Three spinal fractures

[Abbi]

I'm finding that impatience to get my life back is the biggest trap. I have accepted that there is no way I'm skiing this season.

I would like to ride in the spring but whether I can ride my horse who was in the accident is another matter.

I am very gradually doing a little more. I can move better after not being able to bend or twist or lift at all. I can dress and shower myself-big progress. These little improvements are what I have to focus on.

I haven't worked since the accident except for some phone calls. Another hurdle.
What did you do to occupy your time?

I read your account of what happened, crap! That is terrifying! We are figuring out what happened to you. How is the horse?

You asked what I did to keep busy. I read a lot and watch some videos that I might not have gotten around to. Honestly while I wasn’t allowed to do anything strenuous like skiing or sailing I was allowed to go out and watch friends race my boat, which is pretty annoying! At least before the second surgery took place. After both I was allowed and encouraged to walk a lot. The sternum heals remarkably fast and after that it’s just catching up with recovery. And I could go to cardiac rehab in two months after the second surgery. I felt like a slug but that gradually went away. After I could drive at about six weeks I could go back to teaching Pilates sessions with my private clients who knew how to handle the equipment. I didn’t have to lift anything or make aggressive motions.

We take simple things like showering and dressing for granted until we can’t do them! And yes, focus on the little things. Take baby steps as victories because they are! You are coming back from something that really damaged you. In response to a comment elsewhere the damage might not just be physical. While equestrians talk about getting back on the horse that certainly isn’t available to you at this point! If you think about it enough to wonder then you may want to process the experience with someone professional and neutral.

Hugs from here!!!

 

[JaneB]

Thank you. Clearly but unfortunately you've been there. I'm a long way from doing much except walking indoors but that counts. I go to PT twice a week.

 

[Aerlind]

I was driving my horse in a two wheeled road cart. It's a wooden wheeled vehicle. We were at Acadia National Park. There are stables there where people rent the stalls for the time there.

We have driven there ( this horse and I) for at least five trips, often 15 miles a day.

There is a steep hill from the stables going into the carriage trails. On the way up he balked, the cart turned, wheels caught, and we went down a steep embankment. I was launched out of the cart and hit the ground and maybe trees on the way down. I don't really know. It was sudden and a blur.

Riding a horse is safer than driving one. But after this injury I imagine I'll have fears around falling Horses are big. I've never been hurt with them until now. But it's been a very big hurt.

After reading just the first 5 words, my immediate thought was “Oh noooooooo!” Driving can go so much more wrong than riding, for sure.

I second the suggestion to look into counselling for fear, if returning to riding or driving is something you’d like to do. There are many, MANY sports psychologists out there who specialize in working with riders, and it’s not just the “pros” who can benefit.

 

[contesstant]

I was driving my horse in a two wheeled road cart. It's a wooden wheeled vehicle. We were at Acadia National Park. There are stables there where people rent the stalls for the time there.

We have driven there ( this horse and I) for at least five trips, often 15 miles a day.

There is a steep hill from the stables going into the carriage trails. On the way up he balked, the cart turned, wheels caught, and we went down a steep embankment. I was launched out of the cart and hit the ground and maybe trees on the way down. I don't really know. It was sudden and a blur.

Riding a horse is safer than driving one. But after this injury I imagine I'll have fears around falling Horses are big. I've never been hurt with them until now. But it's been a very big hurt.

Oh, you must have been so scared, and worried about him at the same time! I used to literally have nightmares about my horses getting hurt. Life throws some horrible curveballs at us, that's for sure. I KNOW you have a positive attitude and will get through this, but it's going to be really difficult at times. Celebrate the small bits of progress. Find humor when you can.

I don't know if you knew that I fractured my tibial plateau in 2015 while skiing, and had my horse in my full care at that time. I was back riding him before I was even cleared to walk (because of course I was!) I couldn't go see him for almost a month and it was brutal, but I finally broke the rules and drove my car with my left foot, and hobbled around grooming him while on crutches. I have pictures of me wrapping his legs, with crutches in next to me. I tried longeing him, but I couldn't pull back when he pulled, and he'd get away from me then be longeing himself with the rope dragging behind him Then he'd circle closer and closer to me until he'd finally stop right next to me. My hope is you will one day find some humor in some of the things you went through while recovering and adapting!

