It's happened. I've 'had a fall'.

[Strawbag]

I haven't fallen over in years. I think the last time was holding baby ds and I tried to step over the baby gate, but being young and agile I managed to save ds and most of myself.

Today I was coming back in from the garden and I'm not sure if I missed the step or my foot slid off but I came crashing down like a felled tree, taking the bin with me and almost crushing ddog to death. Most of my weight went on my knee that is very stiff and sore now, as well as a bruised foot and dented pride. It was quite a while before I could get back up again.

I feel a bit weird now and almost, vulnerable? Like I can no longer just spring back up and shake it off. Oh, the joys of getting older 🙄

My best fall was Mill Road in Cambridge. I'd have been about 30. One moment I'm sauntering along mentally checklisting what I'm going to get from Al Amin. The next, lying in the road staring at the tyre of a car that has just managed to stop in time. No idea how it happened!

Oh God, its awful isnt it? Have fallen a few times now I am in my 50s and although it has not been too bad yet, it has been the most horrible feeling.

I'm 57, I'd never refer to it as 'had a fall' it automatically makes you sound elderly 🤣

' I tripped/slipped and hit the deck' is my take on it

Has OP come back to say how old they are?

I had a fall down the stairs in my house two months ago and the scab on my shin has only just come off and I am left wirh a massive red scar. I was alone in the house when it happened and it took a while to gather myself and be able to get up.

However, I don't blame my age on the fall - it was a trip and could have happened to anyone. Why do you think your fall was different OP?

I've been diagnosed with severe osteoporosis in my hips and spine, though no hump yet. My mum had the same and took all the drugs on offer, but at the end of her life, her spine was still 'shot to pieces' (doctor's words) . I've decided not to take the drugs as they didn't work for my mother (she was coeliac as well), so perhaps the drugs don't work for coeliacs. I'm not neurotic about falling, but I'm as careful as I can be not to fall as the results might be very serious. I often wonder if falling in later life is due to imbalance because our inner ears don't function as well as they do when younger. Falling is so common as we get older, so I can't understand why there isn't more research into it.

I had a rather spectacular fall last week. I was on the bus and got up to let the person on the inside part of the seat get off. I don’t know quite what went wrong but I ended up flat on my back in the aisle in front of quite a few fellow passengers! Fortunately I managed to avoid hitting any part of my anatomy on other seats, poles etc and very kind people helped me up and asked if I was OK and I was able to continue my evening but, as others have said, hurt pride!

I feel so much better after reading all these (sorry fellow fallers!)
I tripped and fell at our local football club 2 weeks ago, landed on my hands and knees in front of all the other supporters seated near me and a load of young lads I’d manoeuvred my way through to get back to my seat! No-one offered any help & I actually can’t remember how I got up 🤦🏽‍♀️

I'm in my 60s. My balance is crap and has been for at least 30 years. I fall with monotonous regularity. After a bit you learn to keep your eyes on the path in front of you!

I e had a few falls over the past five years, first one was my foot slipped out of my Birkenstocks, I fell through the open door like a felled tree, nasty sprain to my wrist.
Second was in the garden, carrying a big bag of compost, tripped over a dandelion, (it was a big dandelion clump) the weight of the compost bag carried me forward, luckily it broke my fall. Winded myself in the process.
Third one, on holiday, got my foot caught up in the strap of my shoulder bag and fell through the gap between the coffee table and the sofa in the hotel room. Shook up and a bruised shoulder.
Another…got tangled up in the garden hose and slid down the garden fence. No injuries, just my pride.
Last one…Broke my ankle, didn’t fall, I slipped on mud, foot went left, leg went right, .I heard it break. Really rural location, Helicopter to hospital.

I tore my shoulder tendon falling down the stairs (at 41!). Get it checked out. I'm having a second op on mine soon.

OP, hope you have taken an anti inflammatory pill, to ease things.

If you have fallen awkwardly a session of physio earlier rather than later is wise.

I have fallen many times🙄I've always found it quite shocking even when much younger.

Mind yourself and your knee.

My MIL had a lot of ‘falls’ without tripping over, they turned out to be mini strokes.

I have a few health issues going on that make me dizzy at times (perimenopausal) so it's happening more often now.

However, the worst one was about 4 years ago. I tripped over my child's PE bag while walking home from school and crash landed on the pavement.
Luckily got away with just a cut knee and ripped tights, but I've never felt so embarrassed, and my child was really upset.
One of the school parents was kind enough to stop in a line of traffic to ask if I was okay. I insisted I was, but they kept asking if I was certain which caused a build up of traffic! 😮

For me (almost 60) the difference is;

falling over - "fuck, did anyone see that?" and get up ASAP.
having a fall - "fuck, what have I damaged?" lie still for a bit.

I flipped down the stairs - everyone else’s was more terrified than I was. Rang up my mate howling I’ve broken both ankles then
walked to her flat for 🍷

55’s ok.

This thread has actually made me feel a lot better about my 'falls' in the last couple of years. I always seem to hit the ground knee first, which is difficult because my job involves a lot of kneeling down.

I am honestly amazed that I haven't caused myself a more serious injury given my size, at 21 stone, I even fell backwards down the stairs carrying the 'big' suitcase in a holiday cottage a year ago and ended up in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs with the suitcase on top of me, I was terrified I had damaged the cottage during my unscheduled gymnastics, fortunately we both survived unscathed !

"Having a fall" makes me think of my grandma's when they were in their late 70s/ early 80s. I thought it was a term elderly people used.

I hope you are ok, OP.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11910621/

https://www.menohealth.co.uk/news/test-your-balance/

I've gone down an Internet rabbit hole now reading about menopause and balance. Another lovely symptom to add to the list.

I had some cracking trips/falls when I was younger. Walking through the underground drunk and I suddenly decided to jump on my mate and hug them. Only he stepped back at the last minute and I went head first into the wall and knocked myself out. Another time I passed out mid conversation to a policeman at Notting Hill Carnival, fell backwards and cracked my head on the pavement. Now I fall for no reason while tending to my vegetable garden 😁

And yes, I am ok for everyone that has kindly asked. My knee still hurts, but hearing all your stories has cheered me up!

I tripped over the hose pipe last week, banged a knee and an elbow, skinned my fingers and just missed smashing my teeth on a step. I felt like a clumsy dick at the time, but now I feel sad and wobbly.

I can 'have a fall' at my age, but you definitely fell over. Hope you feel better soon.

Owch. Yeah I fall quite a bit but had a fall a year ago. Could have just stayed there and cried. Needed a hot bath for the shock. Just used to leap back up. Only took me a year to get the shoulder ok ish.

I tripped over a pothole outside my gp a few years ago. I fell into road which was scary as if a car was going past I'd be dead. Sprained my ankle. Styled it out but went home and cried. It was the shock.

I'm currently in pain due to falling yesterday. Think damaged my elbow but strikes and bank holiday means I will wait till tomorrow to go to get it checked. My last fall was only the Monday previous.

I'm definitely clumsy recently. Knocking drinks over and dropping things and now my feet seem to forget how to walk. God help me if this continues lol.

Thanks foumr your reply. It sounds like we have similar problems with dropped feet.
Physical recovery is hard enough, isn't it. But the emotional toll is awful.
Hope you're doing better. Sending a hug.