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Stupid mistake = 6 broken ribs and broken collarbone

T-Square

Terry
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@SShore, hope you heal quickly. Broke a rib years ago. Had an office mate say you aren’t a man till you break a rib. I told him I could have waited until I was 80 to become a man if that was the case.

Keep smiling. Dr. T recommends drinking plenty of fluids. It doesn’t matter what brand of booze you choose.
 

Tony

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I have a lot of recent experience with hurting my ribs including:

2/29/16 Hit an unexpected wind or grooming lip at Ashland where I was skiing in the middle of 12 hr drive from Vancouver, WA to San Jose, CA. See http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12075 for some details. I skied a week later at Kirkwood, although report says I was still feeling it

4/15/17 Misstep getting out of hot tub. I knew I scraped my arm, but didn't notice ribs until middle of the night. See http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12398 - I skied 12 runs the next day which was Kirkwood's closing day although was definitely hurting and looking for smoothest snow. I skied again less than 5 weeks later at Squaw.

6/30/17 This was the big one as I broke collarbone, ribs 3-6 and partially collapsed a lung in a dirt bike (motorcycle) crash. I was planning to ski Squaw over the weekend of the 4th, but instead was in the hospital with a vent and suction in my chest. I was released on the 4th after being admitted on the 1st. While some previous posts recommend drinking, you first need to get off the strong pain meds which do not mix well with alcohol.

Besides being retired which meant no hurry to get back to work, what really helped me was having a hospital bed at home for a little over a month as it would have been nearly impossible to get up without being able to raise part of the bed and use rails to assist.

1/8/18 Jumped edge of road and sailed farther than expected, landing unevenly in soft snow. A binding released which led to crash on groomed. I must have caught pole in ribs (same side as on 6/30) which knocked wind out of me. I skied a couple of more runs, then skied 7" of heavy powder at Kirkwood the next day (where I crashed on same ribs after a pre-release in powder and pocket dialed my wife while going down). Then I drove to/from Mammoth where I skied 10-18" new for two days although I was having a hard time getting enough air to talk the first day and it took a lot of ibuprofen to get through the second day. Then I skied part of another day at Heavenly with a friend before driving home. I got checked the next day when I visited friend who had major surgery at hospital near home. The Dr. said lung was fine and I could have X-rays although whether I had broken or bruised ribs or pulled a muscle, the treatment was the same so I declined more radiation. Dr. also recommended I not go skiing the next week as planned. I must not have broken a rib as I mountain biked in Mexico 2 1/2 weeks later although I can still feel some tenderness in ribs.

Lessons learned: Anticipate and react way before crashing on dirt bike as combination of speed and hard surface really hurts. I also bought better helmet and a chest/rib/shoulder protector. On skis I have dialed it back a little, even though I skied a lot of powder trees in the last month and Alta's Main Chute off top of Baldy during Gathering. I have not increased my binding setting which could be higher as skis do not usually release unnecesarily.
 

François Pugh

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If you do decide to ski again this season (I would), leave both poles at home, take your GS skis and just make lazy turns down the hill. Make sure you don't fall - you've got no protection!

BTW It could be worse - you may have hit a bone breaking bump mid turn and your binding might not have released so you could have a tib/fib fracture to go with those broken ribs. Just to add to my anecdotal collection of evidence, what was your binding set at (and what is your weight height and boot sole length)

I've broken ribs before, but never more than 2 at a time. Also broke a collar bone, and a shoulder blade, and a.... The more things you break at once the worse it is. Don't let the post-injury depression get you down. Do something fun..... carefully.
 

Mendieta

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I have a lot of recent experience with hurting my ribs including:

2/29/16 Hit an unexpected wind or grooming lip at Ashland where I was skiing in the middle of 12 hr drive from Vancouver, WA to San Jose, CA. See http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12075 for some details. I skied a week later at Kirkwood, although report says I was still feeling it

4/15/17 Misstep getting out of hot tub. I knew I scraped my arm, but didn't notice ribs until middle of the night. See http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12398 - I skied 12 runs the next day which was Kirkwood's closing day although was definitely hurting and looking for smoothest snow. I skied again less than 5 weeks later at Squaw.

6/30/17 This was the big one as I broke collarbone, ribs 3-6 and partially collapsed a lung in a dirt bike (motorcycle) crash. I was planning to ski Squaw over the weekend of the 4th, but instead was in the hospital with a vent and suction in my chest. I was released on the 4th after being admitted on the 1st. While some previous posts recommend drinking, you first need to get off the strong pain meds which do not mix well with alcohol.

Besides being retired which meant no hurry to get back to work, what really helped me was having a hospital bed at home for a little over a month as it would have been nearly impossible to get up without being able to raise part of the bed and use rails to assist.

1/8/18 Jumped edge of road and sailed farther than expected, landing unevenly in soft snow. A binding released which led to crash on groomed. I must have caught pole in ribs (same side as on 6/30) which knocked wind out of me. I skied a couple of more runs, then skied 7" of heavy powder at Kirkwood the next day (where I crashed on same ribs after a pre-release in powder and pocket dialed my wife while going down). Then I drove to/from Mammoth where I skied 10-18" new for two days although I was having a hard time getting enough air to talk the first day and it took a lot of ibuprofen to get through the second day. Then I skied part of another day at Heavenly with a friend before driving home. I got checked the next day when I visited friend who had major surgery at hospital near home. The Dr. said lung was fine and I could have X-rays although whether I had broken or bruised ribs or pulled a muscle, the treatment was the same so I declined more radiation. Dr. also recommended I not go skiing the next week as planned. I must not have broken a rib as I mountain biked in Mexico 2 1/2 weeks later although I can still feel some tenderness in ribs.