 

[Christy]

I'm really sorry that happened to you.

In terms of things to do, my first thought is admin type work for volunteer orgs. My own volunteer work has felt like a lifeline during periods of unemployment and injury--it's a way to have purpose and feel useful while doing good.

 

[VickiK]

@JaneB I can only offer up my best wishes to your and your horse's smooth and steady healing. What a terrifying accident.

 

[JaneB]

Oh, you must have been so scared, and worried about him at the same time! I used to literally have nightmares about my horses getting hurt. Life throws some horrible curveballs at us, that's for sure. I KNOW you have a positive attitude and will get through this, but it's going to be really difficult at times. Celebrate the small bits of progress. Find humor when you can.

I don't know if you knew that I fractured my tibial plateau in 2015 while skiing, and had my horse in my full care at that time. I was back riding him before I was even cleared to walk (because of course I was!) I couldn't go see him for almost a month and it was brutal, but I finally broke the rules and drove my car with my left foot, and hobbled around grooming him while on crutches. I have pictures of me wrapping his legs, with crutches in next to me. I tried longeing him, but I couldn't pull back when he pulled, and he'd get away from me then be longeing himself with the rope dragging behind him Then he'd circle closer and closer to me until he'd finally stop right next to me. My hope is you will one day find some humor in some of the things you went through while recovering and adapting!

Thank you!

No, I didn't know about your injury. Returning to skiing after that must have been very tough! No one wants to get hurt again.

You were lucky your horse was so good! I'm a ways from being able to safely handle them. I did walk out yesterday to the pasture to give a treat from across the fence . But I'm a ways from being able to go into the pasture. I can't move quickly enough to be in very close proximity to them.

I'm grateful that i can move better and have less pain than in the beginning. I try to focus on daily gains and what I can do to get through each day rather than what's ahead of me.

The first 24 hours in the ER was as close to hell as I've ever experienced. It was more terrifying than the accident itself. I had a nurse from hell and no adequate pain management. Compared to that it's been all uphill.

 

[JaneB]

I'm really sorry that happened to you.

In terms of things to do, my first thought is admin type work for volunteer orgs. My own volunteer work has felt like a lifeline during periods of unemployment and injury--it's a way to have purpose and feel useful while doing good.

I'm not really driving yet but that's a good idea when my pain levels diminish enough to allow me to move more. I can't sit for very long at this point.

 

[JaneB]

I hear you, because this was me this time last year. Open heart surgery Dec 3rd. First season missed in over 60 years.

The surgeon cleared me in March to ski, but I was so out of shape I decided not to even try.

My advice - keep busy with other stuff. You're in for the long haul, not a short term thing. Taking a year off is not that bad a thing I discovered.

You're absolutely right. It's a long haul.

 

[JaneB]

After reading just the first 5 words, my immediate thought was “Oh noooooooo!” Driving can go so much more wrong than riding, for sure.

I second the suggestion to look into counselling for fear, if returning to riding or driving is something you’d like to do. There are many, MANY sports psychologists out there who specialize in working with riders, and it’s not just the “pros” who can benefit.

I will most likely do that if I'm running into too much fear ( paralyzing) when the time comes. Right now it's pretty far away and I know I shouldn't be worrying about it now.

 

[BlizzardBabe]

Oh, you must have been so scared, and worried about him at the same time! I used to literally have nightmares about my horses getting hurt. Life throws some horrible curveballs at us, that's for sure.

You've hit on one of the key reasons I stopped riding, @contesstant . I was always so frightened that my lack of skill would result in my horse getting hurt. Fortunately, we never had a serious fall/accident, but I did have to put my boy down for other reasons. He was only 8yo. It was after that experience that I decided to go back to a sport that wouldn't break my heart. So I started skiing again and haven't looked back -- though I do love visiting the barn and helping out with chores. There's nothing like sinking your face into a soft, warm neck.

