Typing gingerly...

Okay, macophiles, I need your help again.

I dropped my powerbook yesterday. Not far, maybe a foot. It fell off the coffee table and landed open, on its side. When I righted it, the screen gave me this shut down message (which I've since learned is a "kernel panic" message), that I had to shut down my computer and reboot by pressing down on the power button and waiting a few seconds.

I did that. But it didn't reboot. It gave me another error message with the instructions to type "mac-boot" to reboot or "shut-down" to shut down.

Well, I tried to reboot that way, but the screen (which was a beige color) always gave me an error message, that there wasn't enough memory to run the program.

Eeeks.

Well, after freaking out and aging about five years (because there's data on there which I need next week -- and which, of course, wasn't backed up), I got the advice to unplug the computer and take out the battery for a few minutes. Did that and rebooted successfully.

And thank goodness, all my data seems intact. Phew, disaster narrowly averted.

But wait, there's more.

Now, every time I move my computer even the slightest bit -- a nudge -- it shuts down again with that same kernel panic error message. When I shut down, it reboots without any trouble, but I can't even move the computer from my lap to the table without getting this message. Even the slightest rotation of my powerbook results in a kernel panic. I mean, any movement brings up the kernel panic message.

Now I'm panicked. I'm scared that I'll lose this post, mid-typing because I nudged the computer just a millimeter and sent the computer into shut-down. Obviously, this is an untenable situation, and I'm worried that I may have damaged the hardware somehow.

Anyone experienced this before? What should I do? Help!

Thanks in advance for your words of wisdom 'cuz I'm still freakin' out here!