Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Falling Down
Yesterday I fell down in my apartment complex foyer. It was very embarrassing. I was crying a bit about being "stuck" on the ground. One neighbor saw me and watched me roll around a bit trying to get up with husband's help but I just could not do it. He went to go get help, and she stayed there with me. My husband came back and then I saw three neighbors walking by and two were strong young men, so both of them helped to get me up with my husband too and I avoided having to call the paramedics. I was on my knees and they lifted me up from that position as I hoisted myself up on a chair. I always wanted to buy one of those emergency lifts as seen above in the video for these situations but have not been able to afford one.
It is very scary when you can't get up from the ground once you are there. It is one of the worse things about severe obesity. Add in weakness and balance problems and it can be a mess. I tried to catch myself in this fall, and remember being worried about my hearing aids falling out, as I lunged over my walker.
This is the first time I have fallen on the ground since 2012/2013. Those falls were a lot worse. I've had a few near misses but I switched to using my walker to prevent falls. So far it has worked. The problem was a floor mat that was bunched up which I did not notice, my foot caught it and my husband could not warn me in time. The walker caught me so I went down much slower then usual. After the two falls in 2012, I could barely walk and hurt my knees, this one I could walk afterwards and was not injured except for a few bruises.
So sorry you fell, that sounds awful. Being vulnerable in front of strangers is really humiliating. I've fainted a few times and waking to having a bunch people standing around staring at you - it's such a bad feeling, just lying there, so vulnerable - it's like that dream where you're out naked and don't realize it until too late. I'm glad people were also kind and helped you.
ReplyDeleteOh that is scary to faint, I hope you found out why and discovered the problem, and are okay now. Yes having people stare at you is hard. I was embarrassed from crying too. Yes it is being very vulnerable and is scary. I am fortunate strangers in this town [well these were neighbors I see from time to time] are friendly and will help me get up. Yeah it is like those dreams.
DeleteI just thank God you were okay, and nothing really bad happened -- my heart stopped when I watched you fall, as I kicked myself for not scoping out the carpet in time. Anyway, I know we'll redouble our vigilance -- it seems to be part of the price we pay for living as we do. But I'd never forgive myself if something like that happened again. At any rate, thank God you were all right, and thank God for the people who came along. --Mr. Peep
ReplyDeleteI know you were in shock Mr. Peep watching me tumble over. It's not good you had to go through that. I hate those carpet mats too. I know they keep people from sliding but one caused that other fall of mine too, remember, those things are dangerous, you'd think they would have invented something else. I thank God those people came along too and thanks for helping me. <3
DeleteI've had so many tests to try to figure out why I faint and so far, nothing conclusive. Right now the doctor thinks it might, at least sometimes, be due to poorly regulated blood sugar that results, sometimes in hypoglycemia. I'm not diabetic, they say, or pre-diabetic, but the want me to decrease my sugar intake. So I'm buying different kinds of foods than normal - like sprouted bread. It's very expensive! I can pay for it but it's weird to pay more for bread that uses wheat that's less processed than flour and tastes worse than normal bread. I get that the price is higher because it's a specialty item, but still, it pains me a little. It's very difficult to try to control blood sugar and your diet while trying to eat inexpensively.
ReplyDeleteI feel like they price food compared to how healthy it is, and the more healthy, they jack up the price. It's always bothered me too. Cheap food is less healthy and having one's eating so closely aligned to financial levels is difficult. I hope you find out why you are fainting. Have you investigated Vagus Nerve stuff?
DeleteThanks for mentioning that -you're right, the vagus nerve may well be my issue. My therapist seems convinced its vasovagal. It's not clear what the triggers would be, giving the different circumstances I've fainted in, and that's definitely what I'd need to figure out.
ReplyDeleteI hope they can figure things out, I know fainting would be very scary. I hope you can at least narrow down the triggers. Did they do epilepsy tests on you for petit mal and other type seizures?
DeleteThat's absolutely terrifying. When your body can't be relied on to rescue you in the case of an emergency, it is terrifying. Like waiting for death. :-(
ReplyDeleteIt sucks and it is scary. I believe the Lipedema shape makes it scarier. I have noticed I am more in danger of falling when up for a longer period of time and getting tired. I was doing a lot today and getting swollen and weary. Doctors have me labeled as a severe fall risk.
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