Among Friends

[Desertdi]

I have a rather "different" challenge.    One leg is loaded with stainless steel "spare parts"...which results in a very minor disability.   (I stand up carefully.)

HOWEVER..."well-meaning" people grab me and haul me up like I'm a 100 pound sack of potatoes they are tossing into a truck.

I had to tell the dental assistant to "Take your hands off of me....I can do this myself"...

(I lift weights for physical therapy, and am NOT helpless).

[jlkz]

@kaydee50 

Quite a few years ago I had bone spurs on my heels.  Walking down stairs was excruciating so I began to walk down backwards and holding onto the handrail.

The bone spurs resolved but I found the backward stair taking easier and much safer as I aged.  Were I to fall, it would be onto the stair step rather than falling backwards and down hitting my head.

I now find DH starting to do likewise  at times.  We're in our early 80's and have no other mobility issues.

[jubilant]

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@wagirl wrote:

I think that was a very considerate gesture from your relative! Did you take her up on the help? I would have without any thought--I AM older--70 now--and I KNOW when something is more than I can handle and gratefully accept the help. If it saves me a weird accident just because I could do something years before--and can't quite do it now--thank you for helping me. 

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 @wagirl  Yes, I took her up on it!

She is a petite little thing. She led me to the bar that connects the trailer to the tractor and grabbed my hands as I teetered there. I think she could see my balance was off....it was! She is studying to be a PA and will get her degree this Summer or Fall. I rather imagine she has seen this before!

She seemed surprised I even tried it.   

[jubilant]

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@Desertdi wrote:

I have a rather "different" challenge.    One leg is loaded with stainless steel "spare parts"...which results in a very minor disability.   (I stand up carefully.)

HOWEVER..."well-meaning" people grab me and haul me up like I'm a 100 pound sack of potatoes they are tossing into a truck.

I had to tell the dental assistant to "Get away from me....I can do this myself"...

(I lift weights for physical therapy, and am NOT helpless).

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@Desertdi   My sister has a leg like this. She does have to be careful with it.  When we go walking we don't go anywhere there is climbing, rocks, or lots of stairs.

[tansy]

I got in a spinning cup ride at a fair with my grandson.  Oh my.  I was amazed at how nauseous I was.  I used to be the queen of roller coasters.  

[Puzzle Piece]

@jubilant  It's a Garden Tractor!  I imagined an actual tractor.   

[Goodie2shoes]

at 74 I am totally blessed. I have friends who have passed on so I wake each morning and pray the Lord's prayer giving thanks for allowing me to wake up and get my day started. Having a long hx of Diabetes, 3 knee replacements (2 on the right) I have difficulty climbing stairs so after selling my home because of steps I am happy to be in a one level apartment with less space to clean. I realize it takes a little longer to clean because I have to just stop and sit for a while.   For sure I am no longer a Spring Chicken !

[chrystaltree]

I get reminded that I'm "older" frequently these days.  It feels weird because I'll 65 in a couple of weeks but I don't feel "older".  I look darn good "for my age" too.  And then it happens.  The reminder.  Last week at my cardiologist office, I was that I get tired easier and I don't know why.  My echocardiogram, blood pressure and everything else are terrific.  I'm maintaining my weight.  My cardiologist shrugged and said "well, you are 64....".    It never occured to me that my body would feel different at 65.

[Sooner]

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@jlkz wrote:

@Sooner 

Please add: Do not push or try to move things in place with your knee(s)....e.g., I had 4 weeks to learn that from nudging a king size mattress into place as I finished changing the bed.  It was MCL ligament.  ( Football players usually do in the ACL one. )

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@jlkz POOR kid!  Must hurt!  At least maybe your football career will survive! But seriously thanks for mentioning it because I do that all the time!    I am thankful you nice enough to give the warning for us!  

[AngelPuppy1]

It's an eye opener!  A while back I wanted to reach something on a top shelf in our kitchen.  I figured I would just hope up on a chair the way I have always done, and had done a short time before that.  Well --- that was a big mistake!  I was shocked to discover that I no longer had the strength to propel myself up there and ended up missing, and hitting my folded leg on the edge of the chair, which not only caused me to fall but left me with a big gash on my lower leg, right below the knee!  This left me quite shaken and the injury was very painful and months later has still not fully healed.  It upset me more mentally than physically.  The spirit and mind might be just as strong, but the body often is not.  So, we often need to reassess and admit at times that we need to be more careful and approach tasks a bit differently!