Painful Lesson About Falls

Linda wrote a post in Leading a Healthy Life about dislocating her hip when she bent at the waist instead of bending her knees while reaching down to pick up something.  She screamed when her hip slipped out of its socket, when family members helped her sit on a chair, when the EMTs moved her to a transport chair, when they carried her up the basement stairs, when they put her in the ambulance, etc.  I also take chances when I reach down to pick up an object.  Even though I know better, it is frustrating to not be able to move the way I used to as an able-bodied person. 

I am grateful that Linda shared her painful experience.  Her description was so vivid it has changed my behavior.  For example, I put heavy bags on the top step (red circle) so I can I load them first into a rolling cart inside my front door.  I do not want them to crush fragile products like bread.  When I leaned way down to grab lighter bags on a lower step I thought "don't do this."  Now I use a safer strategy.  I expend the energy to walk down to a lower step (green circle) before I lift the lighter bags up to the top step.    

A few days later I felt my heels come off the floor while I was struggling to maintain my balance as I squatted to pick up an object under a chair.  Again I thought "don't do this."  I moved the chair.  In the coming weeks I will look for instances when I put my body in a precarious position.  Linda, thank you for reminding me to be careful.  homeafterstroke.blogspot.com