Don't have a choice

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Sun Sep 15, 2013 7:47 pm

I fell again. This time straight back. Hit my lower back flat on. It jarred me something awful.
Nothing is broken. I can move both my feet, but my whole lower back is hurting. Just a constant pain, no throbbinb despite ice and arnica.
I eventually took regular acetaminophen to see if it will dull the pain. Not so far, but I won't take Norco.
I am so sick of this falling nonsense.

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Sun Sep 15, 2013 9:54 pm

Oh, no, Lesley, I am so sorry. Feel better soon.

:bouqueofpinkroses:

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Sun Sep 15, 2013 10:42 pm

This falling about is not funny at all. Pain meds helped as are arnica and ice. Bloody back
ACHES!

Thanx Joan!

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 6:35 am

Are you tripping or something else? Do you need a walker to help you?

JeanIrene · Post by **JeanIrene** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 6:46 am

I'm sorry Lesley. We're you walking Licorice when it happened? Hope you're better soon.

Jean

Leah · Post by **Leah** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 11:44 am

Hope the pain fades quickly

leah

gluten · Post by **gluten** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 12:31 pm

Hi Lesley, I have fallen many times. Twice, I looked like a racoon for a couple a weeks as I hit on the side of my head. On one of the falls I was out for while and woke up with a severe headache and needed several stitches to close the cut above the right eye. I was lucky that I did not break any bones and decided to use a cane and get a script for a rollator. Jon

Stanz · Post by **Stanz** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 4:55 pm

So sorry, Lesley, am wondering what precedes your falling, are you dizzy or tripping on something? When I have fallen it's usually been that I fall forward, not back. Hang in there sister.

DebE13 · Post by **DebE13** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 7:01 pm

Hope you are pain free soon!

Sheila · Post by **Sheila** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 7:42 pm

I'm so sorry for your pain, Lesley. Do you know why you fall? Falling backward usually happens when you slip on wet tile, etc. or fall off a ladder. I've done both. If you haven't told your doctor about the falls, it might be a good idea to do so.

I hope your pain subsides and you begin to feel better.

Sheila W

carolm · Post by **carolm** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 7:48 pm

Lesley, I'm sorry to hear about your fall and your pain. Is it balance related or like your inner ear orientation is off? Whatever the cause take it easy and take every precaution so that you don't break something.

take care,
Carol

:bouqueofpinkroses:

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Mon Sep 16, 2013 8:21 pm

Thanks everybody! It was a little better this morning, but is achier after today. More ice, arnica, pain meds and rest will help.

The falls are getting more and more frequent. I have a cane, but have to give up a hand to use it, so find it really inconvenient. Walkers are even more so.

My left leg tends to either not clear an obstacle - a stone, a height difference etc - or to give way, and down I go. I lose my balance very easily, which is what happened yesterday.

What I am going to do is get an emergency alert to hang around my neck. I have avoided the expense up to now, but am recognizing that it's very necessary.

I used to train people in fall avoidance. How the "mighty" have fallen!

gluten · Post by **gluten** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 11:23 am

Hi Lesley, Some of my falls were caused by " foot drop". It is the foot not lifting high enough and it creates a tendency to trip. That happen when I was walking with a friend and could react enough to roll over on my shoulder and not get hurt but that was on a sandy surface. A neurologist could determine if there is any muscle loss. I am always careful when walking and look at every step to make I do not find any low spots because of muscle loss in the quads and hamstrings. With muscle loss there is no compensation for the drop into a low spot and thus a fall. Jon

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Tue Sep 17, 2013 10:41 pm

I don't have foot drop. I have post surgical scar tissue on the L4-5 vertebra and along the sciatic nerve. My left leg is weaker, and often feels too heavy to lift. However hard I try there is sometimes a pebble or something that my leg doesn't clear and I fall. Also when I turn, or try to, I lose my balance, however hard I try. if there is nothing around to hold onto or to steady myself on I fall. Sometimes the fatigue affects my ability to move right in the middle of a movement. And so on and so forth.
It's happening more lately, and right now the pain is pretty bad. I will NOT take narcotics, having weaned myself off them with difficulty. I never got hooked, and increased the dose, but still...wasn't fun.

I need some way to summon help in an emergency.

Sheila · Post by **Sheila** » Wed Sep 18, 2013 6:41 am

Oh, Lesley, I'm so sorry for your struggles. Having gone through a laminectomy and spinal fusion I can identify with your problems with balance, lack of strength in one leg etc. The last time I went to PT I was told to do yoga or tai chi or risk becoming frozen. I was losing flexibility. After procrastinating for 6 months or so I finally bit the bullet and started yoga at home using a couple of CDs. I found I couldn't do things that I was able to do 3-4 years ago and everything hurt. I'm going slowly, sometimes very slowly, but I am doing better with flexibility and stiffness. There are some "very" gentle yoga routines that help with balance and flexibility that might help you regain some of what you've lost due to your surgeries. You said you don't want to use a walker but using one would be sensible to prevent further falls and perhaps seriously hurting yourself. It is so hard to lose our ability to do what we want and need to do. Hang in there and go slowly.

Sheila W