Falling! Is it really necessary?

[MDemisay]

Susan,


Were the lighting conditions the same in both instances?

There is a greater probability of a fall when there is low light, to test this try standing with your eyes closed......begin to sway yet? This is because with most people (who have had surgery) when only one vestibular nerve remains undamaged , the compensation is visual.

Therefore, the less light you have the more unsteady you will be !

Ergo, our enemy is darkness!

Personally, I find myself less likely to drive at night than during the day.

I also wear sneakers all the time now because sneakers make me "feel" the ground more easily than do dress shoes (which are leather) and I am more unable to feel subtle changes in terrain.


Mike

[Brewers7]

Mike,
Actually, we think my fall was caused by failure to eat dinner and taking a sinus pill at midnight. I passed out and broke my collar bone.  MRI showed no problem.  Just a freak thing. In my case, I don't think it was related to lighting.  I certainly agree that it is better to have night lights in strategic places.  Susan

[MDemisay]

Susan,

Ouch! I'm sorry for you! Was it broken a long time? You passed out?

Mike

[Brewers7]

My husband and dog were there in seconds.  It was a complete break.  Nice ride in the ambulance.

[MDemisay]

Brewers7,

How are you now? Better I hope.....My wife just noticed the dent in the wall last night!!!!!That I made in the summer.......!!!

Mike

[It is what it is]

I second the ouch and hope you are healing.

 Karen

[alabamajane]

Re: the falling in the dark,, have any of you tried the Lightspecs by Foster Grant eyeglasses??  I posted about them under the eye issues section,, they are regular glasses that have small LED lights at each temple that would light up whereever you walked.. I don't use them but just wondered if they might be useful to those who did have issues walking in the dark.. Just a thought,, Jane

[MDemisay]

Thanks Jane,

I will give them a look see. Must get ready for the Annual Breast Cancer Walk though , it starts tomorrow at Clove Lakes park in Staten Island. My wife is a 20 year survivor!

As far as walking goes she understands that I get around slowly with a cane for balance on uneven ground.

Mike

[alabamajane]

Mike,
Congrats to your wife! It is such a dreadful disease,, my Mother died of metastatic breast cancer in 2005,, miss her terribly ,,

Good luck with your walk and take it slowly,, at least it will be daylight,,, Jane

[MDemisay]

After Christmas,

I had another fall, I guess it was my fault I was tired and I jammed my ankle disposing of recycles when I came down hard and missed a step. Had it x rayed, negative for fracture.......thank God! It is still sore and will be for some time......only when I think about it does it hurt!

Darn those recycles, why did I have to do them when I was so tired?

oh well!

Mike

PS Happy New Year!

PPS I wasn't drunk as I can't drink!

[mikechinnock]

Compact Florescent light bulbs are really made for AN survivors. a 9 watt bulb burns 108 watt-hours of energy over a 12 hour night. That  costs me 108 watt-hours/day X 1 killowatt/1000 watts X $.15/ killowatt-Hour = $.0162/day for one light. This is about 50 cents a month.

How much would it cost if you fell and broke a hip ? Cheap insurance I'm thinking. I actually have four lights on all night. They provide a lit path to exit my house in the event of fire, or other disaster.

I also have four battery emergency lights that come on upon power failure that provide lighting to the same exit.

[MDemisay]

To all of my dear ANA friends,

As much as I hate to admit it.......I am I am not Superman! When I was very young I used to pretend I was ie jumping from chair to chair even jumping off the garage roof!

Even though I know the effects of gravity

 When I am careless, I fall!

 This past December 26th, when I was clearing the table and disposing of the plastic bottles in my garage I took a step down without holding on to the railing (I had my left hand full of plastic bottles) as a result I missed a step and came down hard on my right foot. I want you all to know I will never do that again! I almost fractured my ankle! I got it xrayed just after and all these weeks later I got another xray which again shows no fracture. Thank God!

I want to caution all of us holding on when we are climbing or descending stairs is important  not only to our health and to our sense of self worth. All this getting injured from not paying attention is tiresome.

Mike