Jabblog's recent post, Stuck!, gave me an idea for a post of my own. She had reached down to get something off a low shelf and needed help to get back up.
I have whinged here more than once about my sleep problems, but I really had a difficult time for three consecutive nights early last week. Sue was away for two of them. After many restless hours on the first night that she was away, I decided to have a bath. Afterward, I slept for a couple of hours, starting at around 5 o'clock.
I often find a bath comforting in some way, but I had limited myself to showers for about a year after I wrecked my rotator cuff, for it had been tremendously difficult to extricate myself from the tub. While my rotator cuff problems persist, they are not as acute as they were back then, so this initial bath went well enough, and it temporarily altered something within me so that I was able to get a wee bit of sleep afterward.
However, when the same sleepless scene replayed itself and had led to another bath on the next desperate night, I slipped back a little when endeavouring to pull myself out of the tub. I didn't fall, and I wasn't in trouble; I simply slipped back from a crouch onto my bottom.
It made me think.
What if it had been a more serious incident, and what if I couldn't get myself out of the situation?
How long would I be there, naked and away from my phone? It would have been a most unpleasant predicament.
It happened to my mother once upon a time when I was away. She hadn't been in the tub, thank goodness, and she was able to drag herself to the phone and call her friends who were able to help her up.
One must be careful at a certain age. I don't think I have yet reached that age, but I am getting close enough that I mean to be more careful. If Sue is away in future, I'll stay out of the bath or at least have my phone close by. But she is seldom away and not for long, and it will also probably be a long time before I feel the need for a restorative bath anyway.
I'm glad you were able to extricate yourself. It can get jolly cold in a bath!
ReplyDeleteI find I am looking at everything differently. I look for hazards and how to prevent them. I don’t use my cell phone, except in emergency. If I were alone, that thing hid away in my purse wouldn’t be much help. It is good the problem wasn’t more serious, AC.
ReplyDeleteI hear you, AC. I've thought the same thing numerous times and it seems like I'm almost always troubleshooting before the problem begins to avoid it!
ReplyDeleteScary thoughts. I take my cell phone and place it on the counter when I'm in the shower. I used to have a tub. Literally turning around onto all fours like a dog is one way to start to get out of the tub, crawling up over the edge. A rubber mat in the bottom of the tub helps too even for baths, not just showers. Do you have railings installed? Get the etched ones, not the smooth ones. Etched ones you can hold on to with wet or soapy hands. I've gone to my nearby community center for a hot soak in their huge hot tub, complete with several railings and walk-in ramps. Wish it was in my house. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteGood advice about turning around in the tub like that. In fact, that's how we were taught to get up from a fall.
DeleteI don't know if this helps or not, but my father at 83 encountered the same issue with the tub and getting stuck on the ground when I took him to the beach. He walked up to 3 miles per day so he thought it was all good. He went to PT and then signed up for working out twice a week -- in 2003. The muscles that you use to get up like that along with balance are lost if you don't keep those muscles engaged.
ReplyDeleteBy the end of 6 months, he had my brother send me photos of him getting up from the floor. He continued to work on this issue and by 87 was able to get up and down with very few issues.
Not all can do this with knee, hip, joint issues, however it balance and strength can be helped.
A smart watch is also a cool thing to have because you don't need a cell phone to alert others that you need help. Mine will send alerts to two people with my location coordinates if I am in trouble.
A friend worked in a jail. He found it remarkable how inmates could turn themselves around physically even after being in pretty sad shape previously.
DeleteFor some reason, this reminded me of the infamous "Happy Enchilada" song by John Prine which is actually "That's the Way the World Goes 'Round", specifically the second verse.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvjvrsxsat8
I am playing it now. Alas I can't understand him very well.
DeleteIn case you didn't already find another version, here is one that was on his released album and much easier to understand but without the pause to explain the "happy enchilada" moniker it got in later years.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnMNBTc1DQU
You poor sleepless guy! I know many famous (well a few) people are known to sleep just 4 hours a night. I always figured it was because they had so many things going on. Tub accidents are no fun, and I can't remember when I actually lay soothingly in warm water, for just the reasons you and others have mentioned. My son once asked what would I do were I to fall, and I said I always had my cell with me. But I refuse to unplug it from it's charger in the middle of the night for a bathroom visit. So there's a hitch to that plan!
ReplyDeleteI do well enough most of the time, but I do get worn down after several consecutive bad nights.
DeleteI don't take baths any more since I had a great struggle to get out a couple of years ago, despite being pretty good with strength training etc. Even the grab bars were only a bit helpful. It's showers now.
ReplyDeleteI have my phone on my person always, in case of falling. Even if I'm not injured, I can't get up from the floor unaided. Old joints even healthy ones, move slowly.
I just tried the link to jablog's post, doesn't exist. She perhaps deleted.
ReplyDeleteIt's not you. Something went wrong.
DeleteA constant thought these days---is that whatever going to cause a problem? We took out our tub and put in a walk-in shower. When we traveled to England and Ireland though, almost all the b&bs had tubs, some of them with quite high sides. If we go back, that will be a question before reserving a place.
ReplyDeleteI think Brits like baths more than we do. At least I have got that impression from various tv programs.
DeleteI'm very careful about getting out of the bath because I rarely have my phone nearby. (and I live alone) Mari would be no help.
ReplyDeleteI had never thought about it until then.
DeleteCould have been a scary situation. I had to give up tub baths (which I loved) some years ago because of back/knee/shoulder problems.
ReplyDeleteI am not alone -- except I was then. lol
DeleteGetting older sucks! Glad you are alright.
ReplyDeleteA wise post. Yes I am definitely more careful. And don't ride motorcycles anymore. It's wise to think ahead and make provisions for what we will need in the future. I assume that at some point I will have one of those panic buttons that sends help. I refuse to be daunted! Onward
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I can still take baths if I want, but usually it's showers because of the time involved. And at 82 I can still get out of bathtubs pretty easily. My phone is usually on the counter in the bathroom when showering.
ReplyDeleteI hear you about the bath. Mine is tricky to get out of.
ReplyDeleteAny age is time to be careful. My grandie, Aster, wrecked her knee again. She's been getting physio, too.
I nag and nag at JG to make sure he has his cell phone. Someone needs to do the same for me, as I often have to search frantically for it when it rings. We have a land line and that is what I use and still expect others to use.
ReplyDeleteYou were not thinking at top form to get into the bathtub when home alone. Glad it worked out, but, honestly, AC.