tigra

I did have two "temporary" screws put in across my ankle and found out afterwards that they were to keep my tibia and fibula from spreading out. I guess the ligament that is supposed to do this was damaged. That might be what your doc was talking about.

You'll notice swelling for several months or even longer, but it does get better. You should have a better idea if you look at/ compare your ankles first thing in the morning before you've done any walking, etc. Swelling should be at a minimum then.

I have a good friend who found out the hard way that his insurance had a "dangerous sports" exclusion, and they enforced it right away. They didn't wait for him to fill out a form telling them how he got hurt- he knew he wasn't covered the day after his accident!

Well, I got the letter after I had been treated and most of the bills were paid. I had been very open with everyone who treated me, although I don't recall if anyone from the insurance company even asked. If they had, I wouldn't have concealed it, and I'm sure its a part of my medical records, which my insurance company has access to. It bothered me to get a letter (letters) from a third party asking for so many details when I had not attempted to conceal them to begin with, and I made the choice to be "vague" with them. Right or wrong, they stopped harrassing me!

What Chad is talking about is a very official looking letter with a questionaire from a law firm claiming to represent the insurance company and asking for details of the accident. They are looking for someone to sue, and they are very persistent. They were so persistent that I just didn't feel comfortable telling them it was a skydiving accident.

I got a letter like that also- from a law firm "representing" the insurance company and hoping there was someone to sue. I found it kind of offensive and it also made me a little paranoid so when I finally responded (since ignoring the letters wasn't working) I was very vague- along the lines of "I fell" and that was the end of it! But the doctors and nurses who treated me know exactly how I broke my leg, so I assume means the insurance company does as well, and my employer, who pays most of the cost of my insurance also knows! Anyway, as "official" as the letter looks, don't feel you have to divulge everything. They are just glorified ambulance chasers who probably have an agreement to get a "cut" out of anything they can recoup for the insurance company!

Personally, I'd have a hard time firing someone right before Christmas unless it was really really justified. I probably would have waited until after the holidays but sometimes people like that don't leave you with too many options!

PT was never really bad for me either, and I did have some ligament damage to work through. I'd be a little sore when I was done, but an ice pack took care of that usually! Maybe it depends on the therapist(s)- I didn't always get the same one at the place I went and some of them were a little tougher on me than others. One even massaged my ankle for most of the session, and I only got her once!

No other comment, I just had to laugh!

You know what? I feel sorry for the older people in my office. They're working for people young enough to be their children or grandchildren, and more often than not, being treated like crap by them. How do you think it feels to have some KID write you up for taking too long for lunch or taking a personal call! But they can't afford to retire and lose their bennies so they are stuck! That will probably be ME in another 20 years! So, I've got a certain amount of empathy and respect for them!

Would it be cheezy of me to chime in here and say, "I just adore Jerry Bird!"? Cuz I do! He was so helpful to me a few years back and he's given so much to the sport AND his boys! Jerry, if you're reading this, I hope you are well on the road to recovery and doing well! My best to you and your sons! maura

I'm such a wuss I don't think I could EVER leave a cute puppy in a crate! Guess that's another reason I have cats!

My SO can easily get into my email, I can get into his. I CHOOSE not to, though. If I have so little trust that I'm tempted to look at his emails, then our realtionship isn't worth much. And there is nothing stopping either one of us from setting up a private account with a different password, anyway.

OK, but if someone asked you if a pair of jeans made them look "fat" and they kind of did, would you say "yes" knowing that the person would be really hurt (or spend an hour looking for something else to wear?) Some truth really doesn't need to be spelled out.

I sort of agree, but I use my brace anyway. I know I did a lot of soft tissue damage that still isn't 100% healed 13 months later. (a little better everyday, though) The brace makes me FEEL more comfortable in a situation where I know I might need to run or walk on uneven terrain, etc. And while I did wait until I could walk without a limp and stand and balance on the bad leg, and jump off a few steps, I'm not sure I could have waited until I could RUN again! Mentally, it was hard enough to make that first jump back when I did! Speaking of ankle braces, I watched one of my nieces play competitive high school basketball and almost every girl on each team wore some kind of ankle and/ or knee braces! Try telling them not to play until they don't need the brace anymore!

