Post Surgery and More!
7/20/2007 9:49:05 PM
Hello everyone. On May 24th I had the hardware removed from my leg. Three screws and the rod. This was a very difficult decision to make. I was quite nervous since all I knew was the trauma. Well it is now been 7 weeks and things are coming along. It was very painful. They had some hard times getting the rod out due to bone growth on the rod and screws. After 2 hours and some chiseling it came out. With the help of Terry Bicycles and Ortho Sports I am recovering well. It has been slow moving but steadily up hill. I am full swing into summer. I have been busy helping at the community center with kid’s camps, continuing workouts and re-hab and am getting back into the Home Depot. Myself and husband Corey will be running the Holimont Freestyle Team while I focus on skiing and getting back to full strength. I am extremely excited to get back to athletics. Once again thank you all for your continued support.April 27, 2007
4/28/2007 4:32:27 PM
Just a quick update: I saw another orthopedic on Thursday last week (April 26th). This was to get another opinion for a couple of things. He is in charge of the sports medicine at the University of Buffalo. The shin pain he is not sure about. He has me scheduled for a MRI of just the shin as well as going to run some other tests for compartment syndrome. The second thing the hip. During certain motions I am still getting an extreme amount of pain. He is saying that this is most likely caused by the top of the rod. His suggestion is to have everything removed. He is sending me to another surgeon who mainly does femur Roding (both in and out). As soon as I see him I will give you further updates. This brought me to tears on Thursday as I know what surgery entails to. I desperately want to move forward but at this point I still can not. It goes beyond the word frustration! Though I will continue to stay strong and positive in order to help make things heal faster. Talk to you soon. Happy spring, KellyApril 16, 2007
4/15/2007 7:56:44 PM
Time is flying by but my leg unfortunately is not recovering as quickly as I would like it to. I have been having some extreme pain along the shin. As well as hip problems. I will be seeing Dr. Luzi this week to discuss the next steps. We are not sure if the hardware is causing the pain or there is nerve and vessel damage. I will also be seeing a doctor from the University of Buffalo next week. I am very egger to see what he has to say. Thank you very much Dr. Josh Siegel for getting me additional contacts. I have been busy with therapy and workouts at the JCC. I got my certification for personal training and am hoping to get started with that soon. The Home Depot has been great accommodating with my busy schedule. After a trip to California for a sponsorship ski convention Corey and I went to visit my parents on their boat in Belize. We has a wonderful time. Corey and my dad spear fished dinner a few nights while my mom and I played cards and backgammon. We arrived home just before Easter and the snowy cold weather. My brothers and friends did our traditional easter camping in Allegany. We spent most of the time in the cabin due to the excessive amount of snow fall. This was the coldest Easter weekend to date. I also would like to mention my teammate Emily Cook finished her best season ever. Congrats on Nationals Em. Not only did she win but she put down her highest score of her carrier. I am very proud of you buddy. Thanks everyone for your continued support.February 25, 2007
2/23/2007 9:59:03 PM
Just a quick update on where I am at. I have been dealing with a few frustrating problems with the lower part of the leg and the hip. I tell people it is like being on a roller coaster. I will feel really good sometimes and other times I will have some struggles. At this point I am back to minimal weight bearing. I may be dealing with another stress fracture or some problem with the knee. I will see my doctor again the end of the week. I will continue to stay positive and focused on the long term goal. I have been putting as many hours as possible at the Home Depot. I also have been helping with a few programs at the JCC of Buffalo. I got certified as a personal trainer last week. I am now taking the sports strength and conditioning course. Corey and I will be headed to visit my parents in Belize on the 22nd of March. We both can not wait! Oh and also last week Corey and I helped with the fundraiser at Holimont for Kids Escaping Drugs. We are proud to announce we raised 32 thousand dollars!! Being there and not skiing was very difficult. I am hoping to try to ski by the end of the season. Thanks again to you all for following.Happy Birthday DAD!!
