Injury Update (if you guys are curious)

[Max Gosey]

Ok so here's the breakdown: Friday I met up with JIbco and his friend John. We took a cruiser run at about 12:30 pm waiting for his lady friend. On the way down I spied the park on my right and decided to hike up to the top of the knoll, but didn't ask about how much speed to take into it. I ended up more or less straightlining and landed about 3/4 of the way down the tranny and took all that speed into the next jump (a 25 footer? bad idea...). I COMPLETELY cleared the tranny, from what I remember, and landed HARD on the flat (except that I blacked out right before I hit and the first thing I remember was waking up in the 'trollers' toboggan).

They carted me to the patrol shack, and I was in and out of consciousness for several hours. I know I ended up at Frisco med center and may or may not have been at Keystone med center before that (if it's a different place from the Keystone patrol shack). The docs aat Frisco told me they weren't comfortable deciding on whether to do my surgery or not, or whether surgery was even necessary. So they decided to ground transport me to Denver. I arrived there somewhere around 6 pm after my friend Cody called me to say waht's up, and I told him I had "broken my neck," to his surprise.

Denver performed a CT scan and an angiogram and determined I have a dissection of my right arterial artery.

The diagnosis: broken spinous body of my C2 and broken right transverse processes of L1-L4. Also I suffered a minor to moderate concussion which could have affected my ability to create new memories, but as of now I'm not really feeling the effects. These damned drugs they have me on are messing with my head a little bit...

The prognosis: no more skiing for the rest of the season, barring something truly remarkable and miraculous. Gotta work first on taking laps around campus, then speeding it up, THEN getting back on skis.

Pain is considerable, but I have NO HALO. NO WALKER. NO BACKBRACE. The only thing I have is a neck brace. I got LUCKY. I repeat: NO WALKER. NO BACKBRACE. NO HALO.

Super bummed about missing the last year of the first generation tram and about missing my projected 40 days this season, but that will just make my stoke levels that much higher next season.

I got SUPER LUCKY, I repeat, and I thank the higher powers that I'm not more hurt than I am. It's just now hitting me that I won't be skiing until Sept., so I'm counting on YOU, the maggots, to post some good stoke for me and the other gimps to last me the next 7 months.

I just can't believe I made it through this, and I think my serious attempts at good karma probably helped me out. Now I know how you guys feel who have had debilitating injuries that preclude you from skiing for half a season or more. And I can really empathize. My prayers for your recoveries will never be stronger.

So I just wanted to say thanks for all the support, calls, plans to visit, etc. You guys rock. Just sorry I had to bust out before you got a chance to make it to the hospital. (Brushes dirt off shoulder). I had a great doctor at St. Anthony's who got done everything he needed to get done so that I could get out as fast as I could. Thanks, doc!

Honestly, my parents thought I wouldn't be able to make it home until about Wednesday or Thursday, not that I would be discharged two days after admittance ( ). So tonight, I'll be watching movies, and I will be making my original flight on Tuesday, thanks to your prayers and support.

Makes me proud to be a maggot.

I really want to apologize for being a little bitch the last couple months, and for whining about how little snow and how little pow I've gotten. Because this is what counts. This whole sense of community. Makes me feel like I'm part of a family, and I LOVE that.

My mom asked me today when I was just waking up, "Nah maxi... you're not gonna be in a terrain park anytime soon, are ya?" To which I replied, HELL YA! I'll just make sure to speed check it and find out how much I need to take into the takeoff first."

So I'm no less stoked on skiing than I was before. It might take me a season or two to regain my experience in the park, but I'll surely be in there tearing it up and getting after it just as before... except just a little more cautiously next time.

Anyway, thanks, guys. Seriously. It means the world to me.

Now GET THE FUCK AFTER IT. And take pics.

[adam]

Great to hear your getting better, max. Hopefully sometime, you and me can go shred the gnar some where.

[Lone Star]

So glad you're in good spirits, Max, and that the injury is just a temporary setback. Keep that smile on your face, buy some fun PS2 games (I suggest GTA: San Andreas) and before you know it you'll be on skis again.

[300hp]

so glad you're in one piece man! Seeing the "maggot down" thread made me shiver.
Keep after it
Hunter

[Z]

HUZZAH!!

You'll be back in no time max. REALLY glad to hear everything is going well. Talked to your pops, said it could have been much worse. Now you know why the park scares me.

[bdog]

Max, it is just great you are ok. Sucks about the rest of the season and all, but there is always next season, eh? So ... how long will you be in Slidel? How does this affect school ... what matters is that you are walking and breathing and will ski again! Stay strong Max!

[iceman]

... I have a dissection of my right arterial artery.

That doesn't sound good, what does it mean?

