Wreckedmy knee skiing, wrecked my season... WARNING -Pics

[ian ashton]

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I'm posting from a hospital bed :( Yesterday, on our first day of vacation I went for a ski behind my boat. I didn't throw my ski on the boat, so I figured I'd just pull on the generic kick that Lauras mom uses. Big mistake. 1 SMALL cut, hit the wake weird and went sailing.

I dislocated my leg from my knee, apparently the rarest of knee injuries. Wonderful. Not sure if I need surgery, I just can't wait to be discharged so I can enjoy the rest of my vaca, on crutches.

[wolfeman131]

OH DANG, Ian! That sucks!! Hope you get feeling better soon.

[dusty2221]

Ouch! That looks painful!

[Copen80]

Seeing those pictures brought back memories... When I was still coaching football we had a senior captain that suffered the same injury. I still have images of his lower leg flopping around like a wet noodle. He of course lost his entire senior season but made a full recovery. I can remember him laying on his side just like Ian. We rolled him over to stabilize his leg and prep him for the EMT's and the joint realigned. It seemed to be a huge relief (pain or otherwise) when it slipped back to where it was supposed to be.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

[zegm]

Ian I hope you get better soon!

2 years ago we are going to teach someone how to water ski. BUT! They want to see someone do it first. I say OK I will show you so I grab the pairs skiis which I haven't been on in years and jump in the water. Somehow I hit a wake from another boat in weird fashion and end up falling. I fell forward and my left leg stayed in the ski on top of the water. This meant my straight leg went past my left ear as my body entered the water. I torn my left hamstring almost in half, I stretched the nerve so bad that my foot was completely numb for hours. My wife had to drag me up the hill at our house in a landscaping wagon to get me in the car to take me to the hospital. Like you I was in the emergency room in pain. The bad part is they couldn't do much for my injury, I went from a 7 minute mile runner to a 11 minute mile runner now and it has taken 2 years to get that far. Hopefull your knee will heal up completely and you will be fine. And most important of all I have a new rule I ONLY SKI ON MY SKI!

And the person we were going to teach to ski has refused to try it now!

Again I hope you get better soon! Buy some waterski videos to watch while you heal!

[cab13367]

Sorry to hear it Ian! I wish u a speedy recovery. Keep your spirits up - you'll be back behind the boat before u know it.

[BensonWdby]

Wow - that is horrible on so many levels. Hope they are giving you good pain killers. Go easy on it till it heals. You are young and letting it heal properly will ensure many more years of skiing ... I almost drowned long ago when I took a run on a ski I had never been on - landed hard and knocked myself out. Fortunately nothing needed surgery.

Hope you can recover without surgery...

Get well soon.
Dave

[kaneboats]

Ian, very sorry to hear of this misfortune. Our prayers are with you for a speedy recovery. We hope you are back on the water and 100% again soon.

Kaneboats Family

[GeauxTigers]

Ian, best wishes for a speedy recovery! This reminds me of how my 2006 snow skiing season got cut short after I broke my left leg during President's Day week. I healed quickly and was back on the slopes by opening day Friday after Thanksgiving that same year.

[jmvotto]

Ian, best wishes and get well soon. that really sucks about the knee. I blew out my knee one week before a trip to breckinridgeback in the mid 90's not fun..... get better soon

[SEARK]

Ouch! That looks painful!

I think that says it all.
Worst I ever did on a ski was knock out my top 2 front teeth the day before 2 a day football started when I was in high school. Tried to cut real hard and ski came off the water and front end went straight for my mounth. Didn't hurt till I got a look at it in the mirror. Spent all of a Sunday afternoon in the dentist chair.

[skiyaker]

dang brother I'm really sorry to hear that. Hope for a speedy recovery for you.

[moombadaze]

Ian ---WOW, Hope your not down and out for to long

Daze Family

[Aquaholic]

Best Wishes Ian, Sorry to hear the news. I tore my acl and mcl last summer so I feel for you.

