We have a lot of great ski areas in Colorado so I started skiing at a very early age. I think I was about 5 or 6 years old when I began and one time I went up the chair lift and on the first run down in the morning I was skiing on a pretty icy section and I got going pretty fast and suddenly I hit a much softer patch of snow and it threw me forward and I had a terrible crash and I couldn't move my leg so my dad asked someone to call the ski patrol and when the ski patrol came down they put me in a sled and the ski patrol skied in front of the sled and took me all the way down to the medical clinic. They have a small clinic with doctors right at the ski area. Although they don't have the equipment to, to fix my leg. They didn't have the equipment to fix my leg, but they did immobilize my leg, make it so I couldn't move it, so it would be protected while my dad drove me down to the city to take me to a bigger hospital. At the hospital they put my leg in a cast and then they gave me crutches, which I used for about two or three months, so I remember I was in first grade and all of the other students signed my cast, wrote their name on my cast, so it was actually kind of fun in the end.

学习内容：

patch

I hit a much softer patch of snow.

A 'patch' is a small area of something, in this case a small area of snow.

Notice the following:

I think I have a bald patch in my hair.

There is a lovely patch of grass that we can sit on over there.

immobilize

They didn't have the equipment to fix my leg, but they did immobilize my leg.

To 'immobilize' something means to prevent it from moving by restraining it. In this case, something hard was tied to the leg to keep in from moving because it was injured.

Notice the following:

I took the wheels off the car to immobilize it.

I was immobilized with fear.

cast

At the hospital they put my leg in a cast.

A 'cast' is a hard type of bandage used to help heal broken bones. It keeps the broken bone from moving so it can heal in the correct way.

Notice the following:

I think I will get the cast taken off my leg soon.

All my friends at school have signed the cast on my arm.

crutches

They gave me crutches, which I used for about two or three months.

'Crutches' are walking aids for those who have been injured. You usually use one crutch under each arm.

Notice the following:

I found it hard to walk on crutches at first.

You can borrow my crutches until you get to the hospital.

sign

I was in first grade and all of the other students signed my cast, wrote their name on my cast.

When you 'sign' something it means that you put your signature to it.

Notice the following:

Will you sign the letter for me please?

Now that I am married I need to practice signing my new name.