Adventures with Lou - Falls

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Susan10

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Joined
Nov 26, 2011
Messages
189
Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
09/2011
Country
US
State
OK
City
Bible Belt
Stepped on the electric plug for the shop vac in the garage and went down like a rock. Face plant into the cement. My glasses cut my face but nothing is broken, per 2 cat scans. I'm pretty swollen and turning all kinds of colors. My caregiver was just beyond arm's reach, unfortunately.

So, how do we get up after this kind of fall? He's 62 and intended to lift my full weight which would have hurt him. After getting help to get in a sitting position, I scooted on my butt over to a desk where I could pull myself up. I won't be able to do that for long. Suggestions?
 
I fall more and more frequently. There will come a time soon where I will only be safe in a wheelchair. It's hard to release our independence. I use walkers and AFOs at the moment and still fall. What are you using to help you stay safe and upright?
 
This was my first fall - rather dramatic. I have a manual chair I've used a few times but nothing else. My legs are getting very stiff. Went to clinic april 5. nothing was really said or done except the usual assessment. guess i'll call them next week.
 
Be careful with yourself Sweets!
 
Susan, honestlY I think it sounds like you should have called 911, and not try to get up on your own. Be careful, it's awful when you fall even if you aren't hurt, but to have to get CT scans to make sure you're ok? Don't try to get up from a fall like that.

Most of the time when I've fallen I haven't hurt myself thankfully, but I always try to get to a set of stairs or a small step stool to sit on. Then I lift myself up to a higher step and then use my cane (and the gait belt I keep in my scooter's basket) to have someone help me up. I don't know if I can even do that anymore, but that's been my method so far. If you have AFOs, take them off before trying to get up.
 
Susan......Sorry you are all banged up from your fall....Happy nothing was broken

My hubby Richard is a mechanic & another mechanic fell in garage at work & couldn't get up....he rolled onto an appliance dolly & Richard got him standing up that way. The mechanic that fell already has bad back & legs and if he gets in floor he can not get up by himself anyway.
I don't know if this suggestion would work for you but thought I would mention it.
 
My caregiver was a corpsman (LPN) in the Navy and is a take-chaarge person. In rerospect I should have gone to the ER last night. For future reference, they won't o stiyches on a cut that's more than 6 hr old. live and learn. just glad i was able to get up. my 21 y/o college student who hates the sight of blood was totally freaked out b/c it was gushing from the cut - probably 3-4 T on the floor.

Here's a 'funny' - I even have the 2 dots from the hinge of my glasses embedded (cut) into my face! lol - yuck. Finding the 'pony in the manure' - glad i was home, not alone, not in public, not at family/friends, turned my head so i didn't land on my nose...things to be grateful fror.
 
Terry had one real fall that sounds alot like yours. He went face first and full force. He was black and blue for weeks, but nothing broken and no permanant damage. I was able to get him up from that one. A few times after that, he felt like he was going to fall so we gently lowered him to the ground in a sitting position so he wouldn't hurt himself. I was able to get him up from several of those. One time, however, I couldn't get him up. Thankfully, we had an Invacare lift that we had practiced with, and we were able to get him up with that. That's what we did from that day forward. Fortunately, we never did have an accident and never had to call 911.
 
Susan, please be careful. I worry about all of you falling as I do it myself, but have learned, stay sitting is best. Tranfering is getting tricky, be care with that also, it happens so very fast, never no when or how. Praying you stay safe and are not hurt to bad.
 
Susan,

You had me at stepped.....Ouch, I can feel your pain. And I'm with Helen. A fall like that and needing CT Scans, would equal an ambulance to coming and getting you up. Please remember that in the future, although there shouldn't be a next time, right? Seriously, you could have really broken something and not felt it right away and done more damage by moving or jarring it. Think of it as staying smart and not being weak.

A walker and pwc or scooter should be your next option. Every so often, someone posts about the early death of a PALS due to a fall. Please take care of yourself.

Praying for healing,
 
Susan, please be careful. I agree with others that a 911 call was in order.
Really glad nothing was broken.
Beckysuenc
 
Falls are very scary with ALS. When my wife fell back in 2010 three times I could not believe the how lightening fast the falls were. Just like someone had snatched her legs up. All the falls could have been bad, but only one blacked her face. I always called 911 and they sent firemen to help me. Not many people are strong enough to lift dead weight. It always took two fireman to get her up and she weighs about 120 lbs. There is a device that will get you up. It cost about 800 dollars and is a mattress life inflatable that does it gradually.
 
thanks everyone. i'm doing much better today. the swelling is going down. i will call my als dr tomorrow.
 
Glad you're doing better. Falls are so scary! I had many and was very fortunate to have only a minor injury. When I started to fall with the walker I let my Clinic and PT know and they got the pwc that I had been measured for expedited. It was a relief to start using the walker when the cane no longer was safe and again when the use of the walker was unsafe. It really cut down on the fatigue too.
We got an electric lift with multiple slings because it took two people to get me up after the last fall. Haven't had to use it yet but it's comforting to know my CALS has it on hand if needed.
I think Allen posted a statistic showing that falls were the #1cause of an early demise. Do take care and get whatever equipment you'll need to keep you and your CALS safe.
 
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