Aqua

[McMoomba]

Sorry to hear this. I hope you are up and moving soon.

[Mikey]

Ouch!!! I really feel for you. Hopefully you can manage a little boat time just the same . Hope recovery is quick,and See ya back skiing soon enough seeing as you have come over to the DARKSIDE. Best Wishes.

[csmsk]

Get well soon, Ian. Hate to see this kinda thing happen, especially while on vacation.

Best wishes.

[newyear14]

Get well soon bud.

[Canuckle Head]

Here's to a speedy recovery Ian. Guess you'll be putting those coolies to good use in the meantime!

[tazz3069]

Hope for a speedy recovery. Get well, get some rest, drink lots of beer, get more rest, and drink more beer. I am no doctor, but I heard that this really works. HAHAH
Tazz

[jester]

You know you have better photo's on here then on facebook. Did they give you a time on when you will be up on the water again? I also have a good saying for you.

Sticks and stones will break my bones but it is the doctor who really hurts me.

[LyndonH Dubai]

best wishes for a speedy recovery Ian!

[ian ashton]

Ian, I gotta know...

I presume your dad shot the pix...as your being rolled thru the hospital did you guys have this conversation,

"Ian, I'll take some shots and we can post these photos on the Moomba forum ASAP!"

Hope your feeling better. Give us an update when you can.
Actually, Lauras family owns a cottage on Torch Lake, so we are here with her family. Her dad was driving my boat while I was (attempting to) ski. Laura was on land bringing the trailer around so we could pull the boat for the night (1 lift, 2 boats). When we got to the dock the only thing I could say between my muscle spasms was "Laur, take some pics of this...". The EMTs thought I was insane, as did everyone else, lol.


So, I got out of the hospital Thursday and have been crutching around since. Still at the lake house, still using the boat (got 2 first timers up on the wakeboard!) I think I might be bionic, as my knee is still really swollen and I have a bruise the size of Texas, but it doesn't hurt at all. I'm anxious to get back home and get the MRI and hear a timeline for recovery. I think it will be pretty fast, gauging on how I'm doing so far.

[ian ashton]

And thanksfor all the well wishes and stories, I really appreciate it! It definately helps knowing lots of people do this and get back into it after injury.

[kaneboats]

Hey Coolie! Glad to hear you have your chin up and eyes toward the future. Good that you are able to get in the boat and help new boarders. Keep us posted on how you're doing.

[sandm]

sucks to hear. as I recreate this weekend, I'll raise the moomba coolie in a quick moment of silence hoping for a speedy recovery..


on the flip side, you could take the quiet time to dream up some more moomba swag to peddle :)

[newty]

How you doing brotha? Hope you feeling better. I poured a little beer out for you, but my instinctive reaction was to catch it with my mouth.
Hey it was the thought that counts... right?
Get better soon, maybe find someone with an airchair so you can get on the water.

[ian ashton]

LOL!

Well, the first doctor I've seen since I got home was pretty confident that I have damaged just about every ligament and anything else of importance in my right knee, without even having the MRI. I'm going on Saturday for the MRI, and will know then.

[zegm]

You are alive! So don't fret on how bad it is! The quickest way to recovery is to be positive! I know I will see pictures of you skiing next summer!!! :D

[ian ashton]

Yep! I agree! The reality was I am pretty lucky to have feeling in my leg. The reason why I had to stay in the hospital over night was becuase they couldn't find a pulse in my foot. Finally after about 15 hours it came back, very faint on a dopler (sp?). I'm definately looking forward to my next session, whenever it may be! I think I see a drysuit and some winter runs in my future, lol.

[zegm]

Yep! I agree! The reality was I am pretty lucky to have feeling in my leg. The reason why I had to stay in the hospital over night was becuase they couldn't find a pulse in my foot. Finally after about 15 hours it came back, very faint on a dopler (sp?). I'm definately looking forward to my next session, whenever it may be! I think I see a drysuit and some winter runs in my future, lol.

