Hi all I fell over this morning, nothing unusual about that. Today I smashed into the side of a drawer. I have just come home from the Dr with stitches in my head, nothing serious but still annoying. Do you find when you fall over you go down with a hard smack, or is it just me. Not having a good day x Linda
I often fall on my backside as i fall backwards all the time, generally try to fall gracefully but sometimes do fall hard, I try to always laugh it off, been lucky and only had few bruises
When I go down, quite often it is hard - instead of accepting that I'm tumbling I try to catch or stop myself and tht just makes things worse. Luckily I haven't done anything serious yet, but I think it's just a matter of time...
A couple of weeks ago I passed out and fell backwards cutting my head on the
tiled floor. I was very lucky, nothing broken, not even a bruise!
Previously when having falls, I noticed I’d lost the instinct to put my hands
out to cushion the blow, or take other evasive action. I’d just fall, and wait
to land! :)xB
Hard smack.
My NYC P/T seemed to say that falls or most falls, can be avoided by a degree of mind control. (For example, if you feel you are moving too fast, stop somewhere.).He advised me to try and analyze each fall. Once, I broke my nose by allowing myself to get startled by a pigeon who flew into my living room.) But most often the damage has been minimal. Good luck. N
Hi everyone,
I fell more in the early days, I seem to take things much slower now and fall less often. When I do fall, I seem to go without any understanding where the ground is and like Beryl can’t put my arms out to save myself, walls are usually there to break my fall. The worst time was in a restaurant where I bowled three chairs over and had the waiters all running around panicking. Low lit places are deadly.
Hello Linda
Yes..a SMACK it is. Broke my left hip in 2010 by one and just recently I fell flat on my face on a stone floor. Bruised and bleeding nose, teeth cut through my lips, sore front teeth and gums. Was just lying there in a puddle of blood..completely astonished. I looked bleeding awful for some weeks. Can look at myself in the mirror again now though..hey familiar face again:):)
I fall down CRASH BOOM with no warning. No dizziness or change in vision. I just fall. It seems I fall to the left or straight back the most often. I've smashed into drawer too but haven't had to have stitches. I once fell backwards KERPLUNK with all of me just lying there and fortunately all I broke was my thumb. Frustrating isn't it? The only thing I can suggest is to develop a really good sense of humor.
SINGcerely Gramma Karen
I too have fallen flat on my face without putting my arms out to brace the fall and wondered what happened to that instinct.
I’m in the same boat! I fall hard, no defending myself. In a slpint and arm sling right now! Like Lockie said dark or low lit places are the worst. I have no sense of where the ground or the rest of the world is!
They tell me I go down in slow motion. For me it seems fast and hard. When I try to grab something to keep from going down, it seems my eyes are not moving with my body…and I go down after banging into a wall, counter, table…always fall to the left. I’ve broken my left hip, femur, wrist, and ankle over the years. If someone attempts to catch me during my fall, I take him down with me! Not even a body builder can keep his balance. Sometimes I wonder if I need an exorcism…lol.
Got to keep laughing…it’s the best medicine!
Falling for no reason is our reality. However, I have noticed when my week consists of core and shoulder strengthening, I fall less. I always have bruises on my forearm and shins. I feel very isolated b/c I avoid hanging out with others b/c its very complicated! I am always glad to hear from this group and know I’m not alone.
Stevi, people understand and strangers, even, will be happy to give you a hand…IF you ask! It seems that you have to let people know that their help is appreciated and that they are not embarrassing you. Places that Iwon’t go to alone are restaurants…especially fast food places. What if there is no one to help me get my food to a table? What if I bang into someone while he is attempting to eat his food? I started a group for widowed people in my town. We meet for lunch every week. When we meet at buffet restaurants, getting my plate of food back to the table is a challenge…and the more I think on what I’m doing, the worse my balance and hand movements get. One of these days I’ll have to put aside my pride and ask for help…or some poor soul will be wearing my food. Don’t ever isolate yourself because of your disability…there are people out there who WISH they had our problems!
Linda, I feel for you and wish that you had not suffered from the fall. A quick answer to your question is that all falls I have endured quite frankly I would place into the column "hard fall". I have experienced cuts, bruises, abasions, black eyes and humiliations -- have fallen in to displays at stores embarrassment felt.
I will soon be 70 years old and my worse fear is a broken hip or other bone fracture.
I fear falling out of bed, been there done that.
It seems no matter how careful I think I am being a fall can occur in a nanosecond. Yet I must trudge on -- do not like living in fear of a fall but it seems I as an Ataxian that is my fate.
I fall like everyone else, and fall on my backside, it goes with the illness I'm afraid. Fingers crossed we get up to fight another day. Keep going I know it is hard. Good health everyone.
I tend to fall forward, if I fall. Sometimes its out of the blue; sometimes I can feel it coming on. Strangers have rushed to assist me. I have to be super careful because I can slip easily I am at the stage now when curbs are very challenging. Like getting into and out of a taxi from the street which first requires me to deal with a curb, is not simple. To keep walking after alighting from a taxi, is near impossible. My movements are not fluid. I often have to come to a full stop. What a weird condition.
I feel much better today. A few pain killers a family with a sense of humour and all my on line friends soon help to lift my spirits.Thank you all. My dad came home with a red stool, the type they use in garages, it has four wheels and I can scoot about the house with out the fear of falling over. I will let you know how things go.
TOO FUNNY! That's why I'm on here now. I was shaking out rugs and when I came back in in stocking feet I hit the linoleum and slid. That's why I have the rugs there (so I don't slip). I am icing my knee and my thumb was bleeding. Not able to see yet if I cut myself under the nail or I partially ripped the nail off. We all sympathize!
I have sca6 and have been fairly lucky until recently, I am in my 50's and the only problem I have had with ataxia is needing to hold on to handrails going up and down stairs. Before christmas I slipped over on the cement and landed against steel tablet and chairs, I broke my hip (NOF-neck of femour) I had 3 screws put into my hip, I have had a bone density test and confirmed I have osteoporosis in my hip, surprising as I have never broken a bone, I have always had strong bones and have taken Catrate calcium and Vit D ) for years and have done all the right things to promote bone health. I was using a walker when I first came out of hospital, but i am walking around like a normal person now without aids. I keep on exercising. What worries me most is now I have one fall and broken a bone, will I have a broken bone everytime I fall over (this is not something to look forward to), and is osteoporosis another symptom of ataxia
First of all I'm sorry you fell and had to get stitches. Oooooooo! :-( I used to fall allot more after I was first diagnosed. What seemed to help me was going
1) Gluten Free (I know that a lot of people will think because it's food that's a joke, but really have you tried it for a while to see if it helps any?) And processed sugar free. But foods just because we need to have them can be used as meds to help us be stronger.
2) I went to a PT and she showed me difference scenarios of when falling how to sit or roll in another direction not to go with it. Or as I'm falling or to catch myself before I get into that full fall. Ask your Dr. to get a referral to a good PT.
Then in a few weeks, once your healed you could start movements to control your body more hopefully.