First fall

[Equinney]

I guess this is the beginning, just got up from my first fall. (Nothing broken, maybe a bruise later) And I was right telling my physical therapist that I was afraid of hitting the ground when she said I had a good sense of balance; I’m 6’2” so it’s a ways to the ground. I grabbed at everything I could, even the dog when I was almost to the ground. Haven’t told my wife yet, I know I need to, but will increase her worry. And the dog is ok. She’s a miniature schnauzer, so not much to grab far from the floor.

[KennyInPA]

Welcome to the club! My cats now know they need to move out of the way when I'm coming through as "you never know". Just know it's part of it, but it does get easier at least on training yourself to fall to lessen the blow. There are aids out there to make it better, I recently made a post about some braces I wear which has kept me upright when out in public. Inside my house when I'm walking around bare foot, yeah all bets are off. I think we all can relate to this post. It's definitely something that I would share with your wife, just so she knows and isn't taken off guard if it happens again around her. Glad the dog is ok, I'm sure it was just as scared! Haha

[SongStream]

(It feels weird to "like" after someone had a fall, just saying)

Equinney, I'm really sorry to hear that. The first fall is scary and your mind races and many questions arise concerning the future. Please know that falls are prevalent, unfortunately.

Pacing is very important. I now have to remember and make a concious effort not to stand up too fast after sitting and walk immediately and also be aware to pick up my feet.

I met with a physical therapist last week and she gave me a balance exercise to practice safely while in a corner of a wall. It's called the "Romberg Stance":

Set up - Begin in a standing upright position with your feet together and arms resting at your sides. Place a chair also in front of you for safety.

Movement-Keep your eyes open and maintain your balance in this position

Tip-Make sure to maintain an upright posture.

In the Min-102 trial, as a baseline we had to do this while also standing with our eyes closed.

Be careful out there! I fell back against a wall and slid down hard on a protruding night light and fractured a rib; fell backwards out of the shower; and too many other incidents.

This is not helping, huh?

[monkeybus]

KennyInPA beat me to it. Join the club.

I am short, always hated that. My friends are all tall, but I am digressing now.

I rode a motorbike for years, was even a motorbike courier in London. I got knocked off so many times. You learn how to break your fall.

With AMN, I went down countless times, and it was pure reflexes. Hands/arms out to cushion the blow. Was brutally jetlagged a couple of weeks back, went down six times in my house, just on account of my tiredness. My right shoulder was in agony, that's my usual break-the-fall zone. Then a week later, I slipped (wearing socks) on a freshly polished, slippery as hell, wooden floor. Down again. Water off a duck's back. Go down, get up, the beat goes on. But, my shoulder took the brunt of it. Only stopped hurting yesterday.

My house has rails everywhere, extra ones in the toilet and bathroom. Most accidents happen in the home. Lately, I have been up and down step-ladders a lot. Nothing focuses the mind more.

I wish you all the best. As I've said before, 4-AP is my magical solution to falling over. Do not bang your head. But, you already know that.

[SongStream in reply to monkeybus]

Visiting a loved one in assisted living, I really loved the hand rails all along the wall. I grasp on chairs, walls, air, and what's worse is when the thing you grab and hold onto also falls. Having a good sense of humor has really helped me a lot!

[monkeybus in reply to SongStream]

When you have crap legs, everything becomes a rail. Certainly tests the durability of your furniture.

[Equinney in reply to monkeybus]

Yes it does!

[easygoin1]

It does suck to know that falls are a way of life for us, but we have to recognize what comes with the illness and how we have to deal with it. I have begun to tell anyone who comments that I am a professional faller, and by this I mean that I am always aware of what is around me for walls and anything else that I may be able to use to lean up against when my balance goes and when I am going down how to do so in a way that nothing is going to be damaged too severely and none of the dogs or cats are going to be under me! It, very much, has become my way of life!

[LessThanRich in reply to easygoin1]

why? it doesn;t have to be a way of life. I am interested why you suffer falls when you don;t have to.

[easygoin1 in reply to LessThanRich]

I am glad that you feel a wheelchair is the answer to falls, but you did say that you still stand to cook and work in the kitchen, unfortunately most of my falls are in the kitchen.

