I’m sorry you are hurt. I am 64 and my husband is 70. He took a bad spill, we were at a hotel in Minneapolis during an ice storm. He had gone to visit friends and I went to bed. The spill happened I. The parking lot.Someone helped him ginf our hotel room. He looked like he had been in a fight. I took him back downstairs to the lobby and another guest called the EMTS, they evaluated him for a concussion and suggested the emergency room for stitches and possibly an MRI.
My husband was refusing to ride with the EMTs , I was trying to get an Uber and then the receptionist gave us a ride to a hospital.
This summer he fell while walking across the street to a pizza joint.
I fell last Thanksgiving a broke my glasses and sprained my wrist. I broke my wrist a few winters ago, both of mine happened on ice.
It causes one up think how vulnerable we are. And not want to walk in the winter.
I live in a big city and have always felt confident and assured navigating its streets. For many years, I worked providing pastoral care in one of the poorest neighborhoods, and while prudent, never felt vulnerable. Now in my 60s, with long-ish white hair, I am not as fast as I used to be and have an arthritic knee. I am now conscious of, from behind, being seen as an old lady. And there is a frisson of fear.
Please be your own best caregiver! Cataracts and deteriorating vision can be repaired. Our quality of life is not negotiable, and preventing unnecessary falls by maintaining your health can help you keep time in the quality column.
I am so sorry that this happened Debbie and I completely understand that unwanted, frightening feeling of suddenly being vulnerable. I am currently on Day 11 of Covid - my very first time - and have been as sick as I've ever been in my life. Fever, weakness, unable to get out of bed for days. And my FACE - I think I have aged 10 years although today, with blush, maybe only 5 lol. But I have also felt so depressed, alone with my thoughts, feeling so fragile, being forced to look at how life can be and how it IS for many people. Terrifying stuff. We are all in this together and maybe the only point is to help one another along the way. I do believe in the importance of balance and practise standing on one leg when I brush my teeth twice every day! It's amazing how quickly one can improve.
My most organized "prevention-inclined" friend once mentioned her mom having taken a fall class. I had no idea it was a thing!
I'm so sorry about the fall, Debbie. I'm so impressed you keep a place to be nearby to your grandkids. In my teens I established my own (separate from my parents) relationship with my grandmothers. I'm lucky to still have both my grandmothers and consider each of them important, wildly different from one another, influences.
OH, my yes. I fell smack on my face when I was in my 50's - tripped on a sidewalk. I had no "old woman" excuse. But recently I fell in my bedroom (tripped on the bed) and cut my forehead open, requiring 12 stitches! I live alone, so that was a wake-up call. I am blind in one eye, so that makes things worse in terms of depth of vision. Since getting those stitches, I am much more conscious and try to keep one hand on something - a wall, a piece of furniture, etc. - when walking around. And I am VERY cautious when walking in public!
Yes, yes and yes! We have a saying where I live…stop worrying about cancer, heart attacks or strokes. They (doctors) can do something about those. But if you fall, they cant really help and it’s a long road back. I don’t play competitive tennis any more and I found a scuba diving “nanny”.
It’s all about managing expectations, for me. Take care Debbie. You look great!
Well, interestingly, I have a fall story of my own. Yes, I fell heavily, and the reason was that there was a pothole in the pavement of the street. Luckily for me, I fell on my right side, my bicep taking the full impact of the fall. People wanted to help me up, but I knew "something wasn't right" and had to get up by myself. As it turned out, I had a fracture of my right arm. It meant an ambulance trip to the hospital and having to go home (via a coach -- we were on a day trip) wearing my hospital gown and hospital blanket, as I couldn't put any of my clothes on. Arm in sling, etc. I didn't take it to be anything to do with my age, it would have happened at any age to anyone, I think. Consequently, because it happened in a town centre, I can claim compensation from the town council. That has been a journey of discovery to see how they try to put up multiple roadblocks to actually dishing out some money, but I am persistent. I hope to have some cash by New Year's. In the meantime, being right handed meant that I've had to learn how to write with my left. So now I'm ambidextrous. So I guess that's a bonus, if you want to look at it that way.
