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How is the best way to fall over?

(111 Posts)
jinglbellsfrocks Fri 09-Oct-15 17:06:14

1. Like I did today. ie entering a crowded traffic island in town, tripping on the kerb, hanging onto bike which I was pushing at the time, and which developed a life of its own by continuing onwards, whilst I crashed right down on one knee wondering what the hell had thumped into my right side back, (some item of street furniture I presume) and struggling frantically to get up again before anyone noticed (some chance) hmm The only consolation being the very nice elderly gent who grasped me by the elbow and literally heaved! (Blessings and praises be upon him) smile

Or

2. The way DD did it today. Arrived at the school gates, cycled across the pavement to go in, had a wobble, tried to dismount but somehow got her second leg caught on the rather high crossbar of her modern day bike, couldn't shift it and sank unceremoniously to the ground, wearing at the time a rather tight little skirt, and according hilarious amusement to a bunch of sixth formers standing nearby?

hmm

Katek Tue 13-Oct-15 18:36:06

I had to go for a bone scan after my shoulder break to check for osteoporosis. Apparently it's standard procedure up here for a 'fall from height' in the 'elderly' (sorry!) I'm only 5' tall and was barely 60. Was quite upset I fitted the parameters.

Falconbird Tue 13-Oct-15 17:20:40

If in doubt I ring 111. They are very helpful and you can ask to speak to a Clinician who is a trained nurse.

I had a horrible muscle pull from putting on tights to go to a meeting. It hurt for weeks and weeks. I wanted to look smart at a meeting - definitely wasn't worth the pain.

jinglbellsfrocks Tue 13-Oct-15 09:09:22

roses well done for being near a bed! grin

jinglbellsfrocks Tue 13-Oct-15 09:07:33

Thank you all. To be honest I am in agony! It's definitely a rib thing, and I expect we all know what they can be like. I've had it before, Ribs damage very easily don't they. I just need to wait. It will ease off soon.

Thanks for askkng. x

rosesarered Tue 13-Oct-15 08:39:12

For all those feeling unwell as a result of a fall, get better soon.smilebut to answer the OP 'what is the best way to fall over' it has to be what happened to me one day last week.Putting on tights ( wanted to wear a skirt to go out)
Losing balance, teetering about and eventually falling back onto the bed dramatically.A nice soft landing!

jogginggirl Tue 13-Oct-15 08:38:07

How are you jings It can take a few days before we feel the after effects of a fall sad Might be time to get checked out hmm

glammanana Tue 13-Oct-15 08:32:01

I sympathise about the knee jings and hope any swelling is minimal and not too painful,when I fell in June very un-lady like outside our local Bank (in front of customers who I knew)I just knew I couldn't stop myself it was in slow motion and all I could do was see the pavement come up to meet me with a thump !! then came the crack of the bones as my whole body weight fell against the dam shoulder but everyone was lovely and helpful and I did get one to one attention from a dishy paramedic which lightened the experience. ( still on the mend though after all this time) xx

NfkDumpling Tue 13-Oct-15 08:29:51

How are you today Jings?

Grandma2213 Tue 13-Oct-15 02:38:50

jings - oh dear poor you. Things can suddenly start hurting weeks after the original event, I'm sorry to have to tell you. I was innocently crossing a one way street in June and was knocked down by an (illegally) reversing car. Stitches in the back of my head and a solid blood soaked hair helmet for a week seemed like the sum total of my injuries. X Rays and a brain scan showed nothing but tissue damage. Since then I have had an aching jaw, sore, stiff neck, aching lower back on right side, and pain on the left where I have had a hip replacement previously. Not only that but I have put on over half a stone due to my inability to exercise!!

I realise that this may not cheer you up but I sincerely hope that you make a speedy recovery and will get back out there and kick a***. I certainly intend to!

janerowena Mon 12-Oct-15 12:12:16

Oh jings... Please everyone see a Dr if you ever start to feel sick after a fall, especially when you are eating. My mother had a succession of falls, and it was discovered that she had broken her back, and has osteoporosis. That was three years ago, and she has done it again this year. Luckily the medication now available is amazing, so she does recover each time, but it's hard to see how ill she looks and how thin she gets.

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 12-Oct-15 12:07:24

Honestly! Was fine yesterday! hmm

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 12-Oct-15 12:06:34

Sigh! I thought I had got away with it. Was bending over cleaning in bathroom. Something clicked horribly in my back just where the marks are. Now got horrific pain in side of back round to the front. Obviously bruise to ribs has come out.

