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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

greatmum Wed 21-Oct-15 20:20:42

I have had so many falls from childhood to last year, that I learnt to accept I was falling and collaspe in floppy state, which I find saves me from being badly hurt !!
I liked the don't get the white jacket dirty fall ! Lol excalty what I would have done!
In fact a few years ago I was carrying a tray with teapot ,sugar , milk, and empty cup down the stairs, when for some unknown reason I was falling .....keeping the tray level ...as I hit floor held tray slightly higher , only the sugar spilt a little !! I was so pleased no mess to clear up !!!

jinglbellsfrocks Fri 16-Oct-15 10:18:47

I'm definitely on the mend thanks Wilma.

(No more excuse to sit on backside doing nothing hmm)

Nanalogue Fri 16-Oct-15 10:11:53

Sunseeker grin

LullyDully Thu 15-Oct-15 13:03:53

I will survive thanks for good wishes.??

WilmaKnickersfit Thu 15-Oct-15 12:58:19

LullyDully are you sure you are alright? shock flowers

jing how are you feeling today? flowers

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 15-Oct-15 12:48:30

shock flowers [ibuprofen]

LullyDully Thu 15-Oct-15 12:43:31

Fell in the shower this morning. Ow I have a wonderful bruise. It didn't 'arf hurt..

WilmaKnickersfit Thu 15-Oct-15 12:38:48

gillybob she sounds like my kind of woman grin

gillybob Thu 15-Oct-15 12:14:27

My sister fell spectacularly on the night before my 3rd wedding. We had been out for a very quiet meal and a few drinks and she fell from the top to the bottom of a set of 20 stone steps. She literally rolled from the top and rolled onto the pavement at the bottom. She picked herself up (we were still at the top) dusted herself down and said "bloody shoes" we then walked on a few hundred yards where she took a dive over a wooden sandwich board outside a restaurant. She just lay there and it took 3 of us to pick her up. Needless to say the pretty dress she had bought for my wedding was replaced with a long one to hide the bruises. grin

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 15-Oct-15 11:55:10

You can't exercise your ribs.

sunseeker Thu 15-Oct-15 11:51:22

Sympathy to all those who have suffered a fall - but to inject some humour to me the best way to fall is to drink a bottle of wine and fall into bed grin

suzieq Thu 15-Oct-15 07:56:48

Scary stuff. The maintenance of strength and balance is vital as we age both for our own safety and, in many cases, to preserve life. Many elderly people die as a result of falling over - see the Age UK booklet www.ageuk.org.uk/documents/en-gb/campaigns/stop_falling_report_web.pdf?dtrk=true.
I know all too well how hard it is to prioritise exercise but for our own sakes and that of the NHS purse, surely essential.
On a lighter note, when does "falling over" morph into "having a fall"?

WilmaKnickersfit Wed 14-Oct-15 22:36:49

marionk shock

marionk Wed 14-Oct-15 22:22:27

I don't actually know which is worse, being aware you are a public spectacle or realising nobody noticed! A few years ago my husband was on the stern steering our narrow boat and I was shoving at the bow as she was stuck on some sand, obviously I lost my footing as I went to board and disappeared under the boat! NOBODY not even DH noticed and he actually asked me what had happened when I dripped my way back onto the boat!!

Falconbird Wed 14-Oct-15 14:07:35

Talking of falls. It's not all to do with advancing years. At my wedding reception I bounded up some stairs on my way to get changed to go on my Honeymoon.

The door at the top was a sort of fold up and down thing and some idiot had left in too much open and I hit my head on it and fell over backwards!!!

I was carried to a sofa by my father in law (whom I loathed) but I was perfectly OK and went away with my new husband for a week in London.

luluaugust Wed 14-Oct-15 13:59:30

Spectacular fall at GD's sports day, ambulance had to come onto playing field, luckily GD hadn't seen me arrive and was well away from where I fell. 12 hours in A& E, and then op on quadruple fracture of upper arm. Osteoporosis diagnosed but still have no idea if I tripped or fainted. Lost a lot of confidence about going out alone, however, keep doing it! Was just trying to help out as Ds and Ddil not available that day oh dear.

