So yesterday, I'm riding the chair lift (to the blue and black runs) with this older lady. She turns to me and says, "Can you do me a favor? My right hand has gone numb... and I'm worried that I've had a small stroke in the parking lot". (And OMG! You then put on your skis and got on the chairlift????)
We do the "smile" test... and her face isn't lopsided. She is coherent... but talking a little slow. But then she is 79 years old. And the wind is BLASTING and I'm having trouble talking, myself. She says that she's been skiing fine and has no balance issues. She adds that she doesn't have time to have a stoke because she has tickets to go to Aspen in 2-3 weeks for a women's clinic.
I encourage her to go to the ski patrol and want to ski her over there or drive her to the ER or something, but she'll have none of it... and we get off the lift and whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh... she takes off down the mountain at about 20 mph and looks like a 25 year old from the back (with the face of somebody 105... probably from all those years of skiing... was like looking into the future... I HOPE. Would be nice to be skiing at 79... even if my skin looks like heck...).
I run into her again on the chairlift and we have typical skier conversation... What runs are good. What's icy. Issues we are working on. She is a delightful person.
So, half an hour later I'm skiing along and look down the mountain and there is my chairlift/stoke friend laying in the snow. I'm OMG! and ski down to her... and she's saying, "I'm good... I caught an edge... got cocky and was going a little too fast". She gets up (with NO assistance) and we determine that she is ok. I'm ready to take off and she says, "Do you mind skiing with me a for a while?". And I say Not a problem... however... she'll have to slow down for me, since I ski quite a bit slower. She says not a problem.
So we ski like 6 runs. I have a GREAT time. She gives me some good tips. She wants to go ski some black diamond which is usually all bumpy... which since it is getting sort of late in the day, I decline and I'm taking the long, flat way around. So she goes and is standing waiting for me at the end of the run.
She said that she is losing strength and muscle every year... and can't do moguls anymore (well... she added if she accidentally finds herself in them she can get out...). What she now lack in physical strength... she has to make up for in style and grace.
I leave about 3pm (since I'm TIRED). She says that she is going to go all the way up to 4pm since she paid $19 for the lift ticket (Used to be seniors age 60 or 65 or 70 or 75 where free... but sooooo many older people ski now... they can't give away lift tix...).
So we part ways... and I make her promise that she will go to the doctor's (since REALLY she probably should have gone to the ER...). I thank her for all of her tips. She thanks me for slowing her down and making her feel safer.
And OMG! My legs and knees were HURTING last night. My mil was cracking up, "You are all worn out from chasing an 80 year old stroke victim all over the mountain!?!?!" She was 80 years old and channeling Jonny Mosley or something.
But anyway, I've been thinking about her all day. Glad the story had an anticlimactic ending and she said that feeling was back in her hand and hopefully it was just a pinched nerve or something. Hope she is ok. Hope she has a fantastic time in Apsen.
But that is a chairlift first, "Have you ever seen that Stroke Test on the internet? Is my smile lopsided?"
Denise
Posts: 9202 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
We had a TERRIFIC time!!! My ankle held up beautiful and I've been pain free all day and even better, dd LOVED it!!!! She picked up on it so quickly and we got in a solid 4 hours of skiing. : )
She can't wait to go again and neither can I!
Out of our beliefs are born deeds; out of our deeds we form habits; out of our habits grows our character; and on our character we build our destiny.
You hanging in there and not going insane from lack of exercise? (well, except for PT... while not exactly "exercise", PT IS "activity" and time consuming. Or I found the exercises time consuming... or something to "do".)
I've been lifting weights and doing core work all along and I've been able to ride a stationary bike since x-mas. I started out with 10 minutes and I'm now up to an hour. I was also cleared to walk in early January - started with .4 miles and am up to 2 miles.
Today I rode the bike for 30 minutes, walked my 2 miles, lifted, did core work and shoveled my drive so I've been managing to stay active.
So, all in all, I have been finding ways to get in some kind of workout. There is just no substitute for running for me though ; ) I miss it!
Out of our beliefs are born deeds; out of our deeds we form habits; out of our habits grows our character; and on our character we build our destiny.
Originally posted by Brie: The cast was on prior to PT so it's been more like 3 months with the air cast...
That is a long time!
You hanging in there and not going insane from lack of exercise? (well, except for PT... while not exactly "exercise", PT IS "activity" and time consuming. Or I found the exercises time consuming... or something to "do".)
Denise
Posts: 9202 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
Originally posted by GoingSkiing: I think that is pretty good to go from a cast to skiing in a little over two months.
The cast was on prior to PT so it's been more like 3 months with the air cast but actually, because of the nature of my injury, the ski boot offers a good amount of protection and support. It was one of the few activities I was OK'd to do ; )
Out of our beliefs are born deeds; out of our deeds we form habits; out of our habits grows our character; and on our character we build our destiny.
<<Did you heal up quickly? Or have I not posted in a while? Or some of both?>>
You haven't posted in a while ; )
I've been in PT for over 2 months now. I have all my flexibility back in my ankle and am almost there with my strength.
Doc cleared me today to ski, although he recommended 1/2 day and not pushing it which will be fine since I'll be on the bunny hill with dd most of the time! (Hopefully no kid loses control and crashes into me ; ).
I'm still not back to anything high impact though but by months end he felt that I should be able to start re-introducing running into my routine - YIPPEE!!!! (Although we'll see what my physical therapist says as she seems to be more cautious).
