Are some people naturally accident-prone?

[RoughCollie]

DD's best friend is coming from MA to stay with us for 3 weeks this summer. This lovely, straight A's, honors classes student who has a delightful personality, a very good character, and is quite ladylike in her behavior most of the time, is terribly accident prone.

 

I'd bet money that I could line up any dozen 15 year olds at random, and none of those groups would have an aggregate number of E.R. visits higher than this girl has experienced all by herself from the time she was a toddler.

 

She has suffered burns, multiple concussions, multiple broken bones. No one is abusing her. She just has these accidents, sometimes caused by carelessness.

 

The last two were a month ago. She put a bowl of boiling hot soup on a t.v. tray. When she pushed the bowl back from the edge of the tray, it spilled onto her lap and she had 2nd degree burns.

 

Two days later, as she was at home recuperating, she slipped and fell down 14 stairs, which accident caused all the burn blisters to pop.

 

She has had concussions from running into a lamp post, from falling off a cliff onto a rock in a river, from falling down stairs, and twice from falling from the top of bleachers to the bottom. She has been in the way of someone else's actions and been injured from that, too. For example, once a kid who was half her size and age swung a large tree limb and accidentally hit her in the head with it. She had a concussion from that, and a big goose egg on her head. Once she and her twin brother had hold of a glass jar of jelly and neither would let go until her brother finally did -- and she fell down the basement stairs and received cuts from the broken glass which required many stitches.

 

I am getting a tad worried about the things that could happen to her while she is here. I'm not worried about being sued or blamed for any injuries she receives. I'm worried about protecting her. She has been thoroughly tested, btw, for balance problems or anything physical that could be causing these things to happen. She is fine.

 

The stories this family can tell are many and they have a sense of humor about it, even though none of it was funny at the time. The adults (including me) never expect something to happen to her, and then it does. It stresses out her mother, though, as one might expect.

 

Are some people just accident prone?

 

Thanks,

RC

Edited June 17, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Lara in Colo]

Some people need more guardian angels than the rest of us!!

 

Lara

[Liz CA]

Some people need more guardian angels than the rest of us!!

 

Lara

 

Some people are also more impulsive and just do not pay as much attention to their surroundings, so they trip, tumble, fall and stumble.

[RoughCollie]

Well, when one is the adult-in-charge, how does one prevent these things from happening?

 

I mean, my house and yard are accident magnets for her, even though to many of us, they are normal surroundings. If she goes to the farm down the road to see the animals, mark my words, if a chicken or rooster decides to attack a person for the first time in their lives, it will be her. If a calf steps on someone's foot, it will be hers. If someone is going to slip on the surface around the pool at the Y, it will be her. If someone is going to fall out of a deer stand, it will be her. She won't just slip and fall in the creek like I did last summer, she will be injured as a result.

 

Suddenly, everything in our environment looks deadly to me.

 

Yes, Liz, I think she is impulsive. I mean, how many people will play tag and run at full speed into a lamp post? She is the only one I've ever met and she simply wasn't paying attention to her very familiar surroundings. She got a bad concussion from that and had to spend the night in the hospital. She didn't see stars, btw, but she remembers her body sliding down the post into a heap at the bottom.

 

She is on meds for ADD. Do you suppose that ADD has something to do with it?

Edited June 17, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Liz CA]

I don't think there is much you can do. Just checked that you wrote she is 15. You can hardly grab her hand and go along on every outing or walk.

You can repeatedly and casually warn all the kids to "be careful," or "watch their step". If it will do any good, only time will tell.

 

I am sorry you bear the responsibility for keeping her "whole" and "uninjured".

 

[KidsHappen]

Um yeah, that would be me and a few of my children although none of us have had such severe accidents. I am quite worried about breaking my hip in a few years though. :o

[RoughCollie]

I am sorry you bear the responsibility for keeping her "whole" and "uninjured".

 

I'll probably get lulled into a false sense of security when the first few days pass without injury, and than bam! something will happen.

 

Mind you, this girl is so wonderful (we've known her for years) that the risk is worth it. If I could persuade her parents to let her live with us, I would. I'd just like to minimize the risk.

[RoughCollie]

I am quite worried about breaking my hip in a few years though. :o

 

Uh-oh. You'd best start frequently visualizing yourself staying upright, with healthy hips, as you age.

 

It's bad juju to worry about that because while you are worrying, you are visualizing it happening.

