I got to the bottom and realized they had built a wide mound there like
a single whop-de-doo. There was a spot between it and the end of the
pipe, but there was a large tree soon after and I wasn’t sure I
would be able to negotiate around it. To the left there was a bit of
overlap w/ my angle and w/ my speed, I’d be launched at a weird
angle. So I decided to go straight over. I hit the knoll at about
35-40 mph and got about 20 ft up in the air. I tucked my feet to my
chest (my comfortable air position) and then stuck my legs out instead
of down. I probably would have been fine if I were on a black diamond
slope, but since it was a flat blue, I landed in a sitting position.
I couldn’t move, it felt like I landed in a big bomb hole and
berried my legs, but that didn’t make sense because I could see
the toes of my boots. About thirty seconds later my back started
hurting like crazy. After 5 min. of screaming “HELP!!!!!!”
like a broken record someone on the chairlift 50 yrds away said
they’d tell the ski patrol.
15 minutes later and the patrol got there. Another hour and I got to
the bottom of the hill, and I’m like “Great, now I can get
some morphine and get rid of some of this pain!🙂” But I was
practically hyperventilating consequently they were having difficulty
getting my vitals. “Calm down, take slow deep breaths and we can
probably give you some morphine,” one of the medics said. I gave
up after a couple of minutes, then endured the bumpy one hour ride w/
chains to the Tuckee hospital, and finally got some morphine.
A several hour ambulance ride to South Lake Tahoe (I presume because
that’s where I lived), where a competent doctor realized I had a
broken back and had me airlifted to Washoe Medical Center in Reno.
Result: Two broken skis, compression fracture of my first lumbar, four
titanium rods and bolts on my spine so L1 can float, and a wheelchair.
Six months later I could walk w/ trekking poles and ride my bike w/
mounting assist., another couple of years, I went to one pole w/ the
help of AFO’s (mine has a spring loaded hinge I think one 'like
this ' (http://www.deedoe.us/glossary.html)would be better for uni) and
went mtb, then a couple of years ago went to no poles (except for
hiking). My lower legs, glutes, and hips are almost completely
paralysed.
On April 14 of last year I started learning to uni. I ride almost
every day, doing pretty challenging stuff the whole time, but progress
is extremely slow. I still can’t free-mount or take my feet off
the pedals and adjusting my foot position is very difficult. I can
ride backwards, SIF, and SIB a little bit though.
I hope to get a really powerfull EMS unit (similar to 'this one'
(http://www.buyamag.com/muscle_builder.htm#1304-d), but has DC output
and costs $1000) by September and strengthen what muscle is there, and
be better prepared for a hopefull trip to CMW (determined by finances,
not my legs).
--
skilewis74
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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