By Jim Sherman, Sr.

This Jottings may read like a commercial for “Life Alert.” If it does, it’s because of what happened to me last Tuesday. It made everything you see on tv real.
Daughter Susan prepared dinner for me that day. When we finished, I went to my chair in the living room and told Suz she could go home.
“I’m fine,” I said.
This was like 7:15, so she left.
About 8:00 I had fallen. I wiggled around on my den floor feeling for a desk or something to push my feet against.
After a few minutes of rolling. I remembered my medical alert button and pushed it.
In about 10 minutes a first responder broke into my front door. By then I was face down on the floor of my den.
Also by then (I learned later), my daughter Luan, vacationing in Colorado, knew of my trouble, and several uniformed fire fighters were standing over me asking the “Are you all right?” questions.
After I said “yes” they stood me up and handed me my walker. It had gotten away from me when I fell going up a step on my way to bed.
I remember my response to my alert button was right from the book, “I’ve fallen and can’t get up!”
I am, of course, happy I pushed my button, but most extremely happy for having some responders standing over me so quickly following my alert.
I’ve had that lifesaving button around any neck for at least three years. It’s been tested once before when I went for a swim with it on which set off the alert. You can shower but not swim with it.
Anyway if you need any self assurance from the “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” people, I’m thankful to be here. I’m thankful to my kids and whoever else help make arrangements for my caretaker, steady-comforting Marilyn, to be here. Also, I say thank you to the responders from the Oxford Township Fire Department and Oakland County Sheriff’s Department.