I wrote this post January 3, 2018. I was in Salt Lake City with my husband and friends. It was my daughter’s senior year of college. I realized I hadn’t skied once in one of the most spectacular areas to ski i the United States. So off I went, skiing five days in a row…
Flashback to January 2018:
A perfect day at Alta, Utah.
All my excitement of the New Year came to a crash on the slopes when I made one turn and lost my balance. I went skidding down the mountain spinning on my back and side—but only after feeling a rather awful snap in my left knee.
I stood after a friendly stranger helped me up and I thought I was okay. I skied a hundred yards more and “yikes!” The pain in my knee was sharp, intense and I collapsed. After a third try with the same result, I told my ski companion that I needed help down the mountain. I crossed my poles and we waited until a ski instructor stopped and called for the ski patrol to come get me.
Long story, short…actually, it’s a short story because it was only the first turn of my third run on a perfectly beautiful, sunny day in Alta. I was lifted into a toboggan with my left leg in a splint and wrapped like a burrito as ski patrol Chris, skied me to a snowmobile patrol, who took me the rest of the way to the clinic. I held onto a little flap of tarp over my head because ski patrol Chris said it would keep the snow kicked up by the snowmobile from hitting my face on the way off the mountain.
My view from the Ski Patrol toboggan.
The nurse, doctor and receptionist were really kind. They empathize with their patients whose vacation has been ruined. In my case, I’m not worried about the torn ACL ruining my skiing days. I’m worried about the rest of this week taking care of my daughter’s house and puppy. (I’m in Salt Lake City, Utah to housesit and puppysit for my daughter, who is with her Utah swim team in Florida for their Christmas training trip. I thought I’d take advantage of her proximity to gorgeous ski resorts and ski for the first time in a decade.)
I have a lot going on and I don’t have time for this. In addition to taking care of the pup, there’s a swim meet I was going to compete in early February. Also, I’m traveling back to Salt Lake for my daughter’s senior day and final dual meet. Plus her final PAC 12 swim meet in Seattle. My cousin is coming to visit. My high school friend plans to stay with me. Yikes again. How do I have surgery and participate in all the momentous occasions ahead? What will I do to keep my sanity without my daily walks and swims?
I think a lot will depend on my attitude and outlook. After a good cry that hasn’t happened yet, I’ll pull myself together and face life every hour the way it’s put before me. I remember after my big accident in college, when I was crossing a street and hit by a pick-up truck going 35 miles per hour, it hit me to appreciate the little blessings in life. Don’t take anything for granted. And live life the best you can.
Another view of the ski slopes at Alta — before my fall.
Back to the present day:
Looking back on that vacation, we did have our son and his future wife with us for a few days. We skied before my accident and that was a highlight. I also tried cross country skiing for the first time with a friend.
It was a long slow process to find normal again after that accident. My orthopedic surgeon recommended putting off surgery for several months, until I got to experience some of my daughter’s milestone’s like her last meet on senior day, taking her and teammates out afterwards and going to PAC 12 Championships. We planned the surgery around my events, so I would have time to recover. Prior to surgery, I wore a brace (and after surgery, too) for months.
I did physical therapy before surgery to strengthen my muscles before the big day. I wasn’t ready for how much my life would slow down after surgery. But I learned to appreciate the small steps I made.
Have you ridden down the slopes in a toboggan?
How have you handled it when life set you back with the unexpected?
What was your attitude like?
You had a wise doctor who gave good advice to you. If you had missed all those important occasions, you would have regretted it too much.
Yes, he was very understanding. I wanted to get surgery done as soon as possible. The doctor understood how long recovery would be and that I wouldn’t be able to attend those milestone events.
That was good luck after that bad luck injury.
It was. The doctor had a brother who played football at USC and he understood all the extra milestone events a college athlete goes through their senior year. That’s in addition to graduation.