1/29/2007 5:20:48 PM
Today is January 29th my dads Birthday. I am here in freezing cold Buffalo while him and my mom are in Belize sweating buckets. To bring you all up to date I have been working extremely hard on my re-hab. The strength is slowly coming back. I am still in quite of bit of pain in certain positions. Last week I got another shot in the side of the leg to possibly help relieve some pain. This time it seems to be working. I am very happy with it. I have been very busy with some things at the JCC (where I workout). Also The Home Depot has been very good to me with working with my crazy schedule. I am trying to finish up my Personal Trainer Course. Which is going well. In two weeks I am helping with an event at Hoilmont. It is a fundraiser for Kids Escaping Drugs. I thought I would be skiing by then but am not too sure yet. I will be coaching the Learn to Improve Ski Shop. I am happy than I am part of this wonderful event. Thank you to Sean Crotty (my brother-in-law) for getting me involved. The event is February 11th. For anyone who wants more information please contact me. Well I will be plugging away. I hope you all have a great winter. Bye Bye.November 11, 2006
11/15/2006 12:57:53 PM
Oh yeah my birthday. I can not believe it. I am 29!!! Time really flys by. I had a great birthday. We went and saw Funk at the University at Buffalo. It was ok. Do not really recommend it unless you like rap music. The dancing part was great. I had a wonderful birthday dinner. My in-laws, my parents and my sister-in-law Brittany and her boyfriend we over. We cooked on our new mac daddy grill from the Home Depot. After that we went and saw the show Funk. Joinning us was my brother Brian and sister-in-law Denise. That was really nice. I have been extremely busy with keeping up with everything. My leg is comming along. That is #1 right now and probly for ever. I have been working lots of hourt at the Home Depot. And now am looking forward to kicking off a great Flite Tour season. Thank you all for keeping up with my story and life. Thank you Corey for being the best husband!! Talk to you soon.HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEXIE!!!!
11/2/2006 6:17:18 PM
This past Sunday we celebrated our neice Lexie 6th birthday. It is always great to get together with family. Corey and I both had a great time. HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY LEXIE WE LOVE YOU!!!! Love your, Aunt Kelly and Uncle CoreyKenmore East Hall of Fame
10/23/2006 10:15:12 PM
On Oct. 20th 2006 I got inducted into the Kenmore East Athletic Hall of Fame. I am very honored to be part of this special group of athletics. I want to thank all my family and friends for being there on this special night. And a very special thank you to all the committe members for voting me in. I thank you all very much for this special award.Our Wedding and More!!!
10/16/2006 11:03:32 PM
Hello everyone. Well for some people I am now Kelly Hacker. The reason I say that is because for skiing and sponsors I will be keeping Kelly Hilliman. Our wedding was wonderful. Thank you all for your love and support. Without you family and friends this day would not have been possible. We have very limited pictures up on our site at www.coreyandkelly.com. As of today we still have not gotten our pictures back yet. The honeymoon was great as well. I never knew how hairy elephants were. We had a lovely time. I am continuing to work on my leg at Ortho Sports. At this point the hip is what is most painfull. Also the thigh is very weak. I think it will be about one more year to be back where I want to be. I am really hoping to try to free ski this winter. I have been working a bunch of hours at the Home Depot. I plan on filling my schedule up with speeches this winter. I want to wish Maggie a very speedy recovery. Hello to Jack too! Take care of your little sister. Love you all.Park Camp
7/26/2006 10:04:22 PM
This past Monday the 24th I spoke to a great group of kids at the Park Camp in Amherst. I covered 450 kids from the ages of 8 to 15. Along with 90 staff members. Thanks Park School for having me. Your facility and equipment were awsome and it was a pleasure to speak to your students. I am going to put a little quiz on here to win a free t-shirt. The first person to e-mail me with the right answer wins! What Country won the gold medal for mens and womens aerials in the 2006 Olympics?4th of July
7/11/2006 8:36:24 PM
What a great 4th of July. I spent a week in Lake Placid with Bruce Ericksons Fly Team along with bringing up a few new commers. These amazing 3 athletes came from Buffalo. They got their first experience of staying in the Olympic Training Center. What a great job they did. Way to go Brandon Watson, Conner Chevli and Andrew Smith! You all impressed me very much. It was a different change for me to be staying at the training center as a coach rather than an athlete. The nice thing about the week is it really got me motivated to get back out there. I am ready to get back in the gym and get strong again. I received some great advice from some trainers and doctors. Thanks to Dr. Josh Siegel from Exeter, New Hampshire for the wonderful advice. I appreciate you helping guide me in the right direction. Your support and care is well appreciated. As I may have mentioned we purchased a home in April. We re-finished the bathroom and kitchen. It is coming along. We are loving being new homeowners. Though we are really looking forward to building our dream home in Ellicottville, NY. My focus is now on our wedding in 6 weeks. Time is flying. You can check out our website (which is not all finished yet) at www.coreyandkelly.com Thanks everyone for your continued support.Memorial Day
5/30/2006 11:27:19 AM
I am now much better than I was s few weeks ago. Today is Memorial Day and what a beautiful day it has been. I spent some time gardening, which is very new to me. It was quite difficult since my leg is really still very sore. I am now able to walk with a cane again. The recovery on that last surgery was very complicated. The bleeding was very difficult to control. Now I am almost able to bend my leg to my butt. It is so close. It is still continuing to swell. With just 11 weeks till my wedding I am convinced I will be dancing. Last week I spent some time in California for a trade show for Supplemental Health Care. What a great event. Thank you Supplemental for having me at the show. It was a great success. For the next few weeks I will be continuing to focus on my re-hab along with planning my wedding. I appreciate all of you who continue to stand by my side through this journey. Best wishes to you and I look forward to a great summer.Spring has sprung!
