Narrative Essay Sample about Skiing Accident

Powder fell from the sky like a feather in the wind, slowly making its way down and gently kissing the ground. A flash of colors splits the air and snow, an untainted slice through time and space, like the lethal cut of a sword. A rush of wind follows, blowing the loose powder back up into the swirl of the cool mountain air. When I put skiing into words, I often describe it as majestic, exhilarating, freeing, exhausting, and dangerous. The word dangerous does stick out, now more than ever. Not long ago, I had a skiing accident that left me with a shattered kneecap and the unexpected consequences which followed. A person cannot fully understand the impact of significant bodily harm or a broken limb until they experience it for themselves and cannot understand the difficulty of the everyday tasks or the road of recovery. (A person does not fully understand the experience of significant bodily harm or a broken limb until they can understand the difficulty of the everyday tasks and the road of recovery that follows.)

My accident started up on the mountain at Hobo Alley in Winter Park, Colorado. I was skiing along the twisted and small hilled path off the side of the main path. As the exit came into view, the boy not far in front of me made a quick decision to break off the path and onto the main trail. With a split second thought, I proceeded to follow. I overestimated the size of the gap while underestimating the width of my entire body and without accounting for the length of my skis. I already made my choice, and my body was aimed towards the exit. I took the chance and went between the trees. As a result of my decision, I find myself dazed and on the ground missing a ski and a GoPro camera that was once on my helmet. I hear over the roaring in my head, "Levi, are you alright?" to which I reply, "Yeah, I think so." A little confused at my situation, I looked around and found myself half-buried in the soft snow with my right leg wrapped around the tree. My mom, Cara, had found me in this predicament and had said “Come on, get up.” so I placed my hands and pushed myself onto my legs. I immediately buckled and fell back, a sharp pain now radiating within my right leg. My mom ended up calling the ski patrol to get me down the mountain. The pain was setting in, and I remember riding down the mountain in a toboggan. The toboggan ride was the longest and most brutally cold ride ever. My mom skied not far behind me to the ER at the base of the mountain. After quite a bit of waiting in the main triage room, laying in bed with blankets and no pain medication, I am finally taken back for x-rays. The result of my accident was a shattered kneecap. When I was given the news I was devastated and I remember saying “ I don't want to have surgery.” I found myself trying to make sense in the midst of  all the chaos. A shattered kneecap, for those who don't know it, is rare and the road to my recovery would be a long and challenging one.

Once the ER doctor had determined the extent of my injuries, he wrapped my leg in a splint and ace bandages. As you recall, we were in Colorado, so my parents had to make plans to cut our trip short and travel home. My mom began calling around asking for recommendations for a pediatric surgeon. They settled on Children's Mercy Hospital, and my parents set an appointment for January 4th. We drove home, and the pain leveled off with the medication the ER doctor prescribed. I was still miserable. I had no idea what was going to happen. I wondered, "will I ever be able to walk again?" and "why did this happen to me?". After meeting with the surgeon at Children's Mercy, the surgeon determined to salvage my kneecap. I had several surgeries; the first was a wire basket created to hold my shattered kneecap pieces together. I made it through the first surgery but was in a lot of pain. I came home and wasn't able to do much. I sat at home and binge-watched TV shows like "Friends" and "The Office." When the time arrived to go back to school, I began feeling that knot in my stomach when I’m nervous and the restlessness that comes with being anxious. My parents rented a wheelchair to help ease the pain in my leg and help me get around the school. My mom drove me to school every day, pulled out my wheelchair from the car, and pushed me into the nurse's office. Nurse Michelle was kind and helpful and kept my medication on hand if I needed it.

I never knew what it would be like to rely on others as much as I had to because of my accident. One of the most challenging things I had to do was go to school and try to concentrate and get around in a wheelchair, but the most painful was going to Physical therapy. At physical therapy, they forced the movement of my knee. Each time they measured the degrees at which I could bend it. Each time they would push my knee to its limits, which was excruciating. Finally, after months of physical therapy and personal growth, the surgeon thought removing the wire "bird's nest" from around my knee was best. This time the recovery time was shorter but still just as agonizing.

My skiing accident provoked a journey of discovery, self-care, and growth of learning the importance of relationships and the value of people's kindness. Life became easier as I gained mobility back in my leg. I learned how to walk again, but I still have a brace. I got released to swim in the fall; during the next school year, I swam and competed regularly. Post-surgery, my most significant accomplishment of the year was that the men's swim team ended up going to state, and we've also broken the school's record. I became acutely aware of what it was like to lose my leg and not be able to do everyday tasks. I had to rely on my parents and friends to assist me. The kindness they showed me was above and beyond anything I deserved. I know that what helped me get through it was the support from family and friends and my own will and fortitude to walk and use my leg again.