Well, the hits just keep on coming. I had call yesterday afternoon just before 3 from Frances letting me know dad had fallen and was on the way to the hospital.
When we arrived at the ER they were focusing more on the injuries from his fall than what caused the fall. He had a goose egg on his head, a hematoma on his arm, and a bruise on his back. No series injuries from the fall. The ER doctors wanted to call in neuro to make sure he did not have a stroke or a TIA. Normally when dad falls he goes down on his knees. This time, he said he was walking in the hallway back to their apartment when all of sudden he started going right, stumbled and fell into a door across the hall from where he was walking.
They wanted to send him home after the neuro eval but I was concerned about his inability to swallow, his shortness of breath, and his neck veins pumping like they do when he is in CHF. Frances and I took turns going back to see him and talk with doctors and nurses. I finally sent her and mom out for food around 7. They did more blood work and decided they should call in a cardio doctor and admit him. We were still waiting on that doctor at 9:45. I told Frances to take mom home and I would stay to talk to the doctor and see him through admitting. We finally made it up to a room around 11:30. I was home around mid-night. Another eight hour marathon at the ER.
Mom was pretty upset again with all this going on so Frances stayed with her at the apartment. Today both her and I went on to work and left mom at home. Frances talked to dad at lunchtime then called me. We want dad to go home on a walker until his balance and strength get improve. I called the hospital this morning to have them send up a PT to get him going on that. He threw her out of the room refusing to use the walked.
So, I called the PT at Creekside to see if she could talk some sense into him. Dad told Frances the doctors are not sure what happened yesterday to cause the fall. They did more blood work. With his weak heart and the afib he may of just lost blood to his brain for a brief moment causing him to veer right and fall.
I worked a full day then on to the Y. He will most likely go home tomorrow. It’s been a rough year. Hopefully we can get back on track before the end of the year and next year will be better. I am down to the bottom of the barrel with my vacation. Working through lunch today and going in at 8 made up my time for yesterday.