| Having arrived back from my December ski
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| | would have been the point at which
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| trip somewhat battered and bruised, I
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| | gravity took charge of my flight path
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| found myself giving a great deal of
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| | which had by then been in excess of 10
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| thought to the factors leading up to my
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| | metres and I was re-united with the snow.
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| unwelcome encounter on what one would
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| | As I rolled to a halt I was clutching my
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| ordinarily see as a safe and predictable
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| | chest. I have to admit that the pain was
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| slope. I decided that there are five
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| | scary. It's amazing how many thoughts go
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| distinct lessons to be learned from my
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| | through your mind at such a time. I know
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| misfortune.
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| | I was visualizing all manner of injuries.
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| Lesson 1: Seemingly Safe Situations Can
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| | Somehow I rolled to my knees and it began
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| Hide Nasty Surprises
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| | to dawn on me that my legs were fine. I
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| It would seem, as our week skiing in
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| | was extremely grateful for that. Slowly I
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| Andorra reached the last day, that I was
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| | staggered to my feet. My chest hurt with
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| (unknown to me) lining up to follow in
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| | a passion. Yet I was so pleased that my
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| the tracks of a fellow skier who is far
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| | legs were ok. Some 23 years ago I had a
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| better known than I. It so happens that
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| | skiing accident and did not get up. My
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| on my birthday, one full week before my
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| | left leg suffered a fractured tibia. Not
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| own accident, the governor of the US
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| | as bad an injury as Governor
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| state of California, Arnold
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| | Schwarzenegger, I grant you, but it did
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| Schwarzenegger, suffered a rather more
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| | take 3 months to mend. In any event, I
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| serious injury. Yahoo News reported that
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| | was very pleased to have brought a
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| "Schwarzenegger broke his right femur on
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| | precautionary helping of pain killers
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| December 23 when he tripped over his ski
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| | with me. Going shopping for medication
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| pole while standing on a slope in Sun
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| | after the event would not have been
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| Valley, Idaho."
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| | enjoyable.
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| There are a number of similarities
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| | Lesson 5: Recovery Can Take Time And
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| between our two accidents. We were both
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| | Doctors Can Only Do So Much
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| performing activities which we would not
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| | So what did happen to me? I am still not
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| have immediately thought would be
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| | quite sure. I might have sustained rib
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| particularly hazardous. Inevitably this
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| | damage. I very probably pulled chest and
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| is a state of affairs that tends to lead
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| | back muscles in all sorts of directions.
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| to a relaxed state of mind which
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| | My son re-united me with my skis. Unknown
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| ironically left us both more vulnerable
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| | to me at the time, he caught my right ski
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| to our respective hazards. However,
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| | just before it went over the edge and
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| despite the considerably more spectacular
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| | down the mountain. That would have really
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| nature of my incident, I walked away
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| | spoilt my day. Some concerned skiers
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| which is where we differ.
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| | surrounded me, clearly worried about my
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| Governor Schwarzenegger must have been
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| | injuries. It took a while but I decided
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| unbelievably unlucky. Tripping over while
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| | that I was capable of skiing down. I even
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| stationary is something that most skiers
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| | ended the run on a black (difficult)
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| will have experienced at some time or
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| | slope which was slightly icy. I was
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| another, usually brought about by being
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| | pleased about that. End of skiing for
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| distracted or simply experiencing a
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| | this trip. Good job it was the last day.
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| "balance anomaly". I have never in my
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| | I did not seek medical attention after
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| life heard of a significant injury being
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| | the accident. I was later told that
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| caused in such a manner. Governor
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| | attending hospital would be futile as one
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| Schwarzenegger managed to break the
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| | is not even x-rayed for rib injuries
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| largest bone in the body necessitating
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| | unless puncture wounds are suspected. In
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| surgery for a realistically rapid repair.
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| | my case, repairs were down to the body.
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| Lesson 2: Beware The Funnel
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| | Here Ends The Lesson
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| The slope that I was on was not at all
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| | In truth I am not altogether sure what
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| difficult - although the section where I
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| | did happen in terms of injuries. I was
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| collided had been substantially narrowed
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| | munching pain killers with a passion for
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| on account of lack of snow. Think of it
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| | the best part of a week, less so for the
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| as a funnel. Pour too many skiers into
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| | second week. Now, one full month later, I
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| that funnel and - well - a collision will
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| | don't need them at all. The body can be
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| be waiting to happen. Even with a modest
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| | remarkably good at doing its own repairs
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| number of people in the funnel, if one or
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| | but when injured it definitely hurts.
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| more people are travelling at speed then
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| | I had my first life experience as a human
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| the opportunities for avoiding obstacles
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| | glider. My skis left my boots at the same
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| are reduced. In my case, there were no
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| | time and that saved me some serious
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| more opportunities.
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| | damage. I know that there were two
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| Lesson 3: Your Own Memory Of Events May
| |
| | impacts. The first was with the shoulder
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| Differ Substantially From Others
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| | of the snowboarder, the second was with
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| I remember the instant before the impact
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| | the snow when my gliding experience ran
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| - the realisation that I was indeed going
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| | out of lift and I made my rather untidy
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| to have a collision. The impact knocked
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| | landing. I find it amazing that after a
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| the wind out of me and the pain was
| |
| | lot of yelling, I staggered up and skid
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| almost instant. I was not aware of the
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| | down the rest of the run finishing on a
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| fact at the time but my ski bindings
| |
| | black. Compared to Governor
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| earned their keep and did what they were
| |
| | Schwarzenegger, I was very lucky indeed.
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| designed to do - they released my boots
| |
| | How could I have avoided the accident?
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| from the skis and they did so quick
| |
| | Only by skiing slower through the funnel.
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| enough to avoid injury to my legs. As a
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| | It would have been really helpful if the
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| result of pitching forward from the boot
| |
| | person who I collided with had looked
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| release, the snowboarder's body acting as
| |
| | before crossing the slope. For motor
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| a pivot point and the momentum I had, I
| |
| | vehicle drivers, the person I collided
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| became airborne. I was not particularly
| |
| | with performed the skiing equivalent of
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| aware of this at the time, but my son had
| |
| | pulling out onto a busy road without
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| turned round and saw the events unfold.
| |
| | looking. Same as with driving really.
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| Lesson 4: Injuries Can Really Hurt So
| |
| | Expect the unexpected.
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| Take Some Pain Killers With You As
| |
| | The only question that remain are, should
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| Insurance
| |
| | I now wear a helmet and should I be
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| I remember shouting with the pain. I
| |
| | looking at body armour? Maybe, just
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| remember another pain of impact. This
| |
| | maybe.
|
