A Long, Strange Trip (And Fall): Part 1

A recent weekend started like most any other weekend for us. Husband and I have been successfully retired for over 10 years. Our routine of sorts has been relatively established, our home is completely empty-nested, all children are up and grown and living their best lives on their own.

This particular weekend involved visiting our sweet little grandchildren who live about 3 hours away from us.

A daytime drive to visit our grandchildren

Traveling during the daytime is perfect for me, as I have myopic macular degeneration and daylight is always the best way to go — for me, that is. Being able to clearly see what is out and about on the roads without worrying about hidden shadows or vision being grossly obscured is essential.

With all the details worked out, we headed toward their house midmorning. It was a pleasant day drive, and we arrived with plenty of time to be entertained by the 3 abovementioned rascals.

Just when you feel everything is alright...

Our daughter and son-in-law live on a lovely little farm in midwest Missouri, the perfect place to raise their little family and a couple of farm animals to throw into the mix. Their home is nice; plenty of room for them all, a large playroom downstairs, and an extra bedroom for the "Grands" to settle into at night. Really makes for a lovely getaway weekend for us to visit with them.

But just when you start to settle into the feeling that everything is alright with your world, something gets thrown into the mix to set that story straight.

A fall down the steps

It was Sunday afternoon, and the grandkids were getting ready to head out for their planned 4-H club event along with their parents. Grandpa was downstairs, clearly trying to unwind from the hectic afternoon, and then there was I.

For reasons unknown, I, too, headed down those stairs. That is when things took a turn for the worse.

Apparently, somehow I missed my step. I remember thinking, "Oh, no," as I felt like I couldn’t catch up with my own feet. Next thing I knew, I was on the landing 7 steps down the staircase with a crew of EMT men assessing my status. Through the "magic" of my iPhone, a "hard fall" was registered, and the nearest EMTs were alerted as to where to find me.

Was it a seizure or my MMD?

Husband and daughter were clearly freaking out, having no idea what had happened. Was the fall because of a misjudgment on my part? Sometimes it is hard to judge steps — no way to know.

I was quickly airlifted to the nearest hospital, a 1-hour drive away but a 20-minute flight. The hospital did a quick assessment that day and determined I had a concussion with a slight bleed.

Was it because of a seizure? Or did my MMD throw all caution to the wind and really mess me up?

Proceed with caution

Regardless of why, all we know is that it did happen. I fought headaches off and on all week, slowly regaining some stability in my walk.

All this is to say: be careful. When you are not exactly confident in your stepping, proceed with caution. This was definitely the longest and strangest trip I have ever taken.

Read Part 2 of this article here.