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lewmonst

Who's in the femur club? speak up...

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Since I broke mine, I've heard from a lot of people who have also broken theirs... And unfortunately I've heard of a handful since then. So if you're in the femur club, speak up.

I'd like to know... how'd you do it? did you get the rod? did you leave the rod in? how long till you jumped again?

all that good stuff... i'm 16 days past mine. it still hurts. if you didn't read the thread in incidents, it was a nasty reserve ride in Rantoul.
peace
lew
http://www.exitshot.com

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I broke mine when I was still in high school. Did that by momentarily being a bug on a bus' windshield. How? Jumping over the street on my BMX as the bus came around the corner:S

So what's my Femur Club number?:)
My other ride is the relative wind.

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Since I broke mine, I've heard from a lot of people who have also broken theirs... And unfortunately I've heard of a handful since then. So if you're in the femur club, speak up.

I'd like to know... how'd you do it? did you get the rod? did you leave the rod in? how long till you jumped again?

all that good stuff...



Low hook turn, Quincy 1998. Too low, the closest witness said I bounced three times...

Result was a Type IV comminuted fracture of my right femur. That's a total disconnect, btw. Surgery the next day put in a 14" titanium plate (can't use an intermedullary nail -- what folks call a rod -- when all the pieces don't exist) held in place with 9 screws; three 2 1/2" screws put the head of the femur back together and the whole was wrapped with two "cable ties". Six weeks later I had a bone graft done to fill in the big empty space and let me tell you, the donor site for that hurt worse than the shattered femur!

Six weeks later I started PT, with the orders from the Ortho Doc to the therapist to be "aggresive" in rehab.

I was walking with only a cane by Christmas, unaided by the New Year. Did not feel good enough to try jumping until late spring, did so the first Saturday after my birthday in May -- 9 months, 1 week and 1 day after breaking myself.

I sure don't think you'll have anything near that, you're half the age I was and in far better condition. :$

But I bet you won't work any harder than I did in PT!;)

Oh yeah, the hardware is all still in place, but I am considering a three month break to get it taken out -- like the good doctor told me, if it wants to be out, you'll know. Your mileage may vary, it's a far simpler procedure to remove a rod than all my extra pieces.

Faster horses, younger women, older whiskey, more money.

Why do they call it "Tourist Season" if we can't shoot them?

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My evil step-mother is now a member of the femur club. This probably isn't funny unless you've actually met the old bitch. But anyhow, my father got the gas pedal mixed up with the break pedal and accidentally ran over her the other day. Smashed the hell out of her leg. She's got pins, and rods, and screws, up the ying yang now. It's hard to talk about without snickering a little. Sometimes there is justice in life.......Steve1

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So if you're in the femur club, speak up.

I'd like to know... how'd you do it? did you get the rod? did you leave the rod in? how long till you jumped again?



I hooked it in on my 159th dive. I still dream about one day knowing as much about the sport as I thought I knew then..

I bust my left femur quite badly in 1987, on Valintines day... My shoe was under my chin. After some difficulty I managed to extract it - and noticed my foot was still in it. I clearly remember thinking.. "Not good."

It was pretty much smashed between the 2 joints. I had a plate down the side with 14 screws keeping all the bits together after a week in traction and a failed escape attempt. (I was in the UK and wanted to go home.)

The fracture was non load bearing for 4 months, and light load bearing (tap your toe on the ground when moving on crutches) for a further 2 months. I waited 6 weeks before I jumped again (stupid) but only did 20 something dives that year, more to save my sanity than any other reason. Canopies were also bigger back then and I only jumped in perfect (quite windy) conditions.

I was told I'd always walk with a limp, would need a stick etc. I trained VERY hard that year, and had the plate and screws out in December. I then waited a further 2 months to allow the "perferations" from the screws to close, and allow the new centre bone to become more load bearing and increase in density. During this time I behaved like a complete asshole, and alienated just about everyone who loved me. It's got to do with being treated like you're sick when you're not. Big difference between broken and sick. Try and explain it to people rather than just telling everyone to fuckoff. They really just want to help and can't begin to understand the frustration you're going through.

It's been 15 years since then, and I'm capable of doing everything I used to do (But my potential carreer as a Pro Cyclist came to an end and I've only cycled recreationally since.) I'm now starting to experience some spinal problems as a result of the injury.

