dove

Lori - thanks so much! Your post was really helpful. I have been told I will have to get up and walk on it the next day by others but my doc hasn't said anything to me about that. I want to even though it will hurt like hell cause it is weird not having used my left leg for 2 weeks! But I was wondering if they will want me to since my tibia is not only shattered it is depressed on one side. Isn't there a danger of re-compressing that bone? Maybe I will just have to move it and not put weight on it? I know I should be asking my doctor this but I ask him a million questions and the second I leave I remember a million more I forgot to ask! Anyhow - thanks for the info. And I will be good to my PT - I really want to get back soon. I want to "wow" the doctors! Nathan - I will be heading north a couple of times this summer. We will have to get together at Orange - you will love it there. Have a safe trip and congratulations on your new job! I'll keep you posted on how all the silly ducks and palm trees are doing. We'll miss you!!!!! dove P.S. 25.5 hours til slice-time.... and counting!

Wow. This has been the first reallly tough day for me. I have maintained a realy positive attitude, and I still am positive, but I just got a call from a friend who was on a 20 minute call for the sunset load. I could hear all the excitement and typical dz antics in the background and tears welled up in my eyes. I miss skydiving, the feel of the wind on my face and body, the joy of flying around the sky, the bliss of being under canopy, the comraderie of the best friends in the world. And unfortunately I am alone this weekend, a gorgeous weekend with beautiful clouds and temps in the mid 70s. So I am feeling very melancholy. On a more positive note, I get sliced open on Monday! Finally, I can start the healing process! Today is the first time since I broke my tibia that I can just barely see the edge of my knee cap. The swelling was that bad! Looked like I had planted tulip bulbs in there! Unfortunately with the swelling going down, the bone pieces have more leeway to scrape against each other so it's been excruciating. But I am thrilled to be on my way (or almost on my way) to FULL recovery! So if you think about it this Monday at 11am eastern time, say a little prayer for the dove's knee. I know - you are thinking "I didn't know doves had knees!" but this dove does! Thank you everyone for your support and I hope you are all enjoying your sunset wherever you are - on the ground or in the sky. Love, dove

Who else is going to Sebatian that weekend? I might be there. If I am well enough I will tag along with Brian and Michelle Germain. So if you see a gimpy chick gazing dreamily at the sky... come say hi! dove

Thank you guys! It really means a lot to me to have your support. Anyone have any skydiving videos they want to lend me? All I want to do is watch skydiving vids and read skydiving stuff. I am such a junkie - even in my condition! Love dove

Nathan, The Samurai is a super high-performance canopy with air locks. The Lotus is a canopy for ANYONE. It too has air locks which make it safer than other canopies - not more high performance. The air locks are to prevent canopy collapse and they work for high performance or everyday canopies. Just so you know... and he will be coming out with an intermediate one in the future. Really cool stuff. anyhow... back to healing. dove

OK - so I saw the CT scans myself and my tibia really does look like hamburger. Yikes! I had to put them away and not look at them anymore. Then my family calls to say they think I am pushing the envelope too far. Last accident was someone else careening into me and this time everyone said my landing looked fine! I just ran out of luck! Shit happens - and apparently it is very attracted to me! But I'll heal and I WILL skydive again and I will swoop and I will enjoy my life to the fullest. Can't wait to get back up there. Thank all of you for your incredible support! It is so cool to log on here and read it all. I wasn't gonna post anything but since Nathan made the announcement on another thread I thought I owed a full explanation. Though I lurk more than I post I think of you all as friends since I know so much about you. So thanks. And if any of you all ever need me or a place to crash while you heal I am here for ya! Oh yeah... and since I told everyone to buy Larsen & Brusgaard audible altimeters after they replaced mine after my last accident - I have to ask you all to at least demo a Big Air Sportz canopy next time you are shopping for a main. Not only to support the most awesome skydivers on earth - but because seeing these things made and developed first hand I know I will never jump anything else! At least download the free manual with canopy flying tips on Bigairsportz.com! Brian just wants everyone to be safe! (And healed in my case!) Love, dove

Wow. I feel like the luckiest girl on earth! Sucks that I broke my tibia. It was a real shock. I had an awesome jump doing freestyle and was hooting and hollering the whole way down. I couldn't wait to get down and tell everyone about the awesome helicopter I got going. (I didn't learn the splits recently for nothing!) And I did an awesome swoop - but I came in just a tad high. No one, including me thought anything of it. I even got some compliments on my swoop! Just ran it out then fell back on my butt cause my knee hurt. But I was still screaming to everyone about what a kick-ass jump I had. Then I tried to get up on it and knew instantly something was terribly wrong. My knee was shifting side to side and I could put no weight on it. So I went to the ER and sure enough I broke the top of my tibia OFF - the part where the tendon is attached. The ER doc said no weight on it for 4 weeks, back to running in 6-8 weeks. OK - I can deal with that. Went to the best Ortho in the area (same guy who fixed up John Matthews) and he said no way. No olympics - no work. I will need be out for 4-6 months. I should have surgery next week to get several screws put in. But I went for my CT scan today and the obnoxious technician said first "Wow - that is REALLY swollen!" Yeah, no kidding bonehead! Then he did the scan and said "Boy - you really shattered it!" What an ass! Now I don't know if it's worse than we thought or if the tech is a dumb-ass... or both! I just know I want to skydive as soon as possible... but not until I am fully healed and can be sure that I won't hurt myself further. i'll stay out as long as I need to heal completely. But I am sad to be out - I was learning so much and having so much fun. Not to mention I was SO looking forward to working the olympics. Bummer. Now for the lucky part.... Brian Germain (of Big Air Sportz canopies - Samurai and Lotus) was gonna take me home to my place in St. Petersburg cause I couldn't drive my stick shift (my left leg is the broken one). He refused to take me home and he and his wife Michelle have been taking care of me in their home. It is a good thing cause I can't even get into bed myself. (This is the first time I've had pain so bad it literally makes tears well up in my eyes - not from self pity but just sheer excruciating pain) They are the ones who hooked me up with the best ortho in the area, take me to my appointments, feed me and most of all are the greatest friends. I don't feel my pain hardly at all when I am laughing with them. Skydivers are the most awesome people - and Brian and Michelle Germain are just incredible. I barely knew them at all before! Then... I get on the computer and there are all these wonderful emails from my dz.com friends. I haven't been back here since I broke my leg - don't know why. Couldn't face you all I guess. But thank you all for your emails and sweet posts and all your care and concern. I hope I get the chance to jump with each and every one of you in the NEAR future. I feel so lucky to have you. Wish me luck with the doctor - I SO hope it is just broken and not shattered. Scary. I love you all! dove