Am now sitting in straight backed chair keeping very still. Apart from GN ing finger.

grannyqueenie Sun 11-Oct-15 23:55:27

Oh luckygirl it's that "falls in the elderly" phrase that chills my heart! sad Having worked in a supportive role with elderly people in my forties I now realise many of them weren't old at all...just a few years older than I am now, 65! I tripped over a box at home a few months ago, landed in another box full of wine glasses (no alcohol involved, truly there wasn'tgrin) slicing my forearm, while gashing my head on the sharp edge of a radiator in the process....it wasn't pretty, me and the carpet bear the scars! OH kept telling people I'd "had a fall", I kept correcting him saying I'd just fallen over. Not the same thing at all in my book! Am I in denial that I'm getting older...too b****y right I am!! smile

Nelliemoser Sun 11-Oct-15 23:13:18

I tripped up walking downstairs carrying my first born when he was just about a year old. I kept running as I could not grab the stair rail without dropping the baby. I hit the floor hard with left foot the ankle swelled up impressively straight away.

I phoned the next door neighbour who rescued the baby grabbed som nappies and took him to her house. He was fine, a neighbour across the road took me to A &E. I just could not get hold of DH until about 8pm.
There was no break in my ankle but I could not weight bear and it hurt like B if I didn't keep it raised.
DH took me over to Mils next day and she looked after me and the baby for a good week as I could not put my foot to ground.
I do think that this fall might have caused a stress fracture in my lower spine, which was the cause of the back problems I developed about 3yrs and one baby later.

merlotgran Sun 11-Oct-15 22:56:51

I didn't realise the leverage bit of my left knee had swanned off into the sunset until my niece's wedding when, after the jollities, a very merry crowd of us were driven back to the hotel in a minibus. When I tried to step down facing forward in a crouched position nothing happened and I sank gracefully into a heap on the pavement. DS pulled me to my feet and do you think anyone would believe my cries of (trying not to laugh) 'It's my knee, it's my knee?' grin

I have since discovered that I can accomplish the same manoever backwards without any problems. hmm

whenim64 Sun 11-Oct-15 22:39:59

The goldfish weren't too pleased when I landed on them, Jingle. grin I've had a few falls since then, most recently doing the splits in the garden when the path was slippy. Just waiting for arthroscopy on my dodgy knee which improved immensely after I recovered from the last mishap.

jinglbellsfrocks Sun 11-Oct-15 22:04:08

Mind you, if you'd have banged your head....! shock

jinglbellsfrocks Sun 11-Oct-15 22:03:29

I am so sorry whenim64 but your post is hilarious!!! grin

Sorry again.

janerowena Sun 11-Oct-15 21:55:20

I always take a stick with me on rough ground, whitewave. I have a foldable one. I reckon I fall over at least once a year, somehow. DD is currently carrying on with the tradition. She broke her ankle the week after I did last year, and like me is still having tendon problems. We went for a walk last weekend when they came up to visit, and she caught her foot in a pothole. She has a fracture just above her ankle and is having to wear a large black boot and use crutches. Only 30 and already has broken herself twice in one year.

whitewave Sun 11-Oct-15 16:33:04

I was interested to read that you use a stick ,lucky girl because you have a sore foot. Looking at your profile photo you don't look nearly old enough!!!! Now reading what you say about risk and the elderly I am wondering if I ought to seriously think about one when walking the dog as I often find myself flat on my back and shaken up. I am usually on my own for miles so no-one to pick me up.

oldgoat Sun 11-Oct-15 16:23:09

I fell out of a train in Sri Lanka. Luckily it was stationary at the time! I'd been sitting in the open doorway with my feet hanging out as we sped through the mountains. As we arrived at a station some other passengers wanted to get off so to get out of their way I decided to jump down onto the platform, which is at track level. As I took off the toe of one of my boots got caught inside the leg of my trousers and I crashed to the concrete platform. Nobody attempted to help me. I wonder if they thought I was drunk? Luckily no bones were broken but I had the most fabulous bruise on my thigh. I put the lack of major injury down to the thick layer of fat on my leg. I believe slim people can buy padded knickers which which help to cushion their falls.

annodomini Sun 11-Oct-15 15:35:46

GA. What a courageous effort. That sounds as if it was over and above the call of duty.

grannyactivist Sun 11-Oct-15 15:08:42

I had a spectacular fall about five minutes before I was due to leave home to lead a course where the subject was 'healing'. Turned up with my arm in a sling made of a brightly coloured scarf and took me and my badly broken elbow off to A&E the following morning!

flowers to jingl and others recovering from a fall because although we're joking it can actually be quite scary and leave people feeling quite vulnerable.

annodomini Sun 11-Oct-15 13:03:24

At our age (well, my age) a fall is far more of a shock than it was when we were younger. When I fell over outside the bank, I was very shaken and was most grateful to the bank staff who took me in and made me a cup of tea. Whereas when I came off my bike and suffered a world class black eye at the age of 16, I just got back on my bike and went home to find a steak to put on the bruise!

whenim64 Sun 11-Oct-15 12:24:10

Hope you're ok, Jingle. That must have been a shock.

The best way to fall is on your back in the garden pond, as I did a few years ago, trying to prevent the dog wading in. Legs in the air, nothing on under my dressing gown which fell open. Very undignified but no harm done. grin