Wife took a fall again

Nathan

Nathan

SF VIP
Location
High Desert- Calif.
My wife fell yesterday outside, the Lord was looking after her, I just walked into the living room and witnessed her go down. She skinned one knee, one elbow and strained a few muscles here and there. It was a bit of a chore getting her up off the ground. She is heavy, and lacks sufficient muscle strength to bring herself upright. I am grateful(as is she) that nothing got broken, but I feel it's a race against time in getting her in better physical condition. There is only so much I can do, but as a certified fitness instructor I feel more than just the average sense of responsibility that a husband would have, in helping her. I showed her this video(as a starter) on "how to" get back up after a fall:
 

Nathan said:
My wife fell yesterday outside, the Lord was looking after her, I just walked into the living room and witnessed her go down. She skinned one knee, one elbow and strained a few muscles here and there. It was a bit of a chore getting her up off the ground. She is heavy, and lacks sufficient muscle strength to bring herself upright. I am grateful(as is she) that nothing got broken, but I feel it's a race against time in getting her in better physical condition. There is only so much I can do, but as a certified fitness instructor I feel more than just the average sense of responsibility that a husband would have, in helping her. I showed her this video(as a starter) on "how to" get back up after a fall:
Click to expand...
So sorry @Nathan that your wife fell! It certainly is scary. Thank goodness she has you. I appreciate that video you posted.

I hope she'll cooperate with you getting her in better physical condition.
 
Nathan said:
My wife fell yesterday outside, the Lord was looking after her, I just walked into the living room and witnessed her go down. She skinned one knee, one elbow and strained a few muscles here and there. It was a bit of a chore getting her up off the ground. She is heavy, and lacks sufficient muscle strength to bring herself upright. I am grateful(as is she) that nothing got broken, but I feel it's a race against time in getting her in better physical condition. There is only so much I can do, but as a certified fitness instructor I feel more than just the average sense of responsibility that a husband would have, in helping her. I showed her this video(as a starter) on "how to" get back up after a fall:
Click to expand...
yes they're very informative videos...

I hope your wife isn't too shaken by her fall.

I fell hard twice last year... I fell outside after I tripped over the back door step.. and really hurt myself.. landed on my face, shin, and shoulder onto hard ground.. ..I had nothing to reach for to help me up, I really thought I wasn't going to be able to get up but I did... then a few months later, I stood on my bed to reach the top of the blinds for cleaning , and I was launched off the bed by the super bouncy mattress, as tho' it were a trampoline.. . I cracked my shoulder blade, and a few ribs.. . O/h was here, heard the crash , came upstairs, but he couldn't pull me up because of the damage to my shoulder blade and ribs, I was in total agony... He just went back downstairs, didn't call an ambulance or anything.. I eventually rolled over on the floor and got myself up onto my knees, and held onto the bed to get me up..

I had the pain from the injury for a good 6 months, couldn't brush my hair with my dominant hand, very painful and awkward to have a shower, and the pain kept me awake most nights
 

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Oh dear Nathan, I hope that you manage to get your wife
a bit better, without too much hassle.

hollydolly, I am sad to hear that you have been in the wars
too, you will have to be more careful and move a bit slower.

RadishRose, I love your picture, I have always thought that it
is the nicest Avatar on the internet!

Mike.
 
hollydolly said:
yes they're very informative videos...

I hope your wife isn't too shaken by her fall.

I fell hard twice last year... I fell outside after I tripped over the back door step.. and really hurt myslef.. landed on my face, shin, and shoulder onto hard ground.. ..I had nothing to reach for to help me up, I really thought I wasn't going to be able to get up but I did... then a few months later, I stood on my bed to reach the top of the blinds for cleaning , and I was launched off the bed by the super bouncy mattress, as tho' it were a trampoline.. . I cracked my shoulder blade, and a few ribs.. . Oh was here, heard the crash , came upstairs, but he couldn't pull me up because of the damage to my shoulder blade and ribs, I was in total agony... He just went back downstairs, didn't call an ambulance or anything.. I eventually rolled over on the floor and got myself up onto my knees, and held onto the bed to get me up..

