Sorry if I’ve given you a really bad earworm and I’m not trying to make light of what happened. I just like to find some humour in the events of my life.
transparency
- I fell again yesterday.
- Vince was not here; he was at work. He was not happy when I told him; it will make him think twice about leaving me alone any time.
- I split my lip. Blood on me and on carpet.
- Shaken and shaking literally afterwards but can say now that I’m doing okay.
fall prevention strategies
- Last week’s fall has had a couple knee-jerk reactions, like the use of the travel wheelchair; that chair, while having a wider seat and better for my butt has its limitations, smaller wheels that I cannot rotate by hand; brakes that are not sticky/firm; awkward to use as a walker.
- So whether we make use of it more often may be more dependent on the situation rather than an “always” designation.
- Vince’s worry level is off the scales and I don’t know how to reassure him I’ll be more careful when it appears I haven’t been doing so, so far.
plan/practice
- One of the things Vince and I have discussed is attempting to get me up from the floor here at home; trying to find what works or doesn’t.
- I admit I’ve been scared to try because what if we fail?
- There’s nothing like trial by fire to answer that question.
going forward
All strategies are based on this one truth: Remember my right side is still performing “normally” and that the left side is slower in response and I need to accommodate for that.
- Remember to move deliberately.
- Ensure my support is not going to move on me before I move.
- Fall “right”, i.e., don’t stretch out your arms, and do tuck in.
- Grab bars ‒ bathtub.
- Bath chair.
- Bed rail.
- Toilet seat riser.
- No shortcuts.
success
And the answer is: I can get myself up if I go down. Just need the right level of crate/ support.