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