Fell At Work

[angela5674]

I was wondering how everyone else deals with falls, both in the aspect of preventing them and also the emotional aspect of them.  I fell at work Thursday going down stairs.  My foot just slipped out from underneath me and I fell backwards, cracking the back of my head on the corner of the cement stair.  I ended up having to go to the ER and get 6 staples in my head.  I would like to just blame this on the boots I was wearing, but a similar thing happened within the past 6 weeks.  I was just able to grab the handrail and catch myself (barely) that time.  I'm pretty freaked out about this whole incident.  I'm up and down 1800+ stairs (all concrete/cement) a week at my job.  I was extremely lucky that I didn't have a concussion or worse damage.  I was so embarassed!  I had just finished therapy with one of my adolescent girls and she witnessed the whole thing.  Then I had to be taken to the med clinic so the nurse (who happens to be the owner's son's girlfriend) could check me out.  When I went in yesterday to finish up the individual therapy sessions I couldn't do Thursday, everyone kept asking me about it and how I was.  I really appreciated their concern, but I hate that there was even anything like that to be concerned about.  Nobody really knows I have MS except for a select few people.  I'm worried that I'll become a liability if they know, especially after incidents like this.  Has this happened with anyone else?  How do you deal with it, whether at work, at home, where ever?  Thanks...angela5674 (a very sore, very embarassed woman who currently has metal in her head)  :)

[Super_sally888]

Horrid experience.  Glad you're ok (sort of).

Reckon time to check out the shoes.  Something sensible, definitely flats to minimise falling risk if you do lose your balance, and something that will let you feel the floor under your feet also.  There are lots of nice shoes around - even things like dance pumps etc.... just takes some time to readjust the fashion sense.

Second, make sure you use the railings as you come down stairs.  This doesn't mean hanging on for dear life, but keeping your hand on it.  My balance has always been not the best, so I always have my hand on railings going downstairs.  it has become second nature. :)

Take care and be well.

S

[Heather3418]

Oh gosh, you really took a tumble.  I have only had one fall since being diagnosed with MS over 12 years ago.  I am not sure that my fall was even due to the MS, since I tripped over a stump and fell backwards.  It left me with some severe head pain and whiplash for 2 weeks.  It was so embarrassing.  Tripping over my own feet, seems to be something that I have done since I was a child.

Makes me wonder if MS was active all the way back then, before I actually had symptoms in my 40's.  I was always so clumsy that I would trip over a blade of grass.  I kid you not.

Please take care of yourself Angela.  It may be time to invest in a "quad" cane to help stabilize yourself.  During the period of time in the beginning of my MS course, I had to use a walker and a cane to help with my then; severe balance problems.  I have had to use the quad cane since then and it was a great sense of well-being when it came to my balance.

Be well Angela.  And for goodness sake, watch those feet.

Heather

[essdipity]

I do feel for you! I'm so sorry you had to be stapled together and to go through such an experience. You are young and I bet very attractive and fashionable, so I hate saying what I'm about to say, but say it I must. You really need to reconsider the shoe question, for work at least. Fashion boots are gorgeous, but if they have any significant heel they are more likely to be dangerous, especially if you go up and down concrete stairs all day. (Bet you're in great shape, though.) If your legs seem to give out totally unexpectedly you just have to reduce the risks to the extent possible. Sneakers would be pretty awful, but is there something else you could wear?

As to explaining things at work, if I were you I wouldn't worry about that based on this one bad experience. People fall all the time at work. I did, one winter, and had horrible injuries with consequences I still deal with, but it had nothing to do with MS. Your disease is very much on your mind, of course, yet I'm sure it hasn't occurred to your co-workers that you have some bad diagnosis based on one nasty fall.

None of us knows what the future holds. The time may come when your MS will interfere permanently with your work life. I do hope not, but it could happen. If it does you'll find a way to deal with it then. Don't make your life NOW more distressing by "awfulizing." Life's too short.

I know most of this is just philosophy when you want practical solutions. Maybe others can help with that. Hang in there, girl.

ess