Mentally sketched to ride?

[Grizzly4323]

Two years ago while riding in Salmon I crashed and broke the tibia plateau in my left knee in multiple pieces. Had surgery with a great surgeon. Two large plates and sixteen screws later holding it all together. Following many days of physio and continued training ever since so that I reduce any issues later in life and was very excited to get back riding again, stronger than ever.
The issue I have now is that i haven’t gone riding and I’m scared s&$@less to jump back on my sled. Well I really can’t figure out if I am scared or possibly I don’t trust myself or just not interested any longer. Which I can’t believe is the case!
A while back I spoke to a shrink about it and she figured I am just scared and not to worry about riding any longer. Well that’s not working out too good as I think of riding all the time and just can’t figure what’s going on in my head.

Im sure others have had this kind of mental issues and I would sure like to hear your thoughts on the issue. Need some real experience opinions. Thanks!

 

[lilduke]

I broke my femur riding dirt bikes and getting balls back to hit jumps was tough.

Best thing is to just go do it, but stick to something easy at first. Trail ride or some chit, like you are starting over from scratch.

 

[kanedog]

It will suck for the 1st ride and a few after that. Then one day, magically you're climbing and having fun. It goes away faster if you think about it less. Hard to do I know.

 

[TROLLCAT]

it's a manageable task, like Dan said start small

after a major event for me, I'll have an small panic attack in the first 10 mins of riding and then the rest of the day is great

 

[AreWeThereYet]

A few years back I flipped my quad backwards and it landed on my head and shoulders. I dislocated 3 fingers on my left hand, sprained my neck, cracked a rib, my fingers I popped back in but to this day 2 of them bother me still.

I am still gun shy of climbing the smallest of hills, but the people I ride with are considerate. On a side note my wife flipped back as well the year she got her quad and dislocated 2 fingers and sprained her wrist. She is REALLY gun shy about climbing hills still,.. when we ride we only ride to her ability and fear.

We are both slowly getting better but it has been 3yrs for me and 2yrs for her still,. but all I can say is with any crash it will just take time.

 

[fj40]

2 and a half years ago I laid my bike down shattering my pelvis against a tree causin nerve damage.
2 weeks ago rented a sled and rode for the first time since then.
I took it easy was great to be back on something but was a little scary.
I will probably never ride as aggressive as I did before but was still great to ride.
I still haven't ridden a bike not sure if I could physically as my right foot doesn't work.

 

[TROLLCAT]

spike strip holding you together

 

[Grizzly4323]

2 and a half years ago I laid my bike down shattering my pelvis against a tree causin nerve damage.
2 weeks ago rented a sled and rode for the first time since then.
I took it easy was great to be back on something but was a little scary.
I will probably never ride as aggressive as I did before but was still great to ride.
I still haven't ridden a bike not sure if I could physically as my right foot doesn't work.

Ouch!!

I feel some of your pain.

Good luck fj.

 

[fj40]

My bones are all healed up and strong as ever just can't get my leg and foot to work right.
Can't stop doing what you like I seen to many of those people in the Glenrose when I was there

 

[ferniesnow]

Like Dan mentioned, you will have to start slow and easy. I have broken both legs (separate incidents); femur on one and the fibula in the other. The femur was 15 years ago and the fibula was 8 years ago. In both instances, I rode out as I wasn't having anything to do with the inconvenience of having a chopper come and get me. They healed well and I don't have any problems other than riding. The wrong foot forward technique gives me the most trouble as both legs are noticeably different than original and can be weak and sore for any extended maneuvering. Mentally, I am still cautious and carefully pick riding areas and how I handle the different situations.

IMHO, you gotta just get out and take it easy to start with. That "easy" can vary from person to person and you have to find your comfort zone. Good luck and get back up on the saddle and give it a try.

 

[bayman]

Fractured the C6 and C7 vertebrae in my neck the first ride of 2012. Missed that year and most of the following. Was very tentative the first couple of rides, but it seems I go over the handlebars regularly now just to test it out. Get back in the saddle man, the confidence will come back.

