safety equipment (I fell..ouch)

[grog]

second worst time

Pete, it was first thing in the morning. We just packed and were headed out when it happened, I wasn't warmed up.

That is a good point about focusing. When I'm doing the steep stuff I really cncentrate on every move. Its even more fun when I get an anxiety attack, not only do I zero in on the rock but I also have to concentrate on slow, deep breaths to get over the scary part.

 

[zeke]

elbows

Coldfeet,

In January 2003, I was was standing on a ladder, clearing ice from my roof, when the ladder suddenly (like in a nanosecond) disappeared from under me and I was up there by myself in space. I came down on a slate sidewalk on my left elbow, which pulverized the olecranon, the pointy bone on the end that we think of as the funny bone. Nothing funny about it, though.

Emergency room. Emergency surgery. Arm immobilized for four weeks in two different casts. Three months of physical therapy just to get the arm to straighten out again, let alone try to get it back to where it was before the injury. So now I've got assorted hardware (metal plate, seven or eight screws, etc.) in my elbow pretty much for good. The arm is OK but will never be like it was.

The orthopedic guy said that elbows are particularly problematic. Unlike knees and shoulders, they don't like being immobilized in a cast for ANY amount of time because they tend to freeze up, and consequently they heal slowly and resist therapy. My injury might be more severe than what you describe, but the principle is the same: it's a sensitive area that takes its sweet time getting better.

Just as a footnote, my wife and I were coming down Sugarloaf Mt. in the Catskills in October and my feet went out from under me on some wet leaves. What did I land on? Rocks. Where did I land? Right on that elbow, full body weight. It still smarts.

 

[coldfeet]

Hey Pete..really sorry to hear that..I know how it feels to have a screw put in (ankle in 86 sliding into second base..still hurts) my elbow is feeling better now ,BUT as soon as i thought it was ok, I leaned on the table and jumped right out of my chair during dinner, incredible pain..take care!..

 

[Nonlegit]

Pete, I dont know if i can call you the man, but your stories are insane!

So far i have done some crazy stuff and pretty much never gotten hurt, ever. I lament the day when i will get hurt like you guys mention. My dads knees are shot from being a paratrooper+ mogul skiing, and i see him limp around after walking or lifting something. Oh well, you get hurt. I have fallen TERRIBLY mostly while riding my bike, including being hit by a bus going 20 miles an hour (my fault, i was being a jackass), and i have never broken a bone...