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This IS the one thing I really worry about right now. None of my falls have caused more than painful knees so far. But my office is on the second floor. A few weeks ago I put a 8 1/2" x 14" sign T H I N K on the stairwell. So far it still slows me down; I just hope the effect lasts, because falling down stairs is like falling about 14 feet, from you head's standpoint! And that can be fatal - or worse, paralyzing. -----Original Message----- From: Will A. Kuipers <[log in to unmask]> To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN <[log in to unmask]> Date: Saturday, June 20, 1998 11:03 PM Subject: Fall To the Listmembers, From Will Kuipers <[log in to unmask]> Subj.: Fall I don't mean that usually delightful season, but something that most of us are rightfully concerned about: The act of falling and thereby hurting yourself. I was cocky and self-assured. I had recently been told by the leading local research neurologist, that I was in pretty good shape, being in my seventh year of diagnosed PD and still Stage 1. Yesterday I was in good spirits. The womenfolk were on a trip. I was alone with my time to spend as I pleased.The chores done early I decided I had some time to walk over to the home-owners community swimming pool and go for a swim. I was walking on the sidewalk, as I have been used to doing for more than thirty years, when suddenly my rubber-soled deck shoe caught on an uneven spot and I went sailing! It was so sudden that I hardly realized I was falling. It seemed more that the sidewalk came up to hit me square in the face. My sunglasses dug into my nose while the nose itself was smashed. Blood spurted everywhere. Nobody saw what happened; the usual quite crowded thoroughfare was empty. There was nothing else to do than go back to the house, unsecure it while holding my bathtowel against my face and try to reach someone, anyone. I could not think of anyone that could be reached so ended up calling the emergency number 9-11. An ambulance with three paramedics appeared in about ten minutes. The rest of the day was spent in a hospital emergency room, leaving me plenty time to think about this accident. Why did it happen? I knew perfectly well that we PWP's do not lift our feet high enough and the chance of tripping is fairly large. At my physical therapy session we are made to march by lifting our feet high. Sure that is an exercise but it has a purpose! Still you forget about it and go scuffling along, using rubber soled shoes on concrete. Think about it and be warned! Mr. PD, as Don McKinley likes to address our affliction with a tone of respect, will trip you up when you least expect it! Greetings, Will Kuipers