My father-in-law's black figs and T'ai Chi Ch'uan

I chose to start the article like this, in order to make the experience a little sympathetic and to connect it to the positive. Other titles could of course be used. “A story from us and such as Tai Chi Chuan and others… I have to warn you! This article, “Come to the point! What's all this to me?" It was not written for speeding people. I'm trying to touch your life, you, through a real event.

At the end of last August, we wanted to visit the parents of my wife, Gülay, and her hometown if I expand it further, even if it is for 5 days. Gülay's hometown is two. Turkey one! She dared to marry me and give birth to three daughters, she became a Turkish citizen. The Greek city of Xanthi (Xanthi) is where he was born, grew up and studied. A city that will look like a town to us, settled on the skirts of the Rhodope mountains, where you can reach every part of it on foot in daily life...

We are trying to keep one foot there so that our children can develop ties with this country and its people, their culture, and understand how we are brothers and sisters.

The chaos-in fact the collapse, the freak TEOG system created in the education system affected us as well. While we were waiting for the result of our eldest daughter, we said let's go, surprise.

It was for them. When we got home in the morning, our grandfather appeared at the garden gate at the same time with a bag of black figs in his hand.

Their house is on a mountain slope, where the city ends, above the monastery land, where there is green space. Indeed, it is a place where honey figs are plentiful. Since he had heart surgery 5 years ago, I often asked "are you walking?" he is addressing my questions, man. He was happy, we were happy. “What a lovely early morning walk!” I said. Gülay: “Daddy, I want figs in the morning!” said. Eh! Imagine the grandfather's love of collecting black figs, seeing how his grandchildren take the figs and taking orders from his daughter! But in the evening, I made a speech about the fact that he should do this job without climbing a tree, and that no one should break his hip after the age of 50. "No no! I am very careful!” say from your grandfather...

The next morning, we decided to walk with the mother-in-law who got up early. “Left or right?” We chose left. 150 meters We reached the right footpath towards the hillside, where the asphalt road ends, when the grandfather is busy with the phone with a stick in his hand and pain on his face! “Calimera! What are you doing here?"

Yes, he gathered figs in the upper part, climbed the tree, and descended without falling. But when he wanted to pick up his stick from the other side of the tree, his foot got caught in a bush and fell. Being able to walk all the way there is a surprise! Let me make it short, we went to the emergency room of Xanthi hospital with an ambulance that was called. The result after 2 hours is broken. A young doctor - he was Turkish - said "he broke his hip". I said, "Femur head?" "Yes !" said. “Monday will have surgery!” he added. On the days we planned to stay after that day, we visited the hospital every day. Your grandfather was hurt, bored and sad. We are!

These are the results! It could have been worse. “Your black figs are expensive!” I said. The man is sad, “yes!” said.

They were only able to operate on the following Friday, not Monday. Because doctors saw risk because of previous cardiovascular surgeries. We learned about the successful operation after returning with curiosity.

Gülay's father is 65 years old. Age groupings have now increased by almost 10 years. So it's not old. But if the same fall had happened to him, for example, at the age of 30, it might not have been broken.

What causes hip fractures?

Our bones are our living organs. They are also nourished, without food, when they break, our body repairs them. However, race, age, gender, weight and lifestyle are the factors affecting bone quality. Women, especially with the menopause period, experience bone tissue weakening more than men due to hormonal changes. In men, the decrease in testosterone (male hormone) causes bone loss. After the age of 50, it is a risky period for bones. Smoking and alcohol habits are effective negative factors. Eh! In our example, grandfather İbrahim did his best to increase this risk, especially with smoking (3 packs a day). That is, until the heart attack 6 years ago. It stopped with that. I see, no one can bear to hear about it! Sometimes in despair; “everyone keeps drinking until their own heart attack!” I say. Our grandfather stayed on the life side of the line, but Yasemin and Iris were able to see their grandchildren.

Şek.1 Şek.2 Şek.3 Normal kemik Osteoporozlu kemik

Ibrahim grandfather's fracture is as in figure 1. Its repair is as in figure 2. So it's a pretty mechanical repair. It's screwing in! Figure 3 shows how the bone structure turns into a coarse-pored structure due to the reasons mentioned above. The femur bone is one of the strongest and largest bones in our body. It should be, because it is responsible for transferring all the load on our torso down from the hips. In other words, we have to do everything we can to prevent hip fracture in order to have a healthy walking function. We must be informed, we must make knowledge natural.

So why?

That's because the loss of gait function experienced with hip fracture, or the decrease in quality, is not just a mechanical problem that concerns our displacement quality! The health of our internal organs is directly related to the act of walking. During walking, especially the balls act as a mini pump that helps the blood system. It also helps the heart. In other words, the act of walking positively affects the quality of blood circulation. The body, which is deprived of this, loses its energy over time, the immune system drops… Like triggering a chain reaction…

Some statistics:

“9 out of 10 patients with hip fractures are in the age group of 65 and over. 4% of patients with hip fractures die when they are first hospitalized, 10-35% die from complications within the first year of injury, and 30% re-fracture occurs within the first year.

If the figure above is 4, let's say you didn't break one of your sides, but again it shows how bone density loss and stature shortening can happen. This shortening amount can be up to 15 cm. Again, the shortening itself is more than a visual problem, especially since it negatively affects the nervous system due to the collapse in the spine. So, another example of a chain reaction for you…

I mean it!

It is important for our quality of life that we do not fall over the age of 50 and break the hip. For this, it prevents our bones from weakening as we age.

Temporary, we must acquire the right habits.

Doctors will tell you a series of precautions. If we highlight:

Whatever you do, quit smoking

Do not drink excessive alcohol

Go for calcium-rich foods

Do not drink excessive coffee and carbonated drinks

Get enough sun.

Exercise regularly, turn to exercise systems that will overcome the fear of falling and develop balance.

It is this last suggestion that interests me a lot.

Although all the other things you need to do are in place, exercise is necessary for the calcium taken into the body to settle in the bones.

Because bones are fed with a biomechanical system based on the weight-load change they encounter. I do not want to extend further by explaining how this system works here, and I would like to tell you its undoubted effect in overcoming the fear of falling and improving balance, which ideally affects the biomechanical bone nutrition process I mentioned above. I suggest you study Tai Chi Chuan, which we completed with Pelin Yıldırım in 2006, which teaches us how to use our body anatomy optimally, as demonstrated by the first clinical study of our country on this subject.

Every year, we call on those who wish to join our Tai Chi Chuan practice during these times. Right after a joyful meeting, I thought it would be meaningful to talk about this incident experienced by dear grandfather İbrahim. This event we experienced once again told me how wonderful it is to be able to change places on two legs without needing anyone. And because I was able to develop this ability and live with awareness, I was able to take the Tai Chi path, an extremely valuable path that supports me, and it created a state of gratitude to life in me once again.

The problem is not only about ourselves, but also our loved ones.

I wish you all a life where you can stay healthy and balanced without falling.

Suha Ertekin

Istanbul, 20.09.2014

#TaiChiChuan #YinYang #TaiChiChuan #Yoga #TaiChi #SühaErtekin #Chienergy #Osteoporosis #bone fracture #hip fractures