The One Where I Fell Down the Stairs

Long time no see!! I thought you all deserved an explanation as to why I’ve been MIA for almost a week now. The title tells it all!

We live in a multilevel home. When you walk in the front door there is a long staircase going upstairs to another level, and around the corner from there through the kitchen is a doorway to go downstairs to the basement. All together our house has three levels. On Friday at around 4pm I was upstairs on the upper level in the office working on the computer. My toddler was on the couch asleep on the main level and my 8-month-old baby was just waking up from his nap in the room next to the office. I went in his room and got him up from his nap, like any other day. I began walking down the stairs with the baby (we have 14 total steps) and about halfway down looked over to the couch to see if my toddler was still asleep. I lost my footing, slipped, and fell down the stairs landing awkwardly on the right side of my back on the bottom step.

My husband walked in the door right as it happened. He heard the loud thud as my body slammed against that bottom step. The baby immediately started crying hysterically. My husband came running to us and I handed him the baby. My back was throbbing from pain, and all I could do was lie there on the tile floor. Thankfully, the baby was ok. My husband put the baby on the floor in the living room and came back to see if I was ok. I tried to stand, but a shooting pain zipped down my right leg every time I tried. I realized that we may have to call an ambulance. And the first thought that came to mind was how badly I needed a pedicure and that I hadn’t shaved my legs in a couple days.

Hubby called his nurse sister and told her what happened, wondering what we should do. She did her best to “examine” me over the phone. Her advice was to wait out the night and go to the doctor in the morning if things didn’t get better. In the meantime, I needed to be lying down and alternating between a heating pad and cold packs.

Not being able to stand, I army crawled to the couch in the next room. It took awhile to get onto the couch. I felt a stabbing pain throughout my right lower back and down my right leg whenever I tried to move. I eventually had to just hurry and push through it to get myself up on that couch. And I felt that same pain any time I tried to move while lying down. It was so frustrating! 

I slept on the couch that night while my husband and kids slept upstairs. Eventually I had to get up to use the bathroom. The closest bathroom was the one off our laundry room…completely on the other side of the house from where I was. I attempted to go by myself at 3:30 in the morning and realized about halfway that I needed help. I stopped in the kitchen when I felt really faint. I immediately went to the floor to lie down, and when I realized I couldn’t get back up I had to army crawl through the kitchen and laundry room to the bathroom. An hour later after getting back to the couch, I called my husband’s cell phone like I should have done in the first place. It was then that I realized I should go to the doctor.

I went to the doctor the next morning and got x-rays. That was PAINFUL! The x-rays didn’t show anything broken. The doctor determined that I had a lot of soft tissue damage and deep muscle bruising throughout my lower right back and hip. I couldn’t believe how painful it was getting in and out of the car, sitting in a wheelchair, standing up to be examined…all these little things that I take for granted every day. The doctor prescribed me with pain killers and muscle relaxants.

I stayed on that couch with minimal walking for almost three days. The pain was excruciating. On Sunday my mom came to town from Idaho to help me with the kids. My husband and I felt like we needed someone here to help me with the kids around the clock till I felt like I could walk again. She helped me so much! It was wonderful.

On Monday I made it up the 14 steps to my computer in the office. I didn’t last long on the chair with the pain shooting through my back, so I stayed long enough to tell the Facebook world that I got up the stairs. By Wednesday I was walking around a lot more, still not able to pick up the kids without feeling pain but good enough that my mom could go home.

And here I am today! I feel about the same as I did yesterday, not able to bend from my back, carefully bending from my knees and lifting the baby with only arm muscles. It’s amazing how much I use those lower back muscles on a regular basis. I can’t do much without feeling that stinging pain through my back and hip, but I’m MUCH better than I was last weekend. I’m so grateful for the friends who watched my kids and brought meals over the weekend when we needed so much help. And also for my mom for taking the time to stay with us for a few days till I felt comfortable on my own. It’s been a crazy week, but I’m happy to say that I’ll be back to my normal blogging schedule. Thanks for being so supportive and for all the e-mails and messages. I’ve felt so much love from the blogging community. I love you all!!

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Alli

Alli is the food blogger and photographer behind Cupcake Diaries. Nestled in Northern Utah with her four young boys, hubby, and a full pantry, she loves baking all kinds of treats as well as quick and easy meals for her family. What started out as sharing a few recipes with family members here and there soon turned into a full-functioning recipe blog with readers from all around the world! Alli is a full-time mom who enjoys music, holidays, and spending time with her family.

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