Damn Ill be off work @ 3 months with no weight on my foot for 2 months....

Im not the kind of guy to sit around much and have read about every book I own twice already.


Any ideas what could keep me busy or help me keep my chin up?

I cant open up a window and plink from it because I have neighbors.

Guys its only been a week and I am going stir crazy already. Tell me this is going to get better,



Cal30

Get a BB gun and a pellet trap.

You broke it in 5 places??!! Omg. Well, get in a wheelchair and get out of the house. No reason to stay cooped up.

Here are a couple links to keep you busy:

http://www.archive.org/search....%22Corbett%2CJim.%22

http://www.archive.org/search....22KENETH+ANDERSON%22

This one not only has the book, but an audiobook version as well. I haven't tried that but you might:

http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=lions%20tsavo

Hope that helps!

When I broke my ankle, I'd go out to the garden on crutches and my granddaughter would follow along with a folding chair. I'd stop and she'd set up the chair and I'd sit and weed or grub or pick.
When one has a "chair bearer", one is limited only by your desire.

I woke up today to about 3 inches of snow on the ground,So heading to the shop is not going to happen.
I at least have a couple of rifles in the house I can play with.
My wife is being awsome taking care of me but she dont trust me on the crutches.

But then again I look like a newborn Girrafe out of control with them and the snow on the ground aint helping me convince her that I could actually make it to the shop.

She says the physical thearapy is going to kill me. Right now I have plates and screws on both sides of my ankle in a soft cast,so I wont be able to see it until my first dr. appt on the 24th.


Cal30

Lot of snow this am. I stayed home. If you can get a walker you will feel much more steady. You don't want to fall. Good luck

I broke my ankle 3 weeks before getting married. Pins and screws. 'Walked down the aisle with a black hard cast on and quite a few pain pills in me. Don Juan I was not.

As the old man says "Cheer up! It gets a lot worse!"

I too am lucky to have a good woman that helped me tremendously. Cherish that.

You'll be hobbling around soon enough - stiff upper lip for now.
Hang in there.

Had a shooting buddy that was wounded in VN, confining him to a wheel chair for the next 26 years.
I'd take him hunting by loading him in my Jeep.
I could drop him off in the field for doves or near the trail for deer or turkey.
He would get bored after a few hours and use his High Standard pistol to plink sqirrles.

Jim

Cal,
I would recommend a nice selection of hunting books you can buy used from Abebooks.com

I bought about 100 at low prices and thoroughly enjoyed myself while traveling a bunch.

I suggest you start with Robert Ruark, then FC Selous, then check the Books section on AR for some recommendations.

I did this but the breaks were also in the talus and in the leg and ankle. Big surgery and a long recovery. And fusion later. And worsse there was no internet and AR then LOL.

But there are good suggestions here.

I used the books, I think Blockbuster saw my wife everyday, when I could later I went swimming, and my son was just a little boy so we played a lot of baseball pitch and catch with me in a wheelchair. And then I would pitch the plastic balls to him and he would swat it. Later in his life he made the AllStars 6 or 8 times in a row LOL.

You really appreciate a great wife and great kids when and after this. I have not cried too many times in my life , but after about 6 months and all the hell and my leg about 1/2 the size, and no walking, one day it just got to me while I was trying to hot tub the ankle and I just broke down. Both of them were stunned and saw for real that Dad was not Superman, Daniel Boone, and all of that in one. I saw that too. I swore to God, and prayed to God both, to get better and do things even better no matter what. It took a while but it happened.

I had been going to go to ALaska to go hunting when I got hurt. I later decided the FIRST thing I was doing with my wife was going to Belize and soak in the warm water and sun when I could walk. Belize took over and I could see it everyday. All I can say was it was GREAT to limp off that plane in Belize and stay in a thatch roof little house about 10 yards from the water.

So best of luck and get better soon.

Thanks guys


I already know this is going to be a life changing event for me.
I will be so glad when this is over and I get back to work. But that is going to be months from now. Thank god for my wife Id hate to be alone at this point.


Cal30

i got a total knee replacement last month - i now have enough ammo loaded up to last for the next 50 years or so

Guys I appreciate your suggestions and have been able to keep my mind busy and stay out of trouble with my wife.


