Re: Had a good fall

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/10/2004 12:24:32 PM Pacific Standard Time,

germainefisher@... writes:

> think I may be okay today (Wednesday

> afternoon). My left buttock is an exquisite shade of deep

> purple with a lovely smaller and slightly lighter purple

> bruise on my upper right back. Oh yes, the atrial fib did

>

Germaine,

I'm so sorry for you. As a specialist in falls with a long history of

spectacular ones, I can really sympathize with you. You may find that you will

have

more trouble with afib now because such a trauma puts a strain on your heart,

my doctor said. I have had problems with afib after every fall I have taken

in the past 20+ years. Also, my doctor said that when the head is involved,

even in a whiplash type injury, the brain may actually be shaken back and forth

against the skull, and this can cause brain swelling, which in turn causes

headaches and general malaise. I think she also said that the large hematoma

resulting from a large bruise can become infected if it doesn't heal normally,

so you might want to be examined by your doctor if the afib intensifies or if

the bruise doesn't seem to be healing well, especially if you take Coumadin. I

do hope you continue to feel better. That sounds like quite a bad fall, even

by the standards of one who has taken numerous bad falls herself; and it may

take some time before you feel normal again and beat the afib.

Best wishes,

in sinus in Seattle

[Guest guest]

> Snip

Sorry Germaine that you not only hurt yourself but could not go

> home to relax and try to recuperate. I can see why the afib

kicked in later.

> Hope your doing better now? You will feel the aches and pains

for a week I bet?

> a in Massachusetts

NSR Sotalol 80mg x 2 Warfarin 4mg day

Hi a,

Thanks for your well wishes. Oh, you are so right about the aches

and pains. I am the type to try to keep going and I really was

surprised (and maybe a bit ticked with myself) to have to lie down

over this situation. Maybe it was really a lesson in humility in

disguise. I bet this means I'm mortal, too? Are mothers allowed to

be mortal? I thought it was against the rules until you were at

least in your eighties?

Regards,

Germaine

[Guest guest]

> Gee, I sure had a good fall last Saturday and I don't mean

> the thing with the leaves!!!

*********

Germaine,

I sympathize with your fall. Although I don't fall often, I took a

rather spectacular spill down my staircase at home about 4 years

years ago. I was carrying a bunch of stuff upstairs, not holding on

to the handrail, lost my balance, and fell, backward, down the whole

staircase! Apparently banged my head on the last step and knocked

myself out for a minute or two. My right foot slid into my antique

hall table and it was broken beyond repair. My husband came running,

said he thought I was dead, but I came round soon enough. Think he

was more upset about the table than me. Anyway, I was bumped and

bruised all over, with a big swelling at the back of my head. This

was before afib and coumadin, thank God. Went to my doctor a couple

days later, he wasn't very impressed, said as long as the bump on

your head swells OUT, it not a concern. Sent me for an xray of my

foot, it was fine. Fortunately, I recovered with no problem, though

it took some weeks before the swelling on my head went down. I now

make sure that whenever I go up and down any steps, I hold onto to

the handrail, like an old lady, though I'm only 54.

My best to you,

[Guest guest]

Germaine,

At the risk of being redundant, I must tell you that I had yet another fall

this past weekend. I don't attribute it to my subconscious dwelling on the

subject when we were discussing it last week, but rather it was the result of my

own usual carelessness and abstraction in not thinking about what I was doing.

However, I must say that if one must have a fall, I highly recommend falling

on soft, plush carpet with a thick pad beneath it as opposed to falling on

hard concrete. When I fell on hard concrete three months ago, I ended up in the

emergency room with a head injury and other injuries which left me with

ectopic beats and two very symptomatic afib episodes. This time I was inside my

cabin in the mountains, and tripped over my dog's leash, which I had just

removed

from her. (My poor dog had nothing to do with it and merely sat and regarded

me quizzically as she saw me yet again on the floor.) It was the same type

of diving fall as the one on concrete, but what a difference in effects ensued!

Today I can find no bruising despite the Coumadin, I did not hit my head, and

only a slight twinge of pain in my left knee reminds me of my stupidity. I

just picked myself up and went on with my planned activities with no

aftereffects except a slight shakiness. Also, I figure I have had yet another

bone

density test in falling for about the hundredth time with no broken bones. Now

if

I can avoid the afib episode that usually follows my falling exploits, I will

feel that I have truly escaped unscathed. Last time it took several days for

the afib to develop, so I won't know for a while whether afib will result

from this. But I can tell you that if you must fall as I frequently do, try to

do it on a nice, soft carpet.

in sinus in Seattle