Nasty fall

As we get older we definitely have to be very attentive to our movements or we can go down unexpectedly.
Be careful what you lay down on because anything uneven could put pressure against the rib and buddy then comes the pain. Guess how I know?
 
I've had several surgeries during the last year, and the general anaesthesia has affected my balance to some extent; I'm 78 and never worried about it before, but I have become VERY conscious of fall hazards both at home and outside. I've had some bars installed in the shower and a shower seat, I don't "spring" up from a seated position (I get up slowly and take a few seconds to make sure I've got my balance before walking), and generally do a better job of watching where I'm going so I can avoid potential trip or fall hazards.

When you're in the hospital or at the doctor's office and the first question they always ask is, "have you fallen in the last month?", you know you should be mindful of what used to be pretty simple stuff. It's not simple any more - it can kill you. :eek:
 
Just looking at some CDC data yesterday. For the 55-64 age range, "Unintentional Fall" is the #4 cause of Unintentional Injury deaths in 2017. For 65+, it is #1.

Unintentional Injury is the 7th leading cause of death of all types for 65+, behind a bunch of nasty illnesses. It is #3 for 55-64.

In other words, us old farts need to make sure to be careful.
 
Sistema1927 said:
Just looking at some CDC data yesterday. For the 55-64 age range, "Unintentional Fall" is the #4 cause of Unintentional Injury deaths in 2017. For 65+, it is #1.

Unintentional Injury is the 7th leading cause of death of all types for 65+, behind a bunch of nasty illnesses. It is #3 for 55-64.

In other words, us old farts need to make sure to be careful.
Click to expand...

You can have falling issues at any age, depending on circumstances. You can have a car wreck at any age that can make getting around chancy. When I built my house almost 14 years ago, I made sure to have handicap/senior citizen amenities put in the house during construction, including grab bars in the shower. My late mother, who had died at the age of 60 after suffering from ALS and rheumatoid arthritis was my inspiration to have these amenities put in during initial construction rather than trying to retrofit them later. They came in handy after my knee surgery.
 
My goodness,...

...Mr. Persing, you've had a run of of bad luck lately. :eek:

Take care...I very much enjoy your posts and wish you all the best.

Be safe.
 
As we get older our reflexs slow down and the falls get HARDER and come faster to impact, for some odd reason.

I make sure of good lighting at night and no awkward or weir steps, if possible. Rugs can be a killer too.......

Heal fast and hope your have some good pain pills to last this ordeal.
Bummer man.
 
In 2016, we were halibut fishing out of Kenai and got hit by a "following sea" (a big swell from behind). Threw my wife and I across the cabin. I landed on the deck and she landed on the seats across the cabin. I laid there for a few minutes in pain.

The next day, I was really hurting and cancelled our salmon trip. (The lady in the cabin next to us ran into a bear on the way to the rest room, so my wife cancelled also.) The day after that, we did a little sightseeing in Homer and headed to Anchorage and flew back to SEATAC, then drove back over the mountains (on Sunday).

Om Monday, I had to go to wound care to look at an infection on my (same) leg. The PA said I should get my knee looked at, so we went to urgent care. The ER doc came out and said " Good news and bad news: the bad news is you broke your kneecap; good news is you broke it in the best possible way!".

Seems I had broken my knee cap lengthwise and the muscles had actually held it together and it had already started to knit. Six weeks in a leg brace and 4 weeks therapy.

Last September I tripped on some old concrete curbing and fell into my wife's SUV side rail. I felt my upper arm break (2 places and hairline of elbow). I was pinned between the car and the curb. Out of work for most of 3 months. (Came back and went on the government shutdown a month later).

Came back from shutdown and worked for about a month and then I tripped again. Took my wife home from the dentist and drove myself to the ER. Verdict: Broken kneecap and tibia (shinbone). Two months non-weightbearing (bed) with therapy. Still on P/T (as of August) and walking with a cane.

Reviewing medical record (formal and informal) we decided I've broken 10 bones in 10 years! A bone density scan disclosed osteopenia (milder form of osteoporosis). Since I was out about 8-10 months last year, I decided to pull the pin at age 69 with over 20 years of federal service (as of July).

Take home: **** happens! You get more fragile as you get older and don't heal as well. You have to live with it. Just be more careful!
 
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Hang in there old man, you'll make it.
Tripped on the top step from the basement today. Knee and side hurts. Took a while to get up. Jacuzzi here I come. We can probably commiserate about these events later.
 
Another means of preventing falls in my house just came to mind. When I had my house built, in the en suite I had a shower stall put in that had seats molded into it. During the time I was having some serious dizzy spells it was very comforting to be able to shower while sitting down. It is still a benefit to me (and probably everyone around me) to be able to shower while sitting down in order to check my feet and shampoo my hair.
 
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