4/13/2006 10:10:48 PM
Well it’s now April 13th and time has really flown by. I am recovering from another surgery. On Tuesday the 4th of April I underwent a so-called simple surgery. It has been a bit tougher than expected. Dr. Luzi here in Buffalo removed a screw and did a scope on the knee. I am having a bit of radiating pain where the initial break is. As well as some shin pain. I am hoping with time this will all go away. The reason for the surgery was because of the pain in the shin and the swelling in the inner knee. I went to Nationals on the 24th of March to cheer my team on. It was really great to see everyone. It has been so long. In fact the most amount of time away from my teammates in about 10 years. Congratulations to a great year for all of you. I ended my weekend with a great dinner at the Cook’s condo. Don and auntie (Emily’s dad and Aunt) had their entire family there to celebrate Emily’s season and accomplishments. Don gave a great cheer to me and brought tears to my eyes. It was really wonderful. Emily’s family is really supportive and sincere. Thank you all for being so kind. I am getting ready to move next Tuesday. Corey and I with our parents purchased a home just 5 miles away. I am so excited to have my own space with Corey. I have also been very busy planning our wedding. It is much more work than I have ever expected. To top everything off this spring my new sponsor Supplemental Health Care has been completely amazing. I am looking forward to representing this great company. I will be headed out to California in May for one of their trade shows. I am also representing them in my Flite Tour program (school speeches). Which is becoming a huge success. I look forward to a great spring on getting healthy and strong. Thanks everyone for all your love.Olmypics Over.....Moving Forward
3/1/2006 12:38:58 PM
I can’t believe it is over. The Olympics have come to a close. For me closing ceremonies was the toughest. I think it is because it is now a reality that it has passed me by. But I have to pick up and move on now. Today is March 1st. Wow, March already. I have been extremely busy with rehab and school speeches. The bending of the knee is great. I am now up to about 150 degrees. I am really excited about that. I have been running into a few other problems though. The knee pain is beginning to increase. Now that I am starting to walk I am putting more pressure on it. I need to get the meniscus repaired, hopefully as soon as possible. The shin has been a bit of a problem as well. It may be nerve related. I will find out more information on that when I see the orthopedic doctor in 2 weeks. On the good side of things I covered over 600 kids in school speeches. They were so excited about the Games it was great. Congratulations to our Olympic Team! You guys all did great out there. It was fun to watch all of you. It makes me so proud to be an American on the US Ski Team. Everyone has been asking me the million dollar question as to if I am going to continue to ski or not. Truly the answer is, I want to get healthy before making that decision. I would really love to continue skiing at this point. My heart, sole and dedication are 100% into this truly amazing sport. It is very hard to let go of something that I know is right there. I need to evaluate things before making any decisions. Once the decision is made I know I will put forth 110%. There will be no holding back. So please, bare with me through this extremely tough process. I thank each and every one of you who has supported me along the way. With the coaches, the team, the sponsors, the fans, family and friends I wouldn’t have made it this far. I will continue to rehab and get stronger than I was before this injury. I look forward to what the future holds. Weather its 2010 or not I plan for success!!!!!! Thank you, KellyAerial Competition
2/24/2006 8:42:53 PM
Wow! What a crazy and amazing event. The women’s qualification event was so incredible. Both US women Emily and Jana did not make finals but had jumped very well. I bit unlucky on landing. Congrats to you two for all your strong efforts. On the men’s side I was very surprised to only see one of our guys make the final. Our team is by far the best in the World. Eric, Joe and Ryan can win a World Cup at any time. They are the most impressive jumpers in the world to watch. Speedy Peterson had a very strong showing in finals. He competed what he named the hurricane, which is 5 twists and 3 flips. Speedy that was so awesome. I applause you for going for it. Way to go to all the athletes it was a great show. I am getting better each day. The Olympics was tough to watch but I sure did enjoy them. I have always stood by my team. I am looking forward to watching closing ceremonies and also moving past them. I am ready to get a fresh start.Leg update / Aerials tomorrow
