When you go to a hospital or clinic in the US, you will be asked, “Have you fallen in the last 90 days?” You must respond, at every visit, even if you’re healthy and just seeking remedy for a sore throat. Your answer to this question informs one of the quality measures (Fall Risk Reduction) included in Medicare’s 5 star rating system of hospitals.
At my recent doctor’s appointments, I have happily answered “No” to this question. A very satisfying response because I have fallen in the past and broken bones. For me, the “No” also meant “never again”. Never say never?
Today, as I was crossing the road to the enter the trail for my Camino practice, I tripped over my feet and met the ground with my knee and wrist. As I fell, the familiar feelings of surprise (“how can this be happening?”) and embarrassment (“who falls over their feet?”) came over me. My mind had already raced ahead to broken bones and canceling the Camino. I wiggled to standing and examined the damages (with dread). Fortunately, I only scraped the skin and bruised the knee and wrist. I rescued my cell phone from the dirt, straightened the backpack, dusted off the camelbak bite valve, took up my hiking poles and placed one foot in front of the other. Walking.
That’s when I made the calculation in my head. I have no doctor’s appointments in the next 90 days, so I can continue to answer “no”, but will stop short of “never”.