[Ocpinstead]

I had a great Saturday planned...I was headed to the local BMW dealership to trade in my Z4 M Coupe, confirm all the details of the M2 that I had on order, then head to the mountain to meet my wife and kids for some spring skiing fun. On my way, my wife called and said that she was having trouble convincing my 6 year old son to go skiing. It was "Hockey Day on our Cul-de-sac" and there was some fierce competition. His wish was to stay and play hockey with his friends (all but one of the kids plays as Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the outlier plays as Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals).

I decided that I would go skiing by myself for a bit. It was a spectacular day with great snow. I had a good first run, but had a weird feeling on my way up the chairlift for my second run. I just wasn’t “into” it. Skiing by myself without my family didn’t seem like something I wanted to do on Easter Weekend – I was missing out on being a dad and husband on the weekend it seemed to matter a lot.

As I got off the lift and started down the hill, I thought to myself "last run…it’s been a good season…time to go home…” As I went over the pitch on a fairly steep hill, I fell inside. I tried my best to steer away from the chairlift tower, which I did successfully. However, my left ski tip dug into the snow, stopped abruptly, and my body kept on going. I double ejected from my skis and tumbled down the hill like that goat that was ripped off the cliff by the hungry eagle we’ve all seen on YouTube. As I came to rest, my brain told me something was wrong but I couldn’t “feel” what was wrong. I thought that maybe I had broken my left ankle. Turns out it was worse…

I ended up with a complete rupture of my Achilles Tendon. The new medical protocol is to rehab it, without surgery, for 14-20 weeks. This makes driving my manual transmission M2 impossible. My wife is very “supportive” given that she will be “forced” to drive my new toy while I drive her Acadia Denali…

Things could definitely be worse. This experience is forcing me to think about all the things in my life that are amazing – wife, kids, health, lifestyle, work…and less about the things that suck – politics, electric power steering, Facebook…

So, sometimes bad things happen to make us stop and think about what’s good in life. I look forward to taking my M2 for a rip in the summer some time. In the meantime, I have asked my wife to keep it under 5,000 rpm and to leave some tire tread for me.

[Spartan King]

Originally Posted by Ocpinstead

I had a great Saturday planned...I was headed to the local BMW dealership to trade in my Z4 M Coupe, confirm all the details of the M2 that I had on order, then head to the mountain to meet my wife and kids for some spring skiing fun. On my way, my wife called and said that she was having trouble convincing my 6 year old son to go skiing. It was "Hockey Day on our Cul-de-sac" and there was some fierce competition. His wish was to stay and play hockey with his friends (all but one of the kids plays as Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the outlier plays as Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals).

I decided that I would go skiing by myself for a bit. It was a spectacular day with great snow. I had a good first run, but had a weird feeling on my way up the chairlift for my second run. I just wasn’t “into” it. Skiing by myself without my family didn’t seem like something I wanted to do on Easter Weekend – I was missing out on being a dad and husband on the weekend it seemed to matter a lot.

As I got off the lift and started down the hill, I thought to myself "last run…it’s been a good season…time to go home…” As I went over the pitch on a fairly steep hill, I fell inside. I tried my best to steer away from the chairlift tower, which I did successfully. However, my left ski tip dug into the snow, stopped abruptly, and my body kept on going. I double ejected from my skis and tumbled down the hill like that goat that was ripped off the cliff by the hungry eagle we’ve all seen on YouTube. As I came to rest, my brain told me something was wrong but I couldn’t “feel” what was wrong. I thought that maybe I had broken my left ankle. Turns out it was worse…

I ended up with a complete rupture of my Achilles Tendon. The new medical protocol is to rehab it, without surgery, for 14-20 weeks. This makes driving my manual transmission M2 impossible. My wife is very “supportive” given that she will be “forced” to drive my new toy while I drive her Acadia Denali…

Things could definitely be worse. This experience is forcing me to think about all the things in my life that are amazing – wife, kids, health, lifestyle, work…and less about the things that suck – politics, electric power steering, Facebook…

So, sometimes bad things happen to make us stop and think about what’s good in life. I look forward to taking my M2 for a rip in the summer some time. In the meantime, I have asked my wife to keep it under 5,000 rpm and to leave some tire tread for me.

