I just 49 and I fell today
Posted by Abpoe77@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 57 comments
I've worked since I was 10 years old, for real. I just turned 49 last week. I drive a trash truck with two guys working as loaders. I don't get out of the truck unless it's a recycle day and I'll get out to throw carts and rack the truck while the loaders load the hopper. Today I drove for 6 hours and was done. I had climbed out and stretched a few times and was feeling just fine. Arrived at the shop and the water and sewer supervisor was at the shop and just happened to look over as my left ankle and right knee decided to mutiny as I was climbing down the truck steps and I ate shit hard. I played it off and did a quick truck chore, climbed back up and headed to the landfill. An hour and half later I was back at the shop and he asked if I'm good. I said it hurt but I'm fine. He shook his head and said if that happened to one of his guys they'd gone home. I'm fit. I've backpacked all over the US and walk to work. Im a bit heavy but I'm fit more or less. I've broke my ankle, lower back and shoulder in the past and my knees feel years of labor work and hard playing. I just can't believe they both gave out at the same time after such an easy day.
Scary_Vanilla2932@reddit
I am 55. Did airport luggage as both a sky cap,shuttle driver and in the plane. Mostly did landscaping and bartending when younger. I'm fit and lean but my joints are all rebelling right now. All of them. I didnt even consider what I did hard on my body. Once I hit 50 it all started to go downhill. Now I simply cannot do simple things. No more biking, it wrecks me. I can't squat or do things with my knees that some people do. I can stand all day and play pickleball. Jogging...no, any real athletics.....no. It happens quick.
Embarrassed-Region29@reddit
Check into regenerative medicine for your knees.
Mindless-Baker-7757@reddit
My BIL did ground crew for like 30 years. IDK how he lasted that long. His last years were in the terminal moving bags all day.
Knight_thrasher@reddit
I once got out of a truck in the shop, mis stepped and rolled my ankle, got up went into the shop lunch room and lost consciousness. Yes an ambulance was called
Avocado-Basic@reddit
I can feel this comment as I read it.
Vioralarama@reddit
Im 55 and Ive fallen three times in the past year, all of them landing on a knee first. I have water on the knee in both of them now. Or possibly something worse. I have a huge deductible and can't afford X-rays.
The last time I fell my ankle turned when I stood up and my body just rolled with it. I was looking at the wall and making a note as I went down of how it looked at different angles. I fell on my knee but I think I prevented a sprained or broken ankle. Reading the other comments, I feel lucky that I haven't broken anything.
But I have friends in their 60s who make comments when I get out of an easy chair because my knees snap, crackle, and pop.
notevenapro@reddit
YOu are at the age where you should consider holding the handrail. I do.
RedditSkippy@reddit
I’m a city gal and commute by subway on my in-office days. I’ve seen some stuff. I most definitely hold the handrail and I’ve been doing that for decades at this point.
Abpoe77@reddit (OP)
I've noticed I have literally run up stairs in a 15 story building because it was a fun challenge. Now anything above 3 floors I can't look down or even get near the edge. I've climbed and repeled 5 pitches in an ice and snow storm while chugging Foster oil cans and huffing Marlboro lights less than 10 years ago.
rabbledabble@reddit
Broke my foot for the second time a couple months ago. Takes longer to heal than it used to. Gotta slow down and think about what we are doing. I do yoga several times a week and that seems to keep the pain at bay from all my various squawks (and it seems to help with the slowing down bit).
Blue-Skye-@reddit
I realized I should probably sit down to pull on my pants a few days ago. It made me feel very old. 🤣
FromTheFoot@reddit
Buddy of mine broke his arm and shoulder after falling putting on his. At 58, I make a point to sit down. No pride, just common sense nowadays.
Relevant_Wrangler830@reddit
49 here and back in January I did this after being thrown from a bicycle. Then after about 15 minutes of lying there I got my shit together, put the chain on the bike and finished my ride in moderate pain.
Awkward-Actuator-596@reddit
I fell at 42 and my whole life changed- fractures didn’t heal correctly which resulted eventually in bone on bone arthritis in places they don’t make artificial joints for…now my X-rays look like the cheap Temu version of the bionic woman. Needless to say attempted to mow a few weeks ago and took the dreaded tumble. Now trying to put off knee surgery at least until summer is over.
