broken thumb :(

[TheDeanMachine]

well the other day i was skiing in michigan and i went for a jump and my skis caught the snow and i ended up fracturing my right thumb. fortunately, i'm still able to run, and i have full mobility of my four fingers on the injured hand. the doctor gave it 4-6 weeks with possible physical therapy. i have some important big indoor meets coming up the first weekend in march. i'll be hittin the calcium and protein hard, but has this happened to anyone else before? and if so, what else can i do to facilitate the healing process? any help would be absolutely fantastic. thanks.

[spike gibeault]

i dislocated my thumb the day before states last year.
There was an issue with tape on hands in the pole vault, so i talked with the meet director and he was fine with it. the only advise i was given was "A vault lasts 3 seconds, If you cant be tough for 3 seconds in your life, then you should stay locked up in your room" but i think a break would be worse bummer dude

[rainbowgirl28]

Tommy Skipper broke his thumb when he broke a pole at Nike Indoor his senior year. He went on to break the National Record that summer (but he probably had to take a good 2 months off from vaulting).

[TheDeanMachine]

well here i am typing in my cast. i have to have it on for 6 weeks (get it off march 4th). i will be missing at least 2 big indoor meets, but, if im stupid/determined enough, i can vault at our EIU indoor meet on march 15th, depending on the muscle atrophy in my right hand...but that gives me 2, possibly 3, indoor meets to make it to indoor state, in which i need 12'6" to get to...i cleared 13' at a camp last summer, which was the last time i've actually vaulted. so my grip will definitely be affected by this, and i'll definitely be lacking in the training department. but i'm determined to get it healthy and start vaulting about 2 or 3 weeks after i get it off. i was very angry when the doc told me 6 weeks. i was shootin for 4. blah.

[rainbowgirl28]

well here i am typing in my cast. i have to have it on for 6 weeks (get it off march 4th). i will be missing at least 2 big indoor meets, but, if im stupid/determined enough, i can vault at our EIU indoor meet on march 15th, depending on the muscle atrophy in my right hand...but that gives me 2, possibly 3, indoor meets to make it to indoor state, in which i need 12'6" to get to...i cleared 13' at a camp last summer, which was the last time i've actually vaulted. so my grip will definitely be affected by this, and i'll definitely be lacking in the training department. but i'm determined to get it healthy and start vaulting about 2 or 3 weeks after i get it off. i was very angry when the doc told me 6 weeks. i was shootin for 4. blah.

Well hopefully you use this time to improve your speed and strength and athletic ability in other ways.