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So I've recovered a fair bit from my accident (http://www.snowjapanforums.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/353870/1.html) and i'm not debating what to do about this season. Unfortunately I'm back in America but I live in Michigan so there IS snow to be had. I'm pretty set on boarding this year again as a lot of my friends will be, but I will obviously be taking it easy and avoiding the park. My predicament, however, is this: I still have the plate in my shoulder and thanks to having no insurance in America I don't think I'm gonna be having it removed anytime soon (though mind you I will be purchasing short term insurance to cover me in case I have another accident, just can't fund a removal op). No matter what I wanna ride this year, but have any of you done the same? I remember my doc in Japan telling me that I could board again in 2 months or so but the bone is still a bit sensitive and I'm wondering if it'd be at all irresponsible of me to get back in the boots.

 

And on a side note, my doc in Japan said that I 'need' to have the plate removed within 2 years whereas I've asked around in America and looked up some articles and it seems some people in America think it's ok to leave the plate in long term... Gets me to thinking I should forgo this season and save up for the removal op...

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Do it every season - been 10 years for me, well almost 11 now, and yes it is painful if I fall over onto it.

 

As I said in the OP, just be careful, don't go diving into the park doing tricks, first get your confidence back, and starting building up the strength in the shoulder too.

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So you still have a plate or something in RB? I'm sure it will hurt even after (if) I have it removed, but I was just wondering if there are any significant added dangers if I go riding without having the removal op first.

 

I'll probably be spending most of this season in the states riding with friends who are mostly extreme newbs so I'll be going it slow for awhile anyways ;_;

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I am definitely above average in the department of injuries. Broke my collarbone almost identical to the way you broke yours. I never got the plate since I kept getting conflicting reports on if I needed it or not. It's apparent now I needed it and there is a big ball of calcium built up around where it broke. The bone never straightened right.

 

You will have had plenty of time to heal. I say go for it, it's going to be very difficult to break it again and if it does happen it would have anyway with a healthy one. Just be a little cautious at first like Rob said but I wouldn't avoid the park just simply because of it.

 

We were talking about this today. My friend just broke his pelvis biking on the least likely jump. He said he's going to sell his bike and quit. I told him that there has never been an injury bad enough (broken sternum, nose, collarbone, wrist, foot, etc) that has ever made me say I am not going to ski again. There are some things I may not do/try again but I will always continue skiing and pushing myself at least a little bit.

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Had a plate and tape but all taken out within 6 months or so.

 

Your shoulder will never have 100% strength again, and clearly you are lacking confidence in your shoulder's strength and mobility, which is all natural. Really do think you ease yourself in again.

 

Originally Posted By: MitchPee

You will have had plenty of time to heal. I say go for it, it's going to be very difficult to break it again and if it does happen it would have anyway with a healthy one. Just be a little cautious at first like Rob said but I wouldn't avoid the park just simply because of it.

 

um, sorry to disappoint you, but recurrence of dislocations from a broken A/C joint can be common, think I average about 2 a year. The joint is significantly weaker than before, and as such can break easier than a regular joint.

 

Last major one, was at Cent Leisure Maiko a few years back. Was coming down on to the main slope to the car park, and caught an edge on some chopped ice (was late in he day). Flipped and landed on my shoulder. Pop went the shoulder and went to medical centre. Doctor saw it, and blamed it on the previous injury. Was strapped up for 2 weeks. Not fun.

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An interesting read rider69.

 

We have been made very aware that weight bearing after bones have begun knitting is very beneficial for healing and bone strength. At least in the bones of the leg. One would think the principle would hold true for other bones in the body. Use it or lose it...

Kind of makes me think of a sapling tree being supported while it grows, but then not bearing it's weight on it's trunk while growing tall and top heavy...when the support it removed it could just flop over!

 

I think I'd be looking for a good Orthopedic surgeon to remove the hardware as soon as practical.

 

But seeing as I have been guilty of:

- riding for 2 weeks in Zermatt with a couple of cracked ribs...

- spending a week riding with the kids at Thredbo on boiler plate just a few short weeks after shoulder surgery (before I could even lift my hand above my head without serious effort and pain)...