I hope your lip, bruises and sores heal quickly, Debbie. xo TBH I think we're all vulnerable. I feel for you; that this fall has winded you and your spirit but I applaud you embracing action to prime and protect yourself moving forward. We all need to do that. We want to glide but life's uneven jagged path bites us, and trips us up. We need to do our best to be prepared for trip-ups, AND perhaps walk arm in arm with friends to avoid falling ...we can't pre-empt everything though. Health conditions can impede mobility and stability. Over-anxiousness can also increase shuffling and falls risk. I've seen variations of this with my parents. No solutions, just a greater appreciation of slow and steady winning the race over speed.
I hear you Debbie! I’ve had two falls since turning eighty… nothing broken. But accepting is the key word! I’m posting about it tomorrow. Accepting and owning our age while still being youthful and active is a balancing act, for sure. I’m just glad you’re okay, healing. Going back to see the darn sidewalk isfunny, but good reinforcement to be better aware. Bravo sharing your picture with your sweet grandgirl…how wonderful you get to be near them through winter months! Did you ever get the ice cream… seems it would help swollen lips! 😁😅 Great post on vulnerability and being honest with ourselves!
First of all, I love your title! Am 76 and after an entire life of the great fortune of good health, at age 70 things began to quickly deteriorate. Heart and lung problems which have slowed me down considerably. I have had two falls, much like you describe. Once broke my wrist but overall so fortunate that the consequences were primarily bruising, swelling, scabbing, etc. Both of my falls occurred in my 60s. Both "tripping" and also momentum from very fast walking. Like you, I have slowed down and really try to be conscious of each step. However, I grieve the loss of just taking off, walking at my natural fast speed, without needing to be so conscious. Conscious, I guess, primarily of these new limitations. However, I do try to keep in mind that I CAN walk and this is a gift from the universe at this point in my life. Attention to balance, speed, and one's environment are excellent protective factors but as we each know, there is no absolute protection from future injury. Today I am walking and that's what counts.
Oh Debbie! It’s an awful feeling isn’t it?!! I had a simple fall at the end of August 2017 when I was still in my 50s. Smashed my right wrist and fractured my left elbow and found out that I had osteoporosis!! (An ‘old lady’s’ disease.) It was a wake-up call and an opportunity to try to turn things around before things got any worse.
I’m so glad your damage wasn’t worse, but the shock and embarrassment and that awful feeling of being old before your time is not nice! (Hopefully updating your glasses will help a little.) Thanks so much for sharing this experience with us. It’s a terrific reminder for all of us that we’re only human. Take care of yourself dear soul. Enjoy the city as things cool off.
I’m 77, 50 pounds overweight, but have always seen myself as indestructible. Clearly not! Never fallen but played sports so many years have pretty good body awareness in time and space. Probably my saving grace is heavy bones and the only time the phone is out when I’m walking is to take a photo. Lucky.
I fell whilst out running, just over a year ago. Cuts, chipped teeth and a monster headache. Nothing terrible but I couldn’t see any reason for it, there was literally nothing I could have tripped over. The randomness of it was the most unsettling thing and I’ve changed my exercise regime so that I rarely run outside anymore. That is what stayed with me more than the physical impact.
Hubby warned me that in a reputable publication he just read our transition glasses contribute to falls!! Maybe that's why for nearly the past decade I have phobia at step down curbs, fully aware that my depth perception has been wonky! Time to get walking glasses?! Who knew?!
I just read an article in the latest AARP bulletin about the fact that blended eyeglasses can lead to more falls due to to poor ground vision… i wear blended eyeglasses and had no idea. I am due to have my vision checked and replace my current glasses so will keep this info in mind. Had bunion surgery aug 7 and recovering from it too
![[B]OLD AGE with Debbie Weil](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_36,h_36,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb1d7636-a0e5-44ef-846d-a6df558eff16_1280x1280.png)
![[B]OLD AGE with Debbie Weil](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/e_trim:10:white/e_trim:10:transparent/h_72,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb939748d-5d80-4d0f-867c-2ed252ac633c_1344x256.png)
I’m sorry you are hurt. I am 64 and my husband is 70. He took a bad spill, we were at a hotel in Minneapolis during an ice storm. He had gone to visit friends and I went to bed. The spill happened I. The parking lot.Someone helped him ginf our hotel room. He looked like he had been in a fight. I took him back downstairs to the lobby and another guest called the EMTS, they evaluated him for a concussion and suggested the emergency room for stitches and possibly an MRI.
My husband was refusing to ride with the EMTs , I was trying to get an Uber and then the receptionist gave us a ride to a hospital.
