 Poster: A snowHead
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I broke my leg six weeks ago when doing moguls training at Hemel. It's more than a little bit embarrassing to have done an injury this bad on terrain that benign! Just bad luck, I guess.
It's a spiral tibial fracture, with an intact fibula. I was given the option of surgery to put a pin through the tibia, or to treat conservatively with a cast. I'd read plenty of reports on here from people who'd done their leg in (knew that would come in useful one day) and decided to avoid the metalwork. I had a HUGE cast from toe to hip for six weeks and have been doing absolutely nothing other than watching DVDs, faffing on the internet and playing computer games.
I went for a checkup today. They took off the big cast and replaced it with a smaller one. I now have limited use of my knee, although it feels really, really weird. I have to wear this cast for another six weeks then see how it is. I can't start physio until then.
The healing is a bit slow. Ironically, it's worse if you DON'T break the fibula (the other, smaller bone in the lower leg). It's colloquially known as a Napoleon fracture - it keeps the bone apart (arf!). So it's really not healed very much yet 
It's looking very unlikely I'll be able to ski at New Year as planned. We have a trip to Ste Foy booked but I'm not sure I want to go if I can't ski. The prospect of a 'sitting around' holiday is considerably less attractive when you've spent weeks and weeks and weeks just sitting around.
But, I'm not giving up all hope for this season and have signed up for the EoSB!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 26-04-15 16:01; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Maireadoconnor, sorry to hear it's so slow - you must be getting very, very, bored. I hope you make the April week!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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pam w, thanks, I certainly hope so. That's more than seven months after the break, so it really should be good by then. That's why I chose the non-surgical option - when it's fixed, I'm told it should be as good as new. However, if it doesn't heal on it's own in another six weeks then they'll have to operate. Which they could have done the day after I broke it
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Pedantica, all is not yet lost for Jan. My travel plans are to be there Dec 27 - Jan 10. If I'm not there, a bunch of my friends will be, so if you're around then and looking for ski buddies let me know.
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sarah, I love bumps, usually. Just that one pesky one caused me grief!
Public Service Announcement: turn down your DINs if you're skiing moguls in a snow dome
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Maireadoconnor, I'm doing a Mountain Tracks course.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Pedantica, that'll be awesome. I'm envious. Have you been to Ste Foy before? I went last year and had one of the best weeks ever. If I do make it, let's meet up.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Maireadoconnor, sorry to hear it's so slow - you must be getting very, very, bored. I hope you make the April week! |
+1. Good that the big cast is off though. Fingers crossed for the next few weeks. Keep us updated....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Maireadoconnor,
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Have you been to Ste Foy before?
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No. I've been wanting to go there for a long time.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Pedantica, it's a fabulous place. It totally changed my perspective of what to look for in a ski trip. It's only four lifts, but every bit of skiing is of the highest quality. I just bought new skis, skins and touring bindings and I'm gutted I won't get to use them.
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You know it makes sense.
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Maireadoconnor,
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Maireadoconnor, good xray...injury porn is always good
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Poster: A snowHead
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holidayloverxx, when I've been feeling depressed I've been reading your thread. It's very reassuring to hear about how you, and Pam, and other people, have got through this and out the other end. Those shiny new skis will get an outing at the EoSB, I'm determined!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Maireadoconnor, 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I broke the humerus in my right arm (in half!) skiing in Verbier in 2007. (Following teenagers over a jump-realised too late it had a vertical kicker- cartwheeled to a halt on the other side, thought something had clicked, looked down my arm as I lay on the snow, only to see my fingers would wiggle, but at a somewhat different angle and location from where I expected them or my forearm to be!) I too was treated conservatively with no metalwork. What struck me at the time, though not until after about 5 weeks, was how well the body eventually heals itself, and how incrementally I could suddenly start to use my arm in ways that days before I couldn't. So there were milestones: the day I could reach up and scratch my nose, then a week later, I could apply eye liner with right hand...then a few days later, I could actually reach my hair with my right hand to blow dry it. There was almost a mental block in place that prevented me from doing anything until my arm felt good and ready. I finally drove my car after 9 weeks.
So I suppose the moral of the story is, it does finally get better and you do forget the injury ever happened.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks Perty, although I can tell you I haven't been wearing any eyeliner or blowdrying my hair recently! I was already overdue having my highlights done when I broke my leg and obviously haven't done anything about it in the meantime. My hair looks really weird now.
I guess you're saying patience is a virtue 
I'm so bored.
You're right, that feeling of something 'clicking' - it took a little while for it to actually hurt, but I was immediately aware it was broken. Even though nothing like it has happened to me before, I knew exactly what had happened.
I wish I had a more glamorous story about how I broke my leg. Of all the places I've been, I broke myself at bloody Hemel.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Maireadoconnor wrote: |
Thanks Perty, although I can tell you I haven't been wearing any eyeliner or blowdrying my hair recently! I was already overdue having my highlights done when I broke my leg and obviously haven't done anything about it in the meantime. My hair looks really weird now.
I guess you're saying patience is a virtue
I'm so bored.
You're right, that feeling of something 'clicking' - it took a little while for it to actually hurt, but I was immediately aware it was broken. Even though nothing like it has happened to me before, I knew exactly what had happened.