My injury was not as severe as yours but is still present with me everytime I go running. Gosh my kids can outrun me now!!! :)
Like you when I had the injury my foot went completely numb! I had no feeling in it for a few hours and that scared me bad. The doctor finally said you can stretch a nerve really far and it will still recover and be fine. Well he said that but I didn't feel good about it until the feeling did come back. Now you couldn't stand on your leg obviously, but I could and when I put my foot down and did't feel anything......well I think I fell again! :)

[gus 08 mobius lsv]

this summer is my first summer back after an acl injury complete tear i told myself no crazy shit for me i'm getting too old and after this injury i don't wanna go thru it again but i love the sport and i'm doing w 2 w and 180's working on the next step so i'm sure you'll be the same way just work hard at rehab and you'll be back at it ... a little scared at first but it'll come back to ya. good luck with it man

[Scottys]

Ian, I hope you have a speedy and full recovery. To give you a little encourgement, I too have suffered a season & summer ending skiing injury.

On July 5th, 2002 I sustained an " upper tibia plateau compression fracture". Came across the wake and fell forward over the front of the ski. I knew immediately I was hurt seriously. Reconstructive surgey (included an"L" plate and 7 screws), 13 weeks on crutches (no weight), 6 weeks rehab.
The Doc put me back to "good a new". Been doing all activities since.
Best wishes and may the liquid force be with you :)

[BensonWdby]

Scottys - what kind of binding were you in when you crashed? Would you consider the binding a contributor.

[Scottys]

Back then I was sking a O-Brien Siege with a "Contact High Performance" front binding and rear toe plate. I don't believe the binding was the reason.
It was the 4th of July and we had poor weather all vacation, very windy on an 825 acre open (roundish) lake. It was the day before we had to go home and I hadn't gotten out. Although there were white-caps out on the lake I was foolish enough and too impaitient just sit on the pier. I was way too agressive for the conditions. As I cut accross the wake I lost my balance and fell forward over the tip of the ski. I think by falling forward I caused the fibia to smash into the tibia.
The top outside end of the tiba looked a little like the top of a chisle or wood splitting wedge that has been well used. You know the burr that rolls over and fractures away from the main body.
Glad my Dad was in the boat to help pull me in as I couldn't put any weight on my right leg (I ski right foot forward).

[ian ashton]

Update from the surgeon:


My ACL is completely blown out and will need surgery. My MCL is torn, but he said that this has to heal naturally, as they can't operate on it. My PCL they are unsure about - the MRI had some questionable areas, but he can't get my knee to bend enough right now to get a concise diagnosis. They gave me a fancy-schmancy knee brace (billed my insurance $1,000 for it! Again I say thank god for insurance!) and he said that I should ween myself off crutches so I can get some movement back in my knee. Also scheduled me to 2 weeks of Physical Therapy to get my knee flexable again, then another exam, and possibly 2 more weeks of PT before surgery.

If its just my ACL he said the surgery is easy and recovery is quick, mostly just lots of PT right after surgery. If they have to do the PCL (which is likely) it will be a longer recovery, with more down time and more PT once I'm mobile.

So, all in all some good news and confirming some bad, but I'm just happy that I don't have to hobble around on the crutches as much!

[scoot_gt]

If its just my ACL he said the surgery is easy and recovery is quick, mostly just lots of PT right after surgery. If they have to do the PCL (which is likely) it will be a longer recovery, with more down time and more PT once I'm mobile.


My advise is go cadaver when possible!

[ian ashton]

Cadaver is less invasive, but not as good of performance. They are going to pull from some other part of my leg, apparently the same way this surgeon does football players.

[davidl]

Hang In There Man!!

[bbyquist]

I feel a small urge to plug my profession here (heheh, I didn't go to school for 7 years for nothing!). Physical therapy is not a waste of time whether it is before or after surgery. Pre-hab (PT prior to surgery) can be very successful and often times will shorten the post-surgical rehab time. Another consideration is that doctors will often send patients to PT prior to looking at surgical intervention 1)because it is less invasive and therefor less risky and 2)because treatment is often dictated by the payor (insurance companies) - meaning they insist that PT is first, then do diagnostic imaging, then surgery/injections/etc.. if necessary.

