'I now walk with confidence, and I'm no longer scared of having a fall.'

I'd been wobbly on my feet for a few years, so, I used to take my time, avoid certain places and sometimes I used a stick.

- HEALTH REPORT BY FIONA LLOYD

I had fallen at home a few times, and also when I was out and about. The hearth rug at home was a problem, so I got rid of it, and uneven pavements in town caught me a few times, which I tried to avoid. I was left a little battered and bruised when I fell, but the embarrassment of falling hurt me the most.

I had thought about getting a walker, but I kept telling myself I wasn't old enough for that, I wasn't ready to give up just yet. Foolishly, I let pride get in the way.

A Big Fall

Then, one day, I popped into town to meet a friend for coffee. The bus was late so I was rushing to get there on time, and the next thing I knew, I was face down on the pavement, with crowd of people around me. At first I thought I was OK, but then the pain hit me. My wrist was broken, I was concussed, and I had a very nasty graze across my cheek, nose and forehead, which wouldn't stop bleeding. I ended up having surgery on my wrist and was in hospital for almost a week.

Too Scared To Go Out