Feel better OP
advocatecarey@reddit
This aging thing has not been easy. I tripped on my stairs this past October…ended up with a trimalleolar ankle fracture with dislocation. Literally broke every bone in my lower leg, I was laid up for 4 months. It’s been a rough recovery, I gained 20 lbs, still limping and exhausted. I am miserable.
Wishing you a speedy recovery.
Effective_Fox_8075@reddit
Fell when I was alone at night. 4 years ago- 55 (F) then. Very fit, not overweight, no chronic issues. Slipped on my jammie bottom and went down hard on my right lower back and hip and literally was sobbing from the pain. Couldn’t leave the house (other than drs appts) for 12 days. It was the most humbling experience and illuminating. I now understand completely why people stop showering, eating, and interacting with the world when that kind of pain hits your daily life. I still do my stretching exercises daily and my pcp said at my physical, post mri review “you should be in pain daily, based on your 3 crushed vertebrae.” 😩😁 I’ve had two flares and I respect and listen to this pain when it starts. Falls at any age aren’t good but as we age, they can become bad game changers!
AngelHeart-@reddit
Orthopedic patients are getting younger and younger.
I was a bit surprised when it first started happening. I thought it was just young athletes overtraining but no; it isn’t.
The are younger people in their late twenties and early thirties with joint and back issues.
I think it’s a lack of nutrition and poor sleep causing problems.
omegared138@reddit
Don't forget the increase in sedentary jobs (like myself). That's been the biggest cause of my meat suit falling apart. I'm closer to 50 than I'd like, and I'm struggling to get myself back into some resemblance of my former fit self.
AngelHeart-@reddit
Yeah; you’re right.
I also need to start working out again. I’m trying to create a gym in my home as part of home improvement.
omegared138@reddit
For me, it's a motivation challenge. If I don't have someone keeping me in check, I'll start slacking; and I struggle with making the time for exercise during the day. I started at a boxing gym last year but messed up my hand (not boxing related) within a month of starting; so I need to get back to it. The trial day was rough! I thought the jump rope was going to kill me but I felt great afterwards.
Oobitsa@reddit
56 and fell twice last year. First time, I had to get stitches in my head. Second time, I cracked a rib.
2_dog_father@reddit
A couple of falls and 4 broken ribs made me more situationally aware.
ackshualllly@reddit
Is it not a workers’ comp fall when the supervisor watches and asks if you’re good like that?
Abpoe77@reddit (OP)
We're city employees. Unless you remove something crush something or can't get up you're fine for at least 24 hours
ackshualllly@reddit
Ah. I asked it as a question because even as a lawyer, I have no idea. Call me if you get arrested, nothing else.
Doctordoubleyew@reddit
I would get that on the record as an injury at work. You never know if you might have complications later. Make sure its documented just in case! Best case you're fine and nothing comes of it. Worst case, you don't document then it comes back to bite you and you're screwed with Dr's bills!!
Otherwise_Object_446@reddit
I work out almost every day doing weights, running and/or yoga. I threw my back out doing a puzzle. I’ve never been so tempted to lie about how I got injured.
genericusername11101@reddit
One of the worst pains I ever felt was my back going out when hunched over a raised garden bed at a strange angle. Fukin gardening…
VacationBackground43@reddit
Yeah, I was also doing good with weights, then herniated a disc sitting at the computer, disabled me for nine months. Better now but I'll never be the same, can't leverage anything or I killy back again.
The COMPUTER.
Leading-Midnight2049@reddit
You young wippersnappers
happycj@reddit
Came here to say this.
OreoSpeedwaggon@reddit
At least you were able to get up on your own. I'm not so sure I could if I had a bad spill.
Insightseekertoo@reddit
I'm 56, I had socks on and went to scamper up my carpeted stairs. I managed to get most of the way up and my leading foot slipped off the stair and I felt face first on the stairs face against the stars and arms pinned underneath my torso só I couldn't catch myself until I reached the bottom. Result: sprained both wrist and a knargly rug burn on forhead. Yeah. I feel old.
dogsfavorite@reddit
No socks, I went in the other direction, slid down the stairs face up and broke 2 toes on the frame at the bottom. 54.
imrickjamesbioch@reddit
Glad you’re ok!
