Sometimes Things Just Break.
“The days slide by
Should have done, should have done, we all sigh…”
― Warren Zevon
Enjoy every sandwich.”
― Warren Zevon
Less than two weeks after my mom was suddenly hospitalized my father took another fall in the middle of the night and was taken by ambulance to a Sacramento hospital. He has numerous health issues and has essentially been unable to walk under his own power for quite some time. He is stubborn and proud however and refuses help. Twice while visiting in the past month he has taken a bad fall in the middle of the night while trying to get to the bathroom. This time I was fast asleep but woke up with a feeling that something was wrong. Sure enough, he had fallen and couldn’t move. He was a dead weight and as much as I tried, I couldn’t lift him. He had hit his head and elbow on the tile so we called 911. The paramedics were wonderful and managed to get him up and onto a stretcher.
So, at 3:30 am my mom and I drove across town to the hospital while we waited for test results. He was admitted and has been in the hospital ever since. After talking with the Dr’s and case workers we made the tough choice to have him transferred to a nursing facility to see if he can regain the strength to walk under his own power. He is still in the hospital until he’s a little stronger but by mid week should be transferred to a live-in facility. We have no idea if this will be a permanent situation or not.
My mom has been caring for him by herself and it has been killing her. She has been ill several times this year herself and just can’t seem to escape the stress of being a caregiver for both herself and my dad. I have experienced enough of this to understand how exhausting it can be. Wondering all night if he is going to get up and take a fall takes it’s toll. My mom is always tired and despite her heroic efforts, needs help.
There’s a lot more to do this week and plenty of tough decisions to make.
All photos shot with an iPhone.
KH
