I recently tripped and fell when I was out walking a friend’s dog, and whilst I tried to blame my new sports jogging shoes, think it was probably a plant root on the ground that I hadn’t seen (realise trying to pin the blame on something is part of the grieving process too).
So 6 weeks with a cast on certainly showed me all the things I really needed two hands for .. difficulty dressing and having a shower, unable to tie shoe laces, sharpen a knife or open a can of food. It has also made me take a lot more care and have a lot more concentrated focus when I walk. I also observed just how many obstacles there are around us that can contribute to falls. In my home for instance, I noticed I trip a lot on the edges of my persian carpets. Awareness is key though, so have been trying to be a lot more present and take more care as I move around the house.
I have published quite a bit on the fact that over half of women over the age of 65 suffer from falls. Not happy to be in this cohort at all – but, over the 6 weeks I consciously said to myself this is just a challenge, and so went with it and rested and read a lot. And friends who helped me during this time, just so precious to have them.
And now coming out of it, keen to get into the rehabilitation process, working with a squeeze ball and looking to keep up the walking and yoga, but also add in some strength training. Life is just so much about self-care, something we publish about all the time in this magazine. It is unfortunate though, that it often takes a disease or an injury for us to really see this. This incident has been a good reminder for me.
So what are the highlights for me in this magazine? I think the articles that are included in our Feature on Body Dissatisfaction, and particularly the article by Dr Andrew Leech: When Control Becomes A Cage, which includes five things he wants families to know. If you know anyone (or parents) who struggle with weight or food, I really hope you pass this on. And the other articles, that there are now 3 in 4 high schoolers who want to be thinner, and the social stigma regarding eating disorders so just important for us to be aware that this is what is happening out there and the issues.
The other thing that I can easily get on my soap box about, is the overuse of painkillers. If this is something you want to find out more about, I would recommend reading The Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe. There are also two TV drama series you can watch: Painkiller and Dopesick. The article we have published in this issue, is how painkiller withdrawal can mimic dementia. There are so many issues in aged care – this is just one of many, but deprescribing (that we have published on in previous magazines) is something that certainly needs to be discussed and considered more. If this is an area of interest, I would also recommend The Age of Diagnosis that we have included in our Book Review section.
But I don’t like to conclude a bad note, so don’t forget to read 25 ways to reclaim your joy and sanity – we all need these!
CATE MERCER
Editor/Publisher
The Art of Healing
This Editor’s Note appeared in Vol 3 Issue 92 of The Art of Healing.
