Wednesday, June 30, 2010

CATCH A FALLING STAR

Perry Como's  golden hit, CATCH A FALLING STAR,  came to mind Monday in an unfortunate event, especially this verse.


For when your troubles start multiplyin'
An', they just might
It's easy to forget them without tryin'
With just a pocketful of starlight.

I needed "the pocket full of starlight."


After the Saga of the Solar Shades, we were in charge of re-installation of the vertical blinds. In earlier decades of our lives we tackled just about anything, but in our golden years some tasks simply become hard labor. Some involve perilous activities for an elderly person, like using stools and ladders.


A completed window with solar shades
plus verticals installed. It should be
clickable to enlarge further for details.
My husband usually leads the way and I assist, and sometimes hinder progress. My main job was removing the vertical vanes from older head rails for installation on custom cut new ones.
This task I can do easily.


Then I decided to facilitate the installation by inserting the vanes in their hangers on the new head rails. I had some spare time before I bailed Luckie out of her beauty shop appointment for the works: shampoo bath, nail trim, ear clean, considerable shedding hair removal, etc.


I used a very stable 3 step ladder for this task. It has very wide steps--so wide and stable that I can turn around on the top one. It has been in use in our household since my knee surgeries, so I am very familiar with its features.


However, no matter how safe a ladder or stool may be, it cannot compensate for a user who ignores even the most basic rules.


At some point I tired of the up-and-down the ladder, move it a foot, and up-and -down again. I had to move just one vane a little to my left, a little out of reach, without leaning. SO I violated one cardinal rule of working on a ladder: do not outreach you area of work.


Which I did... and now regret. With my weight all on my left leg, I lost my balance and fell, most ungracefully, my back hitting the very sharp corner of my husband's printer table, sending two printers flying across the room like falling stars.  I was falling star #3 sprawled across an conglomerate of printer pages, window rods and vertical vanes, and heaven only knows what else.


I lay on the floor, somewhat stunned but conscious, a few minutes to determine if anything was broken. My husband' who was eating lunch, in a nearby room came in.


He knows I have to get myself up. Prosthetic knees have some drawbacks. All he can do is hold a chair or similar item firmly as I pull myself up. After determining my bones were intact, I managed to regain a vertical position once more.


Then I began to examine the damage. I had a huge hematoma, (something more than a bruise) forming on my back side under the rib area, and another on the hip. Of course I was aching, but pain was not of broken bones.


After an exam by the nurse practitioner in our clinic, I was scheduled for a CT scan, which I 've completed, but do not yet know results.


I am under doctor's orders to take it easy until I hear from the nurse practitioner. Hope I hear something Thursday.


Mainly I am very sore., but otherwise intact... now I've got to find the pocketful of starlight. If I had any, I used it all, and have an empty pocket!!!

Here is a YOU TUBE link, to CATCH A FALLING STAR. These are children singing it for Mother's Day. Cute!

10 comments:

Arkansas Patti said...

Good grief lady, do you have to be so spectactular?
Sure hope your results show only more bad bruising.
It is always that one move too many we make that we wish we could have a do over.
Do be careful and let us know how you are doing.

faye said...

I had to read this quickly to get to the end.. to know if you had
any broken bones... the hematoma
is bad enough and the soreness.

Hope the news from the CT is good.

Post when you can.. please.

Sending good vibes and thoughts
to fill all your pockets.dieshi

Sniffles and Smiles said...

Oh, my goodness!!! You do have a gift for the dramatic!! That's simply terrible!! I pray you haven't cracked a rib!! I will pray for you! And please take care of yourself! Love you! Janine XO

Rosaria Williams said...

NOOOO! So sorry! Take care.

Sweet Virginia Breeze said...

Oh my, I hope you are all right and that nothing is broken. I'm sure you will be extremely sore after such a terrible fall. Sending healing thoughts your way.

Ginny said...

Oh my god! That is awful! I sometimes cut corners when doing home repairs (like jumping the ladder, etc.) but the worst that happened to me was a can of spilled paint...your accident is much worse. I have my fingers and toes crossed that all your injuries just turn out to be bruises and nothing more.

Might be time to crank the AC and have a couple of cocktails and relax. I know a faboo recipe for a lavendar infused gimlet - after two of those you will forget your worries. You are a very bold gal to be climbing around like that ....be careful!

Anonymous said...

I have just found your blog and have been reading some of the posts. I am now a follower and look forward to reading more posts.

Sorry to hear about your fall and I hope that you are going to heal rapidly.

Your dog is beautiful!

Hugs

Liz Hinds said...

Oh no! What a silly lady!

Hope there's no deep-seated damage and that the bruising and pain goes quickly.

Lisa said...

Oh! My Gosh!

I do hope you are better now and everything turned out okay?

Is this day three or is that tomorrow? Day three always seems to hurt the most for some reason.

Hope you get that pocketful of starlight and SOON!!!

Lisa

Sniffles and Smiles said...

Been praying for you!!! Hope you are doing a little better, and that you will be able to enjoy your 4th of July!! Love you! Janine Xo