2/18/2006 12:50:55 PM
It is now 9 weeks from my accident. Up until a few days ago things were moving along quite well. The degrees in the knee is now up to 135. Which is awsome. The bone should be just about healed in around 4 weeks. There are two problems I am running into. One is the knee. I have a couple of tears on the lateral side. I was beginning to walk without a cane or anything the other day but the pain afterwards was too much. So I am back on the cane. The other is a strong pain in the shin. The doctor is not sure where it is comming from yet. It could be from the knee or a nerve. I need to wait a few more weeks to see. Like I mentioned before, it will take some time. I know it may not be smooth. So thats that. Tomorrow is womens Aerial qualifications. I am so excited to watch my team kick some butt. I want to wish teammates and friends Emily and Jana Good Luck! Best wishes you guys love ya lots, miss ya, wish I was there with you. KellyMoguls done... Aerials in two days!
2/16/2006 1:43:15 PM
What an event. Womens moguls were last saturday. Jillian from Buffalo finished 11th. Gold went to our friends north of us Canada. Mens moguls were last night. What great skiing there was. Toby was our top American with an amazing podium finish in 3rd. Congrats Toby! I spoke with Emily just a few days ago she said the aerial site is perfect and they were beginnig training. There are 3 Olympic villages. The Freestyle Team is with the Snowboarders and Biathon. When the event got closer they moved into event housing. Which means they are closer to their site. Afterwards they will be moving back to the village. I have been busy with the Games as well. I met lots of wonderful kids last week at some school speeches. I have another big one tomorrow at my former school. Hamilton!Games underway!
2/12/2006 7:30:42 PM
The Games are off! After doing a live interview with the local NBC station I headed directly to the gym. I thought I would avoid watching the toughest part of the Olympics, the opening ceremonies. Well it didn't work. As soon as I got home I could not help myself but to turn in on. I watched with excitement for my teammates but in a bit of disappointment for myself. I saw lots of my teammates and also friends from other sports whom I have known for quite sometime. This is the moment most athletes have been waiting for. To walk through the arena with thousands of people cheering for you. Not to mention the feeling of representing your Country, the best Country in the World, the United States! If fact teammate and friend Emily Cook describes the feelings and emotions of the opening ceremonies on her website at www.emilycook.com. Just click on her journal and follow her as she tells you what it feels like to take part in these Olympic Games. Thank you all for your continued support as I journey through my life changing experience as an outsider.Opening Ceremonies!!
2/9/2006 3:10:05 PM
It is now 1 day before opening ceremonies. I am excited but also a bit sad. This is going to be a very tough day tomorrow. Last Olympics when I watched the opening ceremonies from a sponsors/friends house I remember saying there is no way I will be watching this from a TV next time. I was sure I would see it in person as an athlete. But I have to come to realize that has changed. Like I have been saying at my school speeches you have to learn to pick up and move on! These past weeks I have been extremely busy with school speeches and the media. I will be doing some live interviews with Channel 2 NBC throughout the Games. The first one will be during the opening ceremonies at 7:00pm. The other event in Freestyle Skiing is Moguls. Jillian Vogtli from Buffalo will be competiting in Moguls this Saturday. She has worked extremely hard on her new tricks in the moguls this summer. One of which is a side back flip with a twist called the cork 7. She stomped it in the competition last weekend. Lets watch to see her do it again. YOU GO JILLIAN!! GOOD LUCK!!!Congrats Olympic Team!
