Sunday, May 19, 2019

Not "Golden Years!"

At our house, the bottom step of our staircase is known affectionately as the "killer step."  It gets this identifier because each and every one of us who has held residence in this house has fallen from this step - some more than once.

I joined that frequent "flyer" club a week and a half ago.  It has been a long time since I fell.  I diligently count the steps leading to the ground floor after the turn.  There are three.  The handrail goes right along with those three steps.  No more hand rail means you are safely on the ground floor.

I am paranoid about falling - anywhere but especially on those steps.  When I had my knees replaced the surgeon told me that I shouldn't kneel.  He said that the patella is just a thin bone which can be shattered when it is between a hard surface and the titanium replacement.  I don't know of any way for anyone let alone a 70+-year-old gets up without turning over to be on their knees!  So I try very hard to never fall.

But after not going upstairs to my beloved sewing/embroidery machines for two months post shoulder replacement the call of the crafting was too much.  I was working on a project for my granddaughter who is graduating from high school this year.  It was the end of a long day and I had a battery to be recycled so I was going to bring that and some tote bags to be used as grocery bags down with me. 

To help me down the stairs - I threw those bags with the battery down ahead of me.  One of the bags has very long straps.  They landed on the first landing.  I picked them up and was distracted by those straps - I didn't want (wait for it!!) to FALL after getting my foot tangled in those straps. 

That meant I didn't count.  I didn't pay attention to the handrail.  And before I knew it, was airborne.

I landed - hard - on my right butt.  That didn't hurt.  The small of my back was in immediate pain.  Knowing that my spine is narrowed, disintegrating and I have sciatica I was really scared - plus in a lot of pain.  I really was afraid I might have broken my hip.  But no - fortunately.

After several minutes I was able to think about how I was going to get up.  G asked what he could do and honestly, there was absolutely nothing.  Finally, got turned around so that I could push myself up on the killer step, use the handrail and get up.  That was a no go.  I still have tenderness and a lack of strength in the shoulder.  I just bit the bullet and figured that since I was on the et I would just get on my knees and get up.  It worked.

By that time my right buttock felt like there was a softball under the skin.  So I worried about what I had done there but it seems like that is inconsequential.  My back, however, is still killing me.  The left hip hurts - a lot!  Standing isn't pleasant.  I believe I will now have sciatica on the left side.

Since I am looking at a time lapse of two weeks on Wednesday, I am thinking this is as good as it is going to get.  I think I am going to have to get professional help.  I see the shoulder surgeon on Friday and have sent his office an email asking for his suggestion and I am waiting for a response.  I will ask him, but I believe I will be making an appointment with someone else - who is closer than 40 miles for this problem.

Just who says these are the "golden years?"  Obviously not someone who is in them or someone who has taken better care of themselves.  Two days before I fell, my SIL fell and suffered a spiral fracture of her right humerus.  A few days after my flight, an acquaintance from the SSB area fell and broke her leg - requiring surgery. 


2 comments:

yellowdoggranny said...

this makes me so sad..I'm so sorry...falling at our age is very very scary..let me know what happens at the drs..

Judy said...

My Gosh!!! If so many people have fallen on that step, there must be something wrong with how it was set-up and built!
I hope the docs can help you. You probably have a lot of inflammation from the hard hits.