DSE

Walmart or most auto supply stores. Your rigger likely has a small jar lying around as well.

A skydiver works across the street from the hospital was called and told to be on the look out for me coming in. That was a lucky break. The rest are by design. Interested in seeing a photo of a scrotum as big as a head?

and the fun just continues...The talus is not only fractured (needs screws to put it back together) but so is the fib where it joins the femur, with compression damage to the peroneal nerve and peroneous brevis. I don't know half of what that means, but it means more surgery. Wanna come assist, Sargeant?

for tandem vids/skydiving work, Ultimate S doesn't bring much to the table. Production Assistant is a task-oriented production tool without a lot of creative options. Ultimate S is a creative tool with a few task-oriented options. Thanks for the kind words. I wish I was healing well; we just discovered this morning that I also have a fractured talus, fib, and compressed peroneal nerve. Seems like the shit just doesn't stop.

The ortho won't take on the ACL until I have at least one leg to stand on. So, I'm looking at around 12-15 weeks before I'll get a new ACL. From what I understand, ACL repair takes around 6-8 weeks to be close to 'normal' functioning? Anybody know of a close to death track star? I'll take his/hers....

Like they say...."Custer got Siouxed." He was a fasionable guy, because he wore and Arrow shirt. Apparently I'm not tough enough. Been having severe pains in my left ankle all week, finally got the doctor to agree to a CT scan vs just Xray....Talus is confirmed as broken. I've been walking/doing PT on a broken ankle for 4 days now. Neither leg is load-bearing anymore. Back to surgury on Friday for the talus to be pinned. This shit is depressing. I'll take the spongebath now, please?

Maybe I could get a two-fer-one? Doc can come help fix my ACL and you can sponge bathe me. I'll take a spongebath from you any day Very happy to have been released to home today. They tell me the therapy will be worse at home, and I have to be tested at home each day for Coumadin levels but at least I'm in my own bed and get to choose the babysitters I have at night. I'm *tremendously* grateful to my skydiver friends that spent every night with me in ICU and then in Critical care, and those few nights in the rehab center. I'm lucky in more ways than I care to count. Can't wait to get back into the sky, but it'll be a while. Thank you all again for the encouraging PM's, posts, cards, etc. I'm overwhelmed when I consider how few people in this sport actually know me, but have taken the time out to offer encouragement. Jerry Baumchen takes the cake with the best card of all. Thanks, Jerry.

there should be a small white nylon actuator arm attachd to a small spring. See if the spring has come off the nylon arm.

Indeed it is.... the screws are also industrial, complete with serial numbers on each. I didn't know they serialize all this stuff so that if you burn up in a fire (or other "oops") then they'll know who you are. Pain is industrial sized, and the bad news keeps on a' comin....Been experiencing some nasty hurt in the left leg even though it's not load-bearing. Begged for an Xray even though they felt the CAT scan had caught everything. Turns out my left talus is broken, too. At the same time, I'm grateful to be breathing, grateful for the lifeflight crew, and the friends that help keep it going. Very strange to receive cards from people I've never met, and it makes me tear up a bit each time. Sargeant Miller (Millertime) was awesome to have there the night I needed to be transported. The medical staff was baffled about how to move me without putting me on a backboard and then shoveling me over to another bed device. I asked if he had any ideas, and he said he did. One of the nurses was very condescending with him, and referred to him with the rank of Airman. When he told her he was a sargeant and explained what he does, she STFU and became very respectful. Thanks to Millertime, they were able to move me from one bed to another, including all cables, IV, aircompression mattress system, everything... in one very smooth movement. I owe you one, Mike! Due to bedsores and other assorted oddities, I've grown a hematoma that makes it look like I've got a third ass cheek. I've pondered the thought that I might now be twice the asshole I was before.