Sunny, Since you are back at the gym working out, try the treadmill and the ellyptical cross trainer. Both will help build up leg strength, plus its a good workout. Also, use the weight machines. There's one for calfs where you do toe raises- start with both legs, then try with just one. The other machine is the leg press, again, start with both legs, then alternate and THEN do toe raises, adjusting the weight as needed. And, finally, next time Scott is in town, take his class! I was a diehard buttslider, I've got it perfected and if you do it properly, I do think its a safe way to land. BUT with Scott's help I was able to identify what I was doing wrong with my flare and its really helped! I can land on my feet on a no wind day now! (And that's after 2 nasty broken ankles!)

Sadly, I've been there- twice! As much as you want to get back up in the air, don't rush it. My advice would be, enjoy your off season and do your PT. My last ankle injury, it took about 7 months to get back up in the air and even then, I knew I couldn't run out a landing so I had to be very careful about what conditions I would jump in. I broke my ankle taking a canopy control class, and made a point of retaking the class as soon as possible. (I made a couple of jumps before retaking the class!) For the class, I did borrow a rig with a slightly larger more conservative canopy (Pilot 168 vs a Spectre 150.) That was a tough decision for me because I wasn't planning on buying new gear and part of me thought it would be better to take the class jumping the gear I have and planned to continue jumping. BUT, what the class teaches (Scott Miller's Freedom of Flight) translates into whatever canopy you are flying and jumping something a little more conservative did help. (Thanks Scott and Betsy if you are reading this!) As soon as the class was finished, I went back to my Spectre and haven't had any problems- my landings are better then ever! But I also realized there was nothing sluggish or dull about the Pilot 168 I borrowed! I do jump with an ankle brace, but I'm not sure how much support it really gives. Take it one day at at a time and don't rush your return. Good luck with the Drs Appt! maura

Remember, bring back some Oaxacan Chocolate and maybe some mole if you can find it! Bring it to the "oasis" and I'll hook you up with some of the best hot chocolate you've ever tasted!

I log (with info that is pertinant to ME, jump number, how many people, WHO, and what we did, how well I feel I performed) but I can't remember the last time I had someone else sign off on my jumps in my book or added up my total freefall time- I probably stopped doing that 300 or some jumps ago and I'd have a lot of catching up to do if I needed a rating or something. And I'm stalled at a C license because I just don't see myself doing any night jumps ever. I just don't think I have the depth perception to do it safely!

Wonder Bread is terrible for grilled cheese sandwiches! Its impossible to butter, and you;ve got to butter the bread before you put it in the buttered pan! I thought everyone knew that!

You know, when I started reading this, I thought it was going to have a different outcome! Helga, different technique....... I was sort of thinking of the Friends episode where Joey sent Chandler to his tailor ..................... Anyway, I hope you feel better!

Actually, a lot of insurance plans that employers offer don't differentiate between just a husband and wife (2 people) and a family with 4 kids (6 people). 2 categories, 2 prices, single coverage and family. So the married couples without kids are actually helping to insure their co-worker's children. And once you switch to COBRA, the cost gets pretty outrageous. (Another good reason to stay single and childless!)

I think what Philly Kev said at the start of the thread is still the best solution! Find them ALL and nail them to the wall by their balls!

I don't disagree. Its frustrating to deal with, that's all. As an example, at my old company the system we relied the most on was designed and maintained by people who had no clue what we really did and obviously did not have to use and depend on said system on a day to day basis. They think it runs just fine, when from a user standpoint, it was crap!

Well, see, that WAS my point. Spyware has gotten pretty hard to avoid even if you are careful. Threads like these that keep coming up just prove that. Once upon a time, you didn't need to be a programming expert in order to safely surf the net on your own computer! And as far as my general comment about the IT people I've worked with, its a GENERAL comment not specifically related to spyware but to anything computer related, and 90% is probably an exaggeration. I've been lucky enough at each of my jobs to find at least one person I can work with who is genuinely helpful without acting like they're doing me a favor by doing their job. I know MY job very well and most IT people couldn't do it, just like I couldn't do theirs. So there's my rant, and I'm sorry if it offends any IT people out there!