Back when I was very young and my grandmother was very old (a reasonably vigorous seventy-something,) it seemed that her friends were all too often falling and breaking a hip. And all too often the outcome was not good. Later I remember my grandmother fussing when the cat would get underfoot (as cats will do) and try to trip her.And now here I am. But it's not so much the hip breaking that scares me--hip replacements seem to be pretty routine these days. No, after hearing that a friend fell, hit her head, suffered a brain bleed, ended up in the ICU, and is now in rehab (aka a nursing home,) I'm extra cautious. And then there's the FB friend slowly recovering from a brain injury caused by a fall. Dang! Both of these folks are considerably younger than I. When I had a bout of vertigo a year ago, I made the decision to use a walking stick anytime I was outside on uneven or slippery surfaces. I had already had several falls, due to my wonky knee and crummy balance so it seemed like a reasonable precaution. It felt weird at first but it's become second nature.
And I yell at Jenny and Otter when they rough house around me.Yes, I've become my grandmother. She died at 92 after a stroke but she never broke her hip.
