Today I was enjoying the cool, bright sunlight in my back yard when I ran and tried to jump up onto the terrace from the lawn. The terrace is 6-8 inches higher than the lawn. I drug my right toe on the edge of the terrace and tumbled full length onto the concrete! Fortunately I suffered only a skinned knee, torn jeans, and a skinned elbow, along with a minor loss of dignity in front of the young man I was visiting with at the time.
So much for running and jumping without being very conscious of how high I should jump.
I should mention that I took another skin-peeler on our front driveway several weeks ago while stepping down from our motor home with a load of bedding and pillows that stuck momentarily in the door frame. My center of gravity was definitely too far forward when I gave the little push to get through. I have been fortunate not to land on my head in any tumbles so far.

I know that both of those falls could have been avoided if I had been practicing Zucchini's planning strategy. Is this a case of executive function failure, or just poor balance? It was certainly a failure to "execute"!

Robert

you should be checked for that too. It is a precipitous fall in your blood pressure, especially when going from a seated to standing position. Bending over can cause it though.
It is usually caused by an agonist class drug.

Charlie

I, too, took my first fall about three weeks ago. Had stayed up well past my allotted hour and, as I neared the bed, the upper half of my body advanced while the lower half thought it over. Went down like a stone but no injuries. Things have much improved as my potassium levels have come up, but I am far from cured. So far.

-Rick

I too have had some very bad falls in the last year. There was the famous one where standing in front of my greenhouse, I just lost all balance and tumbled into it, suffering huge cuts to my shoulder, needing hospital.
I also find I have no control once I fall. Birte's description of "a shot deer" is exactly right. However, I have not fallen for months by taking things more gently. I also wonder whether to have my ears syringed, wax build up can affect your balance.
Must go, Yoga today for one and a half hours.
Ron

Good morning to you all,
it was so relieving to read what you had expired and your reflection about the theme. : made it up, CTenaLouise, reverett 123, Zucchini Flower, Bemm, ; you have making me understand a bit more of what happened, it is really PD ,- sometimes I think itīs a mistake, I think I am -, that bird and that I can fly.

I will look at my medication, be concentrating ,think about my legs, What I carry, how do I carry , and the Thai chi ,: may be.

All the time be present ,one eye inn,- one eye out, Body awareness, says my physiotherapist, now I understand itīs the way.

Will this be worse and what will happen when I am in a aeroplane. I am going to visit my daughter in Portugal at Christmas, carry a heavy suitcase , presents from everybody to my 3 grandchildren. Must I TELL THAT I AM DISABLE, and do I GET HELP . I hate to be in that situation , - learning to bend my stiff neck and be more humble.
I am so grateful for your answers, I live alone and have to take care of myself alone. I can call family and friends, but they can not understand, we talk but we are in different worlds.

Good morning to you all,
it was so relieving to read what you had expired and your reflection about the theme. : made it up, CTenaLouise, reverett 123, Zucchini Flower, Bemm, ; you have making me understand a bit more of what happened, it is really PD ,- sometimes I think itīs a mistake, I think I am -, that bird and that I can fly.

I will look at my medication, be concentrating ,think about my legs, What I carry, how do I carry , and the Thai chi ,: may be.

All the time be present ,one eye inn,- one eye out, Body awareness, says my physiotherapist, now I understand itīs the way.

Will this be worse and what will happen when I am in a aeroplane. I am going to visit my daughter in Portugal at Christmas, carry a heavy suitcase , presents from everybody to my 3 grandchildren. Must I TELL THAT I AM DISABLE, and do I GET HELP . I hate to be in that situation , - learning to bend my stiff neck and be more humble.
I am so grateful for your answers, I live alone and have to take care of myself alone. I can call family and friends, but they can not understand, we talk but we are in different worlds.

Today the sun is shining ,my friend Kristin called me,: come on, we go for a walk in the Forrest with walking sticks and iron on the shoes. - God idea , lucky me !

Annelise

Hello Annelise, yes, you must ask for help when you travel. I hated, hated being put on the plane first, in the beginning, but now I have reconciled myself to being handicapped - and it was not easy - you feel very small the first few trips through an airport sitting in a wheel chair -.
But on the other hand, you get whisked through security, and it really is a big help to be seated first in the plane. Some airports, and some airlines, are nicer about it than others. Denmark and SAS are pretty off hand and not always nice, England and BA are a nightmare, Germany and France and their air lines are wonderful. I have not tried Norway-Portugal, but guess Norway will be like Denmark and Portugal will be more like France.
Do tell the airline AT THE TIME YOU BUY YOUR TICKET, that you need assistance. And don't be too proud to insist if they try to make you manage without it. Have a wonderful, safe trip, and accept all the help you can get.
It is not at all a good feeling to give up 'I can do it'.........but we just can't do it, so be proud that you're still traveling, and don't allow PD to humiliate you.

All the best,

birte

Zucchiniflower - the language in my post is Danish.

Annelise,

I'm glad you're okay after that nasty fall. You were very lucky not to tumble down the stairs as well. With winter upon us, and all the snow and ice on the ground now, I am scared to death when I leave the house! I shoveled the walks and my car out yesterday, and it took me over 2 hours because I moved very slowly and very carefully so I wouldn't fall.

The fall you described sounds like the one I had in the bathroom last week. I ran up the stairs because of urgency and passed out on the floor. I have the low blood pressure (it was never particularly high), and blacked out only to find my head plastered against the bathroom floor. I just missed the toilet and tub by 2 inches (5.08 cm).

My stiffness falls happen in the usually in morning before my medication has kicked in, or just as I've gone off and I'm stiffening up. These are really a surprise because without warning, I'm on the floor! That's what happened in my kitchen when I turned too quickly to go to the other counter.

From now on, I don't move quickly for anyone no matter how late I am, or if I'm in someone else's way. I take my time and count my steps as I walk. I don't sing, but keep a melody in mind to count along with; usually a Mozart piano concerto or a Beethoven piano sonata.

John

One thing to be aware of is that there is what they call a "post-prandial" drop in blood pressure that can make you fall. That just means that it happens after eating a meal as blood is diverted to your GI tract. It is similar to the hypotension effect of standing up too fast. I read one study that said it might be the leading cause of falls in nursing homes, so it is common enough to be considered.

Please use a wheelchair!! I need one at the airport. My mom fell at the airport and broke her wrist. NOT worth the risk. Please, please tell them you need a wheelchair and have a porter wheel you and your bags! And as Birte said, you go right through security; no standing or sitting in line. It's a godsend.