Lessons learned: Anticipate and react way before crashing on dirt bike as combination of speed and hard surface really hurts. I also bought better helmet and a chest/rib/shoulder protector. On skis I have dialed it back a little, even though I skied a lot of powder trees in the last month and Alta's Main Chute off top of Baldy during Gathering. I have not increased my binding setting which could be higher as skis do not usually release unnecesarily.

Lessons learned? In three and a half seasons skiing, I have had 3 minor injuries, and two of them (involving bruised ribs), were in cat tracks. Those little nasty places are worth paying attention. I once read that a lot of the ski accidents happen while people cruise a cat track , catch an edge and hit a tree or fall down a cliff.

All things said, though I am not looking forward to injuries, I take them as the little price I pay for a healthy, active, fun lifestyle. Three minor injuries in about 80 ski days, that's not a bad rate. I don't think it was any lower in other sports. Especially if I consider injury per hour of exercise :)
 

Tony

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To quote myself (old thread on Epic)
Oy, my ribs!

From experience:
It will be about
  • 1 month before you can cough
  • 2 months before you can laugh or sneeze, depending on the depth of the sneeze
  • 6 months before you will start to feel normal
  • 1 year before you can forget about it. (depending on any rib that may be in a nagging spot)
@Tricia covered it pretty well, but even though I am over 60, I think the 6 months/1 year is a little much. The worst I remember was when I tried to stifle a cough and ended up sneezing. Since I had a lung partially collapse, the Drs. did not want me going to altitude or on a plane for 6 weeks (due to risk of re-occurrence). So at exactly 6 weeks, I went to Tahoe and hiked to 7500 feet on the way in with our two dogs.

I did a 10 hr. drive/ride to/from Bend/Prineville area to see total Eclipse 7 weeks after my crash, which was just after my only follow-up X-ray and appt. I was uncomfortable in car for that long, but my always troublesome back was about as bad as my injuries. At the follow-up appt. just before that trip, the orthopedist said I was healing well and could resume risky activities at 12 weeks.

I was doing easy mountain bike rides by 8 weeks and got into trickier than expected terrain not much afterwards (that I rode very carefully). Then at exactly 12 weeks, I got back on the dirt bike and rode to same area where I had crashed (wearing better helmet and chest protector). The ruts that had caused me to go down were still there although no longer covered by slippery, tall, dry grass.
 

Wilhelmson

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I found it helps to start breathing exercises as soon as you can. Hope you get better quickly.
 

François Pugh

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The ribs should heal right up in 4 to six weeks, but whatever may be damaged underneath may take longer. The 2nd last time I did a couple of ribs in, my lung took a good 6 months to get better. I was in my mid-fifties at the time. Last time it only took 4 weeks for just the ribs (no bruised lung).
 

KingGrump

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All things said, though I am not looking forward to injuries, I take them as the little price I pay for a healthy, active, fun lifestyle. Three minor injuries in about 80 ski days, that's not a bad rate. I don't think it was any lower in other sports. Especially if I consider injury per hour of exercise

3 in 80 days. It's nice to be young. One can afford a more generous allocation of injuries.
I generally aim for zero in an 100+ day season.
 
Thread Starter
TS
SShore

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I’m hoping for a long spring so I can get out one more time with my Gs, sl, powder, crud and bump skis (Motiv 95ti).
To the best of my recolletion they are at 6(correction 7)5’6 240 bsl eirher 306 or 308.

If you do decide to ski again this season (I would), leave both poles at home, take your GS skis and just make lazy turns down the hill. Make sure you don't fall - you've got no protection!

BTW It could be worse - you may have hit a bone breaking bump mid turn and your binding might not have released so you could have a tib/fib fracture to go with those broken ribs. Just to add to my anecdotal collection of evidence, what was your binding set at (and what is your weight height and boot sole length)

I've broken ribs before, but never more than 2 at a time. Also broke a collar bone, and a shoulder blade, and a.... The more things you break at once the worse it is. Don't let the post-injury depression get you down. Do something fun..... carefully.
 
Last edited:

pete

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ouch, Here's to a quick recovery @SShore

hopefully you had a flu shot and/or avoid getting something now ...

To quote myself (old thread on Epic)
Oy, my ribs!

From experience:
It will be about
  • 1 month before you can cough
  • 2 months before you can laugh or sneeze, depending on the depth of the sneeze
  • 6 months before you will start to feel normal
  • 1 year before you can forget about it. (depending on any rib that may be in a nagging spot)
 
Thread Starter
TS
SShore

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Six weeks after my crash and I was able to hit the slopes on closing weekend. It was a beautiful day at Big Sky and everyone (except me) was dressed in their finest. I was pretty much toast after about 4 runs and my ribs hurt like hell when I was done but I’m not sure I ever felt better.
3C17D888-D6B8-44D3-9A32-F1CE0533F690.jpeg
 

BS Slarver

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You look almost as good as the conditions for a closing weekend!
6 weeks after broken ribs ? Great to see you up and about and hope to be skiing with you at BS in 19.
 
Thread Starter
TS
SShore

SShore

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You look almost as good as the conditions for a closing weekend!
6 weeks after broken ribs ? Great to see you up and about and hope to be skiing with you at BS in 19.

What an amazing year we have had. I was shocked at how much snow we still have.
 

Tricia

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Wow, sad to see closing with so much snow. More happy to see you back at it. Keep healing!
 

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