I wish I had a more glamorous story about how I broke my leg. Of all the places I've been, I broke myself at bloody Hemel. |
I broke myself on an Olympic DH slope. Believe me there's a lot of aggro and cost saved doing it close to home.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Maireadoconnor, you shouldn't include me in the Snowheads Heroic Injuries Team. I had a straight forward fractured pelvis, not displaced, no treatment beyond crutches and painkillers, fully weight bearing in four weeks. That was January and I was skiing again before the end of March. Not comparable to many of the sagas here.
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Dave of the Marmottes, I'm sure that's the case! Although it sounds like the typical French, Swiss or Austrian clinic is a bit nicer than Watford General.
Today I'm back on the painkillers. My knee is very stiff and sore after not having used it for six weeks. I've also lost an alarming amount of muscle in my thigh. Three+ years of gym work to build it up; six weeks of inactivity to lose it
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Maireadoconnor, tell me about it it will come back though. my problem now is that my good leg is like a footballers and while it looks like my duff leg is weaker it's actuaslly stronger than it's ever been.
Oh, and if you want glamour don't pull a night storage heater on top of yourself..but yes the Austrian clinic was very nice!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Maireadoconnor wrote: |
sarah, I love bumps, usually. Just that one pesky one caused me grief!
Public Service Announcement: turn down your DINs if you're skiing moguls in a snow dome |
If anyone wants a copy of the suggested DIN setting for their gender/ weight and boot size i can email it out.
Just pm me you email address
Jonathan Bell
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Maireadoconnor, The leg muscle will recover swiftly, my daughter was in a full length cast for a long time and the leg had withered but came back quite quickly.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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FWIW,
If any one is in this unfortunate position I'd advise to go for a 'nail'. I did spiral tib and also fib. Plated and nailed. No cast.
Driving (an auto) day out of hospital. Semi weight bearing in about 3 weeks, fully in about 6 or so. No need for any physio.
I didn't put my feet back in bindings for a fair time though 'just to be safe'
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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allanm, yeah I'm slightly regretting not doing that at the outset. The surgeon advised that this option was less risky long term in terms of complications because pinning can give you permanent knee pain. I think every break is different though.
Thanks skimottaret, good to know. I can't wait to get back in the gym.
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@maireadoconner - I broke my right humerus really badly with a spiral fracture on my MX bike - for the first week I was treated conservatively with a cast and sling whilst I waited to see a consultant. It was torture as my bones were grinding together and I just couldn't see how it would ever heel straight so I was relieved when he said I needed surgery ASAP. Two days later I was in for a 3 hour surgery, within 2 weeks I was beginning to get mobile again and was able to drive 6 weeks after surgery and mountain bike 4 months later. Took loads of rehab and 18 months later I am just about fully recovered. Will never ride MX again as the damage was pretty major in my arm and shoulder.
There are down sides to having metal in you, but for me the benefits of having a straight arm and recovery within weeks as opposed to months of casts and immobility far out weighed the downsides.
Not sure how things are going now, but sometimes it does need pinned to fully recover - my advice is don't set unrealistic recovery times and give yourself loads of time to recover. You will get there.
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You know it makes sense.
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.@interpaul, that is horrendous x-ray. Funny thing is that I believe sometimes those massive fractures actually repair better than other more innocuous ones.
Broke my fibula playing footy at the age of 28. Heard snapping noise, looked where my foot should be only to see it flapping nearly 180 degrees around from proper location. Ruptured deltoid ligament and lots of other soft tissue damage. I never got surgical option as the Ambulance crew sedated me and I only came to as I was wheeled into surgery where I could hear surgeon testing his power tools.
Titanium plate and 7 screws. 3 weeks in hospital due to embolisms. World of hurt. Got metal removed later hoping I would get some movement back but ankle more or less fused. Left ankle a lot bigger than right which makes getting correctly fitted ski boots almost impossible. Still a lot of pain but many people worse off.
Good luck with the tibia repair
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@interpaul, whoa that picture is... wow. wow.
@Juddernaut, that sounds complicated. shame about the lasting impact.
Mine in a lot of ways has been simpler. The bones never got moved very far out of position, and there was no significant soft tissue damage. The tibia is a lot less 'complicated' than a knee or an ankle. I know I've been lucky, although I don't feel very lucky right now!
I'm back to the hospital next Thursday to have this cast removed, and have more x-rays. Hopefully I'll get some good news.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@ Mairedoconner take a look at the metalwork, I would like it removed but they are not keen as the ulnar nerve runs down the back of the humerus. The first thing the docs did when I got to hospital was make sure I could still move my hand. A lot of humeral injuries can result in paralysis of the lower arm
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@interpaul, blimey. It's bloody amazing what the surgeons can do, isn't it?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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A gold star for those who recognise these pins (no pun intended)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hermann Maier?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Nope. Give you a clue. He is English but wised up and moved down under
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Barry Sheene - the clue was in the image name 
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Just back from the hospital - good news, it's healing! There's bone callus over the break now, and it doesn't hurt to bend, twist or press on the leg around the break site. The ankle is a bit stiff but really not all that bad. In another three months the bone density will have increased to the point where it's as good as new. Sadly, my trip to Ste Foy is in two months, so I guess no skiing for me . EoSB should be ok though.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Maireadoconnor, well I suppose that's good news over all - shame about Ste Foy, but full steam ahead for the EoSB. 
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Thanks @pam w. In Ste Foy I'll be building snowmen with my friend's 4yr old and drinking vin chaud. That doesn't sound so bad.
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FAQ
I will be keeping out of the bumps at Chill 
