karenmeal

Surgery went well.. I think. My leg is all big and bandaged up so I think that is a good sign. I got to watch the arthroscopic part of my surgery on the DVD that they gave me. It was neat! They took a fricking lawn mower to the cartilage on the back of my knee cap. But I didn't get to see my VMO reefing on video. Oh well. Now I get to sit on my ass for 2 days and direct my boyfriend on the proper care and feeding of a Karen. Muy bueno. Jaye I tried to call you yesterday with a special message. I was going to say, "fuck off" (in a special friend sort of way

... but I let the video guy cat me? "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

I made the radio once for a naked jump! I was so proud of myself when I had 100 jumps (and was a silly 18 year old) I had 3 naked jumps under my belt and would go around telling people that 3% of my jumps were naked. But I never did a naked jump unless atleast half of the load was also naked! "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

It's the drugs. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

It was jump 283 on February 8th 2002. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Maybe I can call you tommorow while I'm all high and tell you to shut up! We're going to be stuck in traffic on the way home and I plan on drunk dialing everyone on my phone to catch up. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

I think that it would have to somehow involve a gorilla suit and a pink tu-tu. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

It has been 2 weeks and 2 days. I don't think I'll do another jump until I have something like 90 degrees of flexion in my knee, a good brace and some medium winds. Who knows when that will be! "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

I concur. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Yeah.. still freaking out. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Nice. 2 days recovery! Holy moly.. you should definitely milk that for a bit longer. Did they go in through your belly button? Glad to hear that they got you fixed up in time. I've got surgery tommorow and I'm freaking out! "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Can I request that they give me whip-its to calm my nerves? I have my own dispenser and everything. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Funny you should mention that... we have a big jug of Skydiver Blonde in our fridge that I am sipping on to calm my nerves! Thank-you for the free beer Jeanne! It is possible that I will be at the DZ this weekend just relaxing. I have no clue how my knee will feel. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

That is good to hear. (Besides the evil cat in your story.) From what I have been reading on the internet I thought that I was due to be on crutches for a few weeks. I guess I am somewhat scared of the surgery itself.. but also scared for the first couple days after surgery.. being on pain medicine and crutches sounded like a challenge to me. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

cheese and rice? "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

I actually went to bellevue orthopedic surgeons for a second opinion and decided to go with them. Smiley recommened them and has had 2 surgeries from the guy that I'm seeing. I've got Jeff who will be taking care of me on Wednesday and hopefully Thursday as well. But I might be in need of lots of beer and wine and good food in the near future.. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

I went in to speak with an orthopedic surgeon this morning about my knee. As I was leaving I got scheduled for surgery on wednesday!! I'm freaking out! I've never had surgery before and am really scared. It's arthroscopic surgery where they will be loosening one ligament on my kneecap and tightening/repairing a torn ligament on the other side of my knee cap and clearing out the torn cartilage on the back of my knee cap and scoping for bone fragments in my knee. Holy moly it sounds like a lot of stuff to me. edited to add: Please only tell me nice happy things about what to expect.. I can't handle any scary stories. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

I do need to start documenting everything, I'm just not good at being organized about that sort of thing. Guess it's time to grow up. It is just frustrating that this is such a slow process and that it is the patient's job to be the middle man. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

They are driving me nuts. I am trying really hard to get my knee surgery ASAP so that I have a bit of time to recover before school starts back again. (On the 27th.) I had an MRI scheduled for 6 am this morning to get the ball rolling but I come to find out that the authorization that my Dr. called in to my insurance company did not go through. I call the insurance company and they say that I need to call my doctor. I call my doctor and they say to call the insurance company. Back and forth. I've called each party several times today with no resolution in sight. If it is this hard to get my insurance company to pay for an MRI, how freaking miserable is it going to be to get them to pay for surgery? Is it always like this when dealing with insurance? "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

I vote for Seattle. You may fall in love with the Northwest and want to go to school here. That is what I did. I like the people, the scenery, and the city. So much to do, even if it is raining. I don't think that the weather is as bad as people make it out to be. When it rains, it rarely rains east-coast style, it is mostly a drizzle that doesn't inhibit your activities. (Unless your activities include full altitude jumps. ) Just need some goretex and you'll be fine. Edited to add: I will hike in the rain with you! "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

A C note is not just a certain frequency.. like 1,000 Hz or something. For the most part.. musical instruments do not play pure tones (isolated frequencies) they play a group of harmonically related frequencies which your ear matches to a certain note. A C note has a certain pitch.. which is closely matched to the note's fundamental frequency. For ease, lets assume that the fundamental frequency of a C note is 250 Hz. When played from an instrument, other frequencies that are harmonically related (multiples of the fundamental frequency, in this case 500, 750 1,000 Hz.. etc.) will also be present. The variance in the number and strength of the harmonics that are present is what changes the sound of the note.. from a mellow sound perhaps played by a flute to a brassy sound from a trumpet. Edited to add an interesting factoid: If someone played the frequencies of 1,500, 1,750 and 2,000 all together to you and asked you to match the pitch of that harmonic complex to a single frequency.. you would pick 250 hz, even though it is not present. Did you know your ear could work out highest common denominators? (Yes I know I'm a bit geeky.) "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

No jumping for me for a while due to an knee injury. (Not skydiving related.) However.. I did my first observer ride and it was in a porter. DAAAMMN!! It was sweet. I have to say that it was better than a lot of my freefly jumps! But since I'm gimping it and can't really work right now.. I have decided that the beer rules do not apply. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

I posted about this in another thread.. if anyone has had lateral release surgery could you possibly send me a PM? Just wondering what to expect. "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Iowa state record? I think this could likely be a world record for AAD fires on a single load! "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

Has anyone who is reading this had sugrery for patellar subluxation? "Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham