# Ice can hurt you as much as the trees can



## pdqdl (Jan 4, 2010)

This tale is a bit long, but it has a good message to deliver:

I was reminded recently how unpleasant the ice can be. I fell like a sack of potatoes on a parking lot that we had just completed a snow removal on. One my employees had nearly fallen moments before, but I have been doing snow removal for many years and walking on ice as long as I can remember, _so no problem, right?_. Ooops! My feet just flew out from under me; there was no possibility of correcting the fall. I fell on my hip and my right forearm onto the hard pavement. Being a pretty spry 51 years old, I got back up with no problem, although I really felt lucky that I didn't get busted up.

My mother (77 years old) fell on the ice yesterday in what must have been a similar accident. She says that her feet just flew out from under her, and she had no chance to avoid the spill. She hobbled inside with the help of her friend (of nearly the same age), and didn't call me until this morning. After I got there, she passed out while attempting to take two steps (she didn't want to call an ambulance). I called the ambulance. 

It turns out that she broke both her left hip and shoulder, then endured an entire night of pain before she called me. She said that she hobbled unassisted 4 times to the bathroom during the night. Can you imagine how painful it is to walk on a broken femur, carrying your shattered shoulder at the same time? 

Because she has always gotten by just fine, my "always healthy" mother just became another infirm elderly in just one moment. She has never been in an ambulance in the last 50 years, and she hasn't seen a doctor for so long that she couldn't tell the emergency room who her personal physician might be. Now she is looking at 2 surgeries and several months of being totally dependent on others. She will never regain full use of her shoulder, either. I can only imagine the sorrow she feels because she surely knows she will never be able to dig in the garden, re-finish some old piece of furniture, or remodel her house like she once could.

*My advice to those who read this:*
1. Don't think it can't happen to you. When you do fall, it is only a matter of luck whether you get hurt or not. Sometimes you CANNOT stand on sloped ground that is icy, unless you have positive traction like cleats on your feet. DON"T go out in it unless you are fully prepared. If you are going to work in icing conditions, get some ice cleats!
2. If you, or someone you know falls, and things don't seem right...*Go see the doctor. Don't be tough*. Call for help soon, before your injury becomes much worse.
3. Keep your elderly relatives and friends off the ice. Either remove the problem or lock them up inside. When they fall, they get hurt real bad and ruin their health forever. The irritation you cause them will be much less than the hardship they will endure when they land on the pavement.


----------



## EdenT (Jan 4, 2010)

Sympathies for your mother pdqdl. Hope she makes a speedy and full recovery.


----------



## Treetom (Jan 4, 2010)

Glad you're ok pdql. And sorry to hear about your mom. I just bought my dad, 84-years-old, a pair of Yacky-tracks to keep him from slipping on the ice. A yacky track knock-off at Kmart is $10.00 a pair, a small investment that could save us spry 50-somethings a trip to the ER.


----------



## rarefish383 (Jan 4, 2010)

My mom's 82 and she just took a spill and crushed her left should. No Ice, just tripped. They kept her in the hospital in Pa for the weekend, told her her shoulder was broken in 4 places and they didn't have an orthopedic who specialized in shoulders. Came home monday, got apt to see specialist, on Thur, got apt for shoulder replacement surgery the following Mon. Ten days from the time she fell till the surgery. What cracks me up, the ball of the shoulder bone was dislocated and resting on the nerve that works that arm and hand. She couldn't move her fingers on her left hand and all she was complaining about is the cab charged her six dollars to take her to get her hair done. A womans priorities, Joe.


----------



## clearance (Jan 4, 2010)

Sorry about your moms guys. They sound like they are pretty tough ladies.


----------



## Walt41 (Jan 4, 2010)

Sorry about your mom, hope her recovery goes well.


----------



## gwiley (Jan 4, 2010)

Don't forget about ice on the trees too - a chunk of ice can pick up a lot of energy from 30-40' up.

Hard hats in winter felling ops are vital. Don't give in to the temptation to trade the HH for a stocking cap.


----------



## ozarktreeman (Jan 4, 2010)

Hey p sorry about your mother hope she has quick recovery.



Me and my guys had our share of spills last winter in ice storm.Me particularly,bidding jobs ,driveways and porches mostly.so I feel for ya! Ouch!


----------



## pdqdl (Jan 5, 2010)

Treetom said:


> Glad you're ok pdql. And sorry to hear about your mom. I just bought my dad, 84-years-old, a pair of Yacky-tracks to keep him from slipping on the ice. A yacky track knock-off at Kmart is $10.00 a pair, a small investment that could save us spry 50-somethings a trip to the ER.



Thanks. I am not familiar with these, so I did some searching. I think I will add them to my bag of tricks, maybe make my sidewalk crews wear them.

http://www.yaktrax.com/products.aspx


----------



## pdqdl (Jan 5, 2010)

I ordered 5 pair of YakTrax Pro ice traction cleats today. Discounted to $20.49 per pair (bulk buyers discount), Free shipping included from these guys when order is greater than $100.00 or *"To receive free US shipping, enter code FREEYAK during checkout"*.

This should dry up my workers comp risk a little bit. Too bad mother didn't have any.

http://www.scoutgear.com/as1505px.html

Be sure to request a bulk buying quote to get the better pricing.


----------



## Walt41 (Jan 5, 2010)

Don't want to turn this into a shoe thread but those yax trax are great with the winter croc shoes, you can walk across glaze ice without missing a step.