Perspective is a powerful thing when we take a moment to appreciate the good and the bad in our lives. Stay off your feet and get better, your M2 will be there when your well again.

Of course your M2 will probably be screwed up since I am sure she is gunning the hell out of it. J/K

[dmboone25]

MT M2 = rehab motivation.

PS - glad you’re ok, all things considered.

[seis-speed]

I tore my Achilles, it will heal and you will be fine, but it takes some time. Driving 6MT took me about 12weeks (post surgery) I had to borrow a family members car for 12weeks+....Pretty great that your wife can drive your 6MT.

I agree with your post, there are more important things in life: My wife, kids, faith, health, other people, doing good, etc....I enjoy cars and driving, it is fun, I have loved different driving experiences, but it is good to keep it in proper perspective.

How do you know what the mountaintop feels like without being able to contrast it with the valleys below. Heal up and enjoy the good things you have in your life.

[champignon]

Originally Posted by Ocpinstead

I had a great Saturday planned...I was headed to the local BMW dealership to trade in my Z4 M Coupe, confirm all the details of the M2 that I had on order, then head to the mountain to meet my wife and kids for some spring skiing fun. On my way, my wife called and said that she was having trouble convincing my 6 year old son to go skiing. It was "Hockey Day on our Cul-de-sac" and there was some fierce competition. His wish was to stay and play hockey with his friends (all but one of the kids plays as Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the outlier plays as Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals).

I decided that I would go skiing by myself for a bit. It was a spectacular day with great snow. I had a good first run, but had a weird feeling on my way up the chairlift for my second run. I just wasn’t “into” it. Skiing by myself without my family didn’t seem like something I wanted to do on Easter Weekend – I was missing out on being a dad and husband on the weekend it seemed to matter a lot.

As I got off the lift and started down the hill, I thought to myself "last run…it’s been a good season…time to go home…” As I went over the pitch on a fairly steep hill, I fell inside. I tried my best to steer away from the chairlift tower, which I did successfully. However, my left ski tip dug into the snow, stopped abruptly, and my body kept on going. I double ejected from my skis and tumbled down the hill like that goat that was ripped off the cliff by the hungry eagle we’ve all seen on YouTube. As I came to rest, my brain told me something was wrong but I couldn’t “feel” what was wrong. I thought that maybe I had broken my left ankle. Turns out it was worse…

I ended up with a complete rupture of my Achilles Tendon. The new medical protocol is to rehab it, without surgery, for 14-20 weeks. This makes driving my manual transmission M2 impossible. My wife is very “supportive” given that she will be “forced” to drive my new toy while I drive her Acadia Denali…

Things could definitely be worse. This experience is forcing me to think about all the things in my life that are amazing – wife, kids, health, lifestyle, work…and less about the things that suck – politics, electric power steering, Facebook…

So, sometimes bad things happen to make us stop and think about what’s good in life. I look forward to taking my M2 for a rip in the summer some time. In the meantime, I have asked my wife to keep it under 5,000 rpm and to leave some tire tread for me.

First, my sympathies and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

I might humbly suggest that you do a little bit of research on the subject of your injury to determine if the advice you have been given regarding treatment is in your best interest. Obviously, it costs the system less if you don't have surgery, but is that the best approach that will lead to the best ultimate function and the least downtime?

I'm no fan of surgery, but everyone I know of in the states who has ruptured their Achilles tendon significantly, has had surgery for it. Maybe these people were all mistreated, but again, maybe not. If you determine on the basis of some online research yourself that the advice you have been given is not the best, then don't hesitate to get another opinion, or turn up the heat a notch to get what you want.

Good luck.

[Ocpinstead]

Originally Posted by champignon

I might humbly suggest that you do a little bit of research on the subject of your injury to determine if the advice you have been given regarding treatment is in your best interest. Obviously, it costs the system less if you don't have surgery, but is that the best approach that will lead to the best ultimate function and the least downtime?

