It’s here. The dark season and the first snow have also fallen, which makes life even more difficult for us. Orthopaedists and accident surgeons have a lot to do every winter, as soon as the first snow falls and it becomes icy, the number of broken bones rises sharply, which can be particularly devastating for us. Shoe spikes are one possibility (look up at Amazon for shoe spikes), the so-called anti-slip soles. They can be attached to any shoe and provide additional protection against slipping – they are only ugly. Especially older people and chronically ill people (we) often fall in winter and suffer serious injuries, from which they recover only with difficulty or not at all.
People who use a walking stick know that the contact surface can be easily slippery, especially in winter and wet conditions. Spikes for the walking stick are available in stores, which are even paid for by the health insurance.
A supply of vitamin D and a calcium-containing diet strengthens the bones, but I prefer to stay at home when it’s slippery! In our case, the healing will probably take longer, so don’t risk anything.
Take care of yourselves and for everyone, a slippery and fall-free movement this winter!
What the dark season also manages: making me more inactive. In healthy years this time I liked to hang out at Christmas markets, go to the movies with popcorn and beer, go to the sauna or visit exhibitions. Of course, almost all of this could be realized with appropriate accompaniment and precautionary measures, but do I want that? Is that amusement or stress then? Rather at home, in front of the fireplace (if there is one) or in front of the TV with tea or cocoa instead of mulled wine, which I can’t tolerate any more.
This weather also makes me listless and sensitive. Otherwise in the year I was always busy and did balance exercises, went out with Nordic Walking poles, did my speech therapy exercises daily, swing exercises, yoga (as best I could). Now everything is too difficult for me. And the bad thing is, I’m not even sure that it’s seasonal. Is that why I think I’ve taken a step backwards? My balance is really limiting.
But after the usual chores, everything is so hard for me and every atom of my body screams “Sit down, lie down” – or is it the “Little Asshole” who now lives and rules in my head? Every movement costs me conviction. I still live alone (which is good for me and I would like to keep this way for a while) and keeping my two-room apartment clean is suddenly exhausting. Vacuuming alone is like digging a ditch, and I have to sit down every few minutes. I wheeze and consider every little movement if it is necessary. Accordingly, my once spotlessly clean apartment suffers under this and everything becomes semi-clean… But by the time I have done these everyday things, that used to run along with it, like cleaning, shopping, washing, cooking, the day is also over, and it is especially hard for me to lift myself onto the treadmill or something like that.
In addition, I have appointments almost every day, physiotherapy, doctor’s appointments, speech therapy and others. Also that everything takes three times as long due to my poor fine motor skills.
What’s more, I am like an amphibian, with particularly low blood pressure when standing, with icy hands and feet, cold nose.
How does all this affect my mood? Nobody wants to know that. Now it becomes important that I can no longer drink mulled wine, because I would like to get drunk and then go into deep winter sleep, and only wake up at Easter. Maybe a little later than that, we had already some snow to Eastern.
Of course you could say “Be thankful, that you can still do this and that”. But I am not thankful. I know that things will get worse, but I still hate that I can’t do “this and that” anymore, like a carefree walk in a fresh snow. Is that too much in ask?
Oh well, and we’re also careful not to bring an infection into the house!
So it remains to endure and to wait, that it remains a little longer brighter, that the dreaded snow chaos will be missing and that it goes a little uphill again with the weather, and the universe breathes into one life instead of these dark days. Yes, I have never been a friend of winter, in another life that time I have happily packed my suitcase and spent the holidays under palm trees.