Falling

[MaryELWoods]

Friday I had my third significant fall in 10 weeks, and this was head first down the stairs. I'm really banged up and, of course, bruised. The only ET symptom that could be tied to this is a feeling of vibration in my left heel and severe charlie horses in my left calf at hours of sleep. I'm not sure if it's causing me to drop my toes and therefore trip, or if the falling is related to the lightheadedness and fatigue. The fall down the stairs made no sense...I just seemed to collapse and go down.

My doctor is simply not interested in any symptoms....only cares about my age (55) and my platelets (781). Yes, I'm scouting for a new doctor but thats a fight with my insurance company.

Do any of you have falls?

[Inca]

Yes Mary,I fell a few months ago and fractured my femur....it was a fatigue day and I was busy with my dogs,fell over the puppy!!!When first diagnosed 7 +years ago ,I fell and broke my arm...all my disasters or near ones are on fatigue days....there is a lesson there somewhere,hope you soon recover,a fall shakes you up ,even if not too serious.Take care and Best wishes.

[MaryELWoods in reply to Inca]

Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone. ❤️

[JSKly]

Mary, I'm not sure why your doctor is interested in the age of a relatively young woman!!! He may not be the best person to be advising you on an MPN. Yes, find someone else when you can. Platelets can do funny things. Balance can be effected by our disorders. I have PV and have some balance problems and can't navigate stairs without a handrail. I hope you get some answers soon.

[MaryELWoods in reply to JSKly]

Her interest in my age is that because I'm <60 she is not interested in symptoms and believes the only treatment for me is aspirin because my age makes me low risk.

I did file a complaint with my insurance co. because she will not authorize a visit to the Mayo Clinic.

Fingers crossed that this gets resolved. I'm stuck with this doc/insurance till January.

[JSKly in reply to MaryELWoods]

Thanks Mary, Go well and let us know after January.

[ChelseaF]

Foot drop can be a neurological manifestation of low B12. B12 deficiency and functional deficiency (where serum b12 is normal but is not being utilized correctly) has an increased frequency in MPNs. I would ask your doctor to check into it just to make certain. Have you had other neurological symptoms?

[MaryELWoods in reply to ChelseaF]

Thank you. I’m seeing a new onc this week. I’ll see if he’ll check in to this.

[Cmg5935]

Hi Mary, sorry to hear of your spill. I too have ET as well as mild MF. The specialist I saw at Columbia in NYC,. Did warn me to be careful of such injuries. She said that as much risk that we have of clotting that we are at risk for internal bleeding from blunt force injury.

Just thought you should be aware so as to watch for any unusual symptoms. I don’t quite understand the mechanism that gives us dual risk but it was strongly stressed.

Hope you mend quickly

Christina