Treadmill Terror

Okay, I have a lot of metal in me and my kids call me bionic... that is a joke because my bionicness is due to artificial knees that don't like to be straight or bent and my plate and screws in my wrist from last year. Wish I was the real bionic woman!

I like to walk for exercise and Wayne always worries about me while I am gone - afraid I will fall and not be able to get up. So, in the Sunday paper, 9 days ago, Sears had an ad for treadmills. I thought that I could do a treadmill and pick a low speed and be safe at home. I asked Wayne what he thought and he told me he would be much more comfortable with me on the back patio. I asked my physical therapist about it and wanted to go over and make sure I could safely use a treadmill before investing in one. I did it and liked it, at least, as much as one can like pure exercise! We discussed it and made a deal that I would not use it unless he was home just in case anything bad might happen. We purchased a nice treadmill with all the bells and whistles.

I began using it last week on Thursday. I didn't use it on Sat. or Sunday. Wayne has been using it too. Yesterday, Monday, he used it and came in to shower and then I went out to use it. I was doing a programmed workout and changing the speed lower if I needed to when it would adjust faster. I was going to warm down on my own at 5 minutes left of the 30 minute workout. With 7 minutes to go the walk pace sped up so I hit the arrow to slow it back down. I must have hit something wrong or at the wrong time and the machine sped up to 9 miles an hour! I kept trying to slow it down and it wouldn't! I forgot to pull the key off so it would stop automatically and all of the sudden I was going down. You know I am NOT supposed to fall because of osteoporosis. My shirt was caught in the machine but I was able to pull it out. I needed my husband's help... where was he? What about our deal for safety? I banged on the slider door where I was on the cement by our bedroom. I did it several times and he didn't come. I yelled several times as loud as I could for him, thinking he might be in the yard. All the neighbor dogs were barking because I yelled so loud. I even managed to get the slider opened which is difficult even when standing! He didn't come. I sat a while and finally tried to get up and was successful to my surprise. I was somewhat upset with my sweetheart to say the least!
Found out he had gone on a walk. That won't happen again.

My left knee and right elbow are badly bruised and I have a bruise on my right shin bone. I am okay but don't want that experience again. I am afraid to get on an escalator so this was a big deal to be on a moving machine! I will have to remind Wayne of our deal when I get on it from now on! SCARY!!!