Superwoman she ain’t or how not to celebrate your 80th birthday

Superwoman she ain’t or how not to celebrate your 80th birthday

“… The knack (to flying) lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” Douglas Adams. “Life, the Universe and Everything”

Sue Ann Hicks turned 80 October 12. She wanted to do something special, not just cake and ice cream. So she decided to go sky diving to celebrate the occasion. She and her daughter-in-law, Cindy, drove four hours to an airport in Ohio and hooked up with a Skydiving business to do a tandem jump.

That choice was surprising to some of her friends because Sue Ann is afraid of heights. “It was a concern,” she admitted. “I was afraid I’d chicken out.”

But she didn’t. Her tandem partner did an orientation giving her instructions on the equipment and the process. Sue Ann wore a jump suit and harness which was attached to her tandem partner. She was in front with her hands clutching the harness up by her neck and her legs wrapped around her partner’s calves.

When asked what it felt like when she jumped out of the plane, Sue Ann said, “The minute the door opened there was a rush of cold air. You knew it was too late to back out. I felt the sensation of being pushed as my tandem partner jumped. But I thought it would be fun. And it was,” she continued. “It was exhilarating!”

“It was beautiful to see all the landscaping,” she continued. “The tractors and farmers out in the fields. It was a pretty sunny day and the leaves were just starting to turn.”

The flight lasted about a couple of minutes. “It’s what it must feel like to fly,” she said. “We gently floated to the ground. I’d been instructed to lift my legs up before we landed. As we approached landing my partner yelled, ‘Get your feet up.’ I tried but the harness was a little tight. I just couldn’t lift them.

“The landing was kind of a letdown,” Sue Ann continued. “We landed a little hard. I think I’m about two feet shorter,” she laughed. “But it was fun and I enjoyed it.”

Sue Ann said even though the landing was a little rough it didn’t hurt at the time. Her feet felt kind of tingly but she didn’t think much about it. She and Cindy started home and drove about three hours to Plainfield where they planned to stop and eat. During the drive she noticed her feet felt sore and had started to swell some. By the time they’d reached Plainfield both feet and ankles were very swollen and they hurt. When she got out of the car she just crumpled to the ground. So they continued on to Brazil and went straight to St. Vincent Clay Hospital.

After x-rays Sue Ann was told that both of her ankles were broken. The right ankle had one break in a non-weight bearing bone. It required a boot. The left one had three breaks in a weight bearing bone. It was casted and later required surgery with permanent pins and a plate put in. She’ll probably be down about eight weeks.

“It was fun,” Sue Ann said reflectively. “I didn’t think I’d get hurt. I had a great time. It was a blast and I have no regrets. If I knew I wouldn’t get hurt I’d do it again.”

When asked how she’d celebrate her next birthday, Sue Ann smiled and said, “next year it may be just a simple tattoo.”

Keep Smiling.

Linda Messmer can be reached at 812-448-8725.