Falls

I fell during the night last night and had to get the falls response team out to get me up with their machine. I had had my bed on overnight heat so the duvet was lovely and cosy as I lay beneath it while waiting for the team. Wonderful people as usual. Back to sleep till morning.

Then up and about and into the shower.

You guessed it. Another fall.

This time I could not turn the water off.

Eventually got the shower door open and fell out and reached the alarm bell.

All this time the water was pouring down.

Help arrived and a mop with towels as used to start drying the carpet.

Our House Manager got help from a social worker who was on site and between them they got me up.

I am somewhat tired, so more later.

Falls

Yesterday I woke early, so showered, dressed and collected up all my dark wash – which was all I had left to do – thank you TBSITW. Got down to laundry room to find two of the three machines already in use but luckily one was free on which I could set a wool wash with a reduced temperature of 30 degrees as per instructions.

Later, when this wash was finished I transferred most of it into a usual tumble dryer and the fleece into one with a low temperature setting which was required. All over and done with before eleven o’clock. Result!

After that I had a lazy day, then off to bed early.

This morning I awakened at a reasonable time and stood on the bathroom scales – to get my balance here I hold on to the top of the chest of drawers and let go only when I feel safe.

I then took a step back and lost my balance, so that’s another fall! At least this time I remember exactly what happened.

I have hurt my coccyx, my right elbow, my right shoulder and the top of my back as well.

Today elder son, his wife and their two children came and, after exchanging Christmas presents, they took me to Dobbies for lunch. (I really should have learned a lesson – the macaroni and chips had no salt and approximately no cheddar) However I enjoyed the company and being taken round by daughter in law.

I am still sore, so couldn’t have managed on foot.

After they left I telephoned to make an appointment at the surgery:

TUESDAY, 6TH JANUARY!!!!!!!!

Met up with the Scrabble ladies and enjoyed my cup of tea before returning home.

Falls follow-up

After starting the process to obtain the fall pendant that puts you through to the County Falls Response Service, I have tried on the telephone to terminate the one I currently have. I had thought it connected to the same service as the pull cord system in the flats, but in fact, not only does it not do that but it goes somewhere in England. The holding company may be the same but the services are entirely separate.

I was greeted by the house manager this afternoon asking what I was trying to do. She now understands, but is rather doubtful that I would qualify for the C ounty pendant alarm as there are so many pull cords in the flat.

My argument is that with Careline (or the other pendant alarm that I currently have), if I fall the response is to send out an ambulance with a paramedic and an ambulance technician.

To my mind this is ridiculous and such a waste of resources. By dispatching an ambulance, they could put someone else's life at risk, when all I need is to be helped to my feet.

The house manager is going to take up my case and see what happens, but in the mean time I have told her I do not wish to continue with the pendant as I have always been able to make my way to a pull cord - and subsequently able to release the front door and open the flat door for them.

On a lighter note, this afternoon provided some really good hands, so we shall wait and see.

Oh Well Then.......

As advised by the kind ambulance men who got me to my feet on Tuesday, I phoned the local Occupational Therapy service this morning.

Basically, the answer was that they could do nothing to help and recommended that I ask my General Practitioner .

This is starting to feel like The Continuing Story Of Peyton Place.

Does anyone out there remember that?

So, I have called to make a GP appointment, and got one for 29 April.

Pride Goes After the Fall....

...being a reverse of the usual.

Seaspray wrote a very long, caring comment about my falls and inadequate provision or use of alarm systems.

I really appreciated all that she wrote. She is also absolutely correct.

However here she comes across the patient, who being a retired nurse and health visitor, knows perfectly well what she ought to be doing but who is too stubborn or proud or both to do it!

All is not quite as bad as it seems.

In each room in my flat and in the residents lounge, the laundry room and every corridor there is a pull cord or push button. The one in my bedroom hangs in reach at the top of the bed. The one in my bathroom is recessed into the vanity unit and is reachable from ground level. All this, plus a pendant alarm.

So, really unless I was knocked unconscious, I am perfectly well covered as regards calling for help.

As long as I am conscious, I refuse to call for help until I am sure that I cannot resolve things myself.

Told you I was too proud and/or too stubborn (or in this case, both).

Sans Feu Ni Lieu

I am afraid I fell again this morning – turned round too fast once more. This is such a bore, but no real damage done, apart from the fact that I have, once again, had to miss going to Church.

On to more cheerful topics. My faithful reader will remember that a. sent me a detective novel in French. I thought it served me right for being somewhat pretentious with my choice of books to take to a desert island. It wasn’t meant to be that way; my choice was meant to give me sufficient reading material to keep me going for the long weeks until a rescue might be made,

She knows from earlier posts that I enjoy detective stories and I had talked about how interesting it was to read novels written by and about people from other countries. The detective story does not have an infinity of variations; the variety comes from the characters, the settings, the climate, often the political issues. I mentioned several countries and a. correctly named the authors from each. She told me of a French author (Fred Vargas) whom I hadn’t come across, and so I bought 4 of this author’s books. To date I have read one of them.

Because of the fact that I had named 2 books in French to take to the desert island, she kindly sent me a Fred Vargas book in its original French, which she was sure had not been translated into English. The book was called Sans Feu ni Lieu. To start with (in fact for the first chapter) I found it very hard going as I kept trying to translate it word for word into English and there were quite a number of words I did not know. Then I followed a.’s advice and just read on in French – quite slowly, and I am sure you could see my lips move! There were quite a number of words that I did not understand still, and sometimes I had to read a page twice, but I got there.

What is more I even knew who the killer was well before the end of the book!

By the way, I loved the toad. (cryptic message to a.)

Oh well, then

After seeing my GP on Friday and feeling a bit better over the weekend, I had hoped to get to the bridge club this afternoon.

So I got dressed in a pretty jumper (slowly of course) - and all the other necesseties.

Then I tried to walk to the front door of the block of flats, but didn't make it without falling over. Right, that settles it, I shall have to do what I am told and see my GP tomorrow.GP,

Yesterday, S. paid a visit with her (large and growing!)puppy. It was so good to see see both of them.