I fell yesterday....again!

[Loweez]

This is the second fall in three days. I was not dizzy, just clumsier than usual. The first one was a bruise to my shin which killed, bruised but didn’t bleed when I misjudged the threshold at my daughter’s house. Then yesterday morning I was rushing around to take my grandson to camp and slipped on the bathroom tile which was a bit slick from the shower. I fell down hard and really hurt my first rib on the right side. It hurts breathing. I’ve been icing the area and taking aleeve but it hurts more today than yesterday. I don’t know if I should see a doctor or “watch and wait” as I’ve been doing with my CLL. Coughing or sneezing hurts tremendously. I sometimes think that the white noise in the back of my head saying “I’ve got leukemia” keeps me from fully functioning with full awareness. This is a reminder to all to be mindful and be in the moment. We all know we do not need these extra mishaps to complicate or lives!

[baq724]

Definitely see a doctor... sounds like you may have broken or cracked a rib. There isn't much you can do for broken ribs other than wear a supportive brace and take medication for the pain. Better get it checked out to make sure that is all that is damaged though.

[DebKat999]

I am so sorry about your fall Loweez, and I can sympathize as I have taken a fall or two (or three) myself with varying consequences. If it were me I would not wait to see a doctor, as you describe pain just trying to breathe and tremendous pain with coughing and sneezing too. Always better to be sure rather than to wonder and worry, if we have that choice, and not to take the risk that things only get worse having waited too.

Please keep us updated on how you are doing.

[Newdawn Administrator]

Hi Loweez,

If it hurts to breathe deeply, you need it checking out because when we are in pain, we don’t breath as effectively and it can lead to congestion. This is particularly so if you’ve cracked a rib. You need an XRay.

I’ve never properly healed from a fall 2 yrs ago when I fully tore my rotator cuff and fractured fingers. A fortnight ago I fell at home onto my left side which worried me because I have a swollen spleen. My knee is completely black now.

I’d never fallen before this in my life and certainly hope not to do so again. We don’t bounce or repair quite so well these days! 😱

Take care and get yourself checked out.

Best wishes,

Newdawn

[Loweez in reply to Newdawn]

I plan to take your advice and get an X-ray tomorrow. I’m sorry you hurt yourself. You are right, we don’t bounce back like we used to. A few years ago I rode my bike over a tiny acorn and broke both hands and fractured my elbow. My fingers still hurt!!! Thanks for taking a moment to respond to me. Hoping your CLL is not too debilitating yet.

[DebKat999 in reply to Newdawn]

I'm very sorry to hear that you are still dealing with the after effects of that really nasty fall Newdawn, I hope your knee is back to normal again soon.

DebKat

[1ofakind]

Physical therapy may help a bit if you’re falling quite frequently ...

Sometimes it helps to relearn balance tricks which used to come naturally ...We may be compensating for an old injury and this causes us to veer to one side. A PT evaluation may help !

Feel better!!

[kathymac52]

I am so sorry you tumbled.....our nurse always asks my husband if he has fallen as part of his exam....balance issues must be common in cancer. I am taking a class called "Strong Bodies" and we work on balance. It is common with aging, I guess. (sigh)

[Hidden]

Hi Loweez, you could have cracked or broken a rib/s from what seems like a nasty fall. Nothing much Dr. , can do, just takes time to heal, but you should find out for sure what is going on!

[Loweez]

Thanks everyone for the replies and good advice. The ice and a compression belt is helping a bit. I slipped on wet tile. I wasn’t dizzy so it was more clumsiness than health related. I am always thinking of the next thing I need to do instead of concentrating on what I am doing now. I’m going to try to be a turtle, not the hare. We all know where that got him.

[opal11uk]

You could have a broken rib(s) so see a doctor. I too am clumsy, could trip over a feather and have hurt myself quite badly at times, having my eyes checked this morning for possible cataract removal, cataracts can cause you to trip too so maybe that's my problem.

[BeckyLUSA]

I, too, am a faller, clumsy by nature. Balance therapy has done me a world of good. Talk with your doctor about it.

BeckyL USA

[Patc890USA]

Hi Loweez, I've had fractured ribs, fractured sternum and bruised ribs and found that the bruised ribs were the most painful. It took a long time for it to completely healed. But from what I remember they don't wrap ribs anymore out of fear that it could limit your breathing and maybe cause pneumonia. So as others suggested you should see your doctor.

Pat.

[Loweez in reply to Patc890USA]

Thanks. I’m feeling a bit better this morning but am going to the doctor.

[lexie]

I go up and down a 12' step ladder working on my house with no problems.

Then in November I was pushing my wheelbarrow across a small bridge after a rain and slipped slamming down on my back. Knocked the wind out of me but I rolled down off the side of the not so high bridge and forced my lungs to inflate. I had on layers of sweatshirts so no damage just soreness. I blamed the insufficient tread on my shoes and threw them into the trash. I am careful on the ladder but was unassuming on the flat bridge by underestimating the wet surface. So good shoes always, vigilant always, don't exert beyond tiredness are lessons I learned from that fall.

I hope your doctor has good news for you, glad you decided to see them.

[Loweez in reply to lexie]

Went for X-rays. It is only a bad bruise to the rib. Yes, the right shoes help. My daughter in law’s dad fell from a ladder a few years ago and is now paralyzed from the waist down so be super careful please! I literally can trip over a postage stamp so I am going to practice mindfulness! Thanks for your concern.

[opal11uk]

Just an update on my eye appointment, yes this could well be the cause of my clumsiness and falls as I have been told I have cataracts in both eyes, the right more significant than the left however having Herpes Simplex (HerpesD) in my right eye a couple of times, I have been advised against surgery due to the fact that the virus could return and to cut long story short too risky and could even loose the eye if the virus went deep enough. Well, that frightened me so no surgery but my message is get your eyes checked if you are prone to falls.

[MsLockYourPosts Passed Volunteer in reply to opal11uk]

Can you have the left eye done?

[opal11uk in reply to MsLockYourPosts]

No apparently not, thankfully for the moment anyway, I have no trouble reading, using the computer or distance, although I haven't driven for quite a while for other reasons. I shall wait until I feel a definite need then take the gamble, the longer I can go with healthy eyes and no HSV infections the better the prognosis but at the moment I am not prepared to take the risk. I took the risk to have heart ablation, (I suffer from Atrial Fibrillation that caused a stroke 18 years ago) and this was supposed to stop or limit this condition, it didn't work and I was worse off than before and now wear a pacemaker so I am a little risk averse at the moment lol but when the day comes I will have to bite the bullet until then I will make myself more aware of trip hazards lol