# Would like some advice on a situation...Thxs ahead of time...



## Froggy (May 20, 2007)

Man, I got out of the game for a few months due to a big fall. Thought about it and said this is my life. Trees to be exact. I live near Asheville, NC in a little town called Waynesvile. I feel I'm good at what I do. Not to make my head big. But any ways got a few ideas, but really want to get back into res. work. Any ideas anyone can through my way. I'd like to see what some of ya'll think. Thnxs.


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## joesawer (May 24, 2007)

I fell 45 feet out of a tree and got busted up pretty good when I was 24. When I was able I climbed again, With a lot of encouragement from my partner at the time. The first tree was scary. After that it wasn't so bad.
I did a lot of work over in your area in the mid 90s, when the pine beetle was killing all the virginia pines.


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## Froggy (Jun 10, 2007)

*Thnxs*

I fell 45 feet from a Mexican Fan Palm. It sucked, but it also played with my head. I've been working local here in Waynesville for a real good Tree Company. Love my job and know that climbing is what I was built for. I feel in time I'll be back on top of my game.


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## Dadatwins (Jun 10, 2007)

Getting back into a tree after an incident like yours will be very difficult, best advice I can offer is take it slow, double check all your moves and gear as you move along. Best to have a competent climber/groundman with you on the first couple of climbs to watch your progress and check your technique. I am assuming you know the cause of last accident and know how to correct it. Good luck.


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## joesawer (Jun 11, 2007)

You would have to already be mentally ill for it not to mess with your head.
In a strange kind of way it is one of the best things that ever happened to me. It gave me a real wake up call about the way that I work and the way I live my life in general.
The best advice that I can give is to start back on smaller less intimidating trees with some one who you have confidence in as a groundie. Use these trees to work on building your confidence and your technique. (always work on improving technique). 
I assume that now you know that you are not invincible or to tough to get hurt and that makes it hard to get back into a tree. If this is the case(it was with me) you have to learn safe and effective methods to protect yourself instead of counting on some mythical power of toughness or percentages to protect you. There is a way to do it safely and efficiently. Learning this required me to move on from the people I started with (their ways were marginal at best) and traveling all over the country constantly searching for better and safer ways to do things. It has turned into a very long adventure with no end in site. 
I don't know how bad you were injured but if your health is good enough there is no reason that you shouldn't be able to return to climbing. The man that wrote the tree climbers companion (fell about the same distance and was some how not injured.) returned to climbing, I fell 45' and returned (I was injured so badly that the ER Staff that triaged me did not treat me or give me any pain meds for about two hrs, they just put me in the back to die, but when I came around and started talking and begging for pain meds they finally gave me some and oxygen.) 
On the other hand I have only known two other climbers to suffer a serious fall. One died and the other had a good physical recovery but never got back into the tree biz even though he made a couple of half hearted attempts. 
What ever you do, good luck and if you have any specific questions feel free to ask me I will answer to the best of my limited ability.


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