I fell from a zipline and should have died. Instead I just have several broken bones including a broken back. AMA

Do you have med records or something to prove this?

edit: Thanks for editing in proof OP!

I'll post my Xrays

edit: Thanks for the edit have an upvote

formatting

Still waiting on that proof.

For next time you do an AMA, get the proof beforehand. Helps a lot.

Edit: It seems people are downvoting and don't understand how an AMA works. The OP is supposed to provide proof in the body of their post or the post could get removed. It's the rules. From the sidebar:

If your post is suspected fake and you do not verify proof, it may be subject to removal

Chill out man do you have any idea how hard it is for me to get out of bed?

Toby Flenderson?

I don't know who that is

Toby from the US version of The Office fell off a zip line in Costa Rica and got hurt.

Thanks. This pop culture reference has put me to shame *sadface

Did you die?

yes. I got better

Hey cuz, how are you doing these days? Crazy uncle Dan wishes you well

Shit, you found me

Was this a professional zip line outfit, or something someone built in their backyard??

How did this become the top comment? I've answered this questions several times elsewhere.

What broke first? your spirit or your body?

wouldn't be surprised if I broke wind on the way down?

How far did you fall?

About 3 stories

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I remember being on the platform and stepping off. The next thing I remember is the ambulance. I told him my chest hurt, why did my chest hurt, he said "You fell out of a tree." I became very upset and started arguing that I hadn't climbed a tree and questioning the guy for answers he obviously didn't have.

I know how that feels. My father pushed me out of a 10 story window and all I broke was my back.

Damn. YOU should do an AMA

Damn. YOU should do an AMA

Has the show I Should Have Never Gone Ziplining called you up yet?

no

Broke back mountain?

Broke Back Zipline?

Ha! "Sorry you broke your back, here's a prescription for some Tylenol"

They gave me some good stuff too.

Must [have] be[en] a back-breaking ordeal finding those x-rays. [Corrected]

I upvoted you, that was witty

Did you sign any form of waiver before going on the zipline?

no

why the fuck do you need proof

is there anything unbelievable here? if he was lying don't you think he'd make up a better story than falling 3 story's? lol. some things just don't need proof. it's not like he fell from the fuckin cn tower and survived.

I kinda felt that way too. I am essentially bed-ridden for the time being and thought this might be interesting. Nope, I am apparently a very bad person for not proving my silly story before talking about. OOPS

As someone with back pain and never even got hurt. I can't imagine what your back pain feels like

They gave me some pretty strong pain meds to help out. I stopped taking them though. My mom and my sister both said that they thought I was stoned a lot and was taking too many. I have enough problems in my life. I don't need a pill addiction.

Well with problems like these, it sounds like that's exactly what you need!

Addiction is something I've seen in people around me and watch their lives fall apart. It honestly scares me. If I have to be a little more sore but be ok in the long run, that's a risk I'm willing to take.

Like I've said though, I have a follow up and I'll talk to Doc about those issues/concerns.

This exact same thing happened to my roommates mother. First day of vacation and BAM, broken back. She hated taking the pills and felt like a zombie all of the time. We don't technically have sanctioned medical marijuana in our state, but we convinced her to drop the pills and just toke a few times a day. Hasn't touched pain meds since. She even bought a vaporizer that we get to use at our convenience! Just a suggestion ;)

well we do in mine

did it hurt?

my broken ribs and sternum are a more intense pain. The back is more constant and deep.

the ability to laugh is an undervalued thing until you break some ribs.3 years after cracking my sternum i can still feel it. Good luck senor~

I stand convinced; of all his sufferings on the cross, Christ's busted ribs hurt him the most.

What caused you to fall?

It was dark and wet. I believe I slipped out of the harness. Not 100% sure. I've had people who were there speculate. I've also heard some radical stories 3rd or 4th hand (My elementry sunday school teacher calling me a hero for trying to save that girl--da fuck?!) about what they know. I am just not sure.

How did the girl thing come about?

Because I was going to go down with a girl. Pretty girl having to hold on to me etc. Didn't really work out like that.

Would you go zip lining again?

not under those same circumstances . . . other than that, sure

Was this part of a vacation or at a business or something? Wouldn't their insurance cover you?

I'm glad you didn't die. What do they do for a broken back? Did it result in paralysis? (Was trying to think of a kinder, gentler way to ask that but I don't think there is one)

It was at a friend's house. He was very concerned that someone might come after his homeowner's insurance. I assured him that I wouldn't.

Thank god no paralysis. That was my biggest concern. I pulled my sister aside while I was still on the "you can't fucking move anything even if you tried" board and told her NOT to let me live as a potato.

I have an orthotic brace that I have to wear whenever I'm out of bed. I have a cane. I move very slowly.

I'm so glad to hear you're still walking and are not a potato.

If someone fell off a zipline at my house, I'm pretty sure I'd be more concerned that they broke their freaking back than I would be about my insurance premiums going up. I mean, that's what insurance is for, right?

I was talking to his GF who is a close friend and former coworker and she mentioned it to me when I brought up medical bills, insurance etc. He called me later that day and seem very concerned about my well being etc. He never mentioned the insurance thing to me and I, as discretely as I could, told him that he didn't have to worry.

He also put new safety measures in place and added signs to the platform etc to ensure it won't happen again.

To be honest, I do not blame him one bit.

Insurance guy here … Your friend may not realize it, but he has insurance SPECIFICALLY for when shit goes wrong. Do NOT hesitate to make a claim. You are entitled to it.

