Well, I did it now. I broke my hip. Now, as well as having ataxia, I lost the mobility I had and my leg hurts. I did it by falling in the kitchen trying to pick up a chocolate chip to eat. We went to the ER where a painful X-ray was taken and a broken femur diagnosed. I had surgery to put a rod in the femur and two screws to hold everything together. Then my insurance would not approve paying for a stay ar an inpatient rehab facility and wanted me to go to a nursing home instead. I thought I needed therapists who could deal with both my ataxia and myhip so we paid so we paid for it ourselves. Now my leg hurts and my mobility is reduced. This is all quite discouraging.
1 Like
Oweeee Linda, so sorry to hear this. Just like that … and it’s all different. It wasn’t even like you were having fun. 
How awful of your insurance didn’t cover the care you needed. Your pain and reduced mobility should be temporary, though. Are you walking with crutches, or a walker?
Take care and keep in touch.
Seenie
Thanks. I am walking with a walker now. It helps a lot because I can’t put my weight on the broken leg despite the surgery. I am doing all my exercises,too. They hurt, but are getting me better. Through the combination of exercises and natural healing, I can do things now that I could not do at all a few days ago.
1 Like
I’m so sorry, Linda4…for your injury and the insurance company fiasco. Sending you healing thoughts…
Thanks! I appreciate good thoughts particularly today, since I’m otherwise not having a good day. My leg is hurting even though I’m doing exactly what I did pain-free yesterday.
Ins. companies don’t care about how crcruel they are to patients. I’ve wasted the past 2 months seeing the doctors dither about more meds & therapy. Meanwhile, I’m getting worse due to lack of activity. Aetna sucks.
I didn’t break anything this time, but like you I reached down to fill my cats water and kept going.
I have done this a number of times. My body is not getting signals to stop at a certain point; I guess.
I thought I could bend down, but I guess I was wrong. It sounds like I have another problem,too,since the femur really should not break from so little force. I have a bone scan scheduled and will be seeing an endocrinologist to figure out what to do next. That is discouraging, but probably treatable. This whole thing has been discouraging and painful. I didn’t appreciate the mobility I had before, though I think I’ll get that back as my leg heals and as I do all my exercises.
Sending positive thoughts 
Recently, a friend who has ataxia, tripped and fell yards in front of me and my husband. He darted forward but unfortunately the worst had already happened. Not her hip but right arm/shoulder. She’s right handed, this must be excessively challenging. Strange how almost the worst injuries can happen in the simplest of circumstances🤔xB
Sorry to hear that. When it rains it pours. I fell and tore my acl. Which they are afraid if they surgically repair it I will fall again so they did nothing and now I have a leg that gives out every day. Balance issue plus leg give out equals floor
Above all else, move with caution and try to stay safe 
xB
I’m so sorry to hear about your hip. The risks get bigger and bigger as we grow older. We have to do everything to prevent the possible damage. It’s very easy to fall forward when picking things up, as basically that is a movement where balance correction is most necessary and we can’t do that! We have to make sure we keep in balance by not shifting away from the centre of gravity between our feet. There is very helpful footage on YouTube with balance exercises and how to move when pick things up or putting things down. For instance this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTukB220h6g Hope this helps! Take Care! Manja
i was sadden to read about your accident. Have you tried to get a prescription for Diamox? My doctor put me on this pill and my Ataxia flare-up are mostly gone. I only get episodes of it when I forget to take my medications for a couple of days. I take a generic form of it…acetazolamide and my insurance co-pay is about $3.00. I wish you good luck dear.