❤️🥰❤️
If nothing else EA you were in a gorgeous place when the accident happened, but I can imagine how hard that must have been for you…
I think I mentioned in a comment some time back that I was diagnosed with cancer- gosh it’s been 30ish years ago but totally unexpected. My personality simple goes into logic mode and I also knew that my then husband would not be the best at support or taking control of life with 3 young children. My treatment decision meant that once surgery was complete life would go on as usual so fortunately there was no long length impact to functioning as a mom, except maybe mentally and in some ways added to the decline of my marriage. I remember very clearly my attitude was straightforward though. Fix this and move on and that’s what I did. I understand that road is not always open to everyone.
I can’t imagine how difficult that diagnosis would be with three young children. You are very strong and persevered through a difficult time. You put your children’s care as a priority.
I have come to find that I am one of those that is good in a crisis but then falls apart once everything is settled and reality kicks in 🙂
I shouldn’t laugh, but that is a twist from most people. You made it through an impossibly tough time and your children thrived.
It’s okay to laugh! I have been a solid go to person in things like earthquakes, traffic accidents, medical emergencies and it’s always the same. I usually just have to go to a corner and sit and shake my head while I play back what happened and what I did. I always wonder if my behavior is simply an adaptation and way to cope to my own childhood trauma.
It definitely could be due to trauma. But I had trauma growing up, and I have the opposite reaction. I lose it or want to hide. My husband is also good in a crisis. He told me everything slows down, so he can weigh the options, make decisions and act.
And that I think shows a great example of why I love social psychology. Learning and adaptation is not a one or the other thing: not simply inherent traits versus experience and environment. We use both to form our basis of function so it makes perfect sense that two different people who may have faced similar issues early in life react differently as adults.
I don’t have the psychology behind me, but I agree completely. We are individuals and react differently to similar situations.
I love how you navigated this unfortunate injury – both at the time and then before and after surgery. Glad you got to do your important events. You’re right, Elizabeth, appreciating the small steps is key!
Yes, the small steps are so important. I finally made it to the city pool, post surgery, and was so grateful. I was in the handicapped lane hanging on to the edge doing PT. It was huge to me!
Oh I’m not sure I want to go on that kind of toboggan ride. Ugh. Sounds like you made the most of a crummy situation!
I was shocked that I hurt myself. I started skiing at age two and was a ski instructor. The snow was icy with dirt, rocks and branches sticking through. (My excuse!) I watched as skiers came into the clinic with broken bones, concussions, etc. My daughter had friends come over while I was alone the rest of the week to walk Waffles. Thank goodness!
Oh that would still stink. Ugh!
My knee has never been the same, but then the rest of me isn’t either!
None of us are EA!!! 🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤣🤣🤣😎😎
😅
Id like to say that I bounce back quickly with only positive vibes, but I admit sometimes I play the teeny tiny violin…but eventually I get there
I’m pretty positive most of the time, too. I don’t have time for a pity party. I actually wrote that post the day after my accident, knee iced and elevated.
I tore an ACL at Telluride a number of years ago. I was on a slope that didn’t have access to the base area, so once I was in the toboggan, they took me down to the chair lift and had to strap it onto one of the chairs. Then from the top was taken down behind a skier, I think, not snowmobile. I didn’t have surgery, though. PT worked wonders. Any serious injury is a time to pause and be grateful for what you have.
That sounds incredibly scary! I don’t think I could handle that! I’m grateful for the toboggan going all the way to the clinic. I’m so glad that PT worked for you. My ACL was completely missing plus I tore my meniscus. I ended up with a cadaver ACL and meniscus surgery. It’s not the worst thing to happen to me, but you’re correct about pausing and being grateful.
Oh my. I’ve never been skiing; not too many opportunities as a Floridian. I’m so sorry this happened to you, but I love your attitude when it happened. And holy mackerel, you were literally hit by a truck! You have a lovely will to live and enjoy your days…and like they say: Health is Wealth. We need to fully enjoy and embrace our healthy days.