No finger pointing in this post whatsoever. I just want everyone here to know that physical therapists do great things. We are THE movement specialists. And like any profession there are good ones and some not so much.

Ok I'm off my soap box.

Good luck with your rehab Ian, you'll do great man.

[bbyquist]

Ian I just read your last post. I'm not sure I would even consider a hamstring graft. Hopefully you are referring to a patellar tendon graft.

[ian ashton]

Ian I just read your last post. I'm not sure I would even consider a hamstring graft. Hopefully you are referring to a patellar tendon graft.

Yea, I believe that is what he recommended. I think he said hamstring is usually what they do in girls and middle aged people, but I could be confused, it was a lot to take in.

[Moseley618]

Ian it really depends on what they use to fix the graft with. If you have to have ACL, PCL you will need two grafts and they will use hamstring and BTB (Patellar Tendon). It would be better if they used hamstring for ACL and an Achilles tendon Allograft for the PCL. I would probably have Allograft for both if it was me. I would have an Anterior Tib for the ACL and Achilles for PCL. Benefit is way less pain and shorter time to get your range of motion back. The bad side is they are not as strong as Autograft (from your own body) and the re-tear rate is a little higher. But lets face it most of us are not high level athletes anymore. The surgeon makes more difference than graft and I will have you covered on that. Once you find a great surgeon I would let them use what they are comfortable with.

[Matt Glenn]

I don't know if you remb. but I skied with you last summer. I use to live in ferndale. I run a sports physical therapy clinic in Auburn Hills, which I have some of the best knee ortopedic dr's in the area. You should come out this week to check it out. 937 N. Opdyke. P.S I hate the hamstring only graft for ACL. I rehab about 100-200 ACL/ knee surgery a year and I know what works. Who did you see? I have a few guess either DR. Anderson or Schitzski ???? Let me know if i can help I will set you up right man

[scoot_gt]

Ian - my personal experience from complete patellar tendon separation is do NOT touch your patellar tendon. Also, my experience from many, quick count is 10+, friends (hey, I'm older and still very active) is that anything other than cadaver is going to get re-blown out in around 5-8 years.

Opinions will always differ, but I'm just sayin... :)

BTW, I know one guy who's had both shoulders repaired, both knees repaired (with grafts) and one knee re-repaired with cadaver. He still skis, hikes 14'ers, wakeboards, and plays softball weekly with me - he's my hero...

[Sled491]

Ian, I have been away, first OUCH!!!, second seems to be lots advice here, and while I'm no Dr. most of these guys sound pretty knowledgable. My neighbour on the lake here is supposed to be one of the top Orthopedic Surgeons around so if this ever happens to me I'm covered :)

In my younger days I have blown just about everything in both knees, some ligs more than once. As I reach mid 40's my left knee has almost zero lateral support, but as a day to day thing I can live with it. I ski hard almost every day and still hold my own so fear not you'll be just fine.

[newyear14]

I agree with bbyquist. I've seen great result when you go into surgery with good range of motion and minimal swelling. As for graft material, at the end of the day if you rehab the heck out of your knee it all works out well. Of course this is up for debate. Personally i would not touch the patella tendon.

[ian ashton]

Turns out I blasted my acl and pcl, and have sprained my mcl and lcl. I have surgery scheduled for 9/30. Because I wrecked everything hey have to use cadaver tissue. I guess I'll be in an immobilizer for 1-3 months, and after that PT for another 3-6.

Ring now I have about as much range of motion as possible with the injuries: 0-130

[Sled491]

Ouch, well at least it's the end of the season.

[bashton]

On a lighter note, I can tell you that Ian has really perfected his driving skills, and although he won't be pulling any rope for a while, we do plan on continuing our "usual" seaon, which means the boat won't be yanked out of the water until mid October and we will hold out into November before packing her away.

Bashton