BUT how it is.... Last year I fell in the house fractured a knee cap once going down, another way trying to get up! Year before was worse and entailed an overnite hospital stay [YICH!] But that time I had put a good dent in my head which was NOT detected by the EMT's the ER folks or anyone...I still think I've 'gravel pebbles' in there which will likely be found on my 'next' MRI? I don't know if you remember but last fall...late about late November? I was asking Rose and Mrs D a whole lot of questions about the Calcium, Vitamin-D, Magnesium connection. One thing I had learned at that point was that the 'anti-seizure' meds and other pain meds we take are notorious for bone loss. These meds that are supposed to 'help' us come at a substantial cost, for sure!
Then there was my Early winter-spring encounters with the Endocrinologist...I had NO recordable Vit-D, Calcium or Magnesium levels in the tests that the endo had ordered...I MEAN NONE! And I was taking a really good multi-vite and calcium tabs...Many. THEN there were the results of the 'autoimmune' thyroid tests...they were very high...but not like others I have encountered on this board or others..However, scary enough to almost put one into a panic.
As for any FRACTURE? I hope you called your doc and got instructions? For me it was YES a Friday and spent 6+hours in an ER 'outpatient' pod....one where they 'immobilized the knee' and sent me home...I was lucky to see the Orthopod [tho with difficulty and some funny moments?] and got the real skinny as to treatment...mainly MORE pain Pills and more x-rays, and a scrip for a wheelchair that I used for more than the 60 days allowed.
Most important was that I called ALL relevant docs and really LET THEM KNOW WHAT had happened! I knew the end result would be "Not Much" But I was sure it got on record ASAP...I have to tell you that it wasn't until the 3week mark that the second fracture showed up. Some/many/most hairlines do not so up until CALCIUM in the healing starts to show up really...IN THE CRACKS. Soo, I guess from my own experiences, chomp down all them thar calcium chews that you can? I know that at least they taste good....tho there are times when I just go WHAT?! Another fruitcake PILL! Enough already!
It was the re-learning of the 'bedpan' that was the hardest really tho...It seems to be something we truly would rather forget...Cannot IMGAINE WHY?

That all is beyond humbling...those who can walk and have not had this experience cannot relate AT ALL! However, we recover, re-learn, forget, and stubbornly proceed on. After all, what are the options? Give up? Who of us has an available 'person' to wait on us endlessly?

Hang in there good person! We know you have the spunk and that this is just one big whomp in the gut...so to speak. When you are up and about next, it's just gonna be a bit slower and more cautious. HUGS 's - j

The last fracture, I went to the ER, they gave me Morphine, which I am allergic to. They X-Rayed me, told me there was nothing they could do for fractured ribs, and sent me home. So I thought this time, since lungs seem OK, it would probably be a repeat. I thought I would just take some pain pills, ice the area, and see how I fared. The area in the rib cage hurts, but I am fine, other than being bruised and irritated with myself.

I fell because I didn't like the way the bricks looked, so last week had someone come raise and relevel them... Not used to the new height... Dumb mistake...

I did not hit my face because I was carrying a big, black trash bag full of trash and my face got buried in that... Never thought I would be thankful to have my face in the trash... This has to be a first...

Thanks to all!

Cathie

What is a cow mat anyway? Is this something you get at a farm supply? This may be a warning sign to do something about this area. This is the second time I have fallen out there in the last week. I backed up over some potted plants and fell over backwards. That time a hanging basket broke my fall...

Cripes, it is challenging getting old, though it does beat the alternative...

Cathie

P.S. MrsD: I may have this all out of balance. Is 1672 mg of Calcium OK w/below? Thank you...

Calcium Citrate & D: 800 IU D, 1260 mg Calcium (4 gag size pills)
Vitamin: 400 IU D, 200 mg Calcium
Biotin: (has calcium in it) 73 mg Calcium (dr. said for fingernails-doesn't work)
SloMag: 212 mg Calcium, 128 mg Magnesium (2 pills)

We must stop this ,Bob crashing my old body in a car. But ribs really hurt,so do other body parts. Did you take a gentle breath not too deep,hurt well
of course it did you hit hard thing...Please get it cheched out,but don't let
them do your back in,on th x-ray table.... Sue

Hi Yorkiemom:

I too didn't know what a cow mat was - never heard of this before. I looked it up on Google and found out. Give it a try. Interesting. We learn more here by accident than some places by design!


Shirley H.

the mats sold in sports places...that you stand on to exercise? They come in 12 in squares that you can customize to size..with interlocking flanges. I paid about 15 dollars for a good one at Dunham's.

Also there are inexpensive interlocking mats at Sam's club..one side is gray, the other with bright colors. Meant for basement floors or places you stand alot.

We put the gray exercise mats in my kitchen up North last year, to take the
pressure off my left leg. It was very successful.

The ones I have are about 1/4 inch deep.

There are lots of indoor mats, of different densities...and what you may want/need might be less 'dense' [pardon any unintended pun?] than much that is out there.

Where used? Indoor is/has less issues other than cleaning [say in a kitchen] than outdoor ones. If it's a say carport or area around a door, you want to be sure that any frosts or extended cold periods or snow don't make the 'product' brittle. The barn/stall mats are essentially OUTSIDE tho in a sheltererd building. They come in lots of mind-boggling types, sizes and more important COSTS. It's the cost that's gonna get you [shipping aside?]

Here is one site that presents a slew of variables:
http://www.greatmats.com/rubber.html

Here is another choice... Under a search for 'floor safety mats'
http://www.commercialmatsandrubber.com/

For all of this, well, I truly REFUSE to say: Moo? Hugs and tender walkies or whatever...truly hope you don't need the dreaded Bed Pan! - j