I Broke my Fibula and Tibia Mar. 9 at Squaw :(

[lisaski]

Hi,

It was a beautiful spring day. I was in Tahoe alone on this weekend. I skied the steep groomers at Squaw Valley in the morning until the snow softened up. Before lunch, I started hitting some of my favorite runs - North Bowl off of Headwall, the Funnel, a run on Granite Chief. Then I thought Silverado would have the soft snow. It gets a lot of morning sun. I went there with the intent on doing the bump run under the lift, but saw very soft snow that is lightly tread on above the cliffs, skiers right of the lift line. I felt confident and excited to find such soft snow. So, I took off with the intent of ripping up the steeps. I skied it much too aggressively (heavy on my tips) and one of my skies went too deep in the soft snow. It tripped me up and I fell into a slide skis first straight toward a large exposed rock. I tried to arrest my slide by jamming my left ski into the snow. It stuck fast just above the rock, catapulting my body into the air and twisting my lower leg. I felt my left leg break just before my skis released. I flew over the rock and was now sliding head-first toward the cliffs about 200 feet below. I was able to roll on my back to get my feet below me and used my right boot and hands to slow my slide to stop. It was a super scary fall. People on the lift in the distance yelled to see if I was okay. I said no and asked them to call ski patrol. I called my partner on my cell phone while I was waiting for ski patrol and told her that I think I just broke my leg.

Ski Patrol was awesome! I was stuck in such a steep area that they had to dig a ledge in the snow to put the sled on. It took three of them to guide the sled through the steeps to the lift below. I was in the clinic at the base in about an hour. By then, the pain was awful, but bearable when I kept my leg still. The xrays showed that I really had a severe break extending from my ankle joint through the middle of my fibula all the way up past my shin. My tibia was broken just below the knee. The nurse in the clinic was awesome. She was very concerned that I was four hours from home alone with only me to rely on to get me home. I was intent on getting home and through my will, I just told her that if they could splint my leg really good that I could make it home. She gave me an injection of an anti-inflammatory that has a non-narcotic pain reliever. It took the edge off enough to allow me to drive myself home with a broken leg. Believe me, I am no hero. But, when I find myself in a position where I have to count on me to get me to a safe place, I somehow find the courage. That night, I had vicodine to help me with pain. But, everytime I fell to sleep, I would relive the experience of sliding toward those cliffs and I would move my legs having the pain wake me up. It was awful. I'm still scared when I think about it.

I had surgery two days later. They had to implant a nine inch long metal strip with fifteen screws along my fibula to put the bones in place for healing. That was over two weeks ago. Pain is subsiding. I still have to keep weight off of my left leg for four more weeks. I'm doing okay for the most part - healing well. I have emotional scars though. How do I deal with that? I'm hoping that in time, I'll get my confidence back. I've been afraid to leave the couch/bed.

Skiing is such a huge part of my life. I'm obsessed with the sport. I love it and can't live without doing it. The day I got hurt was my 34th day of skiing this season. Most of my days were in Utah. It's been an awesome season.

Have any of you come back from this type of injury? If so, I would love to correspond with you. To me, one of the worst parts of breaking my leg like this is the uncertainty of whether I will be able to ski again the way I used to. I want to be able to enjoy off-piste skiing on steep terrain again. It seems so scary to me now to imagine me ever returning to the type of terrain that I have typically skied.

Lisa

 

[pinto]

OMG ... so glad you are still in (relatively) one piece. Best of luck with the recovery. And at least it happened toward the end of the season? (Desperately looking for the silver lining here ...)

 

[mollmeister]

Wow. That sounds scary, and it also sounds like you are doing well, all things considered. Good for you for being a brave, tough lady!

I haven't (knock wood, please, please, please) suffered much more than sprains and strains and bad bruises and the odd bloody lip/nose skiing, but I know from friends and my Dad that it can take a while to get over both the physical and emotional stuff when you have a bad accident.

My Dad broke his tibia (I think that's right) in a couple of places, just below the knee, almost 14 years ago. He was in the Back Bowls at Vail, skiing one of the steeper lines, on the edge of some trees, fell, slid, luckily didn't hit the trees. . . but his binding didn't release. He was always a moderately cautious skier, but was on a *guys trip,* pushing his envelope a little, and skiing faster and harder than he usually did.

The rehab took a while. He was traveling every week for business then, and scheduling around PT appointments and dealing with the airport was interesting on crutches and in various casting devices and braces. But he found a silver lining, in that the helpful people of the world were really, really helpful, and he made some amazing contacts at the airport and his regular travel haunts.

