Catch Me. I’m Falling

Falling is a BIG sign that walking aids are needed for the progressive effects of LGMD

There was a time when If I cried “catch me, I’m falling”, it was not because my company had induced a swoon. This isn’t a pass; it is the unfortunate effect of having LGMD. While my ambulatory skills were diminishing, getting up from the ground was one of the first abilities to disappear along with my butt, hip and thigh muscles.

Back in 2015 I’m sure a local Aussie Post delivery worker was happy to know I wasn’t trying out the damsel in distress routine to gain his attentions when he found me soaking up the rays on my friends front lawn one fine sunny day.

I was in the early stages of leg weakness and had dropped something off at her front door on a day she was out. This meant a gargantuan step to the porch (est.150-200mm –it’s a relativity thing). Both steps up and down involved a type of manic pole dancer move as I clung to the verandah railing and post for dear life.

My descent saw me abruptly splayed across her freshly mown and lush front lawn with car keys in my hand and phone in my car.

Darn – what to do.

I could sit up – yay. I couldn’t crawl easily due to upper body strength - boo. If I could take the arduous crawl to the car and try to open the car door my imbalance would probably knock me back down again – boo. Gaz might end up missing me and come looking – semi yay. Kids will soon be finishing school and come walking past pointing at the new garden gnome at no.37 – semi boo.

Before complete despair took over I heard the welcoming and delightful tones of a motorcycle coming along the footpath. Here comes the local mailman, and my friend had mail. What a win.

Hallelujah, I sighed, as he turned towards me quizzically. “Enjoying the sunshine love?”.  As he walked toward me with the mail in hand I decided full disclosure was the name of the game here so I answered, “Umm well actually I don’t live here and neither am I squatting but have this deteriorating condition that means that I am unable to get myself up after I fall – could you please get my phone from my car so I can call my husband?”

“I’ll do better than that” and my wonderful saviour called Lesley (you get on first name basis pretty quickly in these circumstances) heroically wrapped his majestic arms around me as in a bear hug and lifted me effortlessly to my quaking legs and then assisted me to my car.  That was certainly one pick up and delivery he didn’t think he’d be making that day.

There had been a few falls until I started using a wheelchair and I have been extremely fortunate to have never had any serious consequences from them. Many other people who are progressing through the changes wrought by LGMD ( Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy) have not been so lucky. When you already have a progressively deteriorating condition, injuries are not just a temporary thing - you never seem to recover fully and the effects accumulate.

There’s nothing romantic or elegant about meeting the ground in any way. Falling, however, is one of the first signs of the Neuro Muscular Disorders such as LGMD. It is typically preceded, over time, by a waddling, slow gait, limping, stumbling, and tripping.

Some of these actions, especially when you haven’t yet started needing a walking stick, can appear as if you are intoxiated. I have certainly had people stare at me and audibly hear them comment that they thought I must be drunk already as I was walking into a pub leaning on my sister.

Often times I have been very slow getting across a pedestrian crossing or simply walking through a shopping centre and feeling very self-conscious, even apologetic as a result. This is clearly an ableist attitude which I hope to minimize through sharing my stories of living with a disability.

When someone looks youngish and intellectually ok it is very easy to get impatient but I implore you to be empathetic when you see anyone, young and old, walking gingerly. So many disabilities are outwardly nearly  invisible and inabilities are easiy misjudged. Please, be empathetic. Most of the time I would bet that they are doing all they can to get to their destination and are acutely conscious that with every step they could be bumped by those in a hurry and lose their balance in a flash. I know I was.

We mostly all succumb to the inevitable mobility aids when necessary but until then all we want is to remain upright and active for as long as nature will allow.

And, while it can be confronting to see someone fall, please be like Lesley the Postie and take some time to check on them; make sure they are OK and see how you can help.

Very importantly - unless they know how you should lift them up and you are safely able to do so, you are best to call the ambulance to assist the fallen on his/her feet. Many conditions (such as LGMD) can result in other injuries from incorrect lifting or supporting techniques.

My point? Wobbly doesn’t necessarily mean drunk, slow doesn’t mean obtuse, everyone needs a little help from time to time and – most importantly - we should NEVER consider getting rid of home mail delivery services!