In the last 2 years and 3 months I have broken my left knee cap into two pieces and managed to get thru that one( it was a mining accident) Then I broke my right hand in 4 places and still managed to make work because they really Frown on OTJ accidents.



Now for my ankle Id love to tell a killer story as to how it happened like a snowmobile accident or bike wreck a cougar attack or even a Bull riding accident but the truth to the matter is

I had a fire going in my pit by my shop @ dark and had a fellow miner come over to tell the biggest lies and such.


And low and behold I tripped over a piece of fire wood every wrong way a person could probably do it and then some... as a result a near compound fracture.

On level ground in my mid 40-s and now I am messed up for a while.


Who would have thought that could have happened?

No ladder no car accident or anything like that just level ground and a tripping hazard thrown in to complicate matters.




Cal30

Random accidents can change your life. A close friend of mine was painting his house on an extension ladder when the bottom slid out on the driveway. He broke up his entire left side. The doctor said that "Fifty" and "ladder" should never be used in a sentence together. Three weeks later I gave him a ride to hand therapy. Two days after that an embolism hit his lung and he was dead in a matter of minutes. He was 53.

Every single day is a gift.

Your weather predicting ability improves a lot too . At first you say what the heck is happening. Then you get to where you know.

quote:

Your weather predicting ability improves a lot too

Damn I never thought of that benifit

Thats going to be awsome especially when I get older.
I better get to work soon and earn some more money so I can move to a warmer climate when I get a bit older.

Really I do appreciate your guys responses of all sorts.

This is actually going to be good for me to reflect on my life style and my profession as an underground miner, You never think its going to happen to you just the other guy....

And lord knows Ive had alot of close calls underground and most always walked away unhurt.

Thanks


Cal30

You have a PM

My dad busted up his ankle real bad. Crutches did not work for him at all. Therapist set him up with a walker. Yeh it makes you feel even more old and feeble but you can get around alot better than crutches.

cal 30, once upon a time when I was off work for 4 months or so because of a knee injury I went on a black bear hunt over bait in Idaho. I did not have to walk too far, and I had a great hunt. I had so much fun, I did the same hunt for several years in a row, 2 times a year spring and fall. Several of my buddies have hunted with them as well.

Check out www.elkcityadventures.com

Joannie and Stitch are great people. Honest, and run a great hunting camp.

NE 450

Thanks for putting that up Sometime Stitch snd Joannie are going to see me for a hunt and they are going to get a call from me about taking the summer trail and fish thing with some little girls.

There is absolutley no question that the injury changed my life in a lot of ways. And only a couple were negatives. I cant run a step after that. But I coached football to eight winning and 5 championship seasons. I was still fired up , but I had more patience and I saw things different. Hard to describe really. But no question I was able to teach them better, and not just about ball either. I see them grown today and they run up to you smiling and hugging you and showing you their kids. It feels good.

One day one of the boys got hurt. After practice I was at the hospital. I would not have been before. The parents were most appreciative and the boys all knew I cared about them too. Happens after I spent 6 weeks in hospital room - and wheel chair racing in the halls LOL! And it is true I do care about them - I acquired about 400 sons in 8 seasons in addition to my own LOL. None of my kids had to wait on othropedic guys either, because I knew them all LOL LOL!

I have not been in tip top shape again as I was the day I was hurt. It's Ok.

I was a consulting, and when I came back but still on crutches because I NEEDED to work, no body would hire me, even the guys that knew me and I worked for all the time. They saw you different. You were injured, and not a superman anymore. So I started my own business again . Worked out great and then the same guys were calling all the time just like before . A few even said something like, Werent you hurt for a "little while." LOL, Yeah, I was.

After the injury some of the companies did not pay me and some of my lawyers were even worse. I got new lawyers who were a lot better and a lot better guys and I still have them as freinds even after I sold out. Took a few years but I weeded out the comapnies that intentionlly screwed me because they knew I was hurt, and even better, I got back most of the money, as they eventually needed something too. So what goes around, comes back around. But I was not vindictive or angry at all. I just have a long memory.

We had to go back and live in a apartment. I sold off things I did not want to, at a loss of course, but later built the best house we ever will. It took several years to pay off all the bills from when I was hurt, and from before, but I did it and did not go bankrupt as I was advised to do. I had some slow pay though, and it took a while to get it all done.