1/27/2006 8:26:52 PM
First off I would like to congratulate all of my teammates on making the Olympic Team. Emily Cook, Jana Lindsay, Ryan St.Onge, Jeret Speedy Peterson, Joe Pack and last but certainly not least for the '98 Olympic Gold Medalist and and now 4 time Olympian Eric Bergoust. Also congrats to the mogul team; Jeremy Bloom, Travis Cabral, Toby Dawson, Travis Mayer (BUFFALO), Shannon Bahrke, Hannah Kearney, Michelle Roark, and Jillian Vogtli (BUFFALO). Way to go you guys. Good Luck have fun and kick some butt!!!!My e-mail box has been jammed with caring messages. I want to thank all of my fans and supporters through this tramuatic experience.
My progress is comming along. I have been rehabing everyday. I am now up to 103 degress in bending the knee. I am very close to peddling the bike (backwards). Going forward is much more difficult. I had my most painful experience to date last Wednesday. I can't really describe it but if felt worse than breaking it. I am now off crutches and am using a cane. If fact, I got a cane with kitty cats on it. So it's called my kitty cane. My blood draws are now down to 1-2 days a week. Good thing cause my veins started to poop out. The knee has a bit of swelling and fluid in it. Therefore I am scheduled for an MRI on the 30th. ACL and MCL they seem to think is fine. Mabye just something small. I hope not. But I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
The Local Buffalo Channel 2, NBC has been keeping me busy with stories. I will be doing some in studio interviews and comentating (I don't know how to spell) for the Games. Once again thanks for the love and support.
A different look
1/20/2006 5:56:45 PM
Today is Friday the 20th the day before the last qualifying event for the Olympics. I await here feeling excited for my teammates but also a bit bummed for myself. This is a very difficult moment for me. What a different perspective I have watching what is going on.I would also like to congratulate all of the Gold Cup winners of the event last month. Way to go to close friends and teammates Ryan St.Onge and Emily Cook.
I am slowly getting better. My leg is now at about 94 degrees in the right direction. I am getting a great work out in the pool (thanks to Ortho Sports) The blood levels have still been a bit difficult. I am not testing every day anymore. It’s more like twice a week. I will be seeing a few doctors next week and I will let you all know how that goes. I still have not been out of the house much. The smallest things make me tired.
Thank you everyone for their continued support. I will let you know my thoughts of the Olympic Team soon.
Things moving forward
1/9/2006 7:04:40 PM
It has been 3 weeks since my surgery. I am using the elbow crutches but getting around way better. And It doesn’t make me sick.I'm still going to the lab to get my blood work. My levels are still not in control. I'm back on the injections once a day. That should stop in the next day or so. Then it will be the oral dose and blood draws every day.
I've been really working to get my range of motion back in the knee joint. I'm also trying to keep the rest of my body in shape best I can. Abs and pushups are helping with that. I stared my first day of PT at a clinic today. It went well. I'll keep you informed on that.
Back Home
1/3/2006 6:55:50 PM
I was release from the Hospital to day. Feeling way better. Who knows, maybe it was withdrawals from the narcotics…GI Scope
1/2/2006 6:48:43 PM
Today I had a scope done to see if there are any other causes for the nausea. The results were fine. Liver enzymes are still high. The doctors told me that it is either a viral infection or the medications that I've been taking are most likely the cause of me being so sick.I also had a doppler done to my legs to check on the clotting today. That’s looking better.
Not Again
1/1/2006 6:45:55 PM
Today I was feeling so bad. I've been nausea for the past few days and its getting out of control. Went to my doctor and they sent me to the ER for labs, anti-nausea meds, and IV fluids. Once in the ER I find out that my INR levels have gone from too low to way too high with in 2 days.I was admitted to Kenmore Mercy at 7:30 pm. That’s 9 and a half hours after I went to my primary Doctors. A few hours later I began to have chest pains. I was evaluated by the in house Doctor and an EKG was done. They didn’t find anything but I think they just wanted to make sure it wasn’t a embolism.
New Years Eve
12/31/2005 6:42:00 PM
I forgot to mention that I needed to go to the lab each day for blood draws. This should eventually taper off to once a week. Brian Dee and the kids came over to celebrate the holidays with us. Mike and Mary also stopped by. I wasn’t feeling to well so It really didn't feel like a special occasion to me.Back to the Doctors
12/30/2005 6:37:53 PM
Went in to my primary Doctors office regarding my heparin shots. They gave me the last of the Innohep that I brought back from Hong Kong. They also located my from a pharmacy. We were took that we wouldn't be able to get that drug in the US. Anyway, I should be switching back to the heparin that I've been taking.Reaction
12/29/2005 6:35:41 PM
I had a reaction from the Lovenox today. It's the new heparin injections that Corey has to give me until my INR (blood clotting levels) is within a desired therapeutic range.And more Doctors.
