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rrrADAM
Jun 24, 2004, 6:48 PM
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5 years climbing, and I always prided myself on never having any more than a scrape climbing... And that even after taking a couple 40+ footers on small Trad gear. Unfortunately, a moment of complacency while doing some easy bouldering will most likely end up with some surgery required to reattach my deltoid ligamant on my right ankle...
Went to Pirate's Cove in Newport Beach to boulder a bit on the beach. Climbed for a couple hours, topping out on some and working other harder problems. Got used to falling off into the nice soft sand. While a friend was shoing up to climb, I checked out what I thought would be an easy problem for him. Used to the nice soft sand, I failed to look below when I jumped off... Feet were only about 4 feet up... Landed badly on an unanticipated boulder at the base...
SNAP !!! My wife heard it from 25 feet away, and others heard it from the other side of the cove about 70 feet away... Looked down at my right ankle and foot, which was now about 45 degrees in the wrong direction... Yanked down and in on it to straighten it out, as it didn't look right (Thank God shock is instant, to relieve the pain !!!)... Thanx to the locals who carried my old ass out to be whisked away to the emergency room.
Waiting at the hospital the shock wore off, ankle approaching the size of a softball, throbbing pain despite my keeping it elevated... "An hour wait", they say... "I need drugs please !!!", I say.
Apparently none of the bones broke (6 gallons of milk a week makes strong bones I suppose)... There are a few chips where bones mashed together as the ankle dislocated and the deltoid ligamant tore... Doc says I set it back in place at the beach... Left splinted to seek out an Orthopedic Surgion... Have appointment with him in a couple hours, will post again when I know weather I need surgery to reattach it.
Lesson learned... Complacency is still the thing that will get us. If I'd have looked down, I could have easily cleared the boulder.
And I was all packed and ready to go to Yosemite for a week leaving today to hook up with friends... And I still have 1 1/2 months off this summer, that was gonna be spent climbing full time. Looks like I'm gonna just get to work the upper body campussing and stuff now, or just be belay b!tch. :(
Maybe I can fly to Canada and rehab with PTPP. :lol:
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curt
Jun 24, 2004, 7:25 PM
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Geez, that's terrible Adam. I hope you recover quickly. I remember bouldering with Corey Chatwin (mutant here at RC.com) a couple years ago and he did a very similar thing with a real short (like 2 feet off-the-ground) fall. Corey's ankle was just as you described yours--going off at a 45 degree angle in the wrong direction. He also grabbed it and put the ankle back where it belonged. Sounds like he was a bit luckier than you though because he didn't tear anything that required surgery. Good luck with your recovery.
Curt
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sixter
Jun 24, 2004, 7:30 PM
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Dude, bummer about the ankle. I wish you a speedy recovery.
I can sorta relate. My worst climbing injury to date has been a "sprined" ankle. Similar type occurance. I was down climbing from a short, easy problem I had just sent, hopped off when two feet or so off the ground, my right foot landed with the ball on a slab of rock, and the heel was totally unsupported. Instant pain. It didn't feel bad, so my partner and I searched out several more boulders, and climbed a few more problems. I was walking funny for weeks. I learned the same less you did, never take short hops off anything for granted, scope out the landing.
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calamity_chk
Jun 24, 2004, 7:32 PM
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holy shit, adam. i'm so sorry to hear about that. maybe we should start a user group for those of us that are / have been gimpified. ;)
hugs and best wishes,
amber
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csproul
Jun 24, 2004, 8:18 PM
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6 gallons of milk a week :shock: ????Are you serious?
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gds
Jun 24, 2004, 8:22 PM
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bad luck Adam. Wishing for a speedy and full recovery.
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overlord
Jun 24, 2004, 9:33 PM
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man, you drink more milk than i. i average about 6-8galons per week.
and you know what, i have jet to breake a bone (knocks on wood). i had dislocated things and twisted ankles and stuff, but never broken anything (knocks again).
hope you recover soon.
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philbox
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Jun 24, 2004, 10:21 PM
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Oooooowwwwww, dude that hurts particularly so close to you heading in to the valley.
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coldclimb
Jun 24, 2004, 10:29 PM
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Dang, and I was bummed when I sprained my ankle last week. :( Good luck recovering fast man!
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rrrADAM
Jun 24, 2004, 10:35 PM
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Back from the Ortho... Have cast, b ut he's concerned since the swelling is so severe, and doesn't seem to match the injury... I'm gonna have to get an MRI so he can see the exctent of the damage... He says I may have torn up much more than just one ligamant... Will know more after then, but they said 24-48 hours before I get the MRI... He also said the bone chips are where the ligamant tore away, as some of the ligamamnt tears, and some of the bone is actually ripped off where it was attached.
I'm just mad at myself... If I'd just have looked before I lept, I'd be in Yosemite right now, instead of being an invalid for a while. :(
Thanx for all the well wishes everyone... Anyone need a belay b!tch ??? :wink:
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mauriceb
Jun 24, 2004, 10:51 PM
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Best wishes on a speedy recovery. On the bright side, you can hang with JC and regale him with stories of yester year.
maurice
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climbingmat
Jun 24, 2004, 10:53 PM
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Hi Adam....
