Making it Work: Are You a Fall Risk?

Sometimes life isn't ideal. Let's face it, most of the time it isn't! So, we do what we need to, to make things work. In my "Making It Work" posts, I share life hacks and ideas that have helped me so that, maybe, they can help someone else too. I hope you enjoy!

 

 So, I've officially entered my Fall Risk Era. Yeah, I didn't think I'd hit this for a few more decades either, but God had other plans! As I approached Radiation Therapy this spring, my vertigo really kicked in. I found the world around me tilting and whirling like I was on a ride at the fair (not Disneyland, Disney wouldn't do this to me!). My husband noticed that I was leaning to the right again (this happened before my brain surgeries as well) and that my path did not proceed on as straight a line as I intended. One Sunday at church, things got really bad! Our sanctuary is very dimly lit during services and the way everyone lines up to receive communion has lines of people going in different directions all at once, a lot for my taxed brain to process! I found myself losing my stability and had to grab onto chairs around me, I almost grabbed a couple of strangers but just barely avoided it. After that, we decided it was time to engage the use of a cane.

 

 I did my research and found just the right one. It was nice and light (so it wouldn't tax my shoulder), inexpensive (so it wouldn't tax my wallet!) and adjustable so I could get it to the right height for me - something my PT had taught me was very important! It came quickly and I started using it right away. I only used it when I was out of the house as, at home, I was able to grab-walk my way around using the walls and furniture as support when needed, but my vertigo was just not as bad inside as well. Something about dim lighting and stimulation seemed to trigger it, as well as movement around me. I supposed if there had been dozens of people walking in different directions in front of me in my house I would have had trouble there too 😝.

 About a month later, I developed a very concerning pain in my right side, and my team thought it might have to do with my gallbladder, so I headed into the ER to get it checked out. They ran every test. I love how thorough they are but not how slow, it took hours! The good news, my gallbladder looked beautifully healthy. There were some rather disparaging comments about by liver (they called it fatty!), but overall, I checked out A-OK and the pain was determined to be muscular. How could I end up with muscular pain in my right side? Well, guess which side I used the cane on... If I'd slowed down to think about this, I should have seen it coming. When I started using my seat cane a few years back, I had trouble with my shoulder as a result. Lots of other accommodations I've used have caused secondary issues, why would a cane be any different? The determination on both the part of the ER staff and my doctor was that I needed to transition to a rollator. Ouch.

 

 Have you seen old women walking with one of these at the mall or in a park? Yeah, me too. Have you seen women in their 40s who looked otherwise healthy using one? Nope? Me neither. This was an ego hit! The only thing that finally talked me into it was the reality that me falling in front of dozens of people with the potential resulting physical and emotional injuries would be much more embarrassing. Also, this pain in my side was not something I could ignore. Not a great selling point! God brought several wonderful people alongside me, including my radiation therapy waiting room buddy, Mike, to help me feel better about it and emphasize its value to my mobility and safety. Really, the feeling that I didn't have much of a choice was the biggest influencing factor. So, I engaged the use of my "Rollinator." Why that title? My kids grew up watching Phineas and Ferb on which the antagonist is a villain by the name of Doofenschmirtz who named all of his evil inventions something with the suffix "-Inator". He had the Shrink‑Inator and the De‑Handsome‑Inator and of course, the Galactic Travel‑Inator. The funny thing is, I don't think my husband actually realized that he was mis-pronouncing the name of the device for weeks. He actually thought it was a roll-Inator rather than a rollator! And now, that's its name. 

 I appreciate my rollinator, and within a day or so of using it, the pain in my side disappeared! I still feel a sense of embarrassment when I use it though. I've been walking with it for a couple of months now and it still hits when people look at me sideways when I'm using it. The benefits far outweigh the discomforts though. For one, balanced stability = lack of muscular pain from sideloading. For another, I have a seat with me wherever I go, which came in SUPER handy earlier this week when I spent 4 hours in a jam-packed waiting room in the ER! 

 

 So, what about our last ghost-friend? He's wearing what they call a gait-belt. Not fun. I've only had to use these in the hospital directly after brain surgery, though they had us bring it home so I do have one available should the need arise. It's a wide, cloth belt that you wear around your waist that gives your care-provider something easy to grab onto. 

 I guess it's better than someone grabbing my butt to keep me from falling, but it's not fun. That's probably why even though they had us bring it home from the hospital, that's the only place we used it, and even then, they required us to use it there. 

 The Mayo Clinic has six steps they recommend to prevent falls:

1. Talk to your doctor

    Tell them about any falls you've had and share with them any concerns you might have. They'll likely ask about previous falls and discuss your health conditions with you as well as looking into medication that might have side effects or interactions that increase the risk of falling.

2. Keep moving

    It sounds counterintuitive, but avoiding movement for fear of a fall can actually increase its likelihood. The more your use your body, the more your vestibular system and proprioception are engaged, teaching and informing them to help you stay upright. 

3. Wear Sensible Shoes

    My daughter does not like this one, so good thing for her that she's not a fall risk - yet! The Mayo Clinic recommends wearing, "properly fitting, sturdy, flat shoes with nonskid soles." Not fun, I know, but neither is a turned ankle or your whole person ending up on the floor!

4. Remove home hazards

    You can't control the world, but you can arrange your home to your specifications! You should remove tripping hazards like electrical cords and other things in the walkway. If you have coffee tables, plants, etc located in high traffic walkways, remove them. Be sure to secure loose rugs and make sure they are not curling up on the edges. And, of course, be sure to clean immediately any spills! That is the source of my worst fall, water from the dog's bowl on the marble kitchen floor. 

5. Light up your living space

    Dimness makes it MUCH harder for me to see, and I guess I'm not alone. They recommend that if you're going to be walking through an area, make sure it is well-lit so you don't miss something important.

6. Use Assistive devices

    And finally, we reach what I gravitated towards in the beginning. In addition to the cane, walker/rollator and gait belt I described above, they suggest considering: handrails for BOTH sides of stairways, non-slip treads for steps and bathtubs, grab bars for the shower and/or toilet, and a seat to use in the shower. I've used each of these at different stages of my journey, and I expect they are not a thing of my past. 

You can read more here about fall prevention steps.

Here's the Thing: We don't want to think about it. We don't want to use things that make us feel less-than, things that draw attention to our limitations and disabilities. But consider the alternative and lean into the truth that a fall could be MUCH WORSE than whatever inconvenience or embarrassment may result from the use of a mobility aid. And while you may not want to think about these things, is it better to do it before or after an issue arises?