Out of our beliefs are born deeds; out of our deeds we form habits; out of our habits grows our character; and on our character we build our destiny.
Originally posted by susanrows: That's quite a story! Where were you?
I was at Mt. Rose. That is funny, because I was THINKING of going over to Homewood... but Mt. rose is 14 mins away and I'm already all paid up there. And Homewood is about 45-50 mins away.
Susan, ask your dh... Were people skiing super fast? (or maybe he wouldn't notice... )
But Saturday, it snow lightly all day, so the light was really flat and it was hard to see the snow. So it wasn't all that crowded (since some people only ski when it is sunny) AND people were skiing pretty slow and feeling their way down the mountain.
SUNDAY... Sunday... beautiful blue skies... so it is REALLY crowded AND the X-games are on AND with the sun shine we can obviously see the snow really well. Everybody was skiing FAST. I skied from 8:45am until 11am and called it a day. But the X-Games and Olympics… people have the urge to go skiing (or snowboarding, now) AND have the urge to ski FAST.
I wasn't physically tired... but mentally tired. Like from driving in traffic. There is nothing physically tiring about the act of driving. But it can be exhausting.
So Monday... I LOVE Mondays. Like 50 people skiing. Snow was good. Light was good. Everybody was old.
quote:
Originally posted by susanrows: DH and DS skied... Ended up doing a black diamond run for the first time -- and then two more.
Cooool! I miss being fearless like little kids.
My kid took me on this gnarly black diamond when he was in 4th grade. Just put his skis in the world’s most gigantic wedge and skied down the fall line.
I’ve never been much of a risk taker… which MOST of the time is a good thing. Saved me a lot of pain and suffering. Never got addicted to drugs like the rest of my family… simply because I never tried them. Generally, don’t end up in dangerous situations. Never had a speeding ticket. Had one car accident in 30 years, and that was a lady ran a red light and hit me and I got $4000 for my car that was worth $75. Had one ski injury in 11 years of skiing (at age 40-50+)… and I’m guessing that it was a freak accident since I haven’t had another in 5 years.
But on the other hand… I sometimes don’t push myself “enough”. I was saying to my sister that if you do a few runs to warm up… and then you are tired… that window of blue and black diamond skiing window is very small. And sometimes, instead of visualizing success… I have visions of dislocated kneecaps. Not ALL the time… but sometimes it flashes thru my head.
And when people compliment my skiing, it always things like, “You ski so controlled!!!” or “You do such a good job of finishing your turns!” which are both code for “Damn, you ski slow!”. My favorite compliment (from a ski instructor), “You ski like the ski patrol” and I was all happy until he added, “We make fun of them. But, I could hand you 50 pounds of bamboo stakes and tell to take them to that tree… and you’d make 93 turns and just take them down the mountain”. People want to ski with me after they have fallen going balls to the walls and they need somebody to make them finish their turns and slow them down and give them a break.
But even now… I’m waffling between… shoot, I should have gone up there and skied that black diamond with Barbara with the stroke. And, no… not skiing it was the sane thing to do and not push it the last run of the day.
quote:
Originally posted by Brie: I'm hoping to get the green light to go skiing next week from my ortho who I see again tomorrow. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed!
Will keep mine crossed for you!
Did you heal up quickly? Or have I not posted in a while? Or some of both?
quote:
Originally posted by Sheri in Reho: How many 80-year-old people are still skiing, much less out there by themselves all day?
There are a LOT of people in their 70’s and 80’s skiing. 10 years ago, it was good to be either really young or old. Anybody over age 70 could ski for free. Then they bumped it up to 75. Then to 80. Now age 60-75 pay $45 (compared to $65). And 75 and up are “Super Seniors” and pay $19. There are still a few smaller resorts that will let seniors ski for free… but not many. Diamond Peak, you can ski for free if you are younger than 6 or 80+... or on your birthday (Good to be born in January!)
USUALLY, all the seniors are gone by about noon and they only ski for 3 hours or so. To see WOMEN seniors skiing alone… THAT is very unusual. To see women skiing alone, of my age… or really ANY age is pretty unusual.
People used to say to me, “What if you have to put the chains on the car?!?!?!?” Nelson didn’t know how to do it. I always did it, even when Nelson was with me. Gotta love all wheel drive!
Ok... I've been gone 5 days out of the last 11 and my house looks like heck. Off to do some damage control. Although I came back weighing the least of any scale number this month... so that is good.
Denise
Posts: 9202 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
That is SUCH a wonderful story, Denise...thanks for sharing it! How many 80-year-old people are still skiing, much less out there by themselves all day? That is incredibly inspiring.
My mother will be 77 in April and she works out at the gym about 2 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week. She does 30 minutes on the elliptical a day and swims 30-40 minutes every day, plus weight lifting and other activities.
And even as fit and mobile as she is, I don't think SHE'd even try skiing at that age. Then again, like me, I don't think she's ever been snow skiing...so now is not the time to start! LOL
1st Qtr. 2010 Goals: 1. Continue gym 3X week until it is a habit. 2. Read, write, sew or craft at least 30 mins. per day. 3. Regain control over eating > 8 p.m.
Posts: 7786 | Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE | Registered: March 12, 2004
DH and DS skied Homewood this weekend, with some friends. DS was so frustrated with waiting for his friends that he begged his dad to ski by themselves a while. Ended up doing a black diamond run for the first time -- and then two more.
Although I came back weighing the least of any scale number this month... so that is good.