----------



## Mikecutstrees (Jan 7, 2010)

Thats rough, tough ladies, Hope your moms recover quickly..... Mike


----------



## olyman (Jan 8, 2010)

pdqdl said:


> I ordered 5 pair of YakTrax Pro ice traction cleats today. Discounted to $20.49 per pair (bulk buyers discount), Free shipping included from these guys when order is greater than $100.00 or *"To receive free US shipping, enter code FREEYAK during checkout"*.
> 
> This should dry up my workers comp risk a little bit. Too bad mother didn't have any.
> 
> ...



tho moms tuff--push her hard in thereapy--my mom and dad are you moms age--and they have healed up--they just have to push themselves in rehab--cause once thereapy is done-its done--


----------



## pdqdl (Jan 8, 2010)

Mother goes to my sister's house tomorrow. I don't know all the details, but she will have lots of company, as they already have her husbands parents moved in under care also. 

Three old folks, and three grown sons in the house. What a burden! Each one of those boys, except maybe the youngest, should be out on his own. I don't envy my sister, but I am glad she is able to accept the obligation.


----------



## brushbandit (Jan 9, 2010)

I know from experience that the ice can be worse than the trees. Last Jan. 28 I was walking down a sloped driveway I had just plowed carrying a 50# bag of salt to spread on the sidewalk. My one foot hit ice and slipped out from under me, I tried to save myself but the weight of the salt took me straight down and twisting on my left leg that got caught under me. The result was snapping my tibia and fibula about 6" above my ankle. What followed was an an ambulance ride, emergency room, an operation to have a rod and screws put into my lower leg, and a night in the hospital. Luckily, a year later my leg is back about 90% but the accident had me out of action or severly slowed down for about 3-4 months. I've been doing treework for 25 years with no major injuries(knock on wood) and I break my leg walking down an icy driveway. I never would have figured that one. Best of wishes to your mom pdqdl.


----------



## Ghillie (Jan 9, 2010)

Best of wishes for your mom. Its a rude awakening when you find out how fragile your health really is. Speedy recovery to her!


----------



## pdqdl (Jan 11, 2010)

brushbandit said:


> I know from experience that the ice can be worse than the trees. Last Jan. 28 I was walking down a sloped driveway ...



OUCH! That hurts to think about.

Q: why weren't you slinging the salt for traction as you went?


----------



## brushbandit (Jan 12, 2010)

pdqdl said:


> OUCH! That hurts to think about.
> 
> Q: why weren't you slinging the salt for traction as you went?



In hindsight that would have been a good idea. I have a tailgate spreader on my truck and was going to do the driveway on the way out with it. I should have salted the driveway with the truck on the way out and stopped at the entrance to do the sidewalk, that would have made the most sense. The driveway wasn't that steep and I didn't think it was a big issue, I certainly give the ice more respect now.


----------



## pdqdl (Jan 12, 2010)

*I got the Yaktrax today*

These things are great! Comfortable, they are easy to put on, and they give excellent traction. _Not recommended for tile floors_

They look like they will be pretty durable, too. Probably not as long lasting as caulk boots...


----------



## Ghillie (Feb 10, 2010)

I just ordered two pair, one for me and one for my mom. She slipped back in December, only had a fracture of the radius on her right arm, luckily.

A guy at the station had a pair and he let me try them on, they look a lot better when you actually have them in your hands, I really like how easily they don and doff.


----------



## dingeryote (Feb 10, 2010)

Sorry to hear about your Mom!

My Gram did the same thing, and it hurt her more between the ears than it did physically. Nobody likes to get slowed down over a little fall. Make sure she does her PT and keep her from ramming around for a while. My Gram got healed and went right back to bieng stubborn, and fell again.


I gotta +10 on the Yakky tracks.

They really do help a bunch and hold up better than they look.

I recently did what you did, but landed on my knee with my heel against my rump. Doc said I just stretched things really bad and it's gonna be several months untill it straightens out. Getting old sucks!
As a Kid I could take a dozen spills like that and not even miss a step.

I thought maybe this thread was gonna be about Ice overhead. It's that time of year when Ice comes down on people with painfull or deadly results.
Another thing to keep an eyeball on.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote


----------



## RCR 3 EVER (Feb 10, 2010)

Hopefully your moms heal okay and quickly but not before the ice melts.
I got to order a couple pairs of those Yaktraxs,with my bad back. The last time I fell on the ice I was in bed for a month. The last Dr visit I had the guy saidf with my new injury due to the legendary shopping carts if I had a serious fall I may end up partially paralyzed 
Icy slip and falls are nothing top laugh at even though they may look funny to another person.


----------



## pdqdl (Feb 10, 2010)

Thanks for the interest. 

An update: My mother is already walking around a little with a cane, and is doing therapy on range of motion for her arm. She says the arm still hurts, but she doesn't seem to be complaining about much of anything.


----------



## Mr. Woods (Feb 10, 2010)

*Therapists nearby*

I'm a massage therapist and there are some very effective modalities that are being practiced today. Craniosacral therapy is one that I practice.
I found two people in your area online.
Douglas Allen 816-454-1060
Christine Kenyon 816-694-0623

I don't know your financial situation but if at all possible I recommend seeing one of these people at least a couple of times.

The techniques are very gentle and treatments can be started immediately.

All the best.
Mr. Bush


----------



## B-Edwards (Feb 15, 2010)

Wow bud I just saw this thread and I hope your mom is doing good. My mom broke her hip a couple years ago and never a whine out of her , shes still working in her seventies. I can tell your mom isnt a product of the present times. She seems like a tough one and I bet she does just fine. Good luck with her.


----------

