At 3:30 or so this morning, I found myself on the floor, unable to get up. No, I wasn't sleep-walking. I had gotten up to pee. The little bathroom upstairs in the loft is only about 5 steps from the bed. I don't know what made me fall. I'm pretty sure that my bum knee had something to do with it. I don't think I injured that knee further as I fell.
The problem was that I couldn't get up, even with Walt's assistance. We struggled for 15 or 20 minutesto find a solution, I think, but after trying every move and strategy, I was still on the floor, immobilized. Finally, I was able to pull my upper body up onto the bed, and my legs followed my torso, with Walt's help. I was comfortable enough to be able to sleep until around 6:10 a.m.
I'm starting to think that this sort of accident runs in my family. My mother fell as she was getting out of her car and ended up with a broken wrist. She was around 80 at the time, I think; I'll be 76 in a few weeks. My sister, who is about two years younger than me, fell a year or two ago and broke her arm. She was doing volunteer work in a food mission when it happened. I need to be more careful. I don't even know what made me fall, but at least I didn't break any bones.
Hi Ken... I think it may well be your knee... I have assorted foot problems and sometimes the slightest reaction can throw me off balance.... you may well have damaged a ligament and they take forever to heal without medical intervention... a cortisone injection dealt with my groin one, but I still need to be careful as it was almost free of the bone! You really ought to see the Dr with your knee... and to help with Pauline, I bought an Easy-Lift from Temu... a simple figure of eight handle... in your case, Walst would stand at your feet and with both of you holding opposite sides of the figure of eight, he leans back and you push upward with your good leg... it works wonders!! There's a video with this link, shows how it works.
ReplyDeleteI have just ordered a second one to save carting the first to and from Pauline's room at the care home.
https://www.temu.com/fr-en/portable-lift-assist-for-elderly-disabled-non-slip-handle-supports-450lbs-ideal-for-nurses-therapists--g-601099678317487.html?
Goodness! So glad you weren't injured further. Particularly disorienting when these things happen in the middle of the night and you are still tired. Take it easy for a few days if you can. And thank you for the comfort food inspiration of the past few days!
ReplyDeleteIf you're in otherwise good health, see a doctor soon about whether your knee could be replaced. It's not a fun process to go through, but if it is in bad shape, you'll be very glad you did it, and you won't want to wait much longer. I had all kinds of gait issues before mine, and those are all resolved. The only falls I've had in the 6 years since the surgery were purely stupid on my part (not paying attention to roots in a path) instead of seemingly random collapses. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteHi Ken. I don’t comment but do regularly read. So glad you didn’t break anything! Hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mitch.
Deleteoh shoot, glad you're ok....I guess y'all don't have any throw rugs around as they can be dangerous....living on one level starting to look pretty good I suspect as those stairs up to ur bedroom look scary to me
ReplyDeletePlease take care of yourself. Maybe it is time to see a doctor.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing what I can to get an appointment.
DeleteOh, dear!
ReplyDeleteDitto what everyone else said... including seeing a doctor about this temporary knee injury.
Oh dear, I'm glad the outcome was not more serious. I remember feeling mortified when it happened to me and I could not work out how to get up.
ReplyDeleteWalt was getting ready to call for help from the SAMU (emergency services). Then I figured out how to get up off the floor so it wasn't necessary.
DeleteWhat everyone else has said. Try to stay hopeful and figure out the situation. I am always thankful when I don't break anything after falling. I get very pessimistic in a situation like you are going through, but feel better when I have healed. It's too bad this has happened when you are both dealing with colds. Do you have a crutch?
ReplyDeleteSo happy nothing was broken. Definitely time to see a doctor.
ReplyDeleteBettyAnn
Yes, I'm doing what I can to get an appointment with my GP.
DeleteAll of the above. I went through a phase like this when I was a young adult. I didn’t have any physical problems though. I would get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, my legs would give out, and I would wind up on the bedroom floor. We figured out that I might have been at the deep sleep stage where your body is somewhat in paralysis. It happened a bunch of times so I started sitting on the edge of the bed until my whole body was fully operational. Luckily, we never had any puddles on the floor. You and I are lucky to have strong husbands to help us up.
ReplyDeleteBad Luck. When I broke my wrist, and the Doctor asked how it happened, he said most falls of us older folks usually involve their pets. No blame on Tasha for you! Lucky you had Walt there, I live alone, and falling and being alone is one of my biggest fears. Managing to get to your bed and rest was most likely the very best thing you could have done. Sending good wishes for healing quickly and giving your knee a chance to recuperate.
ReplyDelete