I probably should have gone bankrupt, but I felt I did it right. Later it worked out as when I needed business loan and backing I went right in and looked them in the eye and said I toughed that out , so I can get through anything. They went with it too. When we were building the house, one of the bank clerks called with some report that I had not paid $500 of all that mess years ago and now they were worried. I said I had, and then I fell out laughing. The bank stuff by then was nothing and I just called the Prez and he said forget it even happened.

I had become better, not just in money, but in character all the way around.

My story is long, like the recovery. Everybodys situation is different. I saw guys in the ortho ward that never came back at all and just sank into drugs and despair. Some had been through hell, and some not nearly nothing as it appeared to me.

I know you will get through it good, just one better day at a time. Best Regards, TexKD

Guys I used to hunt the Gosphel just south of Dixie in the Jumbo canyon area.

My last trip up there was a couple summers ago with my wife and we stayed at the Dixie airstrip for a week.

And there is some good bear hunting in that area when you get to the Mackay bar just head upstream.

Cal30

Ask your doctor about this of course. My doctor said yes to this idea that I found helpful.

Get yourself a hair dryer with a 'cool air' setting. Make a funnel from a piece of paper. tape the big end of the funnel onto the exhaust end of the hair dryer. Insert the narrow end into the top of cast. Turn on the cool......ahhh

Maxbear


If I get to that point I won't bother to ask Im just going to do it.
Thanks for the idea


Cal30

quote:

Originally posted by cal30 1906:
Maxbear


If I get to that point I won't bother to ask Im just going to do it.
Thanks for the idea




Cal30

I have to admit not asking the Doc about the hair dryer idea until after I had already tried it.

I wish you a speedy recovery. Keep your mind right.

Maxbear


There is olot of good info on that sight but some of it was discouraging.

Hopefully ill heal better than some of those.

Thank you


Cal30

Go to this site and read thru the findings out in the woods.

Read slow and it will provide for some entertainment and time spent healing.

http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=148441

Hope you never laughed at the "safety wags" on the job when they talked about tripping hazards, cause now we all know how quickly things can go downhill.

TC


That is good reading



Thank you Cal30

quote:

Originally posted by TCLouis:

Hope you never laughed at the "safety wags" on the job when they talked about tripping hazards, cause now we all know how quickly things can go downhill.

"Safety wags" seems a little tame for a mine. In our shop it was "Safety A$$hole"...and, being a family business, that a$$hole was ME.

How are you doing Cal30???

I have a fair number of friends and clients that have hobbled into the business with crutches and a cast, over the years.
If I know them well I'll accuse them of ignoring my advice about playing soccer with a bowling ball.
If it's a female I'll get a tongue stuck out and if it's a male there's a single finger salute.
Hope you're doing well.

jim

quote:

How are you doing Cal30???

I am doing alright, I got the staples out and now have a boot instead of a cast si now I can massage my ankle and apply ice and such.

My tendons have shrunk and I have limited movement due to being in the same position for 5 weaks.

I did get out and do some shooting the other day and that was nice to get out.

I hope it all works out in the end because in the last 30 years I have only been away from work for 2 weeks at any given time.

I just need to learn to enjoy the time off and stop worring about it because my employer wont accept me back until my doc gives me a full release.


Cal30

quote:

Originally posted by cal30 1906:

quote:

How are you doing Cal30???

I am doing alright, I got the staples out and now have a boot instead of a cast si now I can massage my ankle and apply ice and such.

My tendons have shrunk and I have limited movement due to being in the same position for 5 weaks.

I did get out and do some shooting the other day and that was nice to get out.

I hope it all works out in the end because in the last 30 years I have only been away from work for 2 weeks at any given time.

I just need to learn to enjoy the time off and stop worring about it because my employer wont accept me back until my doc gives me a full release.


Cal30

Well hang in there. It was a tremendous moral booster to get that damn cast off. Glad to hear you made it past that stage. Oh the ice works wonders on swelling. Wait until your in physical therapy begins and those ladies wrap your ankle in the ice blanket after they give you a workout....damn that ice treatment feels good. Glad you got outside to do some shooting. Yes, you got to try and ease the worrying...hard to do that and be a man at the same time though. We always seem to worry about something ha ha. My dad always said "cheer up son, the worst is yet to come" I still chuckle when I think about that. Hang in there.