I'm no fan of surgery, but everyone I know of in the states who has ruptured their Achilles tendon significantly, has had surgery for it.

This has been on my mind since I first saw the Dr. I was injured at 11 am on Saturday and the surgery was planned for 9 am on Sunday. The Orthopod called at 4 pm on Saturday to ask why I wanted the surgery. She ended up canceling it, at which time I reached out to three other Docs for their advice. In total it was 3-1 in favour of doing the new non-surgical protocol. I'm not 100% certain what the correct path is, but trust that all that brain power can't all be wrong.

Thanks for all the best wishes. Here's to a speedy recovery.

Rob

[Rupes]

More perspective - my wife couldn't drive a 6MT if I got injured, so I would need to buy another car. Maybe getting injured is a good thing?

[Downunder99]

Originally Posted by Ocpinstead

I had a great Saturday planned...I was headed to the local BMW dealership to trade in my Z4 M Coupe, confirm all the details of the M2 that I had on order, then head to the mountain to meet my wife and kids for some spring skiing fun. On my way, my wife called and said that she was having trouble convincing my 6 year old son to go skiing. It was "Hockey Day on our Cul-de-sac" and there was some fierce competition. His wish was to stay and play hockey with his friends (all but one of the kids plays as Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the outlier plays as Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals).

I decided that I would go skiing by myself for a bit. It was a spectacular day with great snow. I had a good first run, but had a weird feeling on my way up the chairlift for my second run. I just wasn’t “into” it. Skiing by myself without my family didn’t seem like something I wanted to do on Easter Weekend – I was missing out on being a dad and husband on the weekend it seemed to matter a lot.

As I got off the lift and started down the hill, I thought to myself "last run…it’s been a good season…time to go home…” As I went over the pitch on a fairly steep hill, I fell inside. I tried my best to steer away from the chairlift tower, which I did successfully. However, my left ski tip dug into the snow, stopped abruptly, and my body kept on going. I double ejected from my skis and tumbled down the hill like that goat that was ripped off the cliff by the hungry eagle we’ve all seen on YouTube. As I came to rest, my brain told me something was wrong but I couldn’t “feel” what was wrong. I thought that maybe I had broken my left ankle. Turns out it was worse…

I ended up with a complete rupture of my Achilles Tendon. The new medical protocol is to rehab it, without surgery, for 14-20 weeks. This makes driving my manual transmission M2 impossible. My wife is very “supportive” given that she will be “forced” to drive my new toy while I drive her Acadia Denali…

Things could definitely be worse. This experience is forcing me to think about all the things in my life that are amazing – wife, kids, health, lifestyle, work…and less about the things that suck – politics, electric power steering, Facebook…

So, sometimes bad things happen to make us stop and think about what’s good in life. I look forward to taking my M2 for a rip in the summer some time. In the meantime, I have asked my wife to keep it under 5,000 rpm and to leave some tire tread for me.

Terribly sorry to hear what happened and I hope that you will recover quickly! And yes, the importance of cars gets put into perspective in such situations. That said, you'll not have to suffer from limited rpm range during the break-in period, as someone else will do the first 1,200 miles for you, so you can enjoy the full fun afterwards. Again, All the Best for your recovery!

[gandapanda]

Ouch man, get well soon. Glad you got some perspective in life, sometimes its good to have that reality check.

Probably better that the wife breaks the M in for you, its hard staying off the go pedal for those 2000kms!

S

[Ocpinstead]

My friend was just telling me about when he ruptured his achilles about 10 years ago. He did his right leg (I did my left so I can still technically drive an auto). He had complications during surgery - the surgeon cut his nerve. And as if that wasn't enough, the cut got infected. Anyway, long recovery.

But the point is that his car was a 911 with a manual tranny. He figured out how to drive it left footed and did so for six months!!

Pretty impressive accomplishment if you ask me.