I so sorry for you. That sounds horrible!
But keep on climbing!
A 5.6 is getting at least a 5.12 --- with one leg!
But maybe toprope with a soft landing.
Best wishes.
Matthias.
Maybe we'll meet at the gym.
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rrrADAM
Jun 24, 2004, 10:56 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: Thanx for all the well wishes everyone... Anyone need a belay b!tch ??? :wink: Tempting. Ever been to Alaska? ;) :lol: :lol:
This time of year ??? Would I be a belay b!tch or misquito food ??? :roll:
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climbs4fun
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Jun 24, 2004, 10:58 PM
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Damn Adam. Sending you good juju. Hopefully you recover quickly!
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hangerlessbolt
Jun 24, 2004, 11:04 PM
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In reply to: I'm just mad at myself... If I'd just have looked before I lept, I'd be in Yosemite right now, instead of being an invalid for a while. :(
And if my aunt had a d*ck...she'd be my uncle
It reminds me of a scripture I once read...when Christ called out
"My Father, why hast thou foresaken me"
and god replied
"Sh*t happens"
(That should cheer you up!! And get me in a lot of trouble with the Big Guy!)
Wishing you a speedy recovery...and maybe a trip to Oregon...whichever comes first.
Take care brutha
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fredo
Jun 24, 2004, 11:06 PM
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Dude...Broke my ankle last August. Hang tough Bro..healing is important. You wanna be walking when your 50. FYI I am still payin off my MRI. I have insurance and with my deductable still owed about $400. Get a second opinion, it is a lot of cash for the docs just to say "yep, it's this or that" Once youo get out of your plaster work on flexability and strnegth. One thing I realized was that yoou can work on leg strength while your ankle is imobile. Get a good PT and keep up with it.
fred :D
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beth23
Jun 25, 2004, 12:02 AM
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So sorry to hear Adam. You're still welcome to join me in the valley....god knows I always need a good, encouraging belayer when I actually get my ass on leads so I'd happily accept your belay bitch ability :wink: . We can even do something around Church Bowl so there's no approach issues.
But take heart and ALWAYS assume the best. Positive energy goes a long long way to speedy healing. I recently messed up my left leg right before a long climbing trip and constant ice, rest, and Arnica (yes, that stuff is MAGIC! Take the oral and apply the gel and it goes a HUGE way towards reducing swelling) in the first 48 hours after the injury really went a long way to a remarkably quick recovery for me. But the whole time I kept a super positive attitude. I'm sure you will too (and ITA on the milk, I drink tons of the stuff albeit not as much as you).
Sending out good vibes to you brutha.....if you still wanna join me in the valley, I'd love to have you give me a catch anytime.
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i.karen
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Jun 25, 2004, 1:39 AM
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Adam,
You can be my beLAY B!tch!!! :D
He literally asked the surgeon if a friend could make him a shoe to fit, could he still climb, no bouldering, he said, just roped climbs!!! I think he thought Adam was CRAZY!!!!!
When I was pregnant I hated watching everyone else climb!!
I got a belayer and a babysitter, now I just got to figure out how he can feed Justice!!! :D :D :D
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jajohnst
Jun 25, 2004, 2:26 AM
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Sorry to hear of your mishap and hope your a fast healer. It never ceases to amaze me how fast things can go down hill. But time will pass and you'll be climbing again in no time. :)
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josephine
Jun 25, 2004, 2:48 PM
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OMG Adam! :(
So sorry to hear about this
Wishing for a speedy recovery
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flipnfall
Jun 25, 2004, 2:56 PM
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Sorry to hear that. Hope you recover quickly. It passes really fast. Had a busted up ankle from ice fishing and was back to climbing before I knew it. When I was 15 had steel rods put in my back and a year later I was climbing.
GT
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boulderman
Jun 25, 2004, 3:06 PM
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I could start posting a bunch of trolls again and keep you busy chasing me around the site and sending me nasty PM's! :lol:
Hope you heal fast! Maybe you could build a long campus board w/ crimps and slopers. Then rig up an auto belay system so you don't ever fall. You may come out with hands of steel and bouldering two grades harder in 6 months!
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iltripp
Jun 25, 2004, 3:06 PM
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In reply to: maybe we should start a user group for those of us that are / have been gimpified. ;)
I second that...
Tough shite man. Hope you get better soon. I feel your pain, cuz I'm still nursing an injury from an equally ridiculous accident. Fell 4 feet buildering when a brick broke apart, and fractured my wrist. That was over 2 months ago and I still have to wait a while to get the cast off.
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tomclimbs
Jun 25, 2004, 3:07 PM
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Sorry to hear about the injury. I hope you heel fast - milk helps.
Just to show you that bouldering is dangerous. 99% of the time you a garaunteed to hit the ground. Ouch!!!
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