It suddenly came to me a few days ago that there is more going on in a fall than just an injury.
I've fallen and broken my wrist twice. In 1992 , while I was bird counting, I slipped on a steep icy slope. I reached back to break my fall and my hand hit on the shale of the path. The ulna broke into four pieces and the radius in three pieces. I'm not going to go on about how much it hurt.
In 2001 I fell while skating and broke the same wrist. The lady skating just ahead of me fell and hit her head on the ice. Her head hit at my feet. I tried to turn quickly and help her and I fell backwards and broke my wrist.
As a result of these two falls I became very cautious when it came to walking on ice. I lost my confidence. I had to work hard to be able to walk in a normal fashion on winter ice.
I did a forward roll on my bike in 2008. I suffered some road rash and a huge bruise. I had no trouble getting back on my bike but I look back and think how fortunate I was that I wasn't seriously injured. Yes , I was wearing a helmut and there are a few scrapes on my helmut. Yes, there was some damage to my bike but I was able to ride home.
A year ago I fell down the stairs. I was most fortunate and didn't suffer any injury other than a few bruises , pulls and embarrassment . I still haven't got my confidence back when it comes walking downstairs. I am working on it.
So it dawned on me that there is more to a fall than just the injury whether slight or serious. Our confidence is shattered. We don't hear about that very often. The injury that takes the longest to heal is the emotional on.
Why is it so important to get back to normal? We do much better and it's safer if we move with confidence and strength.
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| This is where I pivoted awkwardly and fell |
I've had my share of falls and scrapes. I recall being hit by a car making a right hand turn- the driver was looking to the left, and not paying any attention to me having the right of way- and going over the hood. I expect someday I might get arthritis in the area where it happened.
ReplyDeleteI worried about my breaks but everything seems to be okay so far.
DeleteOne of my brothers had a serious fall years ago, and really badly broke his leg. Now he's dealing with arthritis.
DeleteI know exactly what you mean, Red, about getting our confidence back. After I had my serious skydiving accident in 2000, it was years before I could actually land my parachute properly again, because I would pull back and slide in on my butt instead of landing on my feet. But eventually I did get over it, but not without a lot of pep talks with myself. I am glad you are cautious on ice, that's smart. And I too am glad you were not more injured. But ouch! for that wrist. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how there's a lot of info out there on falls but we don't make use of it.
DeleteI missed the bottom step on our house stairs more than 20 years ago and badly sprained my ankle, requiring a cast and crutches. I have been leary of stairs ever since, and always use hand rails. Then last year I slipped on mud while out walking and fell and hit my forehead and gave myself two black eyes. I think about that every time I walk passed that spot, and stay off of treails the are slippery.
ReplyDeleteYes, Red, you are right on.
I remember your fall last year. It looked pretty bad. I'll bet you certainly do look at the same spot everytime you go by.
DeleteI too know what you mean. We catch ourselves walking weird cause we're being too careful. We don't want it to happen again. I am very aware and take every precaution not to fall cause I am alone now. Confidence turns into caution and alertness. Glad you survived those falls.
ReplyDeleteI think sometimes our tippy toeing can lead to falls as we have to step firmly for safety.
DeleteI have an old injury so I hang onto the railing going up and down stairs...it is safer that way. I also don't carry too much "stuff" up and down...one hand full and I sometimes use bags to carry what I need upstairs. Better save than sorry. The ice is horrid here, my brother cam by and scraped up the ice with the forks on his skidsteer...it helped. There was a big fishing tournament in town over the weekend, I heard many people fell and there were many broken bones:(
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you've had freezing rain. We've had freezing rain three times this winter. We usually get freezing rain once every five rears.
DeleteI must be lacking something as I do fall a lot but never think to slow down.
ReplyDeleteYou're too young to slow down! I don't recommend slowing down but going forward with confidence that you once had.
DeleteAfter two falls from the steps at home I always keep my hand at the banisters at every step I have to descent. It feel more safe to do so.
ReplyDeleteI can see why you hold on to the bannister. If we hold the bannister, how much do we loose in balance?
DeleteNow that you mention it, I've had a few spills the past couple of years. I've fallen with my bike at least twice and now I'm hesitant when approaching sandy areas or turning.
ReplyDeleteAnd now when I go down our stairs I often think about my fall this autumn and remember how sore my keister was.
