Did you ever something you told others not to do??

[Brat]

Did you ever do something you told others not to do??

I did.

I used a chair when I should have gotten the step stool, and demonstrated what happens to those who take short cuts. I fell. Broke both bones (ulna and radius) on my dominant arm just behind the wrist. When you are closer to 70 than 65 and have osteoporosis that is a VERY BAD fall. My one blessing is that I didn't hit my head.

Now I set off alarms at security check points, the result of the surgeon's install of a t-shaped plate (and 5 screws) on the radius and "K" Wire (in the shape of a J) on the ulna.

The tough part of the healing is a work in progress. I developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. My arm swelled, my tendons tightened (started to develop a claw hand) and scar tissue was on the make as if my body needed to make a cast under my skin. The ring finger is acting like Dupuytren’s contracture may be in my future.

I adore the Occupational Therapists on the Ortho team. My sessions and 'home work' are torture but necessary to regain the use of my hand... Typing is one of the tasks assigned so count this posting as one assignment completed.

Lesson... take the time to climb safely.

 

[dex]

Lesson... take the time to climb safely.

I'm sorry for your accident (as I'm sitting here waiting for a bone to heal).

My I suggest the:

Lesson - take time to listen.

I've been working on that myself. (Many times the teacher was there but the student was not ready.) It really make a difference.

 

[Martha]

How painful! You had mentioned that you had broke your arm but I had no idea how bad.

Thanks for the reminder to be careful. Just today I stood on a chair to water a plant. The chair has a cushion with no middle support so you have to stand on the edges. I don't think that I am going to do that any more.

 

[freebird5825]

OMG! so sorry to hear what happened. glad to hear you are in PT and have a plan to recover. i've had hand problems but never on this scale. i wish you luck and less pain. no matter what, please keep those hands moving!

 

[Moemg]

So sorry for your accident having worked for Orthopedic surgeons for years I can assure you this is a very common ( but painful ) injury. Hope your rehab goes smooth !

 

[Khan]

How painful! You had mentioned that you had broke your arm but I had no idea how bad.

Thanks for the reminder to be careful. Just today I stood on a chair to water a plant. The chair has a cushion with no middle support so you have to stand on the edges. I don't think that I am going to do that any more.

Please don't be stupid. Get a good step stool or small ladder or get someone else to do it.

I have realized that there things I can not do without assistance.

Yes I am old, yes I am small, yes there are things I cannot do.

My grandmother stood on a chair to adjust a curtain, and fell and broke her elbow.

A coworker jumped onto a wheelbarrow to compact some leaves and smashed his elbow.

Male and female, old and young: you've got to know your limitations.

 

[bbbamI]

I'm so sorry...

I've always told people not to lift with their back...they should use the knees. I didn't follow my own advice, now I've got a injured spine. Oh the days of being 21 and bullet-proof.

 

[Alan]

I used a chair when I should have gotten the step stool, and demonstrated what happens to those who take short cuts. I fell. Broke both bones (ulna and radius) on my dominant arm just behind the wrist. When you are closer to 70 than 65 and have osteoporosis that is a VERY BAD fall. My one blessing is that I didn't hit my head.

Very sorry to hear about your fall. At work on Thursday I stopped someone from using a chair to reach up to make a measurement.

One thing that my company has done really well with is instilling safe behavior in everything we do at work and at home and to look for unsafe behavior in others and warn them. They have a "behavior based safety" program in place and everyone has to do at least 2 formal safety surveys a month on fellow workers doing normal day to day activities. At first it was a real pain to do, and you have to overcome inhibitions to give feedback to folks, sometimes negative feedback.

As far as the chemical industry is concerned, you are 10 times more likely to get injured at home than you are at work. It is always easier to take short cuts in the "safety" of your own home.

Sharing your experience like this on the forum is excellent and I commend you for it - thanks

 

[W2R]

Brat, I am so sorry to hear this!!

