What have you done to improve balance?

Need help to restore balance

Ed – As I've had the learn, it's not always the Big Things that present the only challenging trip hazards, it can also be––and often is––one of the least of things. I mentioned in an earlier post that last week I did have a genuine fall, but for the past umpteen years I've not had a "genuine" one, only "almost falls" (and I've had plenty of those). A "least of things" that almost tripped me up was a medium-size carton I'd placed on the floor to carry out to the trash the next time I was going out. One corner of the carton was just a teeny-tiny sticking out in the path to the front door, and wouldn't you know it? the edge of my left shoe clipped it––just barely!––giving me another of my Way Out of Proportions fear that I was about to fall. I didn't fall, but that Way Out of Proportion sensation is one I'm all too familiar with: a foot will ever so slightly catch the corner of something or simply "feel" a stray extension cord, and my mind will go: WHOA! I'M GOING OVER! GRAB SOMETHING QUICK! (as though I were about to fall over the edge of the Grand Canyon). Ah, life with PN! Ain't it something? 🙂 – Take care, Ed! – Ray

I managed to trip but not fall again today - my mantra is "tie those shoes" - now I even have some that zip. What did I trip on? A bit of rope on the shed floor.
I'm a long-time fan of orthotics too - I even have special ones for my sandals -to correct a lifelong toe-in on my right foot that makes me "list" to the left. If I don't have shoes on, I can sometimes veer off-course so badly I bounce off walls and door frames.
So as I look forward to my 80's I get ever more cautious, trying to break my lifelong habit of rushing. Any tips?

One thing I’ve learned about this PN thing is how a good night’s sleep (or nap) helps my balance. If I have a bad night or extra periods of inadequate rest, my body responds as if I’m under sedation! Coffee won’t fix it for me. In my case, my muscles/nerves need proper rest and control from overuse to help me feel in control of my balance.

@dbeshears1 Hi Debbie - My wife did all cooking and with the help of my adult kids, I've been able to learn how put a few things together without blowing up the kitchen. I also learned that you need to put holes in potatoes before putting them in the microwave. So, things are coming along. I am far from my own how to cook TV show, but I am slowly learning. As far as falling, my oldest daughter suggested (actually insisted) that I get a fall detection device that a I wear like a watch. It looks like a watch. It detects falls and if I don't respond by pressing a button in the middle, it will notify a monitoring company who will then reach out to my family members and local police. There is a low monthly cost. I've had no falls but have set it off a few times with a quick motion. If I press the button within so many seconds, it does not notify the company. It also monitors where I am and works thru the cell phone system. No home monitor device involved so traveling is easy. It works no matter what state I'm in. Glad I have it and yes, I do keep moving the best I can. Stay well. Ed

Hi @ray666 ~
Oh! So those "Way Out of Proportions Fears" are normal?! Thank you for saying this! If you hadn't, I was beginning to think I am hopelessly obsessed with it. For me, it seems to happen on smooth floors, such as the hardwoods in my bedroom and office, and the vinyls in the bathroom and kitchen. Sometimes there is nothing there at all but it feels like I have happened upon a partial roll of paper towels. The panic is heart-stopping! I know full well that I am one step away from another broken hip and it is truly terrifying. Balance issues from NP sure seem to present a lot of facets -- sigh!!
Have a safe week! ~ Barb

Hi, Barb

Not way out of proportion at all! I was just talking to the friend who was with me two weeks ago when I fell in a crowded coffeeshop. He told me he thought I was making "more of fall of it than I needed," that if I'd just let gravity take its course, I'd have ended up making a soft landing on my knees. But in my mind (mid-fall), I was in "crisis"––instead of just going for a soft landing, I grabbed a nearby table and brought everything down with me: coffee mugs, teas, cookies, croissants, cheesecake, the whole drinkable/edible nine yards. Hardly a soft landing. 🙂

Ray (@ray666)

We need a "Yikes!" response. That sounds like something I would do. My last fall was over a board and straight into a wagonful of potting soil - gardeners really get into their work!

Hi, @njed ~
Yes, I have a similar system except it is worn around the neck. I was not going to invest in this system except that my oldest daughter-in-law made a comment that got me to thinking this would be a gift to my kids, not to me. This way, they would be free from wondering if mom was okay, if I had fallen and couldn't get to my phone, or worse. They all have plenty to think about with their own kids who are striking out on their own. I don't want them to be burdened with wondering if I am okay and they not knowing. I, too, am glad I have it and also keep moving the best that I can. Thanks, Ed!
Barb