1. < Aging Well

How do you feel about falling?

Posted by Steph-Words That Fly @stephcarney, Jan 7 9:05pm

In the last two winters I've had two falls. The first was a series of three falls on an icy trail within 15 minutes resulting in a badly sprained wrist that took a looong time to recover from. Now I'm terrified of the ice or even slippery new snow, so I have four different sets of micro spikes.

Early last spring I fell down the steps (indoors) carrying my ailing dog to let her out in the middle of the night. She was fine. I was badly bruised in multiple places. Now, no socks on steps, carry only one thing and hold the rail. I manage steps very carefully.

I am paranoid about falling. Maybe I should practice falling correctly! What are your thoughts about falling? What do you do to prevent falls?

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caddo21 | @caddo21 | Jan 19 1:07pm
In reply to @walk4life "@stephcarney Do you know if you can use an Apple watch as a running watch, i.e-..." + (show)
@walk4life

@stephcarney Do you know if you can use an Apple watch as a running watch, i.e- does it record time of activity, distance , and pace?

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Yes

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Nanny23 | @nanny23 | Jan 19 5:14pm

I make sure when its snowing or too icy out I stay home. I leave my cane in my car in winter. I fell on ice in 2020 and got a bad tear in my rotator cuff. Wound up needing a surgical repair. Same thing with my knee tore the meniscus. My hip just was wore out from lifting crates and gardening. I also fear falling. I have to look down to see if there are cracks in the sidewalks. Stay well and safe.

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1 reply
Nanny23 | @nanny23 | Jan 19 5:19pm
In reply to @jkesparza "Hi. Thank you! I got so used to it that I’d find myself rushing around with..." + (show)
@jkesparza

Hi. Thank you! I got so used to it that I’d find myself rushing around with my eyes closed! On stairs! Around corner! So I was often bruised lol. I’d been getting botox shots for years to kind of paralyze my eyelids but they didn’t really help enough. Last month I had surgery to lift my eyelid muscles. It’s helped me keep both eyes open at the same time.
I think we learn to adjust to everything- i think we’re stronger than we know!

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I agree we are stronger than we know. We seem to have to cope with whatever presents to us in older age. My nemesis is arthritis all over. Its Painful.

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1 reply
Steph-Words That Fly | @stephcarney | Jan 19 5:44pm
In reply to @nanny23 "I agree we are stronger than we know. We seem to have to cope with whatever..." + (show)
@nanny23

I agree we are stronger than we know. We seem to have to cope with whatever presents to us in older age. My nemesis is arthritis all over. Its Painful.

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@nanny23 I have some arthritis in my feet, and my husband, a former teacher and principal who painted houses in the summer for 50 years has stage four arthritis in his hands and has already had several surgeries. What do you do for your arthritis?

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1 reply
Steph-Words That Fly | @stephcarney | Jan 19 6:07pm
In reply to @nanny23 "I make sure when its snowing or too icy out I stay home. I leave my..." + (show)
@nanny23

I make sure when its snowing or too icy out I stay home. I leave my cane in my car in winter. I fell on ice in 2020 and got a bad tear in my rotator cuff. Wound up needing a surgical repair. Same thing with my knee tore the meniscus. My hip just was wore out from lifting crates and gardening. I also fear falling. I have to look down to see if there are cracks in the sidewalks. Stay well and safe.

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@nanny23 Winter is a tough time for those of us who fear falls! One practice I have to keep inflammation at a minimum is drinking anti-inflammatory teas. I boil thinly sliced fresh ginger for about an hour then strain it and bottle it. I mix that with small amounts of concentrated black cherry juice (like a tablespoon for every 8 oz) and other juices like all juice cranberry. You can drink this hot and it's yummy. I also drink this cold mixed with some seltzer. Keeps me hydrated. Healthy and effective- I notice when I've gone a few days without it! Try it!

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1 reply
jkesparza | @jkesparza | Jan 20 9:55am
In reply to @stephcarney "@jkesparza That's a long time to put up with this anomaly- no wonder you've just started..." + (show)
@stephcarney

@jkesparza That's a long time to put up with this anomaly- no wonder you've just started to walk with your eyes closed! I have a cousin who became blind due to Type 1 Diabetes he developed as a child. He had a seeing eye dog for many years, but just uses a cane now. I'm always in awe of how well he gets around. He's had to learn how to adapt. But a condition that comes and goes without warning, yikes! You're doing so well to stay active and take good care of yourself!

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Thanks! It’s a very rare movement disorder, like Parkinson's or Tourettes( same part of the brain).

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edsutton | @edsutton | Jan 20 1:05pm
In reply to @seniormed "This is a great discussion for all ages. I was lucky not to get injured on..." + (show)
@seniormed

This is a great discussion for all ages. I was lucky not
to get injured on 3 falls in my mid 70s. My sons gifted
me an Apple Watch after I fainted. It includes a heart
rate monitor and has a fall alarm feature.
I wear proper footwear and hike with walking sticks,
cell phone and a companion. My cardiologist advised me to keep hydrated. Helps to read about best maneuvers
for falls and practice getting up off the floor. I know
I could be lightheaded after sitting for a long time and
arise carefully. I still workout and and can run a few
laps on the indoor track. Keep moving.

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Reading glasses can be dangerous.
I wear my half lens reading glasses much of the time in the house, but when I step outside, the double focal lengths can confuse my steps. I try to remember to always take them off as I go out the door.

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1 reply
Steph-Words That Fly | @stephcarney | Jan 20 3:06pm
In reply to @edsutton "Reading glasses can be dangerous. I wear my half lens reading glasses much of the time..." + (show)
@edsutton

Reading glasses can be dangerous.
I wear my half lens reading glasses much of the time in the house, but when I step outside, the double focal lengths can confuse my steps. I try to remember to always take them off as I go out the door.

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@edsutton Good point Ed! And if you have cataracts getting worse but not bad enough for surgery, eye sight is even more of an issue, especially in less well lighted areas.

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Nanny23 | @nanny23 | Jan 20 4:16pm
In reply to @stephcarney "@nanny23 I have some arthritis in my feet, and my husband, a former teacher and principal..." + (show)
@stephcarney

@nanny23 I have some arthritis in my feet, and my husband, a former teacher and principal who painted houses in the summer for 50 years has stage four arthritis in his hands and has already had several surgeries. What do you do for your arthritis?

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I do physical therapy and take vitamins. Balance of Nature gives me more energy. When it is cold or rainy and snowing not much helps. Heating pads help. Keep moving or you get stiff. ❤️

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edsutton | @edsutton | Jan 20 4:39pm

I had cataract surgery 4 years ago, and I recommend it highly.
Seeing clear colors, the pine needles at the very top of the trees and lots of tiny stars makes me happy every day.
And it's time for me to get my eyes checked, just to make sure everything's o.k.
It was an optometrist who told me, based on a scan of my retina, that I had high blood pressure.

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