Why I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up Is Now a Baby Boomer Nightmare

One of the longest-running commercials is the one where the old lady is lying on the ground yelling “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up.” I remember listening to it when I was young thinking it was something old people had to worry about. Now that most of us Baby Boomers are 60+ it’s one of our greatest fears.

While I was walking my dogs I suddenly, tripped on something and landed on the ground. I’m not sure, but I’m guessing it was a spiked round burr that had fallen from a tree. Lately, they’ve been all over the sidewalk.

I immediately got back up and could walk so I knew I didn’t break anything. Pheww! Up the street, a young man who was walking his dog was looking at me to see if I was alright. It was embarrassing. He must have figured I was okay and went about his business. (or his doggie’s business)

I thought I was okay until I realized I wasn’t

My whole right side started to ache including my wrist and under my right rib. Bruised but not broken I took a few deep breaths and made my way home.

Of course, my dogs didn’t cooperate at all and kept stopping and starting. People walked past us with their pets or whizzed by on skateboards causing my terrier-ist dog to go apeshit. I thought I’d never make it back to my apartment with my wrist intact even though it was only a block away.

Most of the people in my neighborhood, who are mostly young, have their noses in their phones when they’re walking their dogs. I always feel sorry that their pets are being completely ignored. But I’ve also seen people my age walking with their eyeballs in their phones. I keep my phone in a pouch when I walk in case of an emergency.

Tip: If you want to avoid a painful fall, don’t walk and check your email at the same time

When I got back to my apartment, I fed my dogs which required me to go into a deep squat to avoid rib pain when I set down their bowls.  Then, I had to lift one of them to give him a shot. That wasn’t fun either.

Once the doggies were settled, I grabbed an ice pack out of the freezer and attached it to my wrist by wrapping a narrow belt around it. I was glad to find a use for that belt because it wasn’t getting worn around my not so skinny waist.

After a while, the pain started to subside but somehow, I knew I’d feel it the next day. It’s like being in a minor traffic accident. The day after feels like a truck hit you.

And . . . I was right!

Tiger Balm, Arnica Cream and Tylenol became my friends.  Getting older sucks because you don’t bounce back as fast as when you were young! If it’s not one thing that aches it’s another and then you fall and screw it up even more.

But, aside from taking a few days off from driving because of my wrist and being uncomfortable sleeping, I’m feeling okay. I was lucky, though. It could have been much worse. Now, I’m a lot more careful when I’m out walking and am on the lookout for those pesky tree burrs.