It took him probably 5-6 years to get back to skiing. But that was because of his head, not because of his knee. And now he says that he wished he'd listened to me a lot sooner, and just gotten out there. Once he was back on the hill again, he loved it again, immediately, but he was considerably more cautious, and had some barriers to cross, mentally. But he says, definitively, that the six intervening years made his fears/trepidation worse, not better, and he should have put skis back on just as soon as he could.

He's now 65 and still skiing, usually with me. And BOY are we glad he's back out there.

I know there are ladies here who can speak to this more personally, but I thought I would chime in with a get well and a you can do it!

 

[Kiragirl]

OMG ... so glad you are still in (relatively) one piece. Best of luck with the recovery. And at least it happened toward the end of the season? (Desperately looking for the silver lining here ...)

ditto! So sorry, that's sounds super scary too. Now, I have to shake off your story before going out there tomorrow.
Good luck with recovery, treat yourself to something nice.

 

[vanhoskier]

Once you can physically get back out there, do it. Even if it's just skiing groomers. Just get on the skis. Then, when you go to the steep off-piste stuff, make sure you have someone experienced (a patroller or instructor, preferable someone you know well) with you for your first time. Tell them what's up. Have them talk you through a few runs.

The mental stuff can be so much harder to beat than the physical stuff. Mind over matter, mind over matter, mind over matter.

I haven't had a bad skiing accident, but I've had bad cycling accidents, and dealing with the mental fear is the biggest hurdle. Go easy on yourself, though...those scary nightmares will go away in time. (When I had those, I told myself it was my brain's way of working through the experience).

Here's hoping for a smooth recovery.

 

[ski diva]

Ooooo, what a nasty, scary fall! I found myself scared just reading about it! Can't believe you drove yourself home, too! You are some kind of Diva!!!

The main thing is to just concentrate on getting better. Then just take it reeeeaaal slow. Time is your friend.

Here's hoping for a complete, speedy recovery.

 

[Consuela]

Hi Lisa,

Fellow Cali-gal here... So sorry to hear about your accident! I'm glad you posted here to get the support to work through this. The divas on here have so much to offer.

I'm familiar with the night terrors (and sometimes even day terrors) you mention from my own non-ski related accident. They are not fun, but I promise they will fade over time, as will their grip on you. For me, talking about my accident was very helpful. Letting people who cared about me know what I was going through. There wasn't really anything they could do to make them stop, other than provide a much needed listening ear.

You sound like a strong woman. When the rubber meets the road, you will have the strength to do the work you will need to do to get better.

1. Get a good doctor
2. Follow her orders
3. Do PT and all the silly exercises they give you
4. When you are healthy, start slow and go with a patient, understanding friend who won't leave you and won't mind skiing greens and will stop to chat along the way.

Through it all, don't let your pride or ego get in your way of getting better. It's okay to be scared. It's okay to follow doctor's orders. It's okay to be frustrated. It's okay to talk about it. It's okay to ski green. Seriously, it is OKAY to ski a green. And, it's okay to rest along the way. None of these things will mean you are weak or less of a skier. They simply mean you are being honest and doing what you need to do to make your come back.

You are a strong woman and you can do the work you need to do.

Wishing you a successful recovery!
Connie

 

[skigrl27]

dude!! Woah....i think the award for super toughest diva goes to you!!

I can't believe you drove home on your own. Did Patrol give you Fentanyl or anything? Good luck, best wishes on a speedy & full recovery.

 

[Native Vail Gal]

Oh Wow!

Heal up! I'm so sorry this happened! VERY scary!

 

[NannyMin]

Man, you've got ovaries of steel! I agree with the other Divas that recommended taking it slow.

You've already proven that you are incredibly strong and I have no doubt that given time and determination you will be emotionally and physically whole once again.

 

[Pequenita]

WOW. Amazing what humans can endure. I saw this thread earlier in the day and was afraid to read it!

I think everyone deals with the healing, rehab and back on the slopes process differently, and it's easy to be too hard on ourselves. So, my 2 cents is that there are going to be days that are easier than others, and some days that are tougher than others. Even if you take a few steps backwards, as long as your general direction is forward, you're on the right track. At least, that's what keeps me sane in the face of adversity.

You sound amazing and resilient. I wouldn't be a good penpal, though.

 

[Robyn]

Wow, that scare sounds very frightening!

