# icy conditions fall and broken neck...be careful out there!



## rideshareMN (Jan 25, 2017)

on Wednesday, while doing a block for Amazon, I fell on the ice on a downslope, hit the back of my head first, and ended up with a broken neck; I had surgery two days ago in which they fused C5-C7 and I now face several weeks of recovery with a huge neck brace that extends down my stomach and back and I will have three new scars (two on neck, one on hip where they harvested bone for grafts)

to all my delivery brethren in the northern climes, please be extra careful out there this time of year! I only walk on what I perceive as snow (in the case of my fall, there was hidden ice under the snow). I am going to purchase some of those Yaktrax Walkers to put on my shoe bottoms and hopefully that will make a difference; I hope you can take extra precaution as well.

best wishes to all of you for a safe and happy holiday season!


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## nighthawk398 (Jul 21, 2015)

Sorry to hear this. 
Get well soon


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## rideshareMN (Jan 25, 2017)

thanks so much, just want everyone else out there in icy conditions to take extra caution; I was lucky not to have any spinal cord damage; when I return to work in a couple months, I may buy some extra Yaktrax and hand them out at the warehouse


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## DeathByFlex (Nov 29, 2017)

I broke my back when I was in a serious car accident 20+ years ago and I still feel it everyday. I'm glad you're alive and walking! Just focus on the recovery and take the PT seriously...and never stop doing it.


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## rideshareMN (Jan 25, 2017)

thanks for the suggestion; I feel like I should already be back out there working, but the surgeon said it will be several weeks still until he releases me to work


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## Fuzzyelvis (Dec 7, 2014)

rideshareMN said:


> thanks for the suggestion; I feel like I should already be back out there working, but the surgeon said it will be several weeks still until he releases me to work


I fractured my back in 2008. Non displaced, no surgery. I was told it would take "Probably 6-8 weeks" to heal.

6 months later when I was having agonizing pain and saw an orthopedist he told me 6 months was more reasonable. But the injury aggravated arthritis in my spine (asymptomatic before the injury) and only found on the MRI and CAT scan done because of it, and to this day I have issues.

I did this at work and of course was pushed to get back ASAP. Had I known them what I know now I would have told them I was in too much pain. Instead I was a good little soldier and I think I was back way too early.

So take your time. Take as much as you can afford. DO NOT be in a hurry to do too much too soon. I don't think I'd be having as many issues now if I had taken more time off to heal.

Oh, and when I was a kid we used to wrap rubber bands around our feet in the ice. Better than nothing in a pinch. Socks over the shoes works too, but tend to get frozen up if there's snow which then freezes there. These aren't the best, but again, better than nothing.


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## Nekoosa (Nov 28, 2017)

rideshareMN good luck on hope for full recovery.


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## rideshareMN (Jan 25, 2017)

Nekoosa said:


> rideshareMN good luck on hope for full recovery.


thank you so much


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## Michael - Cleveland (Jan 1, 2015)

rideshareMN said:


> on Wednesday, while doing a block for Amazon, I fell on the ice on a downslope, hit the back of my head first, and ended up with a broken neck; I had surgery two days ago in which they fused C5-C7 and I now face several weeks of recovery with a huge neck brace that extends down my stomach and back and I will have three new scars (two on neck, one on hip where they harvested bone for grafts)
> 
> to all my delivery brethren in the northern climes, please be extra careful out there this time of year! I only walk on what I perceive as snow (in the case of my fall, there was hidden ice under the snow). I am going to purchase some of those Yaktrax Walkers to put on my shoe bottoms and hopefully that will make a difference; I hope you can take extra precaution as well.
> 
> best wishes to all of you for a safe and happy holiday season!


oh my - I'm so sorry to hear this... heal well and heal fast, and feel better soon.

fwiw, I swear by these slip-on spikes for delivering when there's ice:










just do a search on Amazon or wherever for "slip-on" + "spikes"


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## Flexist (Jul 29, 2017)

Sorry to hear that. Do you have health insurance?


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## rideshareMN (Jan 25, 2017)

Flexist said:


> Sorry to hear that. Do you have health insurance?


yes, I will be out a few thousand to fill the deductible, but it's a small cost to be alive and not paralyzed!


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## MacDriver (May 6, 2016)

rideshareMN said:


> on Wednesday, while doing a block for Amazon, I fell on the ice on a downslope, hit the back of my head first, and ended up with a broken neck; I had surgery two days ago in which they fused C5-C7 and I now face several weeks of recovery with a huge neck brace that extends down my stomach and back and I will have three new scars (two on neck, one on hip where they harvested bone for grafts)
> 
> to all my delivery brethren in the northern climes, please be extra careful out there this time of year! I only walk on what I perceive as snow (in the case of my fall, there was hidden ice under the snow). I am going to purchase some of those Yaktrax Walkers to put on my shoe bottoms and hopefully that will make a difference; I hope you can take extra precaution as well.
> 
> best wishes to all of you for a safe and happy holiday season!


I hope you recover soon!

Last year, these Yaktrak Pro Traction Cleats worked great on both snow and ice. When driveways were coated with ice, I was able to walk up driveways as if they were dry pavement! Have even gone running in both snow and ice with these on.

The pro model has a velcro strap on top to prevent the cleats from slipping off. Available from Amazon.


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## rideshareMN (Jan 25, 2017)

thanks for the well wishes...I ordered about 10 pair of that exact same model you posted...I plan to give them out to family and friends and pass a couple out at the warehouse to drivers I've met


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## Brandon Wilson (Aug 13, 2017)

Wishing you a speedy recovery.


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## getawaycar (Jul 10, 2017)

Sorry to hear that, best wishes on your recovery. Of course the driving in snow and ice is more dangerous as well. Do you have to do flex with chain on your tires?


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## rideshareMN (Jan 25, 2017)

no chains on tires here...we are oddly over a foot below normal snowfall levels this winter! we had an unusual run where we got a freezing rain/wet snow mix with a sudden temperature drop that did not allow the ice treatments to work right away, hence a lot of icy conditions when I took my tumble...thanks for the kind wishes on my recovery, and happy holidays to you and yours!


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## YourPrivateDriver (Jul 5, 2016)

might wanna get some automatic crampons too!


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