 

[drew562]

You must get back in the saddle to beat it. 8 yrs ago we lost a friend in an Avy. 6 survivors. 3 never rode since. . My brother and I and one good friend still ride together. I will never trust snow the same. But sleds are my passion. I have to ride. I actually used sledding to heal my soul. The more I rode after the avy the less I saw that day in my mind. Since that day I can count every cool climb on one hand. No more big faces or chutes for me.

 

[arff]

You should try starting slow.
Short rides with friends.

I have had incidents 3 years in a row. 1 of them from a sxs getting run over and that causing a knee injury and surgery 1 from using a winch line and sxs. 2 broken fingers and 1 tension broken and it has never healed.
1 was a knife cut.

Yes healing up takes time. Mentally and physically.

Your on the right track getting help. Try the next step with a short ride.

 

[acesup800]

If you are seriously scared of a snowmobile and require therapy, gotta say it's time to give it up.

 

[fj40]

If you are seriously scared of a snowmobile and require therapy, gotta say it's time to give it up.

Spoken by one that has no clue.

 

[Summit 934]

As we've all heard a million times...baby steps. You won't get back to the level you were at overnight and there's nothing wrong with that. Start out with just some easy trail rides and enjoy the day with good friends, and if your friends aren't into that it's time to find some new ones. Maybe you will maybe you won't get back to where you were before but I figure any kind of ride is better than none at all.

 

[X-it]

The only bones I have not broken is the bones in my left leg. Ya I think it takes some of the aggressiveness out of your riding style.

 

[Beels]

If you are seriously scared of a snowmobile and require therapy, gotta say it's time to give it up.

Are you a genuine a$$hole, or just play one online? Not called for at all...


Back to the topic at hand, I broke my fibula a couple years ago in a non-motorsports related incident. Had surgery, healed well and made a real effort to get back doing everything I did before. You're not alone when you have doubts in your mind whether you can do it or not. The biggest thing I realized is I'm not invincible. Especially when it came to sledding, lots of us like to watch vids of guys like Burandt, Turcotte, Kesterke, etc. absolutely railing on it and put this false expectation in our minds that we should be riding like that. Once I wrapped my head around those guys being world class athletes and I'll never ride to that level, it made things easier. Now I just focus on being as good as I can within my limits and if I don't feel comfortable doing something, I just won't do it. I'm not in a competition and not being judged. If you are, find different people to ride with who are out there for a different reason. We all get older, more fragile and priorities change. I honestly think that's the biggest thing for the everyday rider is the unrealistic expectations.

 

[tex78]

I broke my ankle Christmas eve 2016, tib and fib, road out with it broken

3 months after surgery on my first ride, still wearing air cast in the am, went to unload my sled off the deck, flap stuck track and azz over tea kettle I go over the tunnel bad foot first

I was shaking all day, was just a trail ride but it knocked me back a few notches that I wasn't really ready to ride yet

Rest of the year I was uneasy to load unload ( back of the mind was what if I fall off and re break it, loading or unloading)
Bought a hydro deck now, so that made a huge difference in mental feel about going even

Even last ride of the year I took it easy as I didn't have the mobility, and still don't ( about 90 % tho) compared to other foot

I'm slowly getting back into riding hard again, the more I ride, the more I go past where it happened and I get to finger the broken ankle notch, the better I feel and goes out of my mind

Still have been taking it easy, as new job and no benefits yet with disabilities

 

[Ballzdeep]

Been in that boat before bud, broken many bones and cryed many tears of pain. Crashed on almost every bike i have owned...no lil spills either. One of my worst crashed was when i was 18...over shot the big table top at swan hills track and got wrecked. broken arm, torn rotator cuff, cracked ribs, torn acl and now i have a nice full denture now due to knock out most of my teeth. I was scared to even sit on my bike again, scared the passion right outta me. Having strong support from the best friends i guy could ask for to help me get out and ride again. Love them boys for giving me back my will to ride. Once the head games are outta the way your back to you.