But officer I bought this HDTV square and fair from a guy on that street corner for $50. I am absolutely innocent!

Chris, Thank you so much!!!!!!! I think we all needed to read that. dove

Bryant, I have found it is really just a matter of luck. I have traveled my rig through Tampa, Baltimore and Green Bay since Sept. 11. I had trouble one time in Baltimore, but after they called the senior security guy he said no problem. But they had opened my container up so I had to repack at that point. Still, I got to take it on with me. A friend came to visit me recently from Dulles to Tampa. No problem in Dulles. On the way back the Tampa folks gave him a box and insisted he check his rig. But I had no problem when I was traveling out of Tampa. Guess it all depends on who's working that shift. I definitely say your chances are better with an inconspicuous bag though... Good luck! dove

When I was in college I was a telemarketer... I know - everyone hates telemarketers. But it was an awesome job because you get to set your own hours (read - after sunset!) and you can make a killing! Lots of bonuses available if you are good at it. You can do all your weekly hours in 1 day or spread em out over 5. I know you think it sounds awful but someone's gotta do it! dove

I hear ya lew! Boy do I ever hear ya! I just found the man of my dreams - 1,000 miles away! Just keep telling yourself "absence makes the heart grow fonder" dove

I totally agree. I have a friend who is only alive today because he was wearing his helmet and seatbelt on takeoff. Plane went right off the runway, hit a bank and did a cartwheel. I also always see people taking their seatbelts off at 500 feet but if there was a problem with the plane at that altitude, you would be going down with the plane. So I always wear my seatbelt AND helmet until 1,000 - the usual cutoff point for where you'd get out in the event of an emergency. I don't give a rat's ass if anyone thinks I am "uncool." I have way too many skydives ahead of me to lose my life or my ability to jump cause I wanted to look cool. dove

Gave up a husband and lots o' money. Gained pure bliss and the best crowd of people on this earth (or flying over it!) dove

Ohmygod! 16 jumps and you're already bored! Yikes! Try front flips or back flips out the door. Try 10 in a row! Or do layouts with a straight body. Try crouching and rolling out backward. Jump out in a sit - or try to! Lots of possibilities! Have fun and don't get too bored of this mundane skydiving thing! dove

I definitely was NOT happy with my Tads suit. However, Freak'n Suits by Windline suits at Lake Wales are almost as cheap and are superior quality and design. Give Sue a call at (863) 679-9009. About half the price of Tony suits and I think twice as nice! And they have the cool sandwich velcro cuffs! Tell Sue Elisa says hi! dove P.S. They are less expenisive cause they don't advertise. They don't need to. All business is by word of mouth!

Yup! I have other methods for those other "dry" spells! dove

Actually - the 3rd alarm (hard deck) on the Protrack is not a flatline. It is a screaming siren. Yup - I've heard it, unfortunately! And as loud as these suckers are on the ground they are the perfect volume for freefall since they have to compete with all that wind noise. I LOVE my Protrack!!!! dove

Got any skydiving videos? That always helps me get through the "dry" spells! Dove

I thought you were required to become a member after AFF 4. I had to join to continue beyond that even though I prepaid for the whole course. ( I knew I really wanted it and got a bulk discount for going broke all at once!) Surprised you were able to go that far without joining. But fear not - USPA is actually really quick. Got my C one week after taking the test. In my mailbox. And that was over the summer. Now it's winter and they don't have as many applications to sort through. Good luck and congrats in advance! dove

Nothing too radical yet but a couple of things come to mind... 1) Fell unconscious for 4,000 feet 2) Tongue kiss (nope - not the one I almost lost my tongue on... that fell under #1) 3) Boobs popped out of Stars & Stripes bikini while in a sit so went headdown to push em back in... Anyone else? I know these are nothing compared to the rest of you freaks! dove

Born: Washington, DC Live in: St. Petersburg, FL Home DZ: Skydive City (Z Hills) First Jump: SD Delmarva (Laurel, DE) dove

Chuck (and everyone else) Yippeee!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks so much! I am so glad someone posted this thread! I just started playing with this stuff today. I get a new (demo) canopy for the weekend so I won't be able to play with it as much since I will have to learn the new canopy, but I can't wait to improve in this area and start having some fun! Hey Chuck - you coming down to Skydive Ciy for the competition? dove

Zennie, Thanks so much for that! I thought maybe it was a joke, but then I was thinking you didn't kick me off when I said "kick me, kick me"... you waited til later and I was left wracking my brain trying to figure out what the heck I had said to offend you so! I don't do the chat thing a lot and don't know all the rules and though maybe you had been talking and I cut you off! So you were pissed I didn't let you finish your thought. Silly me! Well, I will have to join you guys there another time! dove

Why the hell would I want to go there when I got booted out for no reason yesterday. That's no fun! dove