How many times have you fallen in the bathroom? - Page 8

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@Porcelain You get my drift--So I gave up on trying to live other people's lives a long time ago. And I have shed any guilt from it. I can suggest, I can beg, but only so much.

If I ever tried to "make" someone do something or live someone else's life, all that changed was things were my fault for suggesting them and "see what happened?"

So barring dementia and that's another long story with some, I only do what I can do, and try not to make others unhappy by doing it.

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

@Sooner

I am connecting to the meaning of every word you've said, which is spot on to what comes out of my 87 year old mothers mouth every single day!

Mom insists on staying in her home alone until she dies, period. She does not care about any of the details that point to how unsafe she might be; she is in the only place she wants to be. She does not want to be with other people; she wants to be left alone in the house she and Daddy built, that is filled with happy memories.

We can visit; the shorter the visit the better, and we are not to walk into her house and look for something to complain about. As she said, she never came into our houses and told us what to do, and she expects the same when we are in her house. Mom is not dusting or sweeping, but her kitchen is neat and clean, she keeps her laundry done, makes her bed every day, and she is clean. My brothers and I have to accept that, and just take it one day at a time.

Mom has been out in public 2x this year, and has one medical appt to go. She refuses to get vaccinated. We concentrate on keeping her safe in her home, and despite the mounting challenges, it has worked so far thru the efforts of us 3 kids, our spouses and 3 adult grandchildren. We have promised to do our best to keep her where she wants to be, and I pray every day that we never have to remove her from the home she loves.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@RedTop Oh my do I know what you are going through! It is constantly with you night and day. People used to say "why don't you make your mother move" and I'd say I'll give you her address and YOU go see how that works out for you."

My prayers and good thoughts are with you!

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

@goldensrbest wrote:
Yes, falling in the bathroom is common, i have fell twice.

@goldensrbest

Common for who? Need more specificity, such as age/gender/disability etc. Anyone that says they can, or are living "independently"? In my opinion, it should not be considered "common" to fall down. In the bathroom or otherwise.

Now like me? Ice skating 2-3 times a week for 2 hours per session? I have and do fall down, but even on ice, for me at 82? It is not "common".

hckynut

hckynut

hckynut(john)

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

@Trinity11 wrote:
Never but I notice I am always asked at my cardiologist's office, if I have fallen recently. It seems to be a question asked by all my physicians...

@Trinity11

I had to smile when I read this about your Cardiologist office. Now when I went to the ER a couple months ago to get Xray for a broken rib and possible lung puncture! The ER nurse asked me the same thing: "have you fallen lately"?

I told her "that's why I am here". Her: "How did it happen"? Of course I answered "I was ice skating". Gave me a funny look and asked me if I was trying to learn to skate. "No, I have been skating since I was 8 years old. You skate often enough, regardless of one's skill, you fall".

None of my doctors offices ask me that question. But then again, most of them know I skate.

hckynut

hckynut(john)

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

@Icegoddess wrote:
Never, but I do understand why the bathroom is a common place for falls. It's the one place in the house where you combine water, slick surfaces, and bare feet. I have slid on the shower floor after trying and in-shower body moisturizer, so I save my mositurizing for after I get out of the shower.

I'm a big proponent of doing balance exercises especially as you get older. Even when I was skating, which I haven't done since our rink closed for the pandemic, I would do balance-specific exercises as part of my workout at the gym. I tried to tell my Dad that, but he said he didn't have time even though he would go to the Wellness Center and walk. Then, he started getting dizzy and fell a couple of times.

I recently had some obstinate vertigo, so I got in at my Ear Doctor's balance center to get the Epley Maneuver done on me. Even though I know HOW to do the maneuver, it is important to know which ear the crystal is in the canal or you could just make it worse. When I went back for a follow-up they also did a weird balance test on me where you just stand there looking at the inside of a giant egg and apparently the floor imperceptively moves underneath you. Part of the time is done with the eyes closed. I got a 90%; the average for my age is 60%.

@Icegoddess

I have been a klutz as far back as I can remember, on my feet. Put on a pair of ice skates after I learned to skate? Once after my 14 year absence from skating, I went to 12 weeks of Balance PT. And for 4 months I put my skates away while doing the PT and the "at home balance exercises ".

Won't say I got back and away I went! I fell plenty, breaking my nose and beating the heck out of my hip bones. Now i feel more balanced on skates than in my shoes much of the time. Tell my wife that every time i stumble over 1 of our cats or Lily, our dog.

Strange how this works for me! Still skating 2-3 times a week. A couple falls the last 3 weeks, but I am still recovering from the 4 ribs I broke a couple months ago when I punctured my left lung.

hckynut

hckynut(john)

catter70 · ‎10-11-2017

I've never fallen yet. Was hoping to replace tub/shower with a walk in shower but recently had to buy a car and have expensive dental work to pay for, so I guess that will have to wait.

PilatesLover · ‎08-20-2014

Once, due to vertigo.

Lipstickdiva · ‎03-10-2010

I have a shower/tub combo. I slipped once getting in but was able to steady myself by putting my hand against the shower wall. However, I wrenched my back.

When we first moved into our house our only shower was in the basement and it was all cement block. My DH slipped in there and fell. He hit his elbow hard on the cement floor and ended up having to go to the doctor because it developed a huge, softball size lump that was filled with fluid.

I too know of someone who fell getting into the shower, hit her head and died.