...I would say, go for it - ride with reasonable care (then look for a surgeon for post season).

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Originally Posted By: RobBright
Had a plate and tape but all taken out within 6 months or so.

Your shoulder will never have 100% strength again, and clearly you are lacking confidence in your shoulder's strength and mobility, which is all natural. Really do think you ease yourself in again.

Originally Posted By: MitchPee

You will have had plenty of time to heal. I say go for it, it's going to be very difficult to break it again and if it does happen it would have anyway with a healthy one. Just be a little cautious at first like Rob said but I wouldn't avoid the park just simply because of it.


um, sorry to disappoint you, but recurrence of dislocations from a broken A/C joint can be common, think I average about 2 a year. The joint is significantly weaker than before, and as such can break easier than a regular joint.

Last major one, was at Cent Leisure Maiko a few years back. Was coming down on to the main slope to the car park, and caught an edge on some chopped ice (was late in he day). Flipped and landed on my shoulder. Pop went the shoulder and went to medical centre. Doctor saw it, and blamed it on the previous injury. Was strapped up for 2 weeks. Not fun.


I was referring to Collar bone not AC, sorry for the confusion! Nobody take that as an AC joint info!
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  • 2 weeks later...
Originally Posted By: Mamabear

...I would say, go for it - ride with reasonable care (then look for a surgeon for post season).


I like the way you think MB cheers

I don't think there was any point in time I doubted whether or not I'd be back out this season. As a matter of fact I remember the first question to my doctor being "when can I snowboard again?" to which he answered "soon, but probably not before the season ends..." so I know I have the drive. Unfortunately since I'm stuck in the states, without ANY of my gear, I am forced to divide my preparatory spending between new gear and private insurance.... and so far it's looking like the latter will be allotted waaaay more omg
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yes you do. My insurance company are waiting for me to stop with them as my shoulder is costing them a fortune on checkups and there is nothing they can do.

 

I asked them how much my premium would have been, had the accident occurred within 2 yrs of starting with them.

 

 

Uninsurable. biggrin

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I had insurance under my dad until I went to Japan, by the time I got back I was too old and since there are no jobs I have no way of getting insurance. There are ways to get insurance that will cover me in case I screw up again, but as for my shoulder there is no longer anything I can do for it.

 

And what do you mean by

Originally Posted By: panhead_pete
You are living in the US and have no medical insurance? Is that plate in your head?

 

If I had a choice I would have it but we have no standardized program and anyone that doesn't conform to the 'standard' path gets ****. Sucks but oh well would rather die doing something I love than sucking GOP @$$

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Originally Posted By: gaijindrifter
I had insurance under my dad until I went to Japan, by the time I got back I was too old and since there are no jobs I have no way of getting insurance. There are ways to get insurance that will cover me in case I screw up again, but as for my shoulder there is no longer anything I can do for it.

And what do you mean by
Originally Posted By: panhead_pete
You are living in the US and have no medical insurance? Is that plate in your head?


If I had a choice I would have it but we have no standardized program and anyone that doesn't conform to the 'standard' path gets ****. Sucks but oh well would rather die doing something I love than sucking GOP @$$

So...you can't take out your own private insurance in the US?
Like you would insure your car or house?
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Yes its pretty much the only way to get insurance in the US.

 

Originally Posted By: gaijindrifter

 

And what do you mean by

Originally Posted By: panhead_pete
You are living in the US and have no medical insurance? Is that plate in your head?

 

If I had a choice I would have it but we have no standardized program and anyone that doesn't conform to the 'standard' path gets ****. Sucks but oh well would rather die doing something I love than sucking GOP @$$

 

I meant that I cant imagine being there without insurance no matter the cost having seen what happened to my mates there who didnt have it and the bills they got when they got hurt.

 

I cant understand why socialised health care like that we have in Australia always gets voted down in the US. Crazy stuff.

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I live in Michigan, highest unemployment and worst average crime rate, former home of the motor vehicle, current home of more rapes per capita than an Akihabara AV rack....