This summer he fell while walking across the street to a pizza joint.
I fell last Thanksgiving a broke my glasses and sprained my wrist. I broke my wrist a few winters ago, both of mine happened on ice.
It causes one up think how vulnerable we are. And not want to walk in the winter.
Naomi, agh!! what a story, but only too real, I know. Take care.
I live in a big city and have always felt confident and assured navigating its streets. For many years, I worked providing pastoral care in one of the poorest neighborhoods, and while prudent, never felt vulnerable. Now in my 60s, with long-ish white hair, I am not as fast as I used to be and have an arthritic knee. I am now conscious of, from behind, being seen as an old lady. And there is a frisson of fear.
Please be your own best caregiver! Cataracts and deteriorating vision can be repaired. Our quality of life is not negotiable, and preventing unnecessary falls by maintaining your health can help you keep time in the quality column.
I am so sorry that this happened Debbie and I completely understand that unwanted, frightening feeling of suddenly being vulnerable. I am currently on Day 11 of Covid - my very first time - and have been as sick as I've ever been in my life. Fever, weakness, unable to get out of bed for days. And my FACE - I think I have aged 10 years although today, with blush, maybe only 5 lol. But I have also felt so depressed, alone with my thoughts, feeling so fragile, being forced to look at how life can be and how it IS for many people. Terrifying stuff. We are all in this together and maybe the only point is to help one another along the way. I do believe in the importance of balance and practise standing on one leg when I brush my teeth twice every day! It's amazing how quickly one can improve.
Be of good cheer xo
I stand on one leg while brushing my teeth, too :)
Fellow one-foot-teeth-brusher here.
My most organized "prevention-inclined" friend once mentioned her mom having taken a fall class. I had no idea it was a thing!
I'm so sorry about the fall, Debbie. I'm so impressed you keep a place to be nearby to your grandkids. In my teens I established my own (separate from my parents) relationship with my grandmothers. I'm lucky to still have both my grandmothers and consider each of them important, wildly different from one another, influences.
Hoping you feel much better very soon. It’s an awful disease! Take care. Rest well. Sending hugs. 🤗🤗
oh yes, Sue, feel better soon!! (I’ve had Covid twice; not too bad either time; just got the most recent vaccine booster)
Thanks so much!
OH, my yes. I fell smack on my face when I was in my 50's - tripped on a sidewalk. I had no "old woman" excuse. But recently I fell in my bedroom (tripped on the bed) and cut my forehead open, requiring 12 stitches! I live alone, so that was a wake-up call. I am blind in one eye, so that makes things worse in terms of depth of vision. Since getting those stitches, I am much more conscious and try to keep one hand on something - a wall, a piece of furniture, etc. - when walking around. And I am VERY cautious when walking in public!
Yes, yes and yes! We have a saying where I live…stop worrying about cancer, heart attacks or strokes. They (doctors) can do something about those. But if you fall, they cant really help and it’s a long road back. I don’t play competitive tennis any more and I found a scuba diving “nanny”.
It’s all about managing expectations, for me. Take care Debbie. You look great!
Well, interestingly, I have a fall story of my own. Yes, I fell heavily, and the reason was that there was a pothole in the pavement of the street. Luckily for me, I fell on my right side, my bicep taking the full impact of the fall. People wanted to help me up, but I knew "something wasn't right" and had to get up by myself. As it turned out, I had a fracture of my right arm. It meant an ambulance trip to the hospital and having to go home (via a coach -- we were on a day trip) wearing my hospital gown and hospital blanket, as I couldn't put any of my clothes on. Arm in sling, etc. I didn't take it to be anything to do with my age, it would have happened at any age to anyone, I think. Consequently, because it happened in a town centre, I can claim compensation from the town council. That has been a journey of discovery to see how they try to put up multiple roadblocks to actually dishing out some money, but I am persistent. I hope to have some cash by New Year's. In the meantime, being right handed meant that I've had to learn how to write with my left. So now I'm ambidextrous. So I guess that's a bonus, if you want to look at it that way.
