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snoozefestaudioDad went out today, on the eve of his 88th birthday, to get his drivers license renewed. He passed the driving test and all the other tests and only had to get his photo taken... but on the way to the photo station, he slipped and fell on the concrete floor.
I got the call in bed at home, at 10:20AM. My alarm had already been going off and I was hitting snooze on it.
They'd called an abulance for him, and he was on his way to Mercy Hostpital.
After making coffee I drove out and met him in the Emergency room. He was in good spirits, telling all the healthcare workers about how tomorrow was his 88th birthday, and he was just about to get his licence renewed, when he slipped.
He said the floor wasn't wet, but it was still very slippery.
His shoes were off, but still sitting next to him on the ER bed, and... for the first time ever, I bothered to look at their undersides... and they were bald! He had no tread left on his old sneakers!
They took him off to X-ray and then wheeled him back, and he was still in good spirits, and we both thought he probably just bruised himself and he'd be discharged pretty quick.
But it turns out he fractured his hip, and they were saying he needed surgery.
Not hip replacement surgery, but some pins to keep the bone together.
As soon as we heard that, and it became clear he'd not only be going into surgery, but also have to stay... he suddenly felt the pain, and his whole mood changed. They gave him a pain killer and he said it wasn't helping.
I was only with him in the ER for a couple hours. I had to leave at 2PM to report for work, because... still being in the probationary period, I have not accrued any paid days off yet... and we need the money!
So, I had to leave him, and told him I was sorry... and asked him to be brave.
When I finally got home at 7:30PM, Yvette had been alone downstairs since 9:30AM! She was frantic... because of her extreme separation anxiety, and I took her for a walk immediately.
After a long walk in the dark, we got back inside and I let Snoop & Prowly downstairs, and we all hung out in the kitchen as I called the hospital to find out what Dad's status was.
They said he did not have the surgery tonight, but will have it tomorrow... but they could not tell me an exact time for the surgery.
They said he was on morphine, and sleeping comfortably in his room in the bed tower.
--<>--
I spent the evening talking to my sisters on the phone, while sitting with Yvette downstairs... with the cats running around.
Both Sheila and Colleen were a bit alarmed that he'd been given morphine, because... like, that's hospice level, end of life shit!
I don't know what to think! I just have to go tomorrow and get some facts and see him in person... if he's not dead!
--<>--
He shouldn't be dead!.. right?... but he's 88 now, so all bets are off. Really anything can happen!
Is it a fracture? Is it broken? Does that matter?
At his age, any kind of hip injury... is usually the coup de grace. In other words, this fall has likely determined the cause and date of his death.
Even if it takes a couple years to play out, it will be thanks to complications of today's fall.
Unless it's a super mild fracture, and he's hellbound and determinined to bounce back and get mobile again... which is theoretically possible?
--<>--
It's pointless to speculate.
He fell. He's having hip surgery on his 88th birthday tomorrow.
I have no idea what happens after that.
°¦}
https://soundcloud.com/snoozefestaudio
I got the call in bed at home, at 10:20AM. My alarm had already been going off and I was hitting snooze on it.
They'd called an abulance for him, and he was on his way to Mercy Hostpital.
After making coffee I drove out and met him in the Emergency room. He was in good spirits, telling all the healthcare workers about how tomorrow was his 88th birthday, and he was just about to get his licence renewed, when he slipped.
He said the floor wasn't wet, but it was still very slippery.
His shoes were off, but still sitting next to him on the ER bed, and... for the first time ever, I bothered to look at their undersides... and they were bald! He had no tread left on his old sneakers!
They took him off to X-ray and then wheeled him back, and he was still in good spirits, and we both thought he probably just bruised himself and he'd be discharged pretty quick.
But it turns out he fractured his hip, and they were saying he needed surgery.
Not hip replacement surgery, but some pins to keep the bone together.
As soon as we heard that, and it became clear he'd not only be going into surgery, but also have to stay... he suddenly felt the pain, and his whole mood changed. They gave him a pain killer and he said it wasn't helping.
I was only with him in the ER for a couple hours. I had to leave at 2PM to report for work, because... still being in the probationary period, I have not accrued any paid days off yet... and we need the money!
So, I had to leave him, and told him I was sorry... and asked him to be brave.
When I finally got home at 7:30PM, Yvette had been alone downstairs since 9:30AM! She was frantic... because of her extreme separation anxiety, and I took her for a walk immediately.
After a long walk in the dark, we got back inside and I let Snoop & Prowly downstairs, and we all hung out in the kitchen as I called the hospital to find out what Dad's status was.
They said he did not have the surgery tonight, but will have it tomorrow... but they could not tell me an exact time for the surgery.
They said he was on morphine, and sleeping comfortably in his room in the bed tower.
I spent the evening talking to my sisters on the phone, while sitting with Yvette downstairs... with the cats running around.
Both Sheila and Colleen were a bit alarmed that he'd been given morphine, because... like, that's hospice level, end of life shit!
I don't know what to think! I just have to go tomorrow and get some facts and see him in person... if he's not dead!
He shouldn't be dead!.. right?... but he's 88 now, so all bets are off. Really anything can happen!
Is it a fracture? Is it broken? Does that matter?
At his age, any kind of hip injury... is usually the coup de grace. In other words, this fall has likely determined the cause and date of his death.
Even if it takes a couple years to play out, it will be thanks to complications of today's fall.
Unless it's a super mild fracture, and he's hellbound and determinined to bounce back and get mobile again... which is theoretically possible?
It's pointless to speculate.
He fell. He's having hip surgery on his 88th birthday tomorrow.
I have no idea what happens after that.
°¦}
