End of life issues are often provoked by a fall. Valda, Gus, Vanda all fell to injury after falling which led to weeks or months of hospitalization and eventual death often after painful surgery and dire attempts to keep them alive.
I went down today while simply standing by the bed setting my alarm for pain medication. (I take 325mg of Tylenol every 6 hours to mitigate arthritis pain in my left shoulder.) I don’t think I was badly injured this time except for a bump on my elbow and a rug burn on my knee, but the difficulty getting up was a big harbinger for the future. This former dancer tried everything and eventually turned over and got to my knees and pulled myself upright between the bed and dresser to standing. Falling is the biggest hazard for those of us of a certain age.
This strange journey continues to challenge and inform.