Hospitalized After Falls and Weak Legs

[Arch Hoagland]

However I do only type one letter at a time.

You and me both my friend. Got thrown out of typing class in 8th grade and never learned to type. That was in 1958.

 

[Seilerbird]

I did learn to type in high school typing class. I am too uncoordinated to go fast.

 

[Tom]

However I do only type one letter at a time.

Chris calls me the fastest 1-finger typist she knows

 

[CamperAL]

Hi Tom,

Sorry for your problems and wishing you well and back on your feet. Hope you recover and get stronger.

You and a couple of other people on the forum help me decide on our RV to pick out when we were looking. Since we bought our RV, I have stayed in that RV and never made the mistake of having to sell and re-buy. I certainly appreciated your advise on that.

While I am pretty strong on my feet and hand, arms etc.etc. right now, I did manage to catch my ladder leg a while back and ended on my back in the garage. I was strong enough to get myself up. I hobbled around for about a week until the calf of my leg healed well enough for me to walk normal again.

Keep us posted if you can so we don't worry about you! Take care!

 

[whiteva]

Many prayers for you my friend!

 

[TheBar]

Hope they figure out the cause and get you fixed.

My wife struggles with hyponatremia (low blood sodium) that causes very similar symptoms to yours. Not saying that is your problem but you might ask your doctor. The normal range is above 134 and can be deadly if your sodium levels go below 124. This went on undetected for 12 years.

She got progressively weaker and fell a lot. But being over 60 this was blamed on old age. Broke her pelvic bone on one fall and her ankle on another. The ankle didn't heal right and now she's permanently in a steel ankle brace.

She eventually started fainting and had two strokes that weren't discovered until found during an routine eye exam a year ago. The eye doctor sent us straight to the ER. If you have any blind spots it could be due to a stroke.

In the hospital they found the hyponatremia. She now takes four 1 gram salt tablets per day, mixes Propel electrolyte powder into everything she drinks, and is limited to 2 liters of liquid per day. After 3 months of PT and a year later she can now walk 3 blocks a day.

It turns out she wasn't feeble because she was old. But even doctors sometimes miss a serious condition because of your age.

 

[TheBar]

I had an RV related fall myself. After downsizing to an HOA home our RV has to stay in covered storage. Last September I was airing up the driver side front tire. As I stood up my baseball cap blocked my view of the side mirror sticking way out of the Class A parked next to me. My forehead barely touched it but I flinched backwards and fell on my left shoulder.

An MRI later the surgeon said my deltoid main shoulder muscle was shredded in 3 pieces and was surgically impossible to repair. He advised against exercising my shoulder because it could make it worse. Raising my arm caused the torn muscle to spread apart and could tear further.

For 6 months it popped and hurt really bad every time I raised my arm. Even taking an RX thru the pharmacy drive thru window. I babied it but still had some strength as long as I didn't raise my arm. So over time I kept pushing it a little farther.

Now I'm mowing my own lawn this summer. Every time I raise my arm it still pops loud enough for other people to hear. But I can raise it above my head without pain holding a 2 1/2 lb weight. And easily pick up my 50 lb grandson. I'll keep increasing the weight until its back to normal. But being very careful not to push it too hard.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I haven't simply fallen yet, but have realized I no longer recover well from tripping over an object or shaky footing. 18 months ago I tripped on a tree branch I thought I had stepped over and banged up a rib when I fell awkwardly. And I have difficulty getting back up if there is nothing close by to lean on. Lessons learned: (1) I now carry my phone everywhere in case I have to call for help, and (2) step carefully around obstacles and uneven surface. Just gotta be careful all the time!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I did learn to type in high school typing class. I am too uncoordinated to go fast.

Hope you recover soon, Seilerbird.

 

[jymbee]

...I now carry my phone everywhere in case I have to call for help,

Or if you have to respond to someone else seeking assistance. Some friends think I'm just paranoid given if, for example, I'm going somewhere and have driven a few miles from home before realizing I left my phone behind, I turn around, go back and get it.

Quite a departure from the "old days" growing on on a farm and working alone in some isolated places with no way of getting help if needed. But somehow all of us having grown up in that period have managed to survive.

But today no doubt about it as demonstrated numerous times, a cell phone can literally be a life saver-- for you or others.

 

[RRR]

However I do only type one letter at a time.

Me too. Bot I'm advancing to both hands at a time.

 

[Wasillaguy]

Last week , my 90 yr old father took a chunk out of his thumb while operating a table saw in his basement, home alone. Managed to wrap it up and make it up the stairs to a telephone.
My brother was there in about 6 minutes. Dad told him he was going to drive himself to the hospital, but it was already dark and he figured he'd screwed up enough already.

 

[Rene T]

Tom, when I get back to FL next fall, we’ll have to get together at your place. You’re not driving anymore are you?

 

[Alan_Hepburn]

My falling adventure: last summer my wife and I were going shopping at a Best Buy. We got out of the car and started walking from the parking lot to the store. We got about 20 feet from the car and my recall goes from taking a step to waking up face-down on the hot asphalt hearing my wife asking "Are you all right? What happened?" No memory of falling, or hitting the ground. After a bunch of tests my cardiologist finally decided it was most likely caused by a combination of low blood pressure and dehydration. The low blood pressure is being controlled by wearing 20-30 compression hose all day, and the dehydration is being taken care of by forcing me to drink at least 96 ounces of liquid every day - all that liquid has to come out sometime, and that happens all night!

 

[SMR]

Wishing you a speedy recovery, take care.

 

[RayIN]

Very few people get hurt falling, it's the sudden stop at the ground that hurts.
Hang in there Seilersburg.

 

[rjshiflet]

Every doctor I see asks if I have had any falls in the last 12 months. I think it is a Medicare-required question, and I understand why they ask it. Best of luck to you.

I'm glad we're not on "truth detectors" when we answer that question.

When I have fallen...er...I mean "if I were to fall" - I'm sure the first thing I'd do would be try to jump up like I did as a teenager and see if anyone else witnessed such a fall. Getting old certainly isn't for the faint-hearted.

 

[NY_Dutch]

I'm glad we're not on "truth detectors" when we answer that question.

As a multiple stroke survivor with various related conditions, I've found it best to be as truthful as possible with my medical team.

 

[Seilerbird]

Tom, when I get back to FL next fall, we’ll have to get together at your place. You’re not driving anymore are you?

Sounds like a plan, I would love to see you. No I no longer drive.

 

[Tom]

I'm glad we're not on "truth detectors" when we answer that question.

Every time I visit any medical facility they take, or pretend to take vitals. Some just ask my weight and what my BP was last time I took it, and enter it in their computer. When someone asks me to get on a physical scale I say "oh, the lie detector test".