Lately I have been having trouble with balance and fatigue. I am at a conference. I've had to sit in back so no one will see me sleep so much of the time, the fatigue is great. No changes in medication. But also falling. I fell in shower and hoped I didn't break a hip (I am 70) and lay there until water came over the catchment I had fallen across.
I take care of big animals and care for them with my heart, but I am wondering about my own capabilities now. I need assistance but can't find or afford it. I need to sleep and also need to earn living. I understand too much pain and also that it is still changing my life even after over forty years of it. No one without pain understands what it is like. That is why I am grateful to all of you. Thank you, friends.
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SecretlyDisabled7
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i take it that your not in the uk as you have to pay for your medical care. did you go to the hospital after you fell in the shower, to get your hip x-rayed.do you have a diagnosis of any illness as you say no changes in medication,so i take it your on medication for illness. could you tell us a bit more of what your medication is for. as then there may be people who would understand why your are more fatigued that before and falling asleep.its a lovely job looking after animals but as you say you have to look after yourself first. i dont know where you live or why you have been in pain for 40 years.thats a very long time to be suffering pain. your right about people who dont suffer from pain who dont understand although i have read about so many brave people here who look after or are married to people who are in great pain who have so much love in them, of course those people are very rare and precious.its really good to come here as people understand our pain and our lonlieness and also our anger at times, i do hope that somehow you can get the help that you need.there are so many things that could make you fall, like low blood pressure for one, so it would be very helpfull if you could tell us more about whats causing your pain, love grace xoxoxo
if your having trouble with balance get to your dr. asap. it may be something simple but being of balance can be serious. My brother had a brain tumor and thats how they figured it out, his balance was off.
You could do with going to docter for some blood tests and a good overhaul. Ask him to check your B12 levels as that can be a sign that it's low. Are you eating properly? Could be diabetes in fact it could be 101 different things so do get it checked out. Let us know how it goes. X Lynne
I already have done all those things. Funny, because it could have been B12 except I take it and for the first time in 14 years ate meat last night. (In France) I didn't go to a dr. to get an X-ray because I had to take a train after another journey. No, I do not have diabetes. I have Lupus and RA and FMS. I had FMS since 1980's, then Lupus and RA. I fell because the hotel shower floor was slick as ice and landed on the water catchment, Yes, I am hurt. No, I won't die. I still have two journeys ahead of me. I am now in Spain and no dr is open but there is an osteopath down street so I may go there tomorrow.
Thank you for all the questions. So sweet of you all.
I'm really sorry you are having these symptoms but as suggested by grace, if you could mention the medication you are on would help us greatly. I've had headaches, fatigue and balance issues and just been diagnosed with a brain tumour. I sincerely hope this isn't your problem but it needs investigation
I hope this helps
Sarah xx
I have started to travel with a non slip bath mat and a suction grip rail. Most hotels have accessible rooms so it may be helpful if you consider asking for ones of these when you travel.
I am so sorry to hear of your problems but Wow ! I can only apologise on behalf of those who mentioned how it could be a brain tumour. Please don't start panicing that this cld be the case. No-one shld be so heartless as to even mention that possibility !!! That wld be one of the last tests they wld do if all other tests came back negative. There are many things that cld be causing your problems that are easily treated and non-serious after being correctly diagnosed. Firstly I wld like to say that we are kindred spirits vis a vis caring for animals with all the love from our hearts. God bless you for being you ! Now for advice as best as I can give. You are 70yrs old as u stated and as much as it pains me to say it cld just be your body's way of saying you need to slow down and ease off the gas now. The lack of balance cld be down to an inner-ear infection. That tends to be the nain cause of that particular problem. Also I am leaning towards M.E (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) as the reason for your chronic lethargy. That too cld affect your balance. Being chronically farigued affects balance, lack of co-ordination, concentration, slurring of speech. I suffer with this and have those symptoms but theyvvary from person to person who suffer with M E. I wld also suggest that if possible - see that Osteopath who 'may' be able to tell you if you need an x-ray of your hip or if it just may be badly bruised. Unfortunately as with age our bones thin and become much more likely to fracture. So if you can see him for the time being then I really wld suggest u do that. As for the other debilitating symptoms you are suffering with, as soon as your schedule allows you need to see a Dr for blood tests, an examination to see if you do have an inner-ear infection and just a complete physical examination. I am in awe of your stamina. However, though your head and heart are in all that u do - your body may be just trying to tell you that you need to slow down and take on less. I really hope you get your health sorted asap. You are amazing to be doing all that your doing and with so much heart. Just start prioritising a little. I wish you all the luck and good health for the future. Big healing hugs. Elle-kaye. xx
I must admit I raised an eyebrow at the brain-tumour comments. There are a multitude of possibilities regarding balance issues. And slipping in a hotel shower is not of itself an indication of some kind of malignancy.
If you think about how balance works there could be a problem anywhere from your feet to your head. The signal from your feet to your brain that allows your brain to know 'where' your feet are (proprioception) can be interrupted somehow (as for me with prolapsed discs), your balance mechanism in your inner-ear could be compromised with an inner-ear infection, heck - you could just be very tired and struggle to stand up properly. It is surprisingly difficult to stand up, something you only truly appreciate when you can't do it.
We went to Gran Canaria earlier this year and the shower room was also like an ice rink when wet. They seem to like using an extremely polished type of cement finish. The suggestion of taking a shower mat is a good one. I also fell over and from then on had to sit on the edge of the bath. Despite enquiring the hotel didn't have any available 'easy access' rooms.
It is also entirely possible that it was just a tired slip on a difficult surface.
What medication do you take for your SLE / RA / FMS? Again these could explain your fatigue, any one of them let alone all three. I have RA so know how difficult the fatigue is from that sometimes. Fatigue could easily explain the slipping. And these conditions plus the meds you may be on could explain the fatigue.
Sounds like you need to go see your rheumatology team or even just your GP when you get home. In the meantime you are going to have to make a call on the hip, if you think it may be broken, leaving it will cost you more in the long run. One way or another.
Sorry. Meant to say also that, as somebody also mentioned it cld be an indication of low blood pressure. And I didn't mean to offend anyone who replied a little too hastily with the brain tumour comments. But I think we shld all bear in mind we are all here to give good sound advice and understanding and not scaremongering !!! Goid luck to you and I really hope you get yourself seen asap. Best wishes. Elle-kaye. xx
You are all wonderful. Thanks for the information, advice, and suggestions. Yes, I need to slow down. I have worked hard enough n my life and just still keep going. No problem about brain tumour comment. Sometimes a quick end wouldn't be bad, but it is a badly bruised hip and now I can face the painful future knowing to put a towel or something on shower floor. I am hope, listening to the birds in the morning, feeding animals, sleeping with animals, and saw deer outside. Good life is back. Just wish the back was good!
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