I've kinda decided that......

[guineapiggie101 0]

I want to come back into the sport and finish getting my "A" license. This weekend, I went to watch people do night jumps and although that is not my cup of tea (the fear factor), I realized that I miss being in the sky. Although I hang at the DZ and have fun, it's not the same as when I am there, trying to learn to jump, and actually going to do a jump.

I know it is going to be a long, hard road to come back, because I have such fear of landings, and I will have to nail my landings, before I even think of getting off radio again.

I am going to work my ass off to be able to get things right, learn the SIM while I can't jump yet, etc. Take things more seriously and realize that this is a dangerous sport, and give it the respect it deserves.

Once I can start putting weight on my leg, I am hoping to do a tandem or two, to whet my appetite to be in the sky. Tandems are fun too. If I could, I would do a tandem now, but I have to be patient and wait

For those of you who have hardware in the leg, did you have to have it removed, before you could jump safely and comfortably? The doc did mention that since the plate is so close to my ankle, that if it bothered me, I might have to have it removed, once I heal up completely. I am hoping not to have to do that, because the thought of going through another surgery really does not sit well with me (I tend to have complications with anesthesia).

[TSISK 0]

Good for you

[godfrog 2]

You my dear are now part of the heavy metal club!

Experience is a difficult teacher, she gives you the test first and the lesson afterward

[pchapman 279]

I think there are a few threads out there already about what to do with hardware! There are plenty of other jumpers in that club.

(A more descriptive thread title would help if that's the main question asked.)

FWIW, I once had a broken ankle. Took the hardware out a year later as it did occasionally bug me, the metal just under the skin rubbing up against things like hiking boots. Not a big deal but it was nicer once it was out.

[guineapiggie101 0]

I guess I shoulda done a search :(

I cant wait till I can at least do a tandem. I miss being in the sky sooo much.

I am impatient when it comes to healing. Hopefully I can just leave the hardware in their and not have to worry about it.

Do u think doing a tandem too early in the healing process can do damage to my leg??? Hoping to be able to do a tandem after my doc appt at the end of the month.

[fossg 0]

You suffered a compound fracture of the fib/tib. You GOTTA let yourself heal. I know you want to get back into the sky, but if your not healed your going to cripple your self. Skydiving is not a race. The sky will be there. Let your self heal. Jump for the right reason

[evilivan 0]

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For those of you who have hardware in the leg, did you have to have it removed, before you could jump safely and comfortably?

Some do, some don't - I did for my femur injury but not for my tib/fib (I'm a little accident prone ); I would recommend you go entirely on your doctor's advice, although the 'if it bothers you' rule of thumb is also probably a good one. There can be complications if you have another injury with the metalwork in because it won't flex in the same way as bone.

Ref: going back too early: DON'T! Wait until you are fully healed. Seriously. Not only will you probably put yourself back in the healing process (or worse, re-injure) it will also play on your mind and be a distraction just when you don't need one. Wait until you don't think about that leg at all...

My $0.02.

"If you can keep your head when all around you have lost theirs, then you probably haven't understood the seriousness of the situation."
David Brent

[guineapiggie101 0]

I am going to let myself heal completely before I jump again solo. That is the most prudent thing to do. BUT, as soon as I can begin to put weight on the leg, I'm going to do a tandem or two, because that is a lot of fun, and I miss being in the sky THAT much.

I am very angry with myself for what happened, since it was totally unnecessary and has set me back a lot. With all the jumps I have done, I should have known better.

I don't know if there is a "right" reason for jumping. I think everybody has their own reason for jumping, and to that person, it is the "right" reason irregardless of what others might think.

[Orange1 0]

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For those of you who have hardware in the leg, did you have to have it removed, before you could jump safely and comfortably?

Some do, some don't - I did for my femur injury but not for my tib/fib (I'm a little accident prone ); I would recommend you go entirely on your doctor's advice, although the 'if it bothers you' rule of thumb is also probably a good one.

+1 re doctor's advice on removal...and on when you can go back. I waited till doc said I was ok, never had an issue with the plate (also tib/fib). The doctor did say that if the plate ever became an issue could think about having it removed (so far 5 1/2 years and no issue), BUT he did also warn it can be quite complicated to remove it. (fyi I also had a screw in my ankle, that got removed, but mainly because it started removing itself)

Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

[jrjny 0]

Why not get your private pilot license?

Odds you'll have to land using your feet are pretty low. Focus on recovery, IMO.

[guineapiggie101 0]

Flying a plane is not the same as flying yourself out in the sky.

I also want to be able to fly with others too.

[deltron80 0]

I dislocated my ankle and broke the tibia on jump #10 when I was almost done with AFF. I'm already a nervous/skittish person (still am) and it's not exactly a confidence builder to land with your foot on backwards. It took me over a year to go back to the DZ. That first jump back wasn't easy lol.

Best thing for fear is just to say fuck it and push through it. You will feel that much better when you land. Problem with Fear is if you let it make you freeze up it can ruin your day real quick so best bet is to ignore it and move on.

Read Transcending Fear by Brian Germain and practice breathing on the way to altitude and after the parachute opens. The only thing that actually helps is jumping more and more often. I'm usually feeling good after the first 3 jumps of the day and I can start to relax a bit. I still land way down field almost every jump...

Last thing you want is to freeze up again and break the other leg. And anyway there are way worse things you can break so count your blessings.

P.S. Leave the metal in unless it is really bothering you. I still have my plate & screws and it's totally fine. Don't forget to be aggressive with your PT.

[JerseyShawn 0]

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Flying a plane is not the same as flying yourself out in the sky.