Briefly, when 1 leg is shorter than the other (Mine is about a centimeter - or a little less than half an inch)
your Pelvis shifts to accomodate the difference. This puts your lower back out of allignment. If your abs are in good condition, the problem is transfered past the Lumbar and Thorasic Vertibrae and into the cervical range. I have severe disk deterioration between C5 and C7 and the vertibrae there have begun to fuse of their own accord. (Camera and hard openings are a possible contributing factor here) There is pain associated with this, usually in the neck, but also the lower back. Also, when they fix the femur, your knee may not be *perfectly* alligned. Mine's not. It's out by a fraction, but the daily wear matches the daily repair. I'm normally not aware of this, but last year I climbed Kilimanjaro, and during the week long climb and desent the wear exceeded the repair - as healing is slower at altitude - you're sleep deprived etc. This was painful, but not dibilitating, and really only became an issue on the way down. I just put more weight on my trekking poles, and it worked out fine.

I'm sure medical technology has learned a few things in the last 2 decades. Canopies are better too. You'll be up and running in no time. My repair is ugly, as I have a scar from the outside of my left knee to the middle of my hip. I've never seen a longer scar on anyone in the last 15 years. Iwas quite self consious of it at first, as I have a lot of kieloid, but now? Well.. it's history now.

I hope you heal well, and fast, and that the rest of your skydiving career is incident free. I've had a couple of scratches since then, but not even a sprained ankle in the last 15 years and 3750 plus jumps since the fracture.

t
It's the year of the Pig.

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My evil step-mother is now a member of the femur club. This probably isn't funny unless you've actually met the old bitch. But anyhow, my father got the gas pedal mixed up with the break pedal and accidentally ran over her the other day. Smashed the hell out of her leg. She's got pins, and rods, and screws, up the ying yang now. It's hard to talk about without snickering a little. Sometimes there is justice in life.......Steve1



HAHA.........are ya really sure it was a mix up with the pedals??

Roy
They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

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Femur club represent! Member since Christmas Eve 1999. 300 Jumps knew everything, jumping a Stilletto 135. Hooked it in good, I still remember what I thought to myself right when I realised I was gonna pound in "Dammit I just killed myself" Lucky for me I was wrong, and I have great video of it, my camera was on, and no one turned it off when they removed it.

Rod: Titanium, still have it today, I want it out but it's too expensive. They went in through the knee, but a lot of people I know had it put in through the ass. I have knee problems today because of it, i wish they went through the back. The only reason it didnt compound is because there wasnt enough to poke a hole, I shattered it all the way down, I even gave myself a black eye with my own foot as It flipped around and kicked me square in the eye.

All I got for Christmas that year was some Morphine and a Rod. But it taught me a good lesson.


Ray
Small and fast what every girl dreams of!

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hope you are healing well and you are up and jumping soon i think that you were videoing some of our jumpers on that jump.we have pics of you and one of our jumpers.if you would like these send me a pm with your address etc and i will get them to you.was really sorry to hear about your leg.get well soon***

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[

HAHA.........are ya really sure it was a mix up with the pedals??

Roy



Well, he's usually drunk most of the time, but I think the excuse was that his new medication was affecting him. I told my brother that it was too bad he didn't run over her head. This brought about many more chuckles.

Actually I shouldn't be joking around here. Femoring in under canopy is serious buisness. It sounds like a lot of jumpers have gone through hell recovering. I've got a lot of respect for those who have been hurt seriously and still jump.....Steve1

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representin'

I busted the 'ol femur in a sea-do crash, the day before my highschool grad in 98. I've got the Wolverine styles now as it's mostly made of metal. Set's off the detectors at the airport and warns me of incomming storms but for the most part, I am not reminded of it until girlies ask me about the little scar on my right butt cheek :P



My Karma ran over my Dogma!!!

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I broke the upper femur joint when I was 12.... falling off of a horse. Does that count? 4 Pins (since removed) and 3 years on cruches.:S



3 years on crutches?!

... was that the point where you realized the ability to fly wasn't one of your super powers? :D

tib/fib club here... 3 screws in one, 2 in the other!
it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality

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