PSA--Being careful isn't for sissies

[Lulu KC]

(I already posted this within a conversation but it really opened my eyes about falling down and why we don't want to do it so I'm making an OP.)

Yesterday I laughed and cried (simultaneously and in sympathy) when reading CycloneFence's two posts and other people's responses about aging, falling down, not falling down, people treating us differently, etc.

Last night we were at our son's house and I told him, my husband, and others about parts of our discussion. My son, the one we always say, "Don't tell XXX I fell down!" about the minute we fall, for fear of being sent to The Home, happens to be a doctor. He told us something that I would otherwise think was a lie.

As we age, the risks accompanying falling down increase because there is a chance of a stroke occurring shortly after the fall. I did not know this. (There's a name for this but, of course, I have no idea what it is. It's in Latin, if that helps.)

It made me remember that as a child I had elderly relatives in their 90s who had strokes. In my child's mind, I thought the sequence was 1. fall 2. break hip 3. have stroke. (Sometimes with a little pneumonia in there somewhere.) It turns out that they probably had the stroke as a result of falling in the first place!

I think I probably fall down fewer times each year because I am ridiculously careful now, but I am now only more motivated to stay that way. I've been proud of my fantastic bone density, thinking I don't have to worry about breaking a hip. But a stroke? No laughing matter.