My wife dog got out and when he stop acting like a spaz, I went to grab him but of course the wife didn’t put on his collar on. So he wiggled out and under cut both my leg and I ate shit for maybe the first time in my life. Landed on my hip and broke that mofo. So I spent my 53rd Bday a couple weeks latter laid up im bed sucking down oxy to numb the pain.
On the bright side my doc told me I was lucky the break was below the hip socket and would need only a huge rod in my leg for the rest of my life vs a complete hip replacement. Yep, thats what he told me… 😳
Anyway, cheers OP for being a tough SIB! 🍻
yourilluminaryfriend@reddit
My knee tried to give out on me at work a few weeks ago. Stood up and took 2 steps and almost went down. I know my knees are bad, but that felt like something tore. Took most of 2 weeks to stop hurting. Getting old sucks man
newhappyrainbow@reddit
My joints are so unreliable I barely trust them doing stairs unless I have a rail to hang onto.
deejayhill@reddit
I woke up, got dressed and when I was heading out put my backpack on and it felt like I had been shot in the back. I couldn't hardly move my shoulder the rest of day and has taken 2 days to work out. 49 is a dangerous age I guess.
Happy_Dog1819@reddit
We don't bounce like we used to.
PotatoSpirit007@reddit
Unless you are round like me... ok jk. Yeah growing old is not for sissies.
PotatoSpirit007@reddit
I sprained an ankle getting out of bed once. My knees have however held up so far *knocks wood* and I'm in the downhill side of 60.
CodenameZoya@reddit
I wonder if it’s from sitting in the truck for so long and then moving? Maybe you need to stretch more than you stretched…
RikkiLostMyNumber@reddit
WTF is that bodily mutiny shit? I get that once in a while, too. Right leg just says "nope" right when you're on a ladder or something. Then it doesn't happen again for like a year.
Money_Engineering_59@reddit
I turned 50 last week and now need urgent spinal fusion. The irony isn’t lost on me.
Good_With_Tools@reddit
Make sure they have Spinal Tap playing during the surgery!
pigeyejackson66@reddit
Talk about mud flaps, my girls got ' em.
quiet_desperado@reddit
I went to bed last night feeling perfectly fine and woke up this morning feeling like I dislocated my hip. Been hobbling around all day wondering wtf I did in my sleep.
BecauseISaidSo888@reddit
The injuries we get while we’re sleeping!
I pulled a hamstring once somehow and regularly hurt my rotator cuff.
LayerNo3634@reddit
I'm 57 and manage to have 2 falls per year. Usually something stupid. Last week, I was letting the chickens out one morning. Opened the gate, stepped back right in a hole they dug the previous day and fell right on my a$$. Fortunately, the shavings made a soft landing!
FlyingTerrier@reddit
Get it documented so you can claim on whatever is available just in case it gets worse.
golfingsince83@reddit
My whole life I was a tank. Skinny as a kid and 10 pounds overweight as an adult. No physical job I couldn’t do. Carried my bag for 36 holes a weekend almost every weekend the last 10 years. I got bad arthritis in both knees and had a scope done on right knee in February to clean out the cartilage and arthritis and the meniscus was torn so the doc cleaned that up too. I have the same thing in left knee so surgery on that probably after thanksgiving. Now I’m dealing with a tfcc injury in my left wrist that makes golfing and opening lids on jars painful. I’ve been doing the exercises I find on YouTube but they’re not helping. If I can’t golf I’ll be majorly fuckin depressed. 47 years old and I feel like I’m breaking down year by year lol
Deer-in-Motion@reddit
I had to move out of the condo I'd lived in 32 years. 2nd and 3rd floor unit. Twice I had to throw myself backwards on the stairs carrying boxes out because otherwise I would have broken my neck.
haz_waste@reddit
I'll be 50 in August. I used to work for the wastewater treatment plant where I live. I had to change careers because my knees and back hurt from kneeling, bending, and opening msnholes.
Bokononfoma@reddit
Just make sure it's the occasional one off. If that recurs you might want to get it checked.
UncleGramps2006@reddit
Meniscus and other knee injuries from repetitive use can be unforgiving. Be kind to yourself and remember that young, fit, and active people also struggle with similar issues—it is not always the age of the person. Sending GenX support your way.
MaximumJones@reddit
clauderbaugh@reddit
Time to pack it in. Start touring assisted living homes. Pick up some tennis balls for the bottom of your cane and walker. I can't believe you made it this far. Are you lying on floor posting this?