One of my athlete's mom broke her tib/fib early this season. She was skiing in Copper Bowl with our head coaches when she took a fall (of which I don't know the details) where she broke them. She insisted on skiing out because the evac process from back there is really tough (down the hill, up the lift, back down the hill). She was going to walk to her car until the coaches insisted on at least supporting her there when she proceeded to drive herself to the doctor. It's painful just thinking about it! The coaches were really mad at her for skiing out when they found out later that evening.

She finally was able to bear weight in February (which allowed her to ride up the lift to watch her daughters' final race of the season) but she's been so down about not skiing all season.

Ironically one of the coaches helping her blew up his knee the next day and tried to insist on skiing out. But it's a good thing he didn't because his knee was so bad that the patella ended up in his thigh, shredding the muscle there as it was.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Oh boy. Assemble 850 divas together in one place, and the stories get scary.....
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery, very, very scary story.
And an incredibly heroic story about your drive home!!
Please keep us posted on your recovery, and we'll do all we can to keep your spirits up!!

 

[num]

I'm so sorry to hear that, Lisa!

One diva that I know of had broke her tibia and fibula last season, details here , a few posts in.
There have been a few tib/fib break threads on epic, most recently this one. Here's another thread by the same guy about rehab for tib/fib breaks.
Lastly, here's a thread with a hypothesis on what causes tib/fib spiral breaks, from someone who had one and talked to others with the same injury.

I hope you heal up quickly and well. Let us know how it goes, we're here to listen!

 

[dloveski]

I am sorry to hear of your accident, but am impressed with your grit. Rehab is a process and hopefully will build you up mentally and physically. I know this is lame, but when I used to jump horses, I had a couple of nasty falls----and Hans, my instructor, forced me back on the horses as soon as I was able. He said the only way to overcome the fear was to get back in the saddle and get going again.

When your healing is sufficient, my advice is to get right back in the 'saddle' and ski and then, be kind to yourself and take it easy and in stride.

Best wishes for a smooth and relaxing recovery period.

 

[Swamp Dog]

wow Lisa, you are one Hard Core Diva, especially driving yourself home after that ordeal! I have no doubt you'll be back skiing like your old self after you recover, and do lots of PT of course.

Here's to a speedy recovery for you

 

[SkiGAP]

It's a difficult situation - I wish you a speedy and complete recovery and I hope you get back out there, starting slow, when the time comes.

 

[lisaski]

Hi Everyone,

Wow, you women are awesome! Thank you all so much for the words of encouragement and for the advice. I'm really glad I posted here. It's been very helpful for my spirits reading all of your replies.

Three weeks have past since my injury. The pain has become much less severe and my six-inch incision is sans-staples and healing very nicely. I'm doing my ankle exercises to get more mobility back into my ankle joint. My psyche is still a bit shell shocked. It's weird how I get sleepy sitting on the couch at night, then decide to go to bed. Once in bed, I start thinking about the fall and it just doesn't help me sleep. Wonder why? duh! I also try to think about skiing "The Ninety-nine-ninety" at The Canyons. I used to visualize me skiing down from there through "Fantasy Ridge" to help me sleep. That doesn't work anymore. Hmmm... Okay. So, I just try to keep my thoughts in the present now and the present consists of safely sitting on my living room couch or lying in bed. It's very safe and very comforting for the time being.

I'm going to return to work this week and try to work a few hours each day. My job is sednetary. So, I think it will be okay. I'll just have to make sure I keep my leg elevated. I still have almost four weeks to go of keeping my weight off my leg.

When I got hurt, I was skiing a pair of Stockli Stormriders that are 177's. They're about four years old and don't really float all that well. they're heavy and stiff and really require one to stay on top of them and ahead of your turns. Otherwise, they take you where you may not want to go. I decided that I need a shorter, lighter, more maneuverable pair of skis to make my recovery/comeback on. While recouperating from my broken leg, I purchased a pair of Volkl Bridge 169 cm skis. Yes, you read that correctly. No, I didn't hit my head in the fall. This is the time of year to take advantage of end of season prices. I just can't imagine myself clicking into those Stockli's anymore. I had a lot of good times on those skis. But, I really want something shorter, lighter and easier to turn when I come back to the sport.

That's it for now. Thank you all again for your wonderful posts!

Lisa

 

[Daria]

Wow you are such an awsome Diva! You are clearly already on the mend, buying new skis to get you back on the snow. Use your rehab to get even stronger for next season

 

[Bravosarah]

Unbelievable! Keep up your PT, but don't forget to allow yourself some pampering, sounds like you could need it!