Feel lucky to be alive after falling forward down my stairs.

[Tolkienista]

I'm writing this just to say that you never know what is round the corner and for me I'm still in shock that I had the luckiest escape ever.
Saturday night I was on my own & stupidly descended a few steps of my staircase & leaned over the bannister to turn down the thermostat. I felt my foot pretty much disengage from the tread I was standing on and I was in free fall heading head first down the stairs.

It was probably only a milli second but I literally thought, I'm going to die as I was going forward and I knew the point of impact probably eight steps down would be my head. Miraculously I somehow managed to grab the rail on my right side and slammed into it with my body. It stopped me falling further and I disentangled myself and realised I'm alive.

Yes I've got bruised ribs, but nothing paracetamol can't deal with.

But I'm here to tell my tale and realise that at worst I could have died and at best I'd have sustained a head injury but to what degree I don't know.
Cue a massive sigh of relief , a massive reflection on my life and all that I've done to safeguard myself & then I throw it all away by endangering my life turning down a thermostat over the bannister.
If you've read this far, thank you for your time ........I just needed to get my story out there and say I'm safe, I'm fine, I'm really thankful and most importantly I'M ALIVE.

Not sure either. I mean I don’t see it often but why can’t it be watched

I can see why you might not want to watch it if it brings back traumatic memories, but the post I was referring to made it sound like not watching it would keep you safer somehow.

Oh! Just tried to post and it's vanished!

I just wanted to say thank you @Tolkienistafor being kind. I was all ready to watch 'Skyscraper Live' this morning but see its been postponed due to safety concerns. If that guy is willing to risk his life on live TV, he should try climbing all ten of my stairs!

Here are a couple of photos from this morning. My ribs and arms are a similar purple colour!

Oh my goodness, if a picture could speak it would say
"no words needed, my bruises say it all" that is some serious bruising, no need to explain what happened in words.
Please take care and give yourself time to heal in the coming days and weeks.
It's two weeks tonight since my fall, physically I'm definitely getting there, mentally......a long long way to go.

Poor you! I hope you’re feeling better soon.

I have a bit of neuropathy in feet and have been doing exactly the same for a few years. Slippers stay at the bottom and it’s step by step holding the banister. I’m not quite 60!

It’s different but we were in holiday in Brazil and DH went into the sea , loads of people in the water. He got picked up by a strong wave and felt his head/ neck slamming into the sand on the bottom as the wave threw him down. He came out very shaken having felt a crack and thinking ok I’m going to die … you never know what’s around the corner.

Yes it's different, however it's the same principle.
One minute you're going about your day to day life, then suddenly everything is flipped on it's head and you're potentially facing a life threatening injury or possibly death.
I'm glad your DH avoided the worst case scenario.
I'm still counting my blessings and almost three weeks on, still eternally grateful that I avoided serious injury.

Many years ago two friends dad's fell, one out of the loft, down the ladder and then stairs and got up and walked away. Second dad fell from top step, died instantly. I've always been scared of stairs and hold the rail on the way down every time.

Gosh, that makes my blood run cold.
A timely reminder that stairs can kill, or to be exact if you miss a step or slip it can literally end your life.
It's exactly a month ago tonight since I had my accident, and like you I'm a rail holder too now .