Taking A Header

The start of my father in laws down fall was precipitated by a fall down his front hall stairs. It’s not unusual for a series of medical events to be started by an accident, and his, although he clearly was having troubles with Alzheimers before the fall, was exacerbated by such an event. So, given my advancing age and my general health, I move more slowly than I used to. In terms of stairs, I definitely take it a bit slower, and I am always aware when I am on the stairs of my situation because I don’t want the same kind of thing to happen to me.


Saying that, last week on Friday morning after my father in law’s funeral, at 4:20 a.m., I had awoken and decided to go downstairs (down the same stairs at his house where he had fallen) and watch some TV. I had a long drive in front of me that day and I guess I was a bit keyed up after the funeral and didn’t sleep that well. I carefully walked to the top of the stairs, started down very slowly, one bare foot at a time when I slipped.

I started down, caught myself by my hand on a banister and ended up turning somehow in the air and turned completely over on to my stomach, my right hand on the banister. My shoulder felt like it had been ripped up a bit, I fell about four or five stairs, made a huge noise but my prayers were answered. Nothing was broken!

My wife who always worries that I may have died in some way or another came running out loudly whispering (stage whisper) “Arthur, are you all right?” I just laughed so hard.

I quoted my late mother who said, “Arthur, when we fall on our fat asses at any age all we do is bounce!”