I had the pain from the injury for a good 6 months, couldn't brush my hair with my dominant hand, very painful and awkward to have a shower, and the pain kept me awake most nights
Click to expand...

I recall your mentioning that incident, so sorry for your ordeal. 🌹
 
RadishRose said:
So sorry @Nathan that your wife fell! It certainly is scary. Thank goodness she has you. I appreciate that video you posted.

I hope she'll cooperate with you getting her in better physical condition.
Click to expand...
My challenge is in finding a way to encourage her without being that nagging spouse. She does not like physical activities, but does go to the gym twice a week with me, for a very beneficial seniors fitness class. As for weight loss, I do virtually all the cooking, and steer food choices toward more healthy / less carbs and fat. However, her sweet-tooth has a strong influence, and so a section of our pantry is packed with junk food products(cookies-chips-crackers), and I really have no control over what she consumes. She has the knowledge about nutrition, so her choices are hers alone to make.
 
Nathan said:
My challenge is in finding a way to encourage her without being that nagging spouse. She does not like physical activities, but does go to the gym twice a week with me, for a very beneficial seniors fitness class. As for weight loss, I do virtually all the cooking, and steer food choices toward more healthy / less carbs and fat. However, her sweet-tooth has a strong influence, and so a section of our pantry is packed with junk food products(cookies-chips-crackers), and I really have no control over what she consumes. She has the knowledge about nutrition, so her choices are hers alone to make.
Click to expand...
That's encouraging that she goes to the gym 2x per week.
As far as eating, well...... That's the most difficult thing!
You do everything you can.
 
Falls can result in serious injuries...especially as we get older. A couple of years ago, I was doing some work in the basement, on a ladder. When I stepped off, I missed the bottom step, and slashed my forearm on a sharp shelf corner, as I fell. After wrapping up heavily to limit the blood loss, I had to rush to the hospital, where they had to put about 20 stitches in. I now have a nice scar to remind me to Slow Down.

One of my old friends took a nasty fall in the shower, and hit his head. He went from quite active, to nearly disabled, and is still suffering substantially 5 years later.
 
When I'm with my grandson, we mostly play on the floor, and I'm up & down, up & down, etc. constantly. I'm very careful getting up--I manage to get myself into 'touch your toes' position, and get straight. My grandson is wanting to know why grandma is so slow!
 
RadishRose said:
That's encouraging that she goes to the gym 2x per week.
As far as eating, well...... That's the most difficult thing!
You do everything you can.
Click to expand...
We just finished lunch, I mentioned to her that because I've been steadily gaining weight the last couple months, that I was going to take a hiatus from having an evening cocktail. She said she would abstain as well, despite my telling her I be glad to still bar-tend for her.
 
Sorry your wife fell, Nathan but thanks for posting the video, very helpful. I worry all the time about my Huzz falling; with him being 13 inches taller and 100 lb. heavier than I, no way could I lift him back up. And none of the neighbors are usually home, they're at work; so it'll have to be an ambulance to come.
 
Nathan said:
My wife fell yesterday outside, the Lord was looking after her, I just walked into the living room and witnessed her go down. She skinned one knee, one elbow and strained a few muscles here and there. It was a bit of a chore getting her up off the ground. She is heavy, and lacks sufficient muscle strength to bring herself upright. I am grateful(as is she) that nothing got broken, but I feel it's a race against time in getting her in better physical condition. There is only so much I can do, but as a certified fitness instructor I feel more than just the average sense of responsibility that a husband would have, in helping her. I showed her this video(as a starter) on "how to" get back up after a fall:
Click to expand...
Sorry your wife fell, Nathan! The video was very helpful. I also think when I'm on the floor as if I am in bed. Rolling over and lifting with the arm is just like being in bed and getting up. Focusing on each limb slowly helps. I was thinking when your wife fell, you could also have brought her a chair for her to lean on to help herself up. Although she exercises 2 x per week, it would be good for her to walk almost every day, building her muscles.

Food is a tricky thing. I am reading a book about metabolism and it says some people are Protein eaters, while others are carb eaters, and others are mixed. If she's reaching for the carbs, she might need more protein and fat in her diet and is not getting the nutrition her body needs. Experiment and see what foods work for her so that she doesn't have cravings. Hope that helped!
 
hollydolly said:
yes they're very informative videos...

