Another Fall
Title
Another Fall
Creator
Jacob Schlitt
Description
"I was walking through the courtyard of our beautiful condo around 7 pm on June 14, when I tripped and fell."
Date
2013-06-05
Format
application/msword
Type
text
Language
en
Coverage
2013
Identifier
ANOTHER_FALL
Text
ANOTHER FALL
I was walking through the courtyard of our beautiful condo around 7 pm on June 14, when I tripped and fell. Ironically, I had my first visit to a physical therapist that morning to help me with balance and walking issues. I am aware that I have been walking flat-footed, and since I do not lift my toes in the correct heel-and-toe step, I am apt to trip on protrusions or uneven surfaces. And that is what happened.
I fell forward, and while falling, it felt like slow motion. Oh, oh, I said to myself. Damn, I am falling, despite the fact that I had my cane. How could this be happening? And wham! Down I went on my forehead, nose, left hand knuckles, right elbow, right pinkie, and right leg and knee. And I was bleeding. Bleeding from my leg and nose. A lot of blood. I was near a column, so I turned myself around, got on my knees and lifted myself up. It was an effort. I picked up my cane and made my way to the house, dripping blood.
When I entered my apartment, I went to the bathroom and proceeded to clean myself with a wet hand towel. What a mess. Seems the blood wouldn’t stop. Must have lost more than a half pint. (Why is blood measured in pints?) I then took out the band-aid box and covered my washed and dried leg, knee, elbow and nose in band-aids. Fran was unaware of what happened. I took a couple of Tylenol and lay down. When Fran appeared, the sight of me upset her, especially the bloodied towels. She brought me hydrogen peroxide and gauze bandages, but insisted that I go to the hospital. I felt it was not necessary. I would rather lie down, get a good night’s sleep and go the next day if I felt I had to. I removed the band-aids on my leg and replaced them with the gauze bandages, after cleaning up with hydrogen peroxide. I managed to sleep through the night, and the only part of me that hurt was my right pinkie. I was concerned about the bump on my forehead and the scratches on my nose, but I guess that is because that is what people see.
It is 9 am Saturday morning, the pinkie really hurts, making it hard to hold objects and open jars. I told Fran that I will go to the hospital. She said that it will most likely take a long time. I suspect they may give me a shot (tetanus?) and take an x-ray (pinkie) and look at how badly scraped my leg is. We’ll see.
It is 1:30 pm Saturday afternoon. I left the house before 10 am, took the bus to the BI Emergency, was admitted, and was seen by Dr. Margaret Lin. She expressed concern about the bump on the head, the cut on my right leg and the bruised pinkie. She ordered a CT scan of my head, an x-ray of my pinkie and a thorough cleaning of the cut. Everyone was terrific. And it turned out that the “CAT scan and x-rays were reassuring.” But I “…do have a nose fracture. Please follow up with plastic surgery if you are interested in having this repairs.” Also, “We cleaned out your wounds which are at high risk of getting infected.” I was also given a tetanus shot. I was impressed that they gave me several sheets describing the diagnosis “ mechanical fall” and a summary of the treatment and a description of what I should do. Also advice on follow-up and an explanation of sprains, fractures and bruises. I was also told that the pain will most likely get worse, and I should take ibuprofen or Tylenol. After getting the Patient Information and Discharge Instructions, I signed some papers, and took the bus back home, where I reassured Fran (who had called Emergency and learned all of the above) and had lunch, and typed this, and am now going to lie down.
I could say I was lucky that this didn’t happen two weeks earlier, that there was no concussion, and no break. When I see the physical therapist next week, I am really going to work with her on improving the way I walk.
6-15-13
I was walking through the courtyard of our beautiful condo around 7 pm on June 14, when I tripped and fell. Ironically, I had my first visit to a physical therapist that morning to help me with balance and walking issues. I am aware that I have been walking flat-footed, and since I do not lift my toes in the correct heel-and-toe step, I am apt to trip on protrusions or uneven surfaces. And that is what happened.
I fell forward, and while falling, it felt like slow motion. Oh, oh, I said to myself. Damn, I am falling, despite the fact that I had my cane. How could this be happening? And wham! Down I went on my forehead, nose, left hand knuckles, right elbow, right pinkie, and right leg and knee. And I was bleeding. Bleeding from my leg and nose. A lot of blood. I was near a column, so I turned myself around, got on my knees and lifted myself up. It was an effort. I picked up my cane and made my way to the house, dripping blood.
When I entered my apartment, I went to the bathroom and proceeded to clean myself with a wet hand towel. What a mess. Seems the blood wouldn’t stop. Must have lost more than a half pint. (Why is blood measured in pints?) I then took out the band-aid box and covered my washed and dried leg, knee, elbow and nose in band-aids. Fran was unaware of what happened. I took a couple of Tylenol and lay down. When Fran appeared, the sight of me upset her, especially the bloodied towels. She brought me hydrogen peroxide and gauze bandages, but insisted that I go to the hospital. I felt it was not necessary. I would rather lie down, get a good night’s sleep and go the next day if I felt I had to. I removed the band-aids on my leg and replaced them with the gauze bandages, after cleaning up with hydrogen peroxide. I managed to sleep through the night, and the only part of me that hurt was my right pinkie. I was concerned about the bump on my forehead and the scratches on my nose, but I guess that is because that is what people see.
It is 9 am Saturday morning, the pinkie really hurts, making it hard to hold objects and open jars. I told Fran that I will go to the hospital. She said that it will most likely take a long time. I suspect they may give me a shot (tetanus?) and take an x-ray (pinkie) and look at how badly scraped my leg is. We’ll see.
It is 1:30 pm Saturday afternoon. I left the house before 10 am, took the bus to the BI Emergency, was admitted, and was seen by Dr. Margaret Lin. She expressed concern about the bump on the head, the cut on my right leg and the bruised pinkie. She ordered a CT scan of my head, an x-ray of my pinkie and a thorough cleaning of the cut. Everyone was terrific. And it turned out that the “CAT scan and x-rays were reassuring.” But I “…do have a nose fracture. Please follow up with plastic surgery if you are interested in having this repairs.” Also, “We cleaned out your wounds which are at high risk of getting infected.” I was also given a tetanus shot. I was impressed that they gave me several sheets describing the diagnosis “ mechanical fall” and a summary of the treatment and a description of what I should do. Also advice on follow-up and an explanation of sprains, fractures and bruises. I was also told that the pain will most likely get worse, and I should take ibuprofen or Tylenol. After getting the Patient Information and Discharge Instructions, I signed some papers, and took the bus back home, where I reassured Fran (who had called Emergency and learned all of the above) and had lunch, and typed this, and am now going to lie down.
I could say I was lucky that this didn’t happen two weeks earlier, that there was no concussion, and no break. When I see the physical therapist next week, I am really going to work with her on improving the way I walk.
6-15-13
Original Format
application/msword
Collection
Citation
Jacob Schlitt, “Another Fall,” Autobiographical stories & other writing by Jacob Schlitt, accessed April 27, 2024, https://tsirlson.omeka.net/items/show/198.