United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Hi Court

I did not mean that you should not do the things you like to do I know you can do them. I was suggesting that it is better idea to ski that to snowboard if you are learning. Learning to snowborading is tough for any body you will fall forward and backwards more than one time and your feet will be stock to the board.

And Ellen I did have surgury one and half years ago were I got some nerves transfer to shoulder and bicep (avulse C4 C5 C6 C7 and damage preatty bad T1) so maybe I should protect better. I am more concern in braking something since I have no muscle to protect my arm, than hurting my nerves. I think I am protecting my nerves by hold my arm preatty tide to my body when I do sports combine with common sence and a little bite of luck (good for me that I have a big Angel).

As I sed the idea si not to fall!

Good night
Fernando

Well Fernando, you can appreciate this:

Less than 6 months after John's 2nd surgery, he was in another state with his cycling team, just hanging around & lending support. He was staying w/some teammates - i.e. no parents anywhere in sight.

While out on a ride, one thing led to another & "somehow" John ended up in an impromptu bike race to a landmark up the road. When he got to the finish line (a bridge of all things) in the heat of the moment he kind of temporarily forgot he only had one hand & tried to throw his bike across the line. (For non-cyclists, this is when the rider lunges backward, behind the bike seat, which if timed just right can cause the bike to speed up a little bit (is this physics or what?)). John said the instant he lunged back he realized he'd made a big mistake. Of course he lost control of the bike, flipped over it & went down hard in a pretty big ditch. Knocked the breath out of him but what the hey, once he could breathe he was back on his bike ignoring the pain & finishing out the ride.

Ends up he broke his collarbone - and yes, on the bpi side and yes, right where two transferred nerves were supposed to be growing thru.

I swear, where's the Prozac?

And Fernando, what do you mean "good night"? We're just getting started!!

Ellen

Hi Ellen

So I guess noting bad happend biside broken his collarbone. And that is what I mean by saying that I am not to warrie about nerves but worrie about bones. Good to know that we still normal persons that can brake a bone here and there.

So with this episod now I have no dout that John will have lots of fun on the slops.

Fernando

Karen - meant to respond to you too. We're going to Beaver Creek / Vail in Colorado. We've also skied in New England and it was fabulous.

Since Gavin is younger & perhaps not as responsible as you'd like (smile), I'm wondering if those thermal packs might be worth considering. They're pretty inexpensive, work for hours, come in different sizes & John loves putting them in his gloves when he goes for winter rides. May be something to think about.

I think those boys are going to have a great time. Send pictures!

Ellen