CONFESSION: I SLIPPED AND FELL IN THE BATHROOM

Yikes, hate to admit it, but I slipped and fell in the bathtub the other day.

I landed on my spine precisely where some wires were inserted a few weeks back (yes, on my spine, just under the skin) as part of a neurostimulation therapy to ease my, um, back pain.

The spill was avoidable; I was trying to get window curtains removed (for window-cleaning) when a stepstool glided in the tub (I wasn’t bathing) and whammo, I fell and hit my back.

Yes, it hurt – for about two days. My wife was there, watching helplessly, and furious that I wasn’t cautious.

No, I didn’t  bleed nor bruise. Luckily, the fall wasn’t damaging (I hope) to the wires inside me.

But my ego was hurt. I plead recklessness. I felt stupid.

Both my bathrooms have grab bar handles for ease in and out of the tub or shower stall. But bathroom surfaces are slippery, and risks of slipping are high.

Not surprisingly, statistics from NewsUSA – based on findings from the National Institute of Aging – cite that slippery surfaces are the common culprit and that a third of senior citizens over age 65 slip annually, with 80 per cent of mishaps occurring in the bathroom.

Of visits to the ER,  more than 60 per cent of injuries are linked to the bathroom, and 50 percent of deaths are caused from bathroom falls.

So the stats say it all. Bathrooms. Are. Dangerous.

No one falls intentionally, and yes, most spills are accidental. Like mine.

I haven’t yet told my pain management doctor yet, but will, when I return in June for a follow-up visit.

And yes, I expect a lecture then.