Pride Cometh Before the Fall

On Wednesday, January 18, 2012, I attended a seminar in Boutwells Town Hall on avoiding falls — my “score” showed me to be very unlikely to experience a fall — I was proud!

Had a wonderful day! Tennis at 10:00 — I was fine! Angela Johnson, a tennis friend and writer for the “Woodbury Patch” (http://woodbury.patch.com) came home with me for lunch because Dorothy wanted to meet her. Jean Ann (Dorothy’s niece) fixed a great lunch. The Woodbury Patch article showed my picture in tennis garb and said nice things about me and my tennis competence at just a few weeks before my 90th birthday — I was proud!

Next I went to “water aerobics” at the Boutwell’s pool — then to a meeting of the Boutwell’s “archive Committee”. Nothing to be proud of but fun activities.

Not much dinner, early bedtime. 2:00 AM I found myself on the bathroom floor with a sore spot in my ribs — hmm, I must have had a fall! Back to bed and sound sleep.

8:00 AM as I was taking my blood pressure — 83/44 UGH!

Dorothy — “What are you doing?” Me — “I must have had a fall and was checking”.

Dorothy — “You moron –you should have awakened me!” Me — “But you would have called 911 and I wanted more sleep”.

Dorothy — “I’m calling 911 now!” Me — “No, I’m OK”.

Dorothy — “I’m calling Mona” (daughter in law, nurse practitioner and mentor.)

(En-route to Dr.) Mona — “You probably had too much coffee and too little water.”

Me — “You mean too much water and not enough coffee??”.

Doctor — “You’ve had too much coffee and too little water.”

(En-route home) — “Hey Mona, can we stop for a full glass of water, a half cup of coffee and a sweet?”

Art Nesse — January 2012