Now I am starting to think about how I stand up on my kitchen counters to change the floodlight bulbs. Not smart. Normally for such tasks I use my 3-step household stepladder/stepstool, which is very stable, but I can't reach them from there and usually I am too impatient to try to think of a safe solution to the problem. But now, I will start looking for one. You may have prevented me from having a bad accident by posting about yours. Thank you.

A couple of weeks ago I steadied Frank's ladder while he cleaned the gutters at his house. That was scary. I think he is about ready to quit doing it and to get gutter guards like I have at my house.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I knew about the fracture but not the CRPS. Ugh. Hang tough.

I'm gonna get my wobble board out of the closet right now and make sure the DW and I use it regularly as part of our exercise routine. It won't help with chair/stepladder falls, but seems to improve your odds of staying upright after a trip or mis-step incident.

 

[Leonidas]

Sorry to hear about this Brat, I hope the recovery process goes well.

I'm gonna get my wobble board out of the closet right now and make sure the DW and I use it regularly as part of our exercise routine. It won't help with chair/stepladder falls, but seems to improve your odds of staying upright after a trip or mis-step incident.

I never heard of a wobble board before. It looks interesting, and I like that it works well to develop muscles used in skiing and snow-boarding.

 

[Brat]

The funny/sad part of this is that at dinner, an hour before, I had warned my son and husband to be careful (we were getting ready for drywallers) as most accidents happen in the evening. Didn't take my own advise.

The other thing we are probably all guilty of is remembering what we could get away with in our 20s. Now the consequences of a fall are more serious.. our responsibilities have increased but our balance has usually diminished.

For those with whom I share Viking descendancy, Dupuytren’s contracture has a strong genetic component. I have since met a lady whose entire hand is involved. Possibly because it is associated in injuries it manifests itself more frequently in men, one of whom I met at the OT. All have Norwegian heritage.

 

[TromboneAl]

I always try to listen to that voice that says "You probably shouldn't be doing this." but it is very difficult.

Here's the only ladder arrangement that allowed me to get to the mold problem I've discussed elsewhere.



I had DW hold the ladder. I had to climb up one side, turn around on the midsection, then partly down the side by the wall. As I was turning around in the middle, I found that it was a lot harder than I expected, and the voice told me that this was not a good idea.

But I was so close to my goal, that I just couldn't turn back. I didn't fall, but I'm going to work out a better way of getting up there for next time.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i've actually been dumb enough to stand on my desk chair (the one with wheels under it) instead of standing on a stationary chair to change the bulbs in my office. though next time i'll keep your story in mind and hope you heal well.

"do as i say, not as i do"~~saying

 

[Urchina]

I locked myself out of my apartment in college and stood on a wheeled garbage can to break into my own window.

I fell and broke a couple of bones in my foot, but still hadn't gotten back into my apartment so I got BACK on the trash can and proceeded to break in.

I hobbled for weeks (was too broke to see a doc).

Lessons learned:

Don't use something with wheels as a base for standing on.
See a doctor when you get hurt.
Check for your keys before you shut the door.
Keep a spare somewhere outside of your house/apartment.

Hope you heal quickly!

 

[Urchina]

T-Al, your photo reminded me a bit of this one:

 

[Orchidflower]

As someone who is about 97% healed with a torn knee muscle--which took 11 weeks of sitting with ice packs on my knee 5X a day (and there went my Summer)--God bless!
You'll get thru this, but maybe water exercises are in your future from now on? Easier on the joints and bones.
Again, God bless...and rest alot now! Hoping you heal faster than they expect!!!

 

[FinanceDude]

I fractured my talus bone on April 12, 2008, and I STILL haven't been cleared for physical therapy yet.......

 

[Dreamer]

Wow, sorry to hear about everyone's injuries. I am also guilty of sometimes taking the shortcut, that I would tell a loved one not to take. Thanks for the reminder to do things the correct way. It sounds like you will have prevented some of us from doing things the dangerous way. I can see myself starting to do it the incorrect way, and saying wait a minute, remember what happened to Brat.