Also new here

[skybytch]

Hi everyone,

My name is Lisa. I've been a skydiver since 1990. Was diagnosed with DDD amidst intense sciatica in mid-2000 (at age 35) and had a fusion done on L4/L5/S1 in January of 2001. No hardware and no harvesting of bone material; my surgeon used donor bone between L5 and S1; L4 is sitting on top of L5.

One year to the day after surgery I was back in the air; did 200+ jumps that year including being part of a world record jump. I'm still jumping today and I've also taken up hiking and backpacking; managed a 100+ mile trip on the PCT this past summer.

I've been dealing with C-spine issues for the past five years but so far it hasn't been bad enough to warrant more than a few months on Neurontin and a series of PT sessions.

Another jumper that I know will be having Activ-L artificial disc replacement surgery in his lower back tomorrow. His doc told him he should be able to jump again in 3 months or so. I'm looking forward to digging into the threads here to find out more about it for when my neck finally does give out on me.

Anyway, I'm glad I found this forum. Judging by my mother's 3 spinal fusions, I'm not positive that I won't be needing further surgery in the future. It's great to see that there are other options with less horrible recovery times now.

[dshobbies]

Hi Skybytch,

You and Mark have your heads in the clouds, though he hasn't returned to the skies. My son is becoming a pilot, his lifelong dream. Personally, until people can fly, I prefer my feet on the ground so I can't relate but understand passions that light your world. Glad you were able to return to something you love.

Sorry about your c-spine and hope that the non-invasion treatments work for you.

Welome to the forum!

Dale

[mmglobal]

Have we jumped together?

http://www.ispine.org/forum/ispine/2...ng-record.html

What was your home DZ?

[mmglobal]

I just went and looked at your profile... northern cal.

One of my best days ever was at the Bungee Wilburs in Yolo... the event was formation loads. We got blown out on Sunday and wound up jumping into the Crazy Creek Gliderport about 70 miles away... literally landing in fields of flowers in the rolling hills northwest of sacramento... greatest day ever. (Gliderport is owned by former national glider aerobatic champ.... I took a flight with him that was amazing.)

I loved Yolo.... never did get there on my birthday for the shower treat, although that may be a locals only thing...

Blue Skies,

Mark

PS... do they still do the high altitude jumps there.... Caribou?

[skybytch]

Don't think we ever jumped together (I do recognize your name though), but Perris was home for me from '96 - '03. Worked for Square One on the dz in '96 and at the mail order/warehouse the rest of the time.

I'm currently jumping at Skydance. Yes they still do high altitude jumps, out of the PAC now. You'll have to explain the shower treat - I've been here over three years but I don't know about that one! ;-)

[mmglobal]

Were you on the Elsinore 60 ways in August or September 2007. (It was a tune-up/try-out for the 297 way in Bali in 2008.

Were you on Deguello?

[mmglobal]

I hope you don't mind.... I moved your post to the main forum. Most intro posts turn into discussions about your case...

Sound like you've maintained such a high level of function. You must really know how to pack a snivel... For other cervical patients who are reading this... what canopy are you jumping and how do you get consistent slow openings?

Another question for cervical patients.... Rear floating from the PAC??? If you jump on exit, is a tail strike possible?

Blue skies,

Mark

[skybytch]

Currently jumping a lightly loaded Spectre with Dacron line; it opens like butter (takes about 800 feet though). As a rigger, I'm somewhat ashamed to say that I get consistent openings by having my master rigger boyfriend pack for me

Dacron lines are the hot tip for soft openings; they stretch to absorb a bit more of the opening shock.

No problems rear floating the PAC so far, and they dump a lot of tandems out of them. I could see the low tail being an issue in a stall situation, but other than that I think you'd have to try pretty hard to hit it.

I'm not the Lisa you're thinking about, btw. My last name is Briggs. Doubt you'd remember me, I didn't get to hang with the cool kids until a few years after you had to stop jumping.

[mmglobal]

Thanks Lisa... now we know how to minimize opening shock if we want to keep jumping!

When we started jumping the King Air, there were a few tail strikes from rear floaters jumping up on exit.

Here is a little diversion someone sent me today...

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_...m&show_title=1

[Gil Denis]

Holly

Ive done extreme sports.but that is out of my league.

Gil

[chasswen]

mark have you lost your mind????

[Justin]

I know Chuck. I used to be an adrenaline junky...then, I experienced pain. I always wanted to jump out of an airplane.

What are the statistics of (we'll just call them) "bad" jumps? One in eighty, or something insane like that?

[mmglobal]

When I first jumped a round canopy in 1976, the average was 1 reserve ride for every 30 jumps.

When I started jumping for real in 1987, round canopies were no longer jumped.... everyone had "double square" rigs with ram-air main and reserve parachutes. I remember the average being reported as 1 reserve ride for every 500 jumps.

I have > 850 jumps from 1987 - 1997 and have never used my reserve. Skydiving is about the same level of danger as SCUBA. I remember the number being reported as 1 fatality for each 30,000 jumps.

If you subtract out the absolutely avoidable fatalities (unnecessary low turns trying for high performance landings, not following normal safety practices like gear checks), the number of fatalities is VERY low for what would be called an extreme sport.

Lisa wrote a very nice article about the risks.... look here.

It is absolutely the most fun thing you can do with your clothes on... You can skydive naked too!

Mark