12/28/2005 6:34:23 PM
Along with Hospitals. I had my filter removed from my vena cava today by Dr Harris. It went well. Maybe I'll make a Christmas ornament out of it.More Doctors
12/27/2005 6:31:44 PM
Went to orthopedic appointment today with Corey and my Dad. Sutures were removed and more x-rays taken.1st Day Home
12/26/2005 10:33:41 PM
Didn’t do much.Christmas Day - On My Way Home
12/25/2005 10:05:56 PM
Going home is the best gift I could have received. I can’t wait to be with my Dad and the rest of my family. The travel day was long. I left Hong Kong at 8:30 (HK time) am and got into Buffalo at 6 (eastern time) pm. That’s 22.5 hours. The flight went smooth. I was in first class with my mother and Corey was just behind us in Business class. He had to monitor my meds and give me one in flight injection (the blood thinner). I was greeted by my Dad, Corey's parents (Barb & Mike), Brian Dee and the kids (Savanna and Sierra). Then I had to go directly to the ER to be evaluated and cleared to go home. That took about 3 hours and I was very uncomfortable and in a lot of pain by the time I got there.X-mas Eve
12/24/2005 10:02:28 PM
This is certainly a Christmas I'll never forget.Getting Close
12/23/2005 9:47:45 PM
Close to going home that is. The CT was good. The Doctors cleared me to fly home. Now the Med Ex people and the ski team were making plans. Still in lots of pain but I'm slowly decreasing the doses. Getting ready to fly. I crutched to the bathroom a couple time today. Every time I do get up I become really nauseated. That's not fun.High Enzymes
12/22/2005 7:30:09 PM
Today they found that my liver enzymes were high and did even more test. They think that is could be a result of the meds and fluids. I also got the leg rechecked today. An ultra sound to check the blood clots. Looking better there. Corey and my Mom are staying with me in my room. There are some cushions near the window and they are content with ramon noodles and PB & J's. A CT for my chest has been set up for tomorrow. That will be the determining factor as to when I can come home. Were still trying to see if my Dad should come over or not. He is home in Buffalo with my Brother Brian and his wife Denise and their two kids. He also been a huge part in keeping us, the Ski Team, Doctors, and the med ex team informed. He is constantly on the phone. Remember where 13 hours ahead.I almost forgot. I took my first steps today.
Last Day in ICU
12/21/2005 7:25:00 PM
Today is my last day in the ICU. I started working with physical therapy today. They put my leg on a passive movement machine to help me get the range of motion back. The Doctor wanted me to get out of bed and sit on a chair. I Thought he was crazy but I did it. After all my activities today I was very sore and in a lot of pain. Dr Zee the anesthesiologist adjusted my meds. In the afternoon I moved to the surgical floor.Post Surgery Day 2
12/20/2005 5:13:01 PM
Still in ICU with Josh, Mom and Corey by my side. Josh will be leaving today. Thanks Josh for all your support and being there for me through out this. Now there's talk of a blood transfusion to get my hemoglobin back towards normal. That scares me. We looked in to family donating, but that was not allowed by the Hong Kong Red Cross. We were provided with all the screening and testing procedures that they used and assured that the process is just as safe as it would be in the US. I received 2 unites of blood.I started trying to change my position to be on my side. Kind of, as much as I could take the pain. Solid food also became a part of my diet today. They started me back on a heparin (blood thinner) to treat the DVT and PT (blood clots). The crappy part is that it is need for the blood clots but it is not good for the femur. The blood thinners can create more bleeding and swelling. So that has to be monitored. Half full or half empty??? Another unpleasant part is that I had a reaction to the type of heparin that they used. A different one would be used tomorrow.
Recovery
12/19/2005 9:16:55 PM
Let the healing begin. Wow my leg is big. I'm in the icu and Josh, Mom, and Corey are here with me. The pain is extreme and I'm on a bunch of medications to help control it. My hemoglobin is low and is a concern to the doctors. I am dehydrated and have been given a more IV fluids to compensate.Surgery
12/18/2005 11:19:06 PM
During my evaluation DVT (deep vein thrombosis - blood clots) were forming in my legs. A PE (pulmonary embolism - blood clot that released and moved into the lungs ) was also found.Two procedures were done at 5 pm (53 hours after my injury). The first: a filter was placed into my anterior vena cava to prevent any further clotted from entering the lungs by Cardiologist Dr Leung. The second: a titanium rod was placed in the femur with 4 screws (2 at the top and 2 at the bottom) holding it in place by Orthopedic Surgeon Dr Ho. Both were successful and I was taken to the ICU for recovery at about 10 pm. My mom and Corey arrived from Buffalo about 10 minutes before I was out of surgery.