I also want to be able to fly with others too.

Piloting and skydiving aren't the same, but both have awesome qualities to themselves.

Piloting now while you can't jump will get you used to being up in the air (if you have any anxiety issues with being up high in a smallish aircraft).

Plus for an hour of flight with an instructor is cheaper than a 10 minute skydive (tandem).

If I couldn't jump Id be flying again in a heartbeat. Freedom to venture where you want and see what you want to see.

[guineapiggie101 0]

Yikes!!! It must have taken a lot of courage to come back and finish AFf and go onto get your license. To be out for a year, was it hard on you? Even though I am not jumping right now, I still go hang at the DZ on weekends to see friends, watch people jump, and it makes me sad, because I see how much fun people are having, and I feel like I am missing out on all of it because I can't get my license for awhile, and I won't be able to jump for awhile either.

Brian Germain's book is a good suggestion. I will look into that.

JerseyShawn, the way you put it, learning to pilot a plane sounds appealing too. I have been on small Cessna planes as a passenger while a friend was flying the plane, and it was a lot of fun

[deltron80 0]

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Yikes!!! It must have taken a lot of courage to come back and finish AFf and go onto get your license. To be out for a year, was it hard on you?

Part of the reason I was out that long was b/c I also had no money at the time, but jumping again wasn't easy. I was almost as scared as I was on my first AFF jump. I knew I would go back and I couldn't wait to do it, but it was still terrifying.

People that have to deal with more fear than others are likely putting themselves at higher risk, but I think they also ultimately get more enjoyment and satisfaction from jumping than all the hotshots who aren't scared at all. What a gyp that must be for them!

[DrewEckhardt 0]

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For those of you who have hardware in the leg, did you have to have it removed, before you could jump safely and comfortably?

Yes.

When you break bones in their skinny part it's inconvenient but you can usually heal completely, avoid arthritis, run, jump, and do the things you used to do.

When you reinforce the weak broken part and have another hard landing some other part of the bone will be weaker and more likely to break - perhaps the joints on the end which will give you a lot more trouble.

[DSE 5]

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BUT, as soon as I can begin to put weight on the leg, I'm going to do a tandem or two, because that is a lot of fun, and I miss being in the sky THAT much.

As Fossg said...skydiving is not a race. Keep in mind that whether you want to fly or not is one thing; whether a T/I can take you is another. It's his head on the block if something unfortunate happens. This is reminiscent of the conversation we had a few months ago where you wondered about not telling your AFF instructor you'd been injured (asking them to unknowingly take on additional risk).

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I am very angry with myself for what happened, since it was totally unnecessary and has set me back a lot. With all the jumps I have done, I should have known better.

Anger is part of the recovery process. And...you panicked. Now, you have the fear of injury and fear of panicking to deal with. Time will allow you to over come these fears *if* you're willing to go slowly and work on the mental side of skydiving. Not being able to go slow and steady has maimed/killed a lot of people in this sport.
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
If you don't change your previous pace (significantly) and understand that the sky and the ground will not acquiesce to your will, you -will- be hurt again.

There is nothing wrong with the goal of getting back into the sky. Yet...there is a lot to be said for listening to the knowledgeable and experienced people around you that have urged a slower approach, to kiss the sky with a more gentle attitude, and not be caught up in bending the earth to your own will.
While validation from DZ.com feels great, it likely is not in your best interest, not when it comes to making important decisions.
Let your body heal completely. The sky will still be there. I understand the drive to get back into the sky, but you already know this.

FWIW, I *really* regret not having waited long enough to have my hardware removed. Most people I know feel the same way after they've been jumping for a while after their incident.
The attached image is prior to the rod put in to support my L1-5. All that stuff will be there forever now that it's bent/broken (second image)

This is your first injury in your life. Recovery will take a while. Give it the time it deserves. Your future is not wrapped up in skydiving and will still be with you when skydiving is no longer part of your life. You'll want it as functional and pain-free as possible.

[crotalus01 0]

Off topic DSE, but can you tell what happened to you and why? Or link to a prior thread discussing the incident? Thanks!

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...

[Remster 30]

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Off topic DSE, but can you tell what happened to you and why? Or link to a prior thread discussing the incident? Thanks!

I think he broke his ass. Twice.

Remster

[dks13827 3]

"FWIW, I *really* regret not having waited long enough to have my hardware removed. "

Douglas please clarify.... you regret not waiting long enough to have your hardware removed ? Is that correct ?

[DSE 5]

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"FWIW, I *really* regret not having waited long enough to have my hardware removed. "

Douglas please clarify.... you regret not waiting long enough to have your hardware removed ? Is that correct ?

I wish I'd waited to have my hardware removed before getting back into the sky. Now the hardware can never be removed because it's broken/bent.

[Amazon 7]

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"FWIW, I *really* regret not having waited long enough to have my hardware removed. "

Douglas please clarify.... you regret not waiting long enough to have your hardware removed ? Is that correct ?

I wish I'd waited to have my hardware removed before getting back into the sky. Now the hardware can never be removed because it's broken/bent.

Thats HOT.................................................... Spot

[grimmie 186]

Over then years I have seen way too many jumpers rush back into the plane after a serious injury.

Heal. Follow your doctor's advice. Go slow.

The sky will always be there.

[DSE 5]

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Off topic DSE, but can you tell what happened to you and why? Or link to a prior thread discussing the incident? Thanks!

I think he broke his ass. Twice.

Depends on how you look at it. I broke both sides of my ass at the same time (Top/bottom) does that mean I broke it FOUR times? LOL.
And that's "MR" Broke-Ass to you, Rem..