You forgot the most cool of the elite cool, those that started around 60 jumps _with_ an instructor.

the ICU sequel (like most sequels) wasn't as dramatic as the original vist was. Blood clots and monstrous hematoma on my butt (think of it as a third butt cheek) all are not good things...So I needed to go back in because the mix of bad stuff" wasn't quite tasty. Then I became very tired, frustrated, and decided to leave the ICU on my own. Didn't fly so well....But now back in rehab, and actually had my first shower on a chair, so I guess it'll all be good. Now if I could get my groin to not look like a scene from "hellboy" I'd probably be a little happier. Thanks again for the amazing support, gang! edit-Hey Krip, here's a photo for you

I'll be there. Just not in the air.

ain't gonna show you my ball... but if you use your imagination, there *is* a cantelope beneath that gown. Got moved to a rehab department today. Between 8 days in ICU, 3 days in Critical Trauma, and now my first day in Trauma Rehab...there is a huge variance in food, attitude, and bed wow....

Good thing you said they were reading the pm's before I sent naked pics to cheer you up! You never sent naked pix, because I'd send copies of mine right back. I no longer have "balls." I have a "ball." I'm a one-ball-man. It's circumfrence is slightly smaller than that of a football. Yes, the nurses make fun of me. Yes, they take photos. Yes, there is even one on someone's facebook page. "Hurt" doesn't describe this purple/blue/red/yello/green marble that prevents legs from closing. They tie my ankles together at night to prevent my legs from sliding off either side of the bed. I have my own "nut bra" made from a pillow case. Tomorrow I'm being transferred to convalescent care for the next 3 weeks or so. I'm supposed to be walking with a walker by then, and crutches in 5 weeks. In the meantime, I'm considering the benefits of becoming a eunich anyway. I'm not the first to experience this, not the last, but damn....it hurts. Stupid hurts. Two words of advice; avoid object fixation, because hitting the object is probably less painful than missing your flare as a result. Learn to find your rears FAST. I thought I had this nailed, because of how I manage camera and wingsuit jumps. I was wrong.

So...did you guys forget the Freeflock Utah event?

I'm sure folks will talk about it for a while, I'm already hearing all sorts of bullshit about it, including that I have a compound femur, and other various shit that it was a low turn, etc. Bottom line (aside from that I screwed up) is that the toggle loss/ target fixation coupled with fear of injury slowed my response time down enough that I didn't get to a rear riser. I'm absolutely convinced that had I reached that rear I could have flared it nicely and slid in on my thigh/calf. I also feel like I "gave up" when I fixated on the target. I've had one guy in particular at the DZ constantly ragging on me about my landings (in spite of very opposite comments from any number of canopy coaches) and I think that those comments have had me paranoid at times. I simply "gave up" when I target fixated. I knew beyond any doubt at that moment, that I was going to die. Allthough I never lost consciousness on the ground, I'd told the paracrew and the LifeFlight crew that there is a DNR order in my locker at the DZ, and I demanded they obey it. They told me if I lost consciousness and they couldn't revive me, then they'd obey it and avoid life support. I'm grateful it didn't get that far. The jump was an AFF practice jump where I was shooting Jay Stokes and his candidates. Everything about the jump was a little weird anyway. My Hypeye hit the door frame just right when one the candidates climbed out, and camera went into standby just at exit, so I missed about 2 seconds of the exit. Got it back on in mid jump. Then we hit very heavy industrial haze to where my fingers froze (I usually don't wear gloves, I like tactile feel of skin, even when it's cold), and then the two candidates both lost Jay so it was just he and I in the immediate area at deployment time. Deployment was 100% normal as was releasing wings, collapsing slider, taking toggles, andmy shutting down camera. Video "sorta" shows that my hands are in toggles the way they usually are. (Ever since Shindig's incident, I've changed how I close up after a camera jump) They put me back in ICU on Sat night and took me back out again today, turns out a torn ACL is now part of the mix of mess, but I did get up on a commode today, and did manage to try out my new pelvic hardware with a standing bar. I've been informed that I've got 3 more days in critical care and then 3-4 weeks convalescent care before I get to go home. I'm grateful to folks that have send cards, letters, PM's, etc. They really do help, the vibes come through and they do inspire. I keep finding myself wishing occasionally that I had not survived this; the pain is unbelievable, and i've broken more bones than the average guy in my life, including punctured lungs and horse-stamped scrotums. The pelvic pain is beyond description, IMO. Jay Stokes was on hand with some funny quips here in the ICU last night, as was Nick from PC, and a couple of local friends. It's been a hoot having them read the PM's and posts. Thanks a lot again, to everyone. It's incredibly sustaining.

