1st day sking dramaS

Our first sking experience was not all that was anticipated. There is a small ski slope in Kitchener called Chicopee, it was only open for one weekend, as the temp got too hot to make snow. So we thought we would use these days to get in a bit of practice ready for the Whistler slopes, after christmas. Two major dramas occured!!!!!

The first day started out just fine with Em, Steve and I having an hours lesson (me on the snowboard and Em/Steve on the skis). At the end of my lesson i fell backwards and cracked my head into my shoulder, I didnt think it was that bad, the ski instructor just said to lie there for a while, which i did. After a few minutes i felt fine, just a slight headache, so i got up and we ended the lesson. We kept sking even though the chair lift was closed, we had to climb up the slope. I started to shake pretty bad and my headache was getting worse so decided to call it quits, just assuming that pian killers would clear it right up.... when we got home i did just that and felt fine!!!!! The worry for that day was however the loss of Alex's snowboard, allegedly stollen. Apparently boards get stollen regularly. Alex spent all of her own cash to purchase this board so as you can imagine she was fairly upset. We looked up the travel insurance and found out it covers theft up to $400, so we have put in a claim and are waiting for the reply. So thats the first drama of the weekend.

That afternoon we spend frolicking in the snow. Soaking up its essence before the sombre moment when it would melt. The snow is awesome here, none of this Australian icey hard stuff. Its beautiful and powdery, but a bit hard to make snow balls from as it just falls apart but nonetheless very fun making snow angels etc.

The next day we headed out to Chicopee again. I woke up that morning feeling sore with an aching neck, and assumed it was from the day before sking, later Em and Steve said that i didn't look all good in the car. I picked up my hire board and headed up the slope on the chair lift with Dad. After attatching my board i stood up and fell down to my knees straight away with a throbing headache. The pain came on so quickly and was very intense. I lay down on the snow untill a ski patrol person came over to see if i was ok, after he assessed me he said he wanted to take me down to first aid in the TABOGAN. I was in so much pain i lay there with my eyes clossed and was told later that they barricaded the whole area around me. The trip down the slope was so fast and a bit daunting strapped in the tabogan, of course Dad took pictures of the whole thing.

I stayed in first aid for a while and they said I had had a CONCUSSION. My head was still killing me but we decided to go home where we rang the hospital and checked out our travel insurance once agian. The hospital were far from helpful so we rang 'tele-health' and told them the situation, they said they would call back wothin 40 mins. Mean while my head was still throbing away so I took a panadol, with in 15 mins my head was nearly completly cleared up and it was just my neck which was hurting the most. 'Tele-health' called back and said just to monitor me and put ice on my neck.

For the next 2 days I felt as though i was wearing a neck brace as i couldn't move it in any direction. It was a bit anoying as it was the only days of snow!!!!! BUT fingers crossed for a white christmas......