It's our basement stairs that worry me. They're wood, the floor below is of course cement, and there's a showcase at the bottom. The possibilities for disaster are endless.
I had to make some adjustments after my fall. Some things were moved.
DeleteYep, I've taken some dilly falls too, some just normal slips and others "If I'd Only....." ooops - too late kinda falls that ya just don't want to talk about - the embarrassing ones. It does take a while to boost your confidence - its natural to feel like that, but you work away at it and rebuild confidence - eventually it works. Great Post.
ReplyDeleteMos falls happen when we're in a hurry. I've fallen when I thought nobody was looking. After a while people tell me what they saw.
DeleteYou do still anticipate repeating a moment like this, but should never let it hold you back . I laugh each time I walk past an area I slid down in, knowing I wasn't going to do it again
ReplyDeleteThe laughing would help.
DeleteThankfully, you haven't suffered any really serious injuries. Falling shatters our confidence.
ReplyDeleteYou're young enough to fall. Your reaction time is still good. For old guys like me, our head is on the ground before our head knows!!! If you get what I mean.
DeleteI find myself being ever more careful. There is a lot of research done to try prevent falls. Obviously, it doesn't work!
ReplyDeleteI wrote a blog post:
Preventing Falls - but treat seniors like adults
I read, with horror, a Tweet that tells adult children to senior-proof their parent's bathrooms.
How undignified is this?
I also don't like to see seniors put into walkers in senior's residences when they don't need a walker.
DeleteRed, I am concerned about falls. My mother, bless her heart, fell, broke her hip, and ... although not right away but over time ... the complications led to her death. You are so right ... there is more to a fall than just an injury.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about your Mother. It's well known that broken hips in the elderly can be the beginning of the end.
Deletei agree with you. i hit a small curb with my bike tire in high school, fell flat onto concrete with my chin. i was afraid of turning corners or hitting uneven ground ever since.
ReplyDeleteI cycle 1000 kms a summer. At 75 I know I'm pushing my luck.
DeleteI have a good artist friend who slipped on wet leaves and broke her wrist in eight places. It must be a natural instinct to try and break your fall, but she'd have done better to land on her shoulder. This fall made it difficult for her to paint and it nearly ended her art career.
ReplyDeleteI've never broken a bone---knock on wood.
It is natural to break the fall by reaching back. I have a dentist friend who is very careful about his hands as he says he has to have good hands to do his work. Now I'm really superstitious about saying I've never broken a bone.
DeleteThere is more to a fall then just an injury.
ReplyDeleteI have sciatic in my leg and two summers ago. I decided to go up on the dock pushing with the opposite foot. I fell backwards and missed the water to fall soft but hit my body on the dry sand not even in the water. I had to wear a sling on my arm. . I missed the dock thank goodness. I have fallen off my bike going down a steep hill. The wheel turned and flipped me. I do not go on the bike. Mainly now. My leg pains 80% all the time. I was blessed I did not break bones. So i know what you mean about falling.
Sciatica is a mean condition as they can't seem to do much about it. I would rather fall on sand than ice!
DeleteI like the picture of you on the stairs. Those stairs look steep. I fell again a couple of weeks ago on the brick patio, landing on my hands and knees.I think I got my feet tangled up with Eli's big feet (our dog). I just need to remember to be careful.
ReplyDeleteMy stairs are the regular slope. I took the picture that way to make it look steep!!!
DeleteThat's such a clever and true observation. When I recall the times I have more seriously injured myself in a fall, I realize those are indeed the activities that still give me pause.
ReplyDeleteThe mental scars left by accidents and injuries often, as you say, last so much longer than the physical damage. Perhaps that's nature's way of teaching us.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Red, a spill certainly shakes our confidence up and either forces us to use extra caution or at other times we avoid doing what caused the spill in the first place. I don't like stairs either.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, I am the klutziest person! I've fallen more times than I care to admit, and as a result of that I now have to do my exercise walking in the house. You are right- it is a matter of confidence that is needed to go out and do it again.
ReplyDeleteYou ended your essay perfectly with that last sentence.
ReplyDeleteI've realized only in the last couple of years that I'm at 'that age' that falling can be serious. Doesn't seem that long ago that breaking a hip didn't concern me. I have since come to realize it does.
My daughter did hurt her wrist after all from her fall on the ice. After a couple of weeks, she's still in pain. As you say, she says she is now almost frightened to walk on ice.
ReplyDelete