Started off good. Although David still cannot sleep very much, I managed to get into deep sleep after each bout of into or out of the family room to bed. At 5:30 I told him I had to sleep and was getting him situated until I woke up. Then I got 2 more hours of slumber. We did our routines, meds, breakfast, surgical knee highs, dressed, got to the doctor's office by 1:10 and waited to be seen. Dr. Clemo answered all the questions, changed a problematic medication, discussed sleep. She declined a sleeping pill for David and offered me something. I declined. I have no trouble sleeping except when he needs me and then I WANT to be awake. Next stop was the home health place for a new egg carton cushion for David to sit on and a call to the physical therapist who could get to the those shortly after we did. Good so far, right?
At home David got out of the car, used his walker to approach the one step to the house, pulled himself onto the step using the grab bar on his mega-tool chest that Than and I located adjacent to the door and then. Well and then he tried to step up into the house but the grab bar was too low so he reached for the door frame and the rolling walker. I watched with grave concern as his hand slid down the door frame and he came onto his knees. To make a long story short, he ended up prone on the hall floor, declined my help or ideas to get up, so I got him a pillow and we waited for the physical therapist.
Amy, the physical therapist is the incarnation of Mary Poppins. On, she said, what a great opportunity to show you how to get up by yourself from a fall. She talked him through what to do and he was up on the first try. No one saw the stain on the knee of his jeans. He sat on the chair and chatted away. Finally I asked her advice on grad bar installation and commode holds. We walked through the house and decided on one additional bar in the master shower (We had two.), two bars on either side of the garage door entrance and a modification of the commode so that he can raise and lower himself onto it. Next she "walked" us through how to get him into the shower, shower and out.
A neighbor brough dinner (for eight) and volunteered to do anything we need. The temple's former president called to see if she could come tomorrow to light Shabbat candles, drink wine and eat challah ( YES). The rabbi showed up, a week after I spoke with him and told him that David was hospitalized. Neumiro came by, got the supplies at Lowe's and installed the grab bars and toilet handles. Nancy and Bill asked to bring grilling stuff on Monday and cook for us. Than was here to help us by keeping David company so that I could do a quick grocery run and agreed to be here so that I can present two sessions at a conference in DC next weekend. David spoke with Adam, Jeff and Lorrie.
I was feeling a lot better about recovery, support from friends and family, full of chicken and salad from our neighbor Mary and some iced white wine. Then we tried the shower. As David was undressing he mentioned that it looked like there was blood on the knee of his jeans. Well, yes it was blood from two large scrapes from the fall. The shower hurt but he persisted. I installed a huge gauze patch over antibiotic ointment. He is now in bed dozing with a book. Tomorrow he has another doctor's appointment at 11 and then we plan to go to Costco and Wegmans. He may end up sitting in the car with the AC running while I pick up some things like his new prescriptions and some melatonin to try to get him more sleep. Well, the washer is done with this evening's load of towels & underwear. We go through a lot of both and he has very few large sizes left. He was wearing small before he started this massive water retention. Luckily some larges were hidden on the bottom of drawers and he can wear them now and be a lot more comfortable. He's gained about 20 pounds of water weight around his midsection and legs, hence the surgical/compression knee highs. I really hope that the LaSIX is going to be effective, reduce the swelling in his legs and allow him to walk easily again.
It is not all bad but that does seem to be the things that knaw on me. Hoping for sweet, peaceful dreams for David tonight.
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