increases blood flow, and improves oxygenation, leading to reduced muscle soreness and stiffness. Whether it's a relaxing soak in a hot tub or a soothing hydrotherapy session, the water's buoyancy and heat can work wonders for your physical well-being.

Boosting Circulation and Easing Pain:

Improved circulation is another significant benefit of hydrotherapy. The warm water causes blood vessels to dilate, enhancing blood flow throughout the body. This increased circulation helps deliver vital nutrients and oxygen to the muscles and organs, promoting healing and reducing pain. Hydrotherapy has been shown to alleviate chronic pain conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, and lower back pain.

Enhancing Joint Mobility and Flexibility:

Hydrotherapy offers a low-impact environment for exercise, making it an ideal option for individuals with joint conditions or limited mobility. The water's buoyancy reduces the effects of gravity on the body, allowing for easier movement and less strain on the joints. Hydrotherapy exercises, such as water aerobics or gentle stretches, can help improve joint mobility, flexibility, and range of motion.

Stress Reduction and Improved Sleep:

The soothing nature of hydrotherapy can have a profound impact on mental and emotional well-being. Immersing yourself in warm water stimulates the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good hormones, which helps alleviate stress and promote relaxation. Regular hydrotherapy sessions can contribute to improved sleep quality, reduced anxiety, and an overall sense of well-being.

Accelerating Recovery from Injuries:

Hydrotherapy is widely recognized for its effectiveness in accelerating recovery from injuries. The combination of warm water, buoyancy, and hydrostatic pressure helps reduce swelling, improve blood circulation, and support the healing process. Whether you're recovering from a sports injury, surgery, or a sprain, hydrotherapy can aid in rehabilitation, helping you regain strength and mobility faster.

What advantages does hydrotherapy offer?

The warm pool water promotes better blood flow to the muscles, which in turn helps them relax and reduce pain and stiffness.

The water's pressure may have anti-inflammatory effects.

Due to the water resistance, the workout helps enhance strength and muscle mass.

Because endorphins are released, it can help with mental health.

Conclusion:

Hydrotherapy offers a multitude of benefits for physical wellness, ranging from muscle relaxation and pain relief to improved circulation and joint mobility. Whether you choose to unwind in a hot tub, participate in water aerobics, or explore other hydrotherapy techniques, incorporating this practice into your routine can positively impact your overall physical well-being. Stay tuned for our next blog, where we will delve deeper into the specific hydrotherapy techniques and exercises you can try to reap these incredible benefits.

Disclaimer: It's essential to consult with a healthcare professional before beginning any new wellness regimen, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions or are pregnant.

For more information about our Hydrotherapy Pool and the Benefits of Hydrotherapy, please contact Greenfield Physiotherapy. What are you waiting for? Call us now at 02 9610 1497 to discuss our hydrotherapy treatment plan.

Source:

[maruthamuthu]

Aqua Jogging T-Shirts

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced athlete, the Aqua Jogging T-Shirts Collection is the perfect choice for anyone looking to enhance their aquatic workouts.

[aquahaven]

Aquahaven Spas is a company that specializes in designing and manufacturing premium quality hot tubs and swim spas. With a focus on innovation, performance, and design, Aquahaven Spas offers a range of products that provide a luxurious and relaxing spa experience in the comfort of your own home. Their products are designed to enhance the health and wellness of their customers, providing a therapeutic hydrotherapy experience that can alleviate stress, improve circulation, and relieve pain. The company is committed to using only the highest quality materials and components, ensuring their products are durable, reliable, and long-lasting. Whether you're looking for a hot tub for relaxation or a swim spa for exercise, Aquahaven Spas has a product that can meet your needs and exceed your expectations.

[sidewalkchemistry]

The Power of Walking, Cold Showers, and HIIT

(sneak peek) Our next challenge will be inspired by some of these ideas...with fitness & food changes. It'll be all about investing in yourself 💓

[rockythebullterrier]

Here are 3 Senior Dog activities to keep them sharp

Here are 3 Senior Dog activities to keep them sharp

We all love our dogs and we wish they can live by our side and retire with us but unfortunately, our furry companions age much faster than we do. As our dogs begin to advance in age, we want to make sure we keep them healthy and fit both physically and mentally (and maybe even spiritually if your dog does yoga and meditation like Rocky the Traveller does!) Keep your dog going strong and healthy…