I hope your lip, bruises and sores heal quickly, Debbie. xo TBH I think we're all vulnerable. I feel for you; that this fall has winded you and your spirit but I applaud you embracing action to prime and protect yourself moving forward. We all need to do that. We want to glide but life's uneven jagged path bites us, and trips us up. We need to do our best to be prepared for trip-ups, AND perhaps walk arm in arm with friends to avoid falling ...we can't pre-empt everything though. Health conditions can impede mobility and stability. Over-anxiousness can also increase shuffling and falls risk. I've seen variations of this with my parents. No solutions, just a greater appreciation of slow and steady winning the race over speed.
Sending hugs.
So glad you’re okay. The fall was indeed a hint or nudge for you to take care, as you mentioned.
I noticed I drag my feet which can lead to tripping. I need to be aware of picking up each leg as I take a step.
I hear you Debbie! I’ve had two falls since turning eighty… nothing broken. But accepting is the key word! I’m posting about it tomorrow. Accepting and owning our age while still being youthful and active is a balancing act, for sure. I’m just glad you’re okay, healing. Going back to see the darn sidewalk isfunny, but good reinforcement to be better aware. Bravo sharing your picture with your sweet grandgirl…how wonderful you get to be near them through winter months! Did you ever get the ice cream… seems it would help swollen lips! 😁😅 Great post on vulnerability and being honest with ourselves!
a few days later, my husband said, “Hey, get back in the saddle and walk up there to get ice cream — and bring me some!”
😅😅😅 Funny guy!
First of all, I love your title! Am 76 and after an entire life of the great fortune of good health, at age 70 things began to quickly deteriorate. Heart and lung problems which have slowed me down considerably. I have had two falls, much like you describe. Once broke my wrist but overall so fortunate that the consequences were primarily bruising, swelling, scabbing, etc. Both of my falls occurred in my 60s. Both "tripping" and also momentum from very fast walking. Like you, I have slowed down and really try to be conscious of each step. However, I grieve the loss of just taking off, walking at my natural fast speed, without needing to be so conscious. Conscious, I guess, primarily of these new limitations. However, I do try to keep in mind that I CAN walk and this is a gift from the universe at this point in my life. Attention to balance, speed, and one's environment are excellent protective factors but as we each know, there is no absolute protection from future injury. Today I am walking and that's what counts.
Oh Debbie! It’s an awful feeling isn’t it?!! I had a simple fall at the end of August 2017 when I was still in my 50s. Smashed my right wrist and fractured my left elbow and found out that I had osteoporosis!! (An ‘old lady’s’ disease.) It was a wake-up call and an opportunity to try to turn things around before things got any worse.
I’m so glad your damage wasn’t worse, but the shock and embarrassment and that awful feeling of being old before your time is not nice! (Hopefully updating your glasses will help a little.) Thanks so much for sharing this experience with us. It’s a terrific reminder for all of us that we’re only human. Take care of yourself dear soul. Enjoy the city as things cool off.
I’m 77, 50 pounds overweight, but have always seen myself as indestructible. Clearly not! Never fallen but played sports so many years have pretty good body awareness in time and space. Probably my saving grace is heavy bones and the only time the phone is out when I’m walking is to take a photo. Lucky.
Thank you, Nancy, for becoming a paid subscriber! And yes, feeling indestructible can be a problem. It’s the way I’ve mostly felt up til now.
I fell whilst out running, just over a year ago. Cuts, chipped teeth and a monster headache. Nothing terrible but I couldn’t see any reason for it, there was literally nothing I could have tripped over. The randomness of it was the most unsettling thing and I’ve changed my exercise regime so that I rarely run outside anymore. That is what stayed with me more than the physical impact.
Hubby warned me that in a reputable publication he just read our transition glasses contribute to falls!! Maybe that's why for nearly the past decade I have phobia at step down curbs, fully aware that my depth perception has been wonky! Time to get walking glasses?! Who knew?!
I just read an article in the latest AARP bulletin about the fact that blended eyeglasses can lead to more falls due to to poor ground vision… i wear blended eyeglasses and had no idea. I am due to have my vision checked and replace my current glasses so will keep this info in mind. Had bunion surgery aug 7 and recovering from it too
Yvonne, another commenter told me the same thing but I can’t find the article. Would love to read it (author is Peter Perl?).
Unfortunately I've thrown away that issue of the AARP Magazine but here's a link on the same topic .. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2667180/
And another one: https://www.ourparents.com/senior-health/link-between-bifocals-glasses-and-elder-fall-risk
Also see page 7 of this PDF: https://www.optometry.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Professional_support/Guidelines/Falls_Guidelines_v8.pdf