Wife makes 1st sky jump
SUMMIT TWP — Since Tom Punchur's wife had dealt with cancer, infections and a stroke in the past few years, he recommended his "drug of choice" to help her.
That drug — sky diving — led Punchur to make his 1,000th jump last Sunday. At the same time, his wife, Judy, made her first jump.
As she scooted out to the edge of the plane to jump, Judy said she wasn't as scared as she thought she would be. But Tom disagreed.
"Your eyes were closed," he said.
"Maybe that's why it wasn't so bad," she said.
In the days before the jump, she was nervous, she said. But now that it's over, she has no regrets.
Her husband doesn't understand the apprehension.
"She's been through cancer twice and a stroke," he said. "If you're going to go through all that, I'm thinking why not?"
The couple, of East Route 422 in Summit Township, learned of the breast cancer diagnosis while Judy was in her early 30s. Chemotherapy seemed to cure her at first, but the cancer came back two years later and Judy eventually had to have a mastectomy.
She then developed serious infections related to a breast implant. The implant later was removed.
The stroke was unrelated to the cancer or chemotherapy, doctors said.
Last fall, while at work one day, Judy developed slurred speech and eventually passed out before she was taken to the hospital. She's still not sure what brought on the strokelike symptoms, she said.
These serious health problems are now shrugged off by the 42-year-old woman, almost like the dangers of sky diving are shrugged off by her husband.
Asked if he'd ever been hurt while jumping, he said "a few times." Judy is the one to describe the injuries, especially the time he broke his leg, feet and a few other bones.
As for her one jump, she says there's no comparison with her health issues. During her jump, she remembered only the basic things, such as "trying to remember to breath."
She said actions went a lot faster than they do when she watches her husband jump."I've gone up (in the plane) and watched them and thought I would never do it," she said. "Now I can't say I would never do it."Sky diving is a safe activity, Judy said. Sky divers spend a lot of time on safety exercises and checking their gear. Judy's jump was a tandem one, just to be extra safe, with the help of Jim Moss of Grove City, a seasoned jumper.But the jump has a negative effect. It hurts her credibility with her 10-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter. Now she can't say they can never try jumping because she's tried it, she said.Her son is already talking about the chance, although he has to wait until age 18.Tom started his "addiction," when his older son turned 18. That was nine years ago and he's been hooked ever since, going on jumps most weekends from March through November.He started his own videophotography business where he tapes fellow jumpers. His spare time is spent fixing gear for other sky divers. His dog is named Sky.Now, in addition to his pride for his wife's tough survivor attitude in the past few years, Tom is proud of Judy for trying to see his point of view."I wanted her to see part of my world," he said. "I'm selfish. I wanted her to see what I'm selfish about."His only regret about Sunday's jump was missing his wife's landing. He was too busy being pelted with a chocolate creme pie, one way his peers celebrated his 1,000th jump.In the scheme of jumping, Tom calls himself, "just a hack," citing fellow jumpers who have 2,000 or 3,000 jumps.He related one odd incident that happened while he was videotaping a jump. A jumper's prosthetic leg came off mid-jump. His leg fell quickly and the man recovered it later, Tom said.While most of the time he jumps and works with Skydive Pennsylvania at the Grove City Airport, Tom has also made jumps in Florida, New Jersey and Ohio. He's made one jump from a hot-air balloon as well.It is a costly hobby, he admits, but his video career and equipment repair businesses help to absorb some of the costs, he said. Tom works at Butler Memorial Hospital and his wife works for GMAC. A first time jumper would pay about $300 for one sky-diving trip, Tom said.The sensation of the fall and watching others enjoy their experiences make it all worth it, he said. Some are scared but most are exuberant about the whole process, he said.His wife is included in that statement, Tom said."I got to see my wife's face change from anxious to a big smile," he said.