[amancuso]

Originally Posted by gandapanda

Ouch man, get well soon. Glad you got some perspective in life, sometimes its good to have that reality check.

Probably better that the wife breaks the M in for you, its hard staying off the go pedal for those 2000kms!

S

Sorry to hear about the injury OP. But what makes us think that the wife won't get accustomed to and actually enjoy the "go" pedal. I know many female drivers that love speed.

[Ocpinstead]

Originally Posted by amancuso

Sorry to hear about the injury OP. But what makes us think that the wife won't get accustomed to and actually enjoy the "go" pedal. I know many female drivers that love speed.

So true!
When I told her I was getting the M2 she wasn't that interested. Now that she gets to drive it, she is much more enthusiastic.

[dc_hokie]

Sorry about the Achilles.

Ruptured my left achilles playing adult league basketball in late Oct 2017. It was psychologically debilitating. I'm a very active adult.

During recovery and PT I stayed active. Doing pushups / situps etc. I actually did fast walking for an hour on crutches through the neighborhood on cold winter nights determined to keep in shape. 6 weeks post surgery I was back in the gym working out waist up with a big boot.

12 weeks later post surgery I was already jogging again and hitting the gym.

Today almost 6 months later I think my left calf only has about 65% of the strength of my right. Recovery is typically 9-12 months as you know. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

[3Si]

Surprise no one has said to switch to DCT!

/hide from flames

[Bluenose-2er]

Good story on perspective. Much better M2 story than the M2 vs M2C that seems to be going around. I remember doing a number on my knee several years ago and could not drive stick for 3 weeks (well, hard time sitting and standing, but not driving is what really stays in my memory).

Thanks for sharing. I was wondering where it was going until the M2 was brought in to the story

[BMW_MSquared]

Ocpinstead,

Very sorry to hear about your misfortune. Unfortunately, real life perspective tends to follow a major negative event...but that perspective is what leads us towards something better and more fulfilling.

I wish you a speedy recovery, and a summer filled with miles of enjoyment in your new M2!

- Jason

[fullstack]

Wishing you a speedy recovery back to 100%.

[Ocpinstead]

Originally Posted by dc_hokie

12 weeks later post surgery I was already jogging again and hitting the gym.

Today almost 6 months later I think my left calf only has about 65% of the strength of my right. Recovery is typically 9-12 months as you know. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Great to hear you are doing well. Staying positive is the goal. Once I get the go ahead to start rehab I'm going to do my best to get back to 100%. I've heard it is possible.

Thanks for sharing.

[Ocpinstead]

Originally Posted by 3Si

Surprise no one has said to switch to DCT!

/hide from flames

No....you didn't....

[Ocpinstead]

Originally Posted by Bluenose-2er

Thanks for sharing. I was wondering where it was going until the M2 was brought in to the story

My grade 2 teaching also noticed that it took me it took a while to get to the point...

[Ocpinstead]

A little update...

I am healing pretty quickly and am happy to say that I was able to pick up my black manual M2 last Friday. Although my achilles isn't fully healed, I've been able to press the clutch without too much discomfort. The car is a blast to drive. Fun, fast, sounds good, and is very comfortable. I have not experienced the "harsh" rides some have reported. If anything, it's a bit softer than I had expected.

Looking forward to healing to 100% and going on a few road trip this summer.

Thanks again to all for your best wishes.
-R

[Merstopher]

Originally Posted by Ocpinstead

A little update...

I am healing pretty quickly and am happy to say that I was able to pick up my black manual M2 last Friday. Although my achilles isn't fully healed, I've been able to press the clutch without too much discomfort. The car is a blast to drive. Fun, fast, sounds good, and is very comfortable. I have not experienced the "harsh" rides some have reported. If anything, it's a bit softer than I had expected.

Looking forward to healing to 100% and going on a few road trip this summer.

Thanks again to all for your best wishes.
-R

LOL... that looks identical to the 6MT M2 I picked up last weekend... and next week I am moving. I will be living in Wasaga and working in Collingwood.

So we'll be twins in a small town. See you on the roads soon...