I know this is going to sound horrible, but I wish I could encapsulate my dad in bubble wrap, because he fell again last night!!

UGH! I was walking right behind him on the way to where ever it was he wanted to walk, and I guess he lifted the walker too soon (he always lifts it over the floor transitions) and lost his balance. Dave was sitting on the couch and couldn’t move fast enough, and I was trying not to let him free fall, but he still landed pretty hard on his left side. Naturally, that phone was in his shirt pocket, and I believe it bruised his ribs, unless the fall did. Either way, he is extremely sore today and it is hard to move.

I patched his elbow where it hit the floor and broke open again, and his finger somehow got scraped up, gave him 8-hour arthritis Tylenol, and before he went to bed, we put a 5% Lidocaine patch on his back/rib area. I have been awake since 2am due to many things, but listening for him being the main one. He rung the bell around 4am, so Dave and I went to help him up and to the bathroom. It’s been a day already! I will spare you the details, but man, if I had some bubble wrap, this never would have happened. LOL

I have to laugh to keep from crying.

I called his home health nurse, his PCP nurse and had to leave a message, the VA PCP and everyone else I could think of. My brother is recovering from surgery in the hospital, so he cannot help, and Dave had to go to work. I am managing ok, but I have to do things to keep busy because (this is going to sound terrible) he is moaning a lot from the pain, and I have done everything I can to ease him. Part of it is that he needs constant attention, the other part is he is really sore, but I can’t do any more than I am. He would not let us take him to the hospital, and I can’t give him anything stronger than that Tylenol until I get a doctor’s order. I gave him ice, rubbed Icy/Hot on his back, fed him breakfast, took him to the bathroom. Offered to lay him down in bed for awhile…No!

Luckily, he passed on the coffee this morning or there would be a real need to go to the bathroom more! I just told him it would be hard to manage, because he has a hard time drinking it on a good day. He agreed to that one.

If I would have been alone when this happened, I would have had to call 911. Thank God Dave was here to help me get him up. Tomorrow is his birthday, and I had previously told him we would celebrate on Saturday, because his niece is going to surprise him with a visit. I called her to make sure that was still a good idea and she thinks so. We will see. Her plan is to make gumbo and just visit. I hope he is up to it, luckily, his appetite has not been affected!

Y’all say a prayer for me and for him. I sure hope another documented fall helps expedite getting him (and us) some more help.