 

That being said I will be getting some form of private insurance before I even think of riding, but you're definitely right PP living in America without insurance is crazy, but thanks to rich **** like what makes up 99% of our government officials too many of us don't have access to it, on top of the fact that 15 million Americans currently have NO source of income (not even welfare or unemployment pay). If my family didn't live here I would've left permanently loooong ago. Thank god beer is soooooo cheap!!!

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Originally Posted By: gaijindrifter
I live in Michigan, highest unemployment and worst average crime rate, former home of the motor vehicle, current home of more rapes per capita than an Akihabara AV rack....

That being said I will be getting some form of private insurance before I even think of riding, but you're definitely right PP living in America without insurance is crazy, but thanks to rich **** like what makes up 99% of our government officials too many of us don't have access to it, on top of the fact that 15 million Americans currently have NO source of income (not even welfare or unemployment pay). If my family didn't live here I would've left permanently loooong ago. Thank god beer is soooooo cheap!!!


At least you're probably not in inner city Detroit? I sure hope not, been there have no inclination to stay.

Good luck with it all smile. I'm in the same boat. I am 22 and the government told me that is too old to be on my mothers insurance. I had insurance through the university but they don't care after you graduate. I am fortunate enough that my parents would probably help me out if anything were to happen but it's nothing like a trust fund! I can't begin to fathom not having health insurance and being a mother/father responsible for other people. I can barely watch over myself!
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Originally Posted By: panhead_pete
Yes its pretty much the only way to get insurance in the US.

Originally Posted By: gaijindrifter


And what do you mean by
Originally Posted By: panhead_pete
You are living in the US and have no medical insurance? Is that plate in your head?


If I had a choice I would have it but we have no standardized program and anyone that doesn't conform to the 'standard' path gets ****. Sucks but oh well would rather die doing something I love than sucking GOP @$$


I meant that I cant imagine being there without insurance no matter the cost having seen what happened to my mates there who didnt have it and the bills they got when they got hurt.

I cant understand why socialised health care like that we have in Australia always gets voted down in the US. Crazy stuff.


Our country has a health system that is obsessed with finding something wrong instead of taking preventative measures. We are constantly riddled with advertisements for drugs we don't need (weight loss, sleep apnea, depression, etc.)

I know very little about anatomy, physiology, medicine, etc. However, I do know that eating right and exercise can prevent most diseases.

I'm sure it being that the health industry, insurance companies, drug companies, all have very powerful lobbying abilities is not helping the cause either.
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Currently, I don´t have insurance.

By law, everone must have one. I had to show the german gov, my insurance policy to extend my visa before we got married.

The insurance sysem is so complicated here you gotta be a lawyer to understand this shit.

Even when I had private insurance and was paying good money, when I fractured myself from boarding the second time, I was told that they will only pay up tp 700 Euro total per incident. WHF, don´t we get insurance for situations like that when we can not foot the big bills!?

Germany is full of shit. If they can find a more complicated way to do things involving more paper pushing, THEY will do it. The master of burocracy.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie ... thumbsup

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Originally Posted By: Jynxx

Germany is full of shit. If they can find a more complicated way to do things involving more paper pushing, THEY will do it. The master of burocracy. :


confused

No, that's Japan. wink
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That´s why they have mutual respect.

Germans and Japanese have a lot in common. Transends racial difference. Society, Values, Morals ..

 

Rob, sometimes I feel like I´m back living in an inferior version of Tokyo, at a better surburban house like my parents ...

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Originally Posted By: Jynxx
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie ... thumbsup

Not always.
BabyBear is quite blind. Has worn glasses fulltime since he was 4yrs old. Anyhoooo, I had to have his eyes reassessed a couple of weeks ago because we noticed that his left eye was turning in again (muscles get stressed trying to see and then just give up and he goes cross eyed).

He needed a new stronger prescription.
We have top Private Health cover.
The stupid glasses cost me almost $800 out of pocket - AFTER the miserable $100 odd dollars that HBF paid out for them.

And being the active 11 yr old he is - they will last about 3 months.
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