 

I figure if visualization works for sports stars, it can work for us ordinary folk, too. I am NOT saying that your thoughts create bad things happening to you. Even if it sounds like I'm saying that. I'm not. This is more like a better safe than sorry thing. Just in case it works.

 

Arggh. I'm talking in circles, aren't I?

Edited June 17, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Liz CA]

I'll probably get lulled into a false sense of security when the first few days pass without injury, and than bam! something will happen.

 

Mind you, this girl is so wonderful (we've known her for years) that the risk is worth it. If I could persuade her parents to let her live with us, I would. I'd just like to minimize the risk.

 

Here is a thought: A knight in shining armor suit. Let's hope it's not too hot where you are. Tell her you are covering Medieval History and all guests have to don the suit. :lol: But then...she might fall with it and bang her knees into the hard metal.

 

Jokes aside. Just enjoy her and pray that any injuries will be of the minor variety! ;)

[RoughCollie]

Some people need more guardian angels than the rest of us!! Lara

 

Well, thank you. That gave me an idea that many people may think is a little out there, but I don't, so I will do it. I will pray that God will send an angel to keep her safe while she is here, and I'll do it from the time she is to leave home until she arrives back there.

[RoughCollie]

:lol: But then...she might fall with it and bang her knees into the hard metal.

 

And she will get a deep cut from that, which will lead to blood poisoning and her life will be saved in the nick of time in the E.R.

 

Or it will break her knee cap and she will have to have surgery to have her knee replaced because it happened in such an unusual way that her knee will not heal.

Edited June 17, 2010 by RoughCollie

[Food4Thought]

I had a friend in high school who was so accident-prone, he once stepped on a huge, rusty nail out in the middle of the forest. If it helps any, he's still alive. :lol:

 

I know I'm more prone to accidents when I haven't had enough sleep. And 15 can be an awkward body stage when all those body parts just don't work together all that well. So make sure she gets enough sleep and plenty of good food, and then just pray. Have fun!

[redheadeddaughter]

I saw this thread and said, "this is me!" My husband calls me "twice-as-bad." I always have bruises on my elbows and the back of my arms from hitting walls, and I have lost countless toenails from stubbing my toe on everything in the house. (gross, huh?) And people (and animals) seem to think my foot is a magnet, so it constantly gets stepped on. (I do a much better job of watching out for my kids, though, so don't worry!)

I'm used to it now. But it does make people around me uncomfortable if they don't know! :)

I am also very scatterbrained and tend to have my head in the clouds more often than not. I'm just a thinker-type. Well, that's what I tell my husband.

 

Two things:

I think sleep can be a factor, even if you are more accident prone naturally. Lack of sleep makes me even MORE clumsy and unaware of my surroundings. I just generally aim for the coffee pot and don't care what's in my way.

And, it does seem to get a little better with age. (as long as I am getting sleep... you should see me postpartum or pregnant! Scary.)

 

And that is my completely unscientific opinion.

I wish some scientist would come on here and tell us why this happens though... I'm so curious.

 

I think it's awesome she has someone like you to help watch out for her and care about this.

[Spy Car]

At least she's never had a leg chewed off by an albino sperm-whale :D

 

Bill

[Amber in AUS]

We call my SIL Murphy, because of Murphy's Law. If it going to happen, it is going to happen to her. She not once but twice put an axe through her leg chopping wood, one swing after the other. She has been in hospital more times than i can remember and at last count has had 12 operations on her back.

 

Some people are certainly more accident prone than the rest of us!

[asta]

Just a thought...

 

I don't have a sensory processing disorder, but I do have a proprioceptive disorder (caused by a fall). I literally cannot sense where my body is "in space" so to speak. It's one of those things where everyone is doing one thing in yoga and I'm doing something completely different because I can't tell that my body isn't where it should be.

 

Here is a link that does and does not apply, but at least gives *some* information.

 

 

a

[katemary63]

Some people are also more impulsive and just do not pay as much attention to their surroundings, so they trip, tumble, fall and stumble.

 

:iagree: Yup, this is me. It stems from lack of impulse control caused by ADD. I am 46 years old and STILL run into walls, trip on things, etc. When someone in my family hurts themselves in a stupid way or does anything else that is obviously in the act-before-you-think category they say, "You did a "Lisa"".

