so I fell down the stairs this morning...

[mamiJ]

I feel like the biggest clutz in the world this week.  the other night I was carrying my daughter's little table with her food on it and dropped it, sending ravioli all over the carpet :(

this morning, I was leaving to go to work and forgot something. I went up the stairs and grabbed something at the top of the stairs and turned around to go back down to leave.

I don't know if my foot missed a step or what, but I tumbled down the steps, landing on the bottom.

my husband came rushing out of the room to ask if I was ok and to tell me I need to "be careful" oh, ok..

right now, I'm really scared (and sore :)  )

at least my daughter is big enough that I rarely carry her, but I am scared to pick her up now...

hoping this will not become a pattern.

[Audrey_M]

First, I hope that you did not hurt yourself.

You don't say how old you are (not that it really matters), but I did pick up from one of your recent posts that you wrote about feeling dizzy. Am I right that you have not seen a neuro yet? One of the simple series of tests that a part of a neuro exam involve walking and standing with your eyes closed to assess your balance.

I have problems with both dizziness and balance, and can fall or lose my balance without being dizzy. My neuro does not think that the balance problems will resolve themselves. Because of problems with falling, I now use safety steps to minimize the risk of falling or injury from a fall.

Some things that are recommended include:

-Using hand rails whenever going up or down stairs.
-Practice the sailor's rule; one hand for the rigging, one for yourself. If you have a free hand, you may be able to use that to prevent a full fall.
-Don't walk in the dark. Turn on lights so that you can see any obstacles.
-Keep clear pathways for walking in your home. Even an area rug can be enough to trip on. Walk close to walls so that if you do start to lose your balance, you can put out that free hand to lessen the fall.
-Look where you are walking, especially if you have pets. Cats and dogs are notorious for just lying there...I can't count how many times I have stepped on my dear cat and heard her yowl! Children are also notorious for leaving things lying about, so it is important to look and make sure you have a clear path for walking.
-If you are very dizzy and have a history of falls, don't take a shower until the dizziness passes. You put yourself at risk of falling in the shower with your eyes closed if your sense of balance is compromised.

I'm having a rough week and when I came home from work last night, I lost my balance closing the front door! I was able to put my hands out to the wall half way through my fall so that I did not go down completely.

A few years ago I got up from bed to use the bathroom, but did not turn on the light. I caught my toe on a laundry basket and fell full force on my shoulder, breaking my collarbone. With proper balance, I should not have fallen. Knowing that I do have balance problems, I broke 2 major rules; first, I did not keep a clear path and second, I did not turn on the light.

I hope you find these suggestions helpful. Maybe others will pitch in with what works for them.

Audrey

[Inny2009]

Oh my. I hope your doing alright. I hate falling down the stairs..which i do quite often sad to say. Make sure your alright and i guess all i can really say is go slower next time? You have my well wishes in less falling.

Good luck,

inny

[HVAC]

I find that I have to move more slowly and deliberately to avoid falls. I have been even climbing ladders with unsteadiness for years. It just takes some getting used to. I use a walker or crutches when I am really unsteady.

Alex