[Equinney in reply to easygoin1]

I lean and hold on to the counter. Am working on a chair to use.

[easygoin1 in reply to Equinney]

It never seems to matter how well I am hanging onto the counter or the sink, I turn or look up and then down and my balance goes and down I go.

[LessThanRich in reply to easygoin1]

Put a wheelchair behind you and make falling over backwards and landing in it the norm, thats what I did. I might stand to cook, but I do no walking.

[LessThanRich in reply to LessThanRich]

Have you actually tested a wheelchair? If not I suggest you test one and then make up your mind.

[LessThanRich]

Again, get a wheelchair. No more falls. Easy. I decided to after a fall ended in 7 stitches in my leg.

[Klorda]

I've fallen quite a few times and broken my foot. I'm 57 years old, very thin, 100 lbs., post-menopausal and have the beginning stages of osteoarthritis. I'm so afraid of breaking a wrist, arm or HIP! I walk around like an old man and stare down at my path of travel constantly. It gets tiresome but I do not want to break another bone.

[quilling]

I am a 59 year old woman I have been falling since about age 30. I had been warned forever that I would fall and break a hip and it would be life changing. As the years progressed I could not just get up and dust myself off easily. I too jammed my shoulder bracing myself and was finally giving in to having that seen to when I fell and broke my femur/hip. I was fortunate in that I already owned a scooter and manual wheelchair so when I left rehab I had those to maneuver about. I am back upright but now have to use rollator no longer can pretend with forearm crutch which I shouldn't have been anyway. So it was years later, the doctor was right. I did fall and break a hip but I am too stubborn to let it win so I am back up. Am I walking a lot -no. Wheelchair to go out of house anywhere but I can wear AFOs and walk about house even better in stocking feet as any weight or height of shoes is too much to lift. I sit a lot but not all the time. I do things I shouldn't and some days nothing at all. Disease is progressing, of late voice and head tremors. be safe but I know if you are stubborn like me you know what you should do to be safe but you have to weigh giving up/giving/ being safe. It's hard and there are no clear cut one size fits all answers. Doctors have told me straight up if I want so stubborn I wouldn't be even where I am now. again be safe.

[SongStream in reply to quilling]

Doctors have told me straight up if I want so stubborn I wouldn't be even where I am now.

Yes!

[Hidden]

I don't understand why some people "prefer" falling... If you use a wheelchair for long walk its not stupid and more safe I think, and when you want cooking or other stuff it's safer and getting up is possible , but i don't know why you prefer walking with difficulty and probably falling more, when you can have security and be more fast with a wheelchair! Just for ego and before accepting the AMN why not?! Crazy.

[SongStream in reply to Hidden]

Crazy.

A bit harsh and judgmental. I understand you are new in the community but know that there are AMN members who already have a scooter and other mobility aids. Please appreciate that we are individuals first and immediately prescribing wheelchairs to everyone is not productive to your cause governed by the responses received.

[Hidden in reply to SongStream]

Ce n'est pas une critique mais juste mon point de vue sur la situation, je ne veux en aucun cas faire du mal aux gens ici!

Je suis français et peut-être que les traductions ne sont pas toujours équivalentes à ce que je veux dire.

[LessThanRich in reply to Hidden]

I don;t think its harsh or judgemental. If people are complaining over serious injuries from falling down then we have serious problem. A problem that can happily be easily remedied. Its great if your AMN isn;t so bad yet, but for a lot of us it is.

[SongStream in reply to Hidden]

Je comprends que vous êtes sincère et avez de bonnes intentions. Merci pour votre réponse.

[quilling]

I was just telling my story and the point I was trying to make is that I have enough in my legs to continue moving with a rollator and have not fallen using that. I was walking with a forearm crutch before the fall when I broke. I have a friend who fell and broke her hip. She has no disease. Life happens to us all. I don’t need a wheelchair in my home. I do what is right for me and was just sharing my story. I have been dealing with this since my 20s. Yes I fell and I did break. I would still have made the same choices. I wanted to share a woman’s story and we are all different. I know I am stubborn I can’t change that I won’t share again