I'm gonna lock this one guys...there are two in Bonfire and Incidents. Thank you all so much for the kind words.

Hi guys, thaks for ll the kind words of support, phone calls, PM's, etc; You cannot possibly know how much they have meant. First off, WTF happened!!?? I'm still very doped up but here is my best (I've dreamed/relived at least three times a day, l clearly recall coming for a 90 on my front risers, slowly releasing my right riser to transition. I typically hold entire hand through toggle and use two fingers on risers, I believe this to be the case in this jump. I don't know how/why I lost the toggle, I just did. No good explanation. I immediately went for my right rear riser and at the same time, fixated my vision on our swoop noodles. I was afraid of impaling myself on one of them (Highly unlikely, but wo says fear is rational?) Anyway....ground rush took over. I impacted on my left knee and scrotum, then tried to PLF but there was just too much energy. Pelvis split in half, L1, 2,3 all broke into bits, and the sacrum broke off as well. They needed to stabilize me after all the blood loss, so Thursday was surgury day (accident on monday). Just now starting PT and remembering swearwords I thought I'd left in my distant past. Missy and Heather (PT ladies) must have strong ears. No night is without agony; pain runs somewhere between excruciating and torturus, but at least I'm breathing without help now, and can hold my own cup of water. I got out of ICU this morning, which is why I'm allowed a 'puter. Up to now, Parachutist and Mannie have been reading posts and emails to me. I'm sure I'll get ripped a lot, I really don't know how the toggle was no longer in my hand. I'm just surprised to be alive. The docs say that this sort of pelvic injury is rarely survived, so I guess I've been lucky. Thank you all again, and I hope to be back in the sky sooner than later. ~d

I've just ordered a Cookie Composites GAS. Have tried several with the wingsuit, and found I like the peripheral of the GAS best, plus it's a Cookie. Customer service can't be beat, IMO

You're right, of course. We have had students at 238...I'm guessing at exit weight.

I usually have one cat and two dogs. I'm babysitting the Aerodyne cats (Dytter and Slider) so I'm a three cat, two dog guy. Bounce, Dytter, and Slider don't get along so well.

Bigun. Keith is very well versed in the bigger skydiver needs. Check out the Anvil Brothers.

C'mon out to Utah. We can accomodate you. it's not just the gear. at an exit weight pushing 300lbs, many instructors can't hang with you.

Optically, the Baby Death (I don't use the part number, it's just a Baby or spherical to me) is a superior lens. Whether 99% of those using it vs the Opteka will notice a difference or not, I don't know. Probably not, given the broad number of shite lenses I see on various HD cams. At my home DZ, exactly two out of 10 videographers are using HD grade glass. The others are just happy with their Kenko/Tamron knockoffs.

I did test them, but can't access the media. The upshot is this: For skydiving, only the snobby bastards like me will care about the difference. It has nasty aberration, the reds are mistimed, but frankly, it's a minimal impact on the actual picture. For the price, I can't recommend the Opteka over the Baby Death. The Opteka is a bit heavier, but also has a metal shade vs the rubber of the Baby Death. I believe it's russian made. Glass is clearly inferior, but how inferior is "acceptable?" For the price difference for what most of us need, the Opteka is a decent value. Hell, I'd _never_ use one of the crap Kenko/knock off lenses on my cams, and many skydivers are quite happy with them. I bought two Optekas and have about a dozen jumps on one of them.