"Entitled" is a word I do not like. I have used resources available to me that are not at the expense of my friend. I assume the mantle of responsibility--even at my own financial hardship. In my book, that's part of being a man.

No potatoes, eh? What about some other type of veggie? I hear carrots are really nice.

I'd consider being something leafy

did anyone see it or catch it on video

unfortunately not

Do you feel any closer to being Batman?

^{All jokes aside, I am impressed with your survival}

To be honest, I kinda feel more like Cartman

Well, it's better to go through what you did than what those kids did, right?

As much pain as I am in now, I know they went through much worse

Did they have you give a big "Shaka-brah!" to the camera?

No but I did catch some killer Nar!

Did you have medical coverage to pay for the accident?

My employer offers a decent medical plan. Unfortunately, I haven't been working long enough to qualify. I'm a Vet so I tried the VA--they were useless. I reluctantly applied for state assistance.

Thanks Obama.

As far as that is connected to VA benefits, you're damn right

Are there going to be any permanent lasting effects as far as you know?

I have some nice scars around my left eye hopefully nothing else. I have a follow-up this afternoon and will know for sure

this happened to my dad when he was in the army - ziplining from a chopper during a training and the line broke and he fell and busted his back...

I've done some crazy stuff from my USMC days. Fastropes, Ladder drills, SPIE rigs, etc. I had to get out of the service to get f'ed up

1) have you seen that South Park episode? 2) do you now feel foolish?

Actually my coworker emailed that same picture around as a get well card so I watched it.

Do you think zip lines are dangerous?

I'm living proof they can be

I was in two car accidents, one at 60 mph. Should have died both times, walked away. Cheating death is kinda awesome right?

Fist bump

As someone who previously worked full time managing ropes courses with zip lines I have a million questions but primarily I'm most curious of the set-up of this zip. In reading some of your previous answers I see you say there was a stirrup and a girl was going to hold on and go down with you. When people go down this zip line are they physically clipped into anything at all or it's just a hang on for dear life type of thing?

you stood on the stirrup and there was another rope that you could wrap around your waist to be more secure. The fail-safe was less than stellar apparently.

this was a back-yard setup.

Yikes. If your friend intends to keep this zip line in operation (which I honestly hope he doesnt) I would strongly urge him to look into an actual harness that clips the participant into the zip pulley on the cable as pictured here: http://imgur.com/Q2dMXGG

Zip lines are no joke and this is why it's so incredibly scary that there are no standards in the industry. ANYONE can build a zip line in their back yard with no requirement to adhere to any type of standard or have regular inspections. Yikes yikes yikes. Thank goodness you are "ok".

He's a craftsman--an excellent carpenter and professional contractor. I would post pictures of the platform, setup, etc but for fear of the possible repercussions to him.

I said in another comment, I spoke to him and he said that my fall has caused him to put in additional safety measures. What exactly those are, not sure, but it's a start.

i did some ziplines in Cancun before that ranged from maybe 30-100 feet off the ground (one was over a giant sink-hole), and this was a fear of mine, considering it was Mexico.

I did some cool ones in a few states and in Japan too.

Any spiritual revelations?

Nah I already found Jesus. He was snickering at me as his whole creation of gravity, thing was treating me alike a basketball

Is it hard to pee?

taking a dump wearing that damn orthotic is a pain for sure

was it worth it?

Well I had fun going down the first 4-5 times. All in all, the events leading up to my fall and the fact that I was there in the first place . . . If I had known how it was going to end up I would have made other plans

Do you have a child who stepped on a crack?

Why did it take do long for this to come up

Now that your back is broken, can you paralyzed? Or do the doctors expect that you can walk again?

If I wear my brace I can walk

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Probly, it was so boring I passed out. Explains a lot

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I think I've covered this more elsewhere.

Should have died? How does that work?

Doc told me as he looked at my chart, "Wow, you should be dead"

I was in a really terrible car accident in June. One where the emts were genuinely surprised that I was alive. I still say should have died, rather than could of. It's a hard mentality to break.

It really makes you appreciate life though right? I feel slightly awakened to how much I've taken for granted and how blessed I am in my life.

I'm actually happy that I now HAVE to move slower. My condition keeps me from driving, so I'm bussing it up. It's interesting to me to see everyone in such a damn hurry and how impatient some get while I pass them like a geriatric old man.

One of my favorites is getting on a bus during rush hour commutes and looking at all of the people in the handicap/old lady seats. Their eyes are downcast and shame-filled as the mental straw-drawing occures to see who will surrender their precious comfort to ease another persons' pain a little. It's almost comical.

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None. My fractures are still healing

What did you think of the South Park esipode "I Should Never Have Gone Ziplining?"

I love almost everything they make

So...You're getting a lot of WoW time in now I'm guessing?

Mannnn if I ever got hurt so that I was on bed rest, that would be my life.

I think you just described one of the levels of hell.

"should have died"

says who?

The doc

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I do not remember the fall at all

almost the same exact thing happened to my friend here on maui on new years eve... weird

New years eve for me too....weird

Are you planning a Batman-style recovery/therapy plan so you can become the hero Gotham deserves? Because I hear that works.

yeah, punching my spine back into place and some Japanese Bondage-style rope swings. Now where's my cape . . .

Will you ever zipline again? How about skydive?

Do you feel dead inside? Well you shouldn't, you should be the happiest motherfucker in the world. You cheated death.

yeah, he's not a very good bluffer