gale 0 #1 April 20, 2002 Well, today I did turns for the first time in freefall!!! Yay! It went pretty well and I passed the level. Not perfect, but I'll take it.For those of you who read my thread in safety and training, yes I manged to slow my fall rate some. With a bigger suit and an attempt to dearch, my fall rate went from 150mph to 131mph belly to earth!Also, I actually landed ON the field (near the centre, our field is not that big) this time!!! Much better then before. BUT (and it's a big one) I flared to early, and we all know what happens when you flare to early on a day with no wind, you slam into the grownd; which is what I did. To make matters worse, I forgot the training that I used, oh so many times before, to keep your feet and knees together on landing. So I sprained my ankle. Bad. Doc says it's as bad as a break and it will take as long to hearl. It hurts, a lot. Now I'm out of commision for weeks, and just at the beginning of the season, when I could actually get some good jumping in and get some consistency going. Anyway, I'm mostly mad at myself for being so dumb. I just can't beleive it. So, I turn to you, my skydiving bretheren to help me through this self punishment phase I'm going through. I know lots of people injur themselves, but I was really hoping I wouldn't have to expereince that part of the sport on my 12th jump!GaleLife's not worth living if you can't feel alive Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dove 0 #2 April 20, 2002 No need to punish yourself - that is a great way to learn a lesson (albeit the HARD way!) You can rest assured you'll never make that mistake again! Be good to your ankle, read lots of articles and watch lots of videos and keep yourself emotionally and educationally current. You'll be back before you know it! I can't believe it's been 12 weeks since I shattered and compressed my tibial plateau. I never thought I'd make it that long! SO just do exactly as the doctor orders and you'll heal up lickety split! sending you my healing vibes............dove Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymedic 0 #3 April 20, 2002 don't sweat it gale..you'll be back soon enough...no rush. get healed up THEN jump like a cat on a hot tin roof......Cheers....vasbytmarc"I have no fear of falling, I just hate hitting the ground"-The Badlees... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skyrose7 0 #4 April 20, 2002 I feel for ya. Keep your head up, and utililize your time to learn new things. :) At least you'll get something out of this.SMILE!The mind is like a parachute--it works better when it is open. JUMP. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #5 April 20, 2002 Awe heck! Sorry about the ankle Gale.....take the opportunity to learn how to do something while your'e healing.....hum packing maybe?Cheers!It only takes a little pixie dust...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ShortBus 0 #6 April 20, 2002 BEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!do people owe beer for the first time you owe beer???=) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viking 0 #7 April 20, 2002 "For those of you who read my thread in safety and training, yes I manged to slow my fall rate some. With a bigger suit and an attempt to dearch, my fall rate went from 150mph to 131mph belly to earth!"You tryin to make a move punk! I too was clocked doing 150 During my aff progression. Its great fun watching the high timers jaws hit the deck! oh ya this is what i looked like in freefall THE ArchI swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dove 0 #8 April 20, 2002 Really Viking... did you really need to post that pic again? It is permanently etched in my memory. I filed it away in my "holy s$#%@!" file! Hey - I'm VERY flexible too... wanna experiment?!?!?!gumby dove Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viking 0 #9 April 20, 2002 "Hey - I'm VERY flexible too... wanna experiment?!?!?!" MOST CERTAINLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #10 April 20, 2002 I busted up my ankle too this spring... it took about 8 weeks till i could run on it... just take the meds, take time to rest and don't push it. I tried to lose the crutches too early and while walking my ankle collapised and i fell down in the middle of the hall way at work and needed carried to my cube till some one could get me my crutches.... just be smart... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Donna 0 #11 April 20, 2002 Congrats on passing your level 2, Gale, but sorry to hear about your ankle. That sucks. I can relate to the frustration of having to wait because of injuries. On my second jump I broke my tailbone. That wasn't too bad... only 3-4 week wait. Then on my 20th jump (Oct. '00) I fell out of the tree I landed in and wrecked my back. Just when I went to start again (April '01) after that I fell while painting at the DZ and tore some ligaments in my knee. That was another 2 month wait. I jumped the rest of the summer and then had surgery on that knee last November and now I'm waiting for July to get here so I can get back in the sky. Hang in there. The sky will still be there. You should have plenty of good jumping weather days left this summer after you heal. It's a good idea to still hang out at the DZ though. Learn how to pack, watch and listen to others and keep touching base. I find it helps during injury lay offs. Good luck!Blue Skies,D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gale 0 #12 April 20, 2002 Yeah, I'll try. I've got a final on Monday so I can't