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hi all gail wrote: >First Janet sorry it's taken me so long to reply to your > post....I'm a lil behind as usual...and I hear you have >a slightly bruised one, eh? > >>" i fell the other day ..." >> >>... i was a tad dyskinetic >>a bit more than just twitchy >>and i was bending over the bathtub >>to brush my hair up into the usual topknot >> >>as i straightened up holding my ponytail in one hand >>i lost my balance and toppled >>rolled down and backwards >> >>couldn't find anything to grip on the way down >>although there was a wall mounted grab bar close by >> >>all i remember is my hands reaching for the side of the tub >>but there was nothing to grab >> >>first kapow tail bone on vinyl-tile-over-concrete floor >>then kabam upper back and shoulder blades against the wood door >> >>whew >>hurting laying still to absorb the news >>then scrabbling on the slippery floor to regain verticality >>then off to my bed to assess the damage >>and catch my breath >> >>three days later >>bruises on my upper arms and right buttock >>are turning yellow and green >>the stiffness was at its worst yesterday >> >>it could have been so much worse >> >>i've been given a wakeup call >> >>dyskinesia is more than >>an inconvenience or >>an annoyance >> >>what to do? >>how to prevent recurrence? >>new and seated hair grooming routine? >>wall to wall carpet on floor? >>grab bars everywhere? >>padded walls? >======== > >Janet, > >Balance is and will continue to be a big problem. > >Leaning over , bending, reaching, squatting all >change your center of balance and will be risky. >... ...so build in safe guards where possible. > >Living alone can be a challenge for anyone but >for PD as well as MS and sometimes extra precautions >are a good idea. > >Yes more grab bars in the bathroom are a good idea, >even in the hallways I think it's wise [not only can prevent >a fall but can break a fall and help you to get back up]. > >A portable phone on your belt, a call to a friend before >getting into the shower, joining a phone tree to get >checked on daily is a smart move too. > >Do whatever is needed to solve any problems that you >experience. > >I like to browse medical supplies / medical aides catalogues >to get ideas about what's already available out there. Most >of them you can get free by calling their 1-800 numbers. >Sometimes some great energy savers or solutions exist to >problems that you can relate to. > >Occupational Therapists are trained to give home visits, >evaluate your limitations and your home and recommend >safety tips and adaptive devices. Would that be available >in Almonte? > >PS. An ice bag on a bruise can decrease pain & swelling. >Keep a bag of frozen peas to use for an ice bag. > >PSS Did you phone anyone to let them know you had fallen? > >Gail thank you gail for your concern and your suggestions yes, balance has become more of a problem. it's been developing slow but sure over the past two or three years, most particularly while i am in the dysko-duck-dance mode [i try to minimize that mode as much as i can with fine tuning of my meds - but it gets trickier as the 'window' for near-normal movement gets smaller] i initiated contact last year with the local Community Care Access Center [ccac], which is a "single access point for those seeking quality care in the home and placement to long-term care facilities, fully funded by the [Ontario] Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care" we got sort of halfway through assessing my needs in the bathroom [i.e. grab bars, bath-tub bench and hand-held shower for seated bathing and washing of hair] but then i moved [unexpectedly quickly] to a community-built apartment building designed for seniors and disabled adults, so we really need to start back at square one, i think the ccac occupational therapist was responsible for suggesting two bed rails on either side of my crib - er - bed, so i can use them to help me turn over or sit up - i would never have appreciated them without having them available on loan before making the decision - they are great! also, through the local home support program, i have a 'reassurance phone call' every morning - another cat-lover, so we tend to exchange cat-tales too! another time saver for me is frozen microwaveable dinners from the local meals-on-wheels contingent. and i also get groceries delivered right to my door ... and the laundry room is next door ... my sister lives two blocks away and will move into my building as soon as an apartment here is available [there is a waiting list] and she has keys to my apt. if she has been visiting me and happens to need to go home when i am in my 'off' state [as is frequently the case after dinner], she will generally lock the door behind her, leaving me to 'kick-in' at my leisure. we've already had a fire-drill here and the fire-chief knows of my unpredictable mobility so, all in all, i feel pretty comfortable and safe here that ole dyskinesia is a trickster, though and i do believe i have absorbed a lesson or two along with the squashed dignity dignity? me? why start now? hah! janet janet paterson: an akinetic rigid subtype, albeit perky, parky pd: 54/41/37 cd: 54/44/43 tel: 613 256 8340 email: [log in to unmask] smail: 375 Country Street, Almonte, Ontario, Canada, K0A 1A0 a new voice: http://www.geocities.com/janet313/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn