Falling and more falling!
 

Okay, I feel once week before last. Then I fell again two days later. Then just now while on the phone with Peggy I got up to walk into the kitchen and fell again before I was two feet from my chair.

I had already become paranoid about falling after the first fall. Granted the first two were associated with ice.

But, I have been having problems with balance for months now and have feared for a while that I would one day not have something close to grab onto.

So, far I have not broken anything, but I have damaged myself and may have chipped my left elbow.

The end of my complaining!

Carolyn

You ARE going to get that elbow checked out, aren't you?

I hope you can remain upright. Its Winter now, Stitcher -- no more Falls, okay? :hug:

oh no!
 

Carolyn, so sorry to hear this! Icy roads & sidewalks that you have to cope with. :hug: My sincere sympathies!!

And here I am in the desert, and I fall on dry pavement by dragging a foot and stumbling.

I HATE FALLING!!!

and me
 

I have had seven major falls in the last five years, each of which I believed could have happened to anyone. The problem is, they don't happen to other people. On Christmas Eve we were at my daughter's new (and unfamillar) house where the foyer is raised about three inches above the living room and dining room. Needless to say I missed the step and fell *** over teakettle flat on my face. Bad enough my daughter and grandchildren saw it but so did her in-laws.

My husband nearly fell twice after that. The operative word being nearly. It's not so much balance as it is balance recovery that is the problem. Once I start going down it's "Katy bar the door."

Just one more embarrassing item to add to the list.

Rochelle, I will have the elbow checked out when I am at the Ortho for a regular appoint mid-month.

My auto accident that happened 14 years ago is haunting me and I now have a brace on my right ankle. This has nothing to do with my falls though. Just the usual balance issues that we all have.

I did scare Peggy yesterday when I got up to take something out of the oven and fell two feet from my chair, hitting a table a breaking my favorite angel statue. I can only imagine what that must have sounded like on the other end of the phone...ho hum.

Thanks,
Carolyn

me too!
 

I fell exactly the same way a couple of months ago! maybe I should always be looking DOWN whenever I walk to make sure there isn't an infinitessimal rise in the floor or curb. sheesh!

Add me to the list
 

I am 10 days post op knee reconstruction to repair ligament and cartilage damage sustained in two recent falls. The first fall occured while walking an unfamiliar dog. He darted between my legs and before I knew it was face to face with the sidewalk The result was a cracked kneecap and a chip fracture of an elbow. Two months later I missed the final stair wihile making a midnight food run, and fell twisting the same knee. The sound of the tearing ligaments was unmistakable.

Lessons I have learned from falling!
- I am not as young and athletic as I thought
- PD is winning the imbalance tug of war
- Use night lights if you are inclined to move around the house at night
- Dogs may not be "Man's best friend"
- Falls can be a crude reminder of being in denial of neurodegeneration
- These falls occured without the influence of alcohol or pain meds

Good Luck, Gary

Take care on the ice. Just got in, wouldn't go out without my son! It's very icy and I am terrified of falling. The last time I did I tripped on one of the circular outdent things they put on pavements here to let blind people know that there is a crossing! Keep safe everyone, no matter where you are, especially in the bad weather, though I know it doesn't even have to be bad to find yourself unexpectedly on the floor.........

Carolyn
 

you said: I did scare Peggy yesterday when I got up to take something out of the oven and fell two feet from my chair, hitting a table a breaking my favorite angel statue. I can only imagine what that must have sounded like on the other end of the phone...ho hum.


It sounded like about 3.5 on the Richter Scale! lol

I am my own worst enemy when it comes to falling. I fall when I am OFF from stupidity, and when I am ON from dyskinesia. When one is OFF, you should never try to carry anything - ANYTHING - not even a pilll bottle. The challenge must be to focus on walking - step-by-step. I even talk out loud to myslef "Come on - step-step-step . . ."

And if you freeze (like doorways) andn if you can, swinging an arm gets you going again. Those same "swinging arms" will also throw you off balance when ON with dyskinesia.

And be especially cautious when walking on smooth surfaces - Why? Because we tend to NOT be as cautious and end up going down. I had to have tendon surgery on my left hand (Carolyn was here in TN and can verify that) because I try to catch myself with that one hand for some reason.

Butt fortunately, I usually land on my butt . . . (that first butt is not a typo, but a play on words lol)

I've got to get in bed!

Peg

I have just returned from ortho doctor visit. In July, I fell because of a raised sidewalk.....injury did not really appear until end of August and I proceeded to have surgery in September for a torn meniscus. In late September the other knee started to bother me. This was do to some cartilege damage which led to surgery number two. While recovering, which included PT I tore a muscle in my thigh and am still recovering from that. It has healed but the thigh now needs to be strengthened so back to PT. I am now afraid to walk in the ice and snow. Be careful out there folks and good luck.

Doreen

Oh, Carolyn,

I'm so sorry to hear about your falls. They are SO dangerous. I know several PDers who suffered serious complications from falls that hastened progress and my mom died after a bad fall.

WebMD in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic has some excellent tips about Parkinson's and preventing falls and maintaining balance. It is worth reading and printing.

http://www.webmd.com/parkinsons-dise...eventing-falls

Please please be extra careful,

Judith

:hug:

Because of my balance problems my mother has offered an alert system to me. I just received their packet. You put a kind of lock on the door with a combination (Al Gore's lock box), so if you can't unlock the door when you need them, they can get in. My mother's friend had to use it and it was a lifesaver. My mother fell recently and was comforted knowing she had the alert thing on her person. She got up by herself despite breaking her collar bone and injuring her knee.

The name of this company is Emergency Caller Systems in Coconut Creek, Florida. 954-968-1990. I'm in the Boston area, so I it's not just for Florida. It's one expense at the start, and none thereafter. It's really an emergency help dialer for 911, and it's also a call box; they can speak to you through the unit on your person. It's a waterproof pendant which can also be worn on the wrist. They also call four other numbers for you if you like, in addition to 911.

Since the cost is all up front, I saw no reason to delay getting it.

I need to be focused on my actions when I move. Especially if I move sideways or backwards, which I do a lot at work in lab. I move slowly and carefully. Still, I sometimes catch myself falling by grabbing on to something like a lab bench. Same problems in the kitchen at home.

I need to use a cane during my commute. And sometimes I need one at home, too.

For ice, try YakTracks. They even work on black ice. One night last year, on the way home, my block was a sheet of ice. I would have had to call a cab if I wasn't wearing the yaktracks. They worked great. I got a set of two from QVC this year, a new version with a strap.