take any pain meds as they wouldn't let me study. But after that I'm taking a week off of everything and I'm just going to do the physiotherapy. I'm hoping I can be back an a lot sooner than eight weeks.You're telling me that I owe beer for spraining my ankle!!!!! I think people should owe me beer for that, it makes more sense, I can drink it and try to forget about the pain. Actually, the guys out at the dz were really nice, one of them stayed with me in the hospital and drove my car home and another one drove me home! I told them I would get them whatever they wanted (they didn't want beer).Thanks for the positive vibes, I needed some and that's why I posted! My friends already think I'm crazy and now that I've injured myself that impression hasn't exactly improved, if you know what I mean. But, now I'm doing turns in the air and that kicks ass. I'm going to try to concentrate on that. GaleLife's not worth living if you can't feel alive Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dove 0 #13 April 20, 2002 Wow Donna! Your skydiving experience sounds even crazier than mine! I hope you and I have reached our quotas for accidents/injuries. How is your knee? Are you walking on it? Is July when your doctor said you could go back or is that a date you decided on? I know I seem really nosey but I am knee-obsessed right now. Hope all of us injured chicks have a good healing weekend! We can live vicariously through Wildblue who waited all of 10 seconds (long enough to eat a piece of purple cast cake) to ditch his cast and gear up for his first jump. Fly, Wildblue, FLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!gimpy dove Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #14 April 20, 2002 Sorry to hear about your injury. I guess you won't do that again though..."It's all about the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gale 0 #15 April 20, 2002 I may just get "feet and knees together" tattooed someplace. And no, I really don't plan on doing this again.The kicker, by the way, is that I was actually really close to the target for like, the first time ever. While I'll take my far away happy landings over this close one anyday. GaleLife's not worth living if you can't feel alive Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #16 April 20, 2002 QuoteI was actually really close to the target for like, the first time everPlowing into the peas with your face doesn't count....."It's all about the BOOBIES!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wndrer73 0 #17 April 20, 2002 QuoteMy friends already think I'm crazy and now that I've injured myself that impression hasn't exactly improved, if you know what I mean.I know EXACTLY what you mean! I broke my leg too on my AFF-L2 jump (tibia fracture, out of commission for the last month and more), almost every whuffo said, "I told you so!"Well, finally after one person at work said, "I guess this will teach you never to skydive again!", I replied back with "No, this will teach me how to make a good landing so THE NEXT TIME I SKYDIVE I won't break my leg."He just shook his head and walked away mumbling to himself, and THAT FELT GOOD!So don't worry about what everyone else thinks -- what matters is what you love to do, and that's jumping out of perfectly good airplanes and FLYING!I just started walking again yesterday (WOOHOO!) -- as soon as I'm healed completely I'm heading back to the dropzone and finishing what I started -- in fact I can't wait! But hang in there, and like someone said, the sky will always be there, you'll be in it before you know it!"Welcome to the sky!" -- My video/photographer, after my second tandem jump Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Donna 0 #18 April 21, 2002 Hey Dove - I sure hope we've reached our quotas, too! My knee is doing ok. I am walking fine and can run a bit but still have to be very careful of any impact stuff. They reconstructed my ACL with a graft from my hamstring and it takes up to 2 years to get set or whatever. I have 2 surgeons. One said I had to wait until November (a whole year). He is on the conservative side. My other one said 6-9 months so I kind of decided to plan on 7 months (july). At my last appt. that doctor thought July looked good. With this good weather we've recently had I've been really tempted to just try now anyway. Thing is walking on uneven ground or any twisting or turning motion still hurts and my graft is still pretty vulnerable at this point. I guess the graft they put in dies and your body makes a new one. This usually happens around 3-4 months that's why all doctors like you to wait at least 6 months for any sports. I'm sure people have jumped sooner but with my luck I know I'll screw it up somehow and I don't want to have to start all over again. I'm working hard strengthening my quads and hamstrings and hoping my leg will be strong enough by July to jump my butt off for the rest of the summer and fall.How are things going for you? When can you jump again?Blue Skies,D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lindsey 0 #19 April 21, 2002 Just remember, it could be worse.....it could've been like that guy's ankle (bone) that I saw a few weekends ago.....bloody, muddy bone stickin' through isn't a pretty sight.....Sorry about your ankle, though.....it stinks to have to hobble around and stuff.....you'll get back in the air soon enough, though.....Peace~Lindseysome days it's just not worth gnawing through the strapshttp://home.earthlink.net/~linzwalley Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