Glad to hear you're gonna be okay.

[Woodsy]

heal up quick young padwan.
dont push it getting back you have a long life to ski

[Max Gosey]

That doesn't sound good, what does it mean?

Glad to hear you're gonna be okay.

Partial longitudinal incision due to the fracture. Not a big deal, but they preemptively put me on Plavix and Aspirin (shit, I hope this injury doesn't turn me into AKPM as far as spelling is concerned) to prevent a resultant clot.

Gonna go work out getting home now. Thanks again, guys. The "mag down" thread made me smile (despite some rather inappropriate comments about my girlfriend that I am happily willing to overlook, considering the nature of the maggots as a community. ).

[MOHSHSIHd]

Partial longitudinal incision due to the fracture. Not a big deal, but they preemptively put me on Plavix and Aspirin (shit, I hope this injury doesn't turn me into AKPM as far as spelling is concerned) to prevent a resultant clot.

Gonna go work out getting home now. Thanks again, guys. The "mag down" thread made me smile (despite some rather inappropriate comments about my girlfriend that I am happily willing to overlook, considering the nature of the maggots as a community. ).

dont you mean "appropriate"?

[Ski Beaver]

Come hang out on the beach here in Sydney. Glad you're ok.

[Powder Seeker]

Good to hear from you mag, glad you lucked out! Wishing you a very speedy recovery!

[splat]

You're gonna be fine, Max. The good news is your body is still making more new cells than it will later in life, so you'll heal pretty good and probably won't feel it until you're like ....half my age.

[Max Gosey]

Heal up Max. And get after it again.

You can bookmark this site for photos throughout the year. I've got some things planned. Hope some of the shots will lift your spirits.

http://billhenry.smugmug.com

Thanks, dude. Appreciate that.

Forgot to add the positive comment about the last couple days. A call to my friend informed me that I have 3 A's (in Writing, History and Math) out of 3 grades posted. Waiting on chem, still, but that fact keeps spirits high thus far.

All the info necessary is out as of now. I'll just keep you guys posted on any big breakthroughs. Like jogging, swimming, etc.

Meantime, MERRY CHRISTMAS.

[Squirrel99]

well written, Max. So glad to hear the positive outcome and your upbeat attitude.

we'll keep the stoke torch flying high (I hear Tahoe is getting some lovin' right now ) and skiing will be there for you next year.

take the time to enjoy Boulder - I have so many great memories there and I no doubt believe you have many in front of you to come.

Heal up & best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[shirk]

Good to hear that things are much better. There will be much pow to shred next season for you.

[Theodore]

Best of luck w/ the recovery and keep up the spirits!

[bigtrubs]

So glad you're doing well!!! A buddy of mine dropped a 60 footer 2 seasons ago and whiplashed after landing in a friend's bomb hole and ended up breaking his neck so badly he needed surgery, however, he was back on skis the next season and I was just riding with him the other day and he was doing huge 180s off of every cliff he could find! You'll be back to your usual form in no time, sir.

[Tri-Ungulate]

Glad to hear you're relatively OK, despite the lost season. Best of luck healing up stronger than before, and definitely wiser. Your post really does strike me as showing tons of maturity and insight about what could so easily have been a terminal event.

Many turns in your future, mang, be strong and stoked. Good on ya.

[skieurmalade]

well sir, i don't like it. not one bit, BUT you are definitely so fortunate and I'm glad to hear you're alright. I had almost the same thing happen to me, except mine was the c3 and i didn't do that shit to my artery, but the doc told me that it healed up way stronger than before. not a powdermaggot's chance in hell of breaking now.

[13]

Max, I knocked myself out cold the same way about 8 years ago... Nothing broke except my confidence.

Damn dude, heal quick and count your lucky stars that it was only the spinuous/transverse processes that got broken and you didn't shatter your C2 completely. Talk about a close call.

[jibco]

GREAT to hear that you're doing so well. I'm really impressed that you've put together that much of the afternoon. FYI, we were in the Breck clinic from 1-4pm and then transfered to the new Frisco hospital until about 7pm when flight for life drove you down to denver. All the patrollers, doctors, and EMTs did an amazing job.

I hope you continue to feel to better, you have an awesome attitude.

ps- I hope I collected all the stuff you needed from summit's place. It was confusing as hell.

[acostiga]

your new hobby: not being bored/frustrated

keep your spirits up and such! have a good holiday back in LA.

[Droopy]

wow, I totaly missed this whole thing... Sorry to hear about your season being over. But very happy to hear you are going to be ok.

++Vibes going your way

heal up and hit it hard next year (maybe not THAT hard)

[Atrain505]

Mighty fine to hear and so great that you have a postivie spirit towards the future!!