Earlier I got my ladder out to close the upper barn door. Over the Summer the latch had turned and now the wind was strong enough to have a little breeze through the upper barn and blew the door open. I closed the door.
Since I had the ladder out, and our temperature was in the upper 30s and snow was melting, I thought I would shovel some snow off the house roof. It doesn't get windy often, and with the snowfall earlier this year the snow fell down and wasn't blown off the roofs. The snow hardened and now couldn't be blown off the roof. Last week I had got on the ladder and in several parts of the roofs I shoveled the snow I could reach by standing on the ladder. Those areas had melted and now one could stand on the roof without a fear of slipping.
On the SW corner I shoveled the snow I could reach while standing on the dry roof. Then I went to the roof next to the south part of the patio. Again, I shoveled the snow I could reach standing on the dry roof. Then on to the roof on the east side of the patio. Again, I shoveled the snow I could reach while standing on the dry roof. Then I got onto the ladder to climb down.
As soon as I was on the ladder the bottom end of the ladder slipped out. I had the shovel in one hand but I reached out to grab the gutter on the house. The ladder went so fast I couldn't reach the gutter. Down I went. I was on the ladder when the ladder and I hit the concrete patio. I was on my right side when I hit the ground. It knocked the wind out of me. I slowly got up and off the ladder. No broken bones. I didn't hit my head. But my right side is very sore. From just below the shoulder to just above the elbow. My elbow must have been pushed against the side of my chest as that is sore. Less than other areas. Then from just below my hip to just above my knee.
Earlier when I cleaned the other parts of the roof I had the ladder very straight. With the wind, when I was on the roof I was concerned the wind may blow the ladder sideways and over. The last time I had put the ladder against the house I had the bottom of the ladder slightly further out. The ladder was on dry clean concrete and I wasn't concerned it would slip as it never had done so in the many years and many times I leaned the ladder against this part of the house. I was more worried the wind would blow the ladder over. Well, that didn't happen. And I had no problems climbing up on the ladder and onto the roof. So I am surprised the ladder slipped out from under me when I got back onto the ladder. And it happened so fast.
I put the ladder away. It was now 2 pm. I decided to lay down in bed and rest. Rascal was very happy I did as he lays against me when I lay down and sleep. "Not so much against me in certain areas Rascal." I slept almost non-stop until 5:15 pm, and that was after having 8 1/2 hours of sleep earlier.
When I got up now and moved around I was still sore but now I was getting stiff in those spots. Moving around did help in easing the stiffness. I went out and checked on the cattle. I moved slow. I gave them a little extra hay - slowly. Then I went to check my mail. I decided to ride my bicycle. A slow and stiff start, especially my thigh muscle. But moving eased the stiffness. I decided to ride a little further. Then a little further. Then further. I ended riding 3 miles. It helped.
I don't feel the soreness a lot now when I'm still. But kneeling to put a log into the woodstove is not fun as I really feel the stretching of the leg muscle. Shortly after I fully keel and stop movement then my leg muscle feels fine.
It is going to be some days before I am back to normal. I also will have to move the muscles and stretch them and keep active so I keep my full movement and not end up with a slightly smaller range of movement. I haven't really looked to see how bruised I am. When I first went to bed I looked a bit at my upper arm where I was sore. It was red.
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| Where I fell. |
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| I even dented one of the ladder steps with my upper body. That is not easy to do. |
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