Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Twinkle Toes? Me? Not Today!

A couple of weeks ago I had a hellava laugh thanks to E! (My Elegant Chaos).  While admiting she has mastered the craft of fallin' up stairs, she reflected back to an experience she had on Capital Hill a couple of years ago.  She's always got great entries, but this one quickly became a favorite of mine.  Got a minute?  Ever fallen in a public place?  Go read it...you will not be sorry.  I promise.  It's that good.

So anyways, I was teasing her about being clutzy and falling and getting older, etc. etc. etc.

When will I ever learn?

Today, while walking down three (count 'em, three) stairs, I did the banana peel thing and BAM! down I went.  Fortunately, both my funny bones broke the fall.

Yeah.  I'm gonna need a little more sympathy than that!

It was one of those moments when I know I firmly placed my left foot down on the second step.  My foot made contact with the solid step and the next thing I knew that same foot was moving in a direction unbeknowst to me.  Funny, I didn't tell it to move yet, it just acted on it's own accord.  It was like I just stepped in a snare and someone had jerked on the rope to pull my foot out from beneath me.  I remember seeing that renegade foot slide down and bounce off the third step just seconds before my other foot decided to join in the fun.

Oh no.

I'm going down and there ain't nothin' I can do about it.

In a feeble attempt to break my fall, I put both my hands down.  Wrong!  The precise moment my brain sent those instructions to my hands, my butt was nearing touchdown on the second step.  The only place for my arms to go was at my side, and just as I jerked both arms down, my elbows and my back smacked the edge of the upper step.  And I mean smacked.  I sat momentarily stunned before I was able to get to my feet.  Both my elbows are humming and vibrating with pain, the right one is starting to bleed and the left has several angry red scrapes on it.  That's gonna leave a mark, and some very nasty bruises.

This all happened on my lunch hour which is now over (literally), and I have to go back to work.  Long story short, I returned to the office, cleaned and licked my wounds, grabbed a couple of bandaids and returned to my desk.

That was almost twelve hours ago.  My left arm is a tad bit sore right now, and I know when I wake up tomorrow morning, I'm going to feel it.  My back doesn't hurt, but the smacked spot is very tender.  I hope this doesn't come back to haunt me in later years.

On the positive side, there was no one around when it happened, so no one saw me fall.  That's always a good thing.  No witnesses who will someday feel compelled to remind me that 45+ years after I first learned to walk, I still haven't mastered that craft.

 

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry you had to take the fall for this one!  Serously, though, I hope there is no residual fallout from this.  My right elbow throbs from time to time from some injury years ago I don't even remember, especially when it is going to rain.
Sam

Anonymous said...

OUCH !!! Oh man - I feel for ya'! Maybe a nice long sit in a whirlpool will help some if you have one.

Anonymous said...

ugh I bet thats def. gonna hurt later on. But hey look at the brightside no one saw it. Last time I fell it was at school, right at the entrance door (It was raining and I was running becuase I was VERY late to a final). Oh man was I embarrased.....  till this day my friend still ask me if my rear end still hurts from the fall, yea it was THAT bad!

Anonymous said...

Ouch!  that hurts...  I thought I was the only one who fell UPstairs.  I`ve being doing it all my life now and am used to it now.  The one time I fell downstairs, the carpet had been taken up prior to being replaced.  So I crashed to the bottom, bruising my shins on every step.  My legs did look lovely afterwards...lolol!  It is nice though, however much it hurts that no-one sees you fall!  :-)

Sandra xxx

Anonymous said...

That sounds like something I would do.  I am glad you are ok though cause you could have really been hurt young lady.  Big Hugs, Nicki

Anonymous said...

Ah, but now you've told us - and we have LOOOONNNGG memories.

Anonymous said...

Ouch!!  You poor thing!  Hope your injuries aren't too sore for too long.
My Mum had a fall like this a couple of months ago, and broke her arm in three places.  What is it with legs that go in the opposite direction to what you tell them?!
Take care hon, especially with steps!
Sara   x

Anonymous said...

Hey!  It's me again!  Ok Dona, I really don't want to hear that you're having back surgery because your feet have minds of their own.  Please be careful!  And WHY do they call them funny bones?  It doesn't tickle in the least!  I hope you're ok!

Your sis (with lots of love being sent!)

Chris

Anonymous said...

Thank you all so much for your concern and well wishes.  I'm doing okay, but I can't deny I am a bit worried about the long term effects of that fall on my back.  Injuries to the back never show up right away...it's always later...sometimes many years later.  I go to the doc next week for my annual check-up (or should I say I go to the dungeon for my annual visit to the torture chamber), so we'll see.
~Dona

PS - Pixie/Kelly, you know, I realized that after I hit the save button.  Oh well!

Chris, love you!  Miss you!  Give Vic and those kids a hug for me, 'k?  You too!

Anonymous said...

I almost hesitate to say a WORD, because I have a history with stairs myself. Hope your boo-boo's heal up soon!

Jimmy