Nanalogue Wed 14-Oct-15 13:01:53

Running upstairs at a nightclub? If only! Getting up for a wee in the night.
Remember walking round the end of the bed then was smashed over the head by a couple of iron bars... extreme head pain followed by shock. DH only refrained from phoning 999 when I told him to put the peas back in the freezer (they were Bird's Eye petit pois). To him that meant I was fine.
Spent whole next day in A & E at daughter's insistance, they were much less interested in my poor Humpty Dumpty head than in why I had keeled over. I had no recollection of falling, slipping, tripping, feeling dizzy...still don't know. Head still hurts (was a couple of weeks ago) and now ribs, which must have also hit the offending iron bars (heavy metal ornate towel rail). Tests on going. Pain on going. On balance rather have been running upstairs at a nightclub especially if I was onto a good thing grin

friends123 Wed 14-Oct-15 11:20:42

Running up stairs at a nightclub thinking one is on to a good thing-result-a bleeding nose-anyone know anything about nasal cartilage?!

coles Wed 14-Oct-15 11:08:23

November of last year 2014 I slipped on a muddy area, it was a strange scenario really, because as I was going down, I knew that if I landed on my back, which was the way I was heading, I would hit my spine, which is full of arthritis, so I leaned over to my left and broke the humerous bone. It couldn't be plastered, due to the awkward area, so I was strapped up for three weeks, which was more uncomfortable than I care to mention, than the break itself. I had extremely good care from nurses coming in every day, plus my daughters help. I was told it would take a year to feel fully better, but I have been able to lay on that side for some weeks. Not the most pleasant of experiences, but better now and positivity does so help. Blessings to all. Margaret.

janepearce6 Wed 14-Oct-15 11:04:30

Not at all! It's the only way.....

Bellanonna Wed 14-Oct-15 08:28:29

Four years ago we were going up an escalator at Gatwick. I was 71. DH was a couple of steps above me when suddenly he lost his balance, teetered, and fell backwards ... onto me. I consequently fell back too and first instinct was to yell "stop the escalator", which someone must have done. Everything just happened so quickly. We were helped up and taken aside, and an incident report was made. They wanted to call an ambulance but I wanted to go on holiday so I had to sign a form to say I'd refused medical help. DH was feeling ok as he'd had a nice soft landing. I felt shaken but tried to make light of it. I had no apparent bad injuries so was allowed to continue with my journey. I ached like hell, but the real damage came out next day. I went to a pharmacy in Italy for advice and they said I'd cracked a couple of ribs but that there was no remedy for that. I was quite mobile, just in pain. I bared my upper leg which was a dreadful colour, but it was just bruising. As the days went on the colours changed spectacularly, with an interesting imprint of the lines from the escalator steps. Looking back I think I enjoyed my holiday but from that day I keep well away from DH on staircases of any kind.

soontobe Wed 14-Oct-15 07:17:37

askville.amazon.com/land-falling-case/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=6575410

This might help.

WilmaKnickersfit Wed 14-Oct-15 00:19:05

Gentle {{{HUGS}}} and flowers to all the injured peeps. Some corkers on this thread, some serious, some hilarious - but it does shake your confidence.

My Mum had a bad experience in April when after having a bath before bed time, decided to clean the loo (as one does {rolls eyes}). However, instead of getting her rubber gloves, she put on a pair of the plastic gloves you get with hair dye (as one would {rolls eyes}). The gloves offered no grip like rubber gloves and of course her hand slipped and unfortunately she fell forward bashing her head on the cistern. The result was a serious concussion, a brain scan showing the injury, a cancelled holiday because of the vertigo, some permanent memory loss, a significant loss of confidence - and she's convinced it will speed up the onset of dementia .

She's always been a scatty batty (like mother, like daughter), but things we would have laughed about before, are just not so funny any more. To say this has shaken her is an understatement. Of course, like so many of us, she tried to brush it off at first. What are we like?

Personally, I like the idea of landing on the bed best, but I wouldn't mind a ride in the Air Ambulance. wink

jinglbellsfrocks Tue 13-Oct-15 23:29:17

Thanks grannyqueenie. smile

grannyqueenie Tue 13-Oct-15 23:22:03

Hope you get some sleep tonight jingle , I remember turning in bed being really painful when I had a rib problem a few years ago