[rookie]

My dd is like this. She does not sense space around her and will fall down stairs, walk into walls, trip over air - every day. She is full of bruises but rarely complains. She just gets up and shakes herself off.

[Rebecca VA]

I have a child with ADD and proprioceptive disorder (see Asta's link). It has been a struggle to keep her alive -- she is excitement-seeking and would still, at 13, fall off the sidewalk into the street if I weren't watching her and holding hands with her (she likes to hold hands because she's tactile).

 

We've worked on her issues for years. She has taken ballet since she was four, and that has made her careful of her movements. She also does Pilates with a trainer to develop a balanced strength; one benefit of this is that the trainer discusses the muscles she is using and which ones need work the most. She swims and bikes. I strongly suspect this child will end becoming a physical therapist because of all her training (which she loves and is extremely interested in).

 

However, we are very vigilant of her. She hasn't been injured much because I'm constantly with her monitoring her every move. I had never intended to be a helicopter parent -- but with a child like this, I have to be. She is getting less impulsive as she matures, and her physical training is helping her, but while she's young and living under my roof it's my responsibility to save her from herself.

[Twinmom]

Just a thought...

 

I don't have a sensory processing disorder, but I do have a proprioceptive disorder (caused by a fall). I literally cannot sense where my body is "in space" so to speak. It's one of those things where everyone is doing one thing in yoga and I'm doing something completely different because I can't tell that my body isn't where it should be.

 

Here is a link that does and does not apply, but at least gives *some* information.

 

 

a

 

I was thinking along similar lines! My DS has dyspraxia and cannot figure out where his body is in space. He also has other sensory processing issues, but this is the primary one. You can literally ask him where his body parts are and most of the time, he cannot tell you (ie, where's your elbow? He'll point to his knee...) He is also fairly accident prone...actually cut off the end of his finger once by leaving it too long in a door jamb! On a day to day basis, I notice that he will run directly into things, fall, have trouble dressing or making a bed, be easily distracted by outside stimuli and forget what he's doing physically (causing an accident), etc. He spills liquids all the time!

 

I'm wondering if something similar is going on with your friend. You'd not see anything on a regular physical screening, but it is still there. We figured it out through an occupational therapy screening for SPD. In any case, to help your friend, try to be somewhat aware of what she is doing and give physical cues when appropriate (hey, look out! Or, watch that swing, etc.). Otherwise, there's not much that you can do outside of a therapy room. Hard, regular practice at a physical skill (like dancing or other sports) can show improvement and age helps somewhat.

[asta]

You'd not see anything on a regular physical screening, but it is still there.

 

Nope. It dawned on one of my neurologists when I consistently failed one part of my clinical exam. And only one part - the one dealing with proprioception!

 

 

a

[The Girls' Mom]

My dd and I are both this way. If there's a way to trip and fall, we do it. If there is a corner that's begging to be bumped or ran into, we find it.

 

My lastest trick was to nearly knock myself unconscious by bending over to pick up a leash. It involved a fireplace mantle, and ended up with me across the room, crying in the floor with no real memory of how I got there other than the agonizing pain in my head. :lol:

 

We call my dd Grace with much sarcasm.

 

We just deal, and know that God must be looking out for us. I do try to remind dd to be careful and pay attention.

[ChristusG]

Yes! You just described my dad! My dad is 53 years old....trouble seems to follow him LOL. In fact, we just got back from the ER with him yesterday afternoon. At work, he cut his hand badly....cut through an artery and had to have the artery tied off and then his hand sewn up.

 

He's fallen off of a ladder that was leaning against a large branch of a tree. He was using a chain saw to cut off the end of the branch. Well, when he cut it off, the branch lost its weight and went up....the ladder he was standing on went down. He shattered his foot/ankle area. It was not pretty.

 

Some things he cannot be blamed for, yet trouble still seems to follow him....last year he had gall bladder trouble and had to have that taken out. His back goes out often. He broke his other foot playing tennis one time.

 

He's always getting cuts, bruises, puncture wounds. He stepped on a rusty nail weeks ago, then he told me he stepped on another rusty nail the other day. He was putting something into the back of a truck and leaned forward and a pitch fork caught him about an inch above his eye and made a puncture wound. Thankfully it was not his eye! I always see new lacerations on him.

 

I call him an accident waiting to happen LOL. We've made many hospital visits with him LOL. So yes, I think that some people are just accident prone.