I hope your wife isn't too shaken by her fall.

I fell hard twice last year... I fell outside after I tripped over the back door step.. and really hurt myself.. landed on my face, shin, and shoulder onto hard ground.. ..I had nothing to reach for to help me up, I really thought I wasn't going to be able to get up but I did... then a few months later, I stood on my bed to reach the top of the blinds for cleaning , and I was launched off the bed by the super bouncy mattress, as tho' it were a trampoline.. . I cracked my shoulder blade, and a few ribs.. . O/h was here, heard the crash , came upstairs, but he couldn't pull me up because of the damage to my shoulder blade and ribs, I was in total agony... He just went back downstairs, didn't call an ambulance or anything.. I eventually rolled over on the floor and got myself up onto my knees, and held onto the bed to get me up..

I had the pain from the injury for a good 6 months, couldn't brush my hair with my dominant hand, very painful and awkward to have a shower, and the pain kept me awake most nights
Click to expand...
Sorry you went through those ordeals, holly dolly! It seems you have a strong spirit and overcame these challenges. Falls are one of the most troubling issues we have as we age.
 
So sorry about your wife's fall, and very happy there was no serious damage.

Thanks for the video, very helpful, even without a fall. About 2 weeks ago, I dropped something in the kitchen, and it went under the stove. I got down on the floor with a long ruler to try to find it and coax it out. I got it out quickly, and then found I could not get up! I actually did crawl to a chair for support and got up. I am not overweight, I exercise daily for at least 30 minutes, usually more.
Now I am putting emphasis on my legs.

If anyone uses TikTok, there is one person who has been a fitness instructor for 40 years. Her videos are titled @easyfitnessover50. Each video is only 3 minutes. All easy, no equipment needed, except a chair or countertop for balance.
 
@Nathan - when I was caring for my mom and dad, they both had a tendency to fall. Both of them weighed around 180, and I re-injured my back a couple times from lifting them. What helped immensely was using one of those cheap walkers with no wheels: I'd position the walker right in front of them and they'd climb up using the two crossbars that are on all 3 sides of the walker (ladder-style, but with their hands) while I gently leveraged and steadied them with my forearms under their arms. I'd get them on their knees first, and then it was pretty easy from there.

That helped my back and strengthened their arms at the same time.

If you can bake, or know someone who can, you might look online for cake, cookie, and dessert recipes that use natural sugar substitutes. Like, applesauce is a common one, and you can find low-sugar and sugar-free applesauce at stores. Mashed bananas is fairly common, too. And maybe try replacing some of her goodies with nutrition bars, and then sort of phase out the sugary stuff in favor of the nutrition bars she likes best. Just some fruit with a big dollop of sugar-free whipped cream on it is yummy, and fruited yogurt with granola sprinkles.

Anyway, there's a bunch of ideas online.
 
I have taken several falls over the years, so I hope your wife is well. Does she have one of those Medic Alert buttons...in case she alone, and unable to get herself up? Mine has a GPS locater, so even if I am outside (like taking a walk ) I can activate my button and they woll get my approximate (within a block) location
 
So sorry to hear, Nathan. I am glad your wife is okay. I'm sure it isn't easy, but good for you for continuing to encourage her to get into shape. I love when I go to my "no judgement" gym and see heavier people on the treadmills or lifting weights. I know it can't be easy, so I have so much admiration for them.
 
Just a small thing, my wife (who has had two hip replacements) needs to be cautious when going up or downstairs/steps, or just getting out of the shower. So I got her to wear a small coloured wristband(all the time) as a reminder for her to be careful when moving about, or just working in the garden for instance, and she says it does help, as she does sometimes forgets.
 
Since I am partially paralyzed on one side I cannot get up on my own. For awhile I was falling out of my wheelchair reaching for something on the floor. Now I have a reacher in every room and have not fallen in 2 years. I still have to be careful walking on wet surfaces. I just don't go on my patio when it is raining. I try to do what I need to do before it rains. I just have to be aware of my surroundings. Thats my life but its okay. I want to live by myself as long as I can.
 

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