 

[Christy]

I'm not really driving yet but that's a good idea when my pain levels diminish enough to allow me to move more. I can't sit for very long at this point.

I was an imagining you doing this from home, not having to drive anywhere. I've either done, or known about, quite a few home-based volunteer tasks. Writing thank you cards, working on the organization's newsletter, calling or emailing donors and volunteers, graphic design, website maintenance, planning events. My main volunteer gig this fall was looking through trail cam images for a wildlife research nonprofit and tagging the wild animals I saw.

Having said this I do recognize that if computer work or other basic tasks will be painful, then it's obviously not time for that yet.

 

[JaneB]

You've hit on one of the key reasons I stopped riding, @contesstant . I was always so frightened that my lack of skill would result in my horse getting hurt. Fortunately, we never had a serious fall/accident, but I did have to put my boy down for other reasons. He was only 8yo. It was after that experience that I decided to go back to a sport that wouldn't break my heart. So I started skiing again and haven't looked back -- though I do love visiting the barn and helping out with chores. There's nothing like sinking your face into a soft, warm neck.

We used to breed Morgans on a very small scale. My worries were more about pregnancy and birth, both potentially dangerous times for horses.
I've had my horse Pumpkin ( in the accident) since he was born. He is not spooky and is very sure footed. I didn't worry about him getting hurt while riding. Cars, bikes, dogs etc didn't bother him.
He'd even done some training level combined driving, with its cross country marathon obstacles.
And he's miraculously come out unscathed , at least physically, from this accident. When he fell he was still hooked to the carriage.
The old timers often say that once a horse has been in a wreck , you can never drive them again. I don't know. Horses have very good memories.

I was an imagining you doing this from home, not having to drive anywhere. I've either done, or known about, quite a few home-based volunteer tasks. Writing thank you cards, working on the organization's newsletter, calling or emailing donors and volunteers, graphic design, website maintenance, planning events. My main volunteer gig this fall was looking through trail cam images for a wildlife research nonprofit and tagging the wild animals I saw.

Having said this I do recognize that if computer work or other basic tasks will be painful, then it's obviously not time for that yet.

But good ideas.

 

[skibum4ever]

We used to breed Morgans on a very small scale. My worries were more about pregnancy and birth, both potentially dangerous times for horses.
I've had my horse Pumpkin ( in the accident) since he was born. He is not spooky and is very sure footed. I didn't worry about him getting hurt while riding. Cars, bikes, dogs etc didn't bother him.
He'd even done some training level combined driving, with its cross country marathon obstacles.
And he's miraculously come out unscathed , at least physically, from this accident. When he fell he was still hooked to the carriage.
The old timers often say that once a horse has been in a wreck , you can never drive them again. I don't know. Horses have very good memories.

But good ideas.

Jane,
I broke my tibia fibula femur and knee about 4 years ago. It took me 16 months to get back on the slopes. And this was against my Ortho's advice. He said it would be "very challenging" to repair it again if I reinjured it.

I took a private lesson on my first day back. I skied with a good friend on my 2nd and 3rd days.

Sending major healing vibes to you and to your horse.

Here's a link to my original thread about the injury. Please PM me if you have any questions or want to hear some of my recommendations.

Thread 'Out for the season' https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/out-for-the-season.26210/

 

[JaneB]

Jane,
I broke my tibia fibula femur and knee about 4 years ago. It took me 16 months to get back on the slopes. And this was against my Ortho's advice. He said it would be "very challenging" to repair it again if I reinjured it.

I took a private lesson on my first day back. I skied with a good friend on my 2nd and 3rd days.

Sending major healing vibes to you and to your horse.

Here's a link to my original thread about the injury. Please PM me if you have any questions or want to hear some of my recommendations.

Thread 'Out for the season' https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/index.php?threads/out-for-the-season.26210/

Wow! 16 months? I'll PM you.