Replying to So i broke my neck last week

I was mountain biking and hit a drop I had scoped out but was on the far end of my comfort level, accidently went too slow, and punted off of it straight to my head. Initially, I had no feeling or movement below my neck, but after about a half hour I was able to move a bit to get to my phone so I was able to call 911 since I was alone and no one came to my screaming. I fractured c5 and c6 and had to have them fused and I got out of the hospital after 6 days. I'm walking again but my right arm is only at about 20% function and my left is at about 70%.

I should be 100% healed in 6 months but this whole thing has really got me thinking about what Im doing with my skiing. This whole last season I struggled with injuries that were lasting a little longer and a feeling that I should start to mellow down my progression a bit since I'm getting older. It is an awful feeling to realize that you may never reach some goals you had set but seeing how close I was to being a quad or dying this last week I think I'm ok with that.

I wont stop skiing, but I'll probably have to stop pushing myself as hard. Seeing how much my family and friends were worried when this happened would make me feel too guilty if something like this or worse happened again. I guess I just am really getting old and I don't bounce back like I used to and my appetite for risk is decreasing.

I really just wanted to write this out to see if anyone else has been in a similar boat after an injury or with growing older. It's a shitty feeling and I am not quite sure how to deal with changing my mindset about skiing.

Oh, and I don't wanna get into the helmet debate, but mine split in half on impact and I am eternally grateful I don't have a TBI or a bad concussion. Thank god for mips