Skydiving and Injury

I have a hard time speaking from experience on this one, as I am only in my first few days of injury to have gone through all the phases of grief that one might expect when it comes to being injured to the point of being grounded during the skydiving season, so I?m just going to shoot from the hip (pun intended) a bit and see how this turns out.

So far my skydiving season has started out a bit on the rough side. Between having the nice weather fall on days I?m hunkered down at the office and this hip/back injury that has me couch surfing for a few weeks, I?ve really only had one solid weekend of skydiving.

That said, I?m struggling a bit. With the type of injury I?m enduring (since, I can really only speak from experience here) I have good days and bad. Some days I wake up feeling amazing and then I?ll push myself and then come 6pm I?m laid up on the couch with this burning, tingling sensation all down my left leg. Other days I wake up with pain, rest a while, take some Advil then I?m good to go around lunch time. Still others, are just plain bad.

(Unfortunately, since the diagnosis, I?ve yet to have a completely good day?)

In a situation like this, the better days are tempting ? especially when the weather is nice. I mean, I?ve had minimal opportunity to jump this season, so why wouldn?t I just risk it on days where I feel better to get in a little freefall?

Luckily, so far, I?ve been strong enough to remind myself that if I stick with PT for a few weeks and stay out of the sky I?ll have a much better chance of continuing my skydiving career for years to come than if I take one risk and one wrong step on landing to put me 4 giant steps back, or worse.

As someone who tries to be practical, that?s the best advice I can give to anyone who might have a minor injury this season, or in seasons to come. Take a deep breath, enjoy the time with your fellow jumpers (or even off the dropzone) on the ground, knowing that recovery is your first priority so that in seasons to come, jumping can be priority 1 again.

Talk to me again in a few weeks to see if my tune has changed?but for now, that?s the best advice I can give myself, or anyone like me.

Love and blue skies!

Ashley

Source: http://skydivechick.com/2011/04/skydiving-and-injury/

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