Evacuated
12/17/2005 11:58:55 PM
I was flow on a private lair jet accompanied by Josh for about 4 hours and then taken b ambulance for another hour or two to the Adventist Hong Kong Hospital. I arrived at 2 am on Sunday. That’s roughly 38 hours after my injury.Fractured
12/16/2005 11:17:28 PM
Literally. Today was the first event. Everything was going great in pre-comp training. I qualified in the top 10 in semis granting a second jump. On my final jump midday on Friday, I was a little slow due to a head wind, but nothing unusual. I performed the jump well and was preparing for landing. As I was reaching down the hill, I landed left leg heavy and a touch forward. Upon impact, my left femur (thigh bone) broke in half between the knee and the hip. I tumbled forward and down to the bottom of the landing hill in tremendous pain. Knowing instantly that my leg was broken, I kept telling myself that it was just a bruise.Thank you to all who helped me on the hill. (Josh, Doug, Ryan). I was taken to a clinic at the Mountain and evaluated, sedated, and prepared for the 1 hour ambulance transport down the bumpy Mountain road. Once in ChangChung (2 hours north of Beijing) I was taken to a local hospital and looked after by our PT Josh and the Canadian Team Doctor Doug.
The Ski Team was making medical arrangements and consulting with an orthopedic from the Steadman clinic. The options were limited and the decision was made to med-evac me to Hong Kong. A team a Physicians was arranged and awaiting my arrival.
More Training
12/14/2005 4:51:36 PM
I did some more Full-Full's today and also 3 Double Full-Full's. I'm very psyched and can't wait to compete on Friday.China Training
12/13/2005 10:55:22 PM
Went incredibly awesome today. The jump was great, I was getting off it very well. I got right up to speed quickly and did a bunch of Full-Fulls.China here I come
12/9/2005 7:17:47 PM
I am now ready for China. We are headed out tomorrow the 10th. We will be there for about 10 days. I have lots of food packed and am ready to take home some medals. I am feeling very confident. I will be coming home (to Buffalo) on the 19th for the holidays.New Trick
12/8/2005 10:24:36 PM
I am extremely happy with my training. Yesterday, on Wed. (dec 7th) I did my first double-full-full on snow. Which is two twists on the first flip and one full twist on the second. And to top it off I skied it. Then today day I did two more. I was close to landing just dragged my hands.Weather
12/6/2005 8:32:26 AM
The weather here in Park City has been a bit challenging. It has been extremely stormy. Lots and lots of snow. We had to cancel training a few times due to the snow and wind. The temps have been very very cold. We have been training in temps of -5. Yes I said -5! That is not like the west.NEW SPONSOR!!!
12/4/2005 9:02:01 PM
SUPPLEMENTAL HEALTH CARE just agreed to be my new headband sponsor. I am extremely excited to represent them both on and off the hill as well as in the Olympics this February. Thanks to Corey and all the people who were involved at Supplemental Health Care Don Ziemann, Pat Kennedy, Mike Dunagan and Mike Jacoutot. Thanks for making this happen. I CARE!Park City
12/2/2005 7:51:27 PM
Training has been going awesome. We are training two sessions a day. One from 10-1 and the other under the lights from 5-7. We are able to get a lot done.Yeah Back To Park City
11/30/2005 9:20:05 AM
It has been great here but now that our site is ready in Park City we are able to go back home. It is always great being in a familiar place. And to top it off we will have the site all to ourselves. Here in Apex there are a bunch of teams training. Japan, Australia, Russia, France, Switzerland and of course the Canada.Thanksgiving
11/28/2005 4:18:01 PM
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. The restaurant here in Apex made us a special turkey dinner. It wasn't anything like being with family but it was fun. Training is going awesome and I am progressing quickly with my tricks.On Snow
11/18/2005 6:52:58 PM
Apex BC, CanadaDue to lack of snow in Park City, Utah we are in Apex for our first on snow training. The weather here is awesome and the jump site is amazing!!
