go out in the noon day sun. So, he decided NOT to walk in the mall but to walk in the neighborhood and repeat the walk from yesterday. (Why listen to your wife who is not physically fit?). I was comfortably looking at email and web sites for Human Evolution and the doorbell rang followed by loud frantic knocking at the door. A young man, Moses it turns out, from the trash collection company said, "There's an old man on the ground do you..." And I was out the door with my iPhone in a flash. He told me that 911 had been called. David was lying in the grass on the steepest yard two doors up, head down and beet red. The lady of the house was surrounded by children, who found him. He said he tried to call me. HIs phone had no evidence of that. I think he thought about calling me. I got him up on his knees and Moses helped him stand but he was like jello and refused to sit down. It is a very steep hill. He wanted his walker. I got it. It did not work. The fire department and the rescue squad came. He successfully answered all their questions (name, date who is the president) said he did not pass out and adamantly refused to be transported to the hospital to be evaluated. The rescue squad guy got a chair from our porch. They sat him in the chair and four men carried the chair down the hill, down the street and into our house where David got up and walked to the couch. The rescue squad guy saw that I was really upset and explained that David was lucid and that they could not transport him against his wishes but that I should call if ANYTHING happened. I gave David some water through his feeding tube. He went to the bathroom and is now sitting on the couch. I left to keep an appointment he made to have the Prius inspected. He half-heartedly offered to take it. I declined. He did not want to come along with me. I made him promise not to drive, not to go outside and to limit his activities. I'm at Affordable Automotive waiting for the inspection hoping that David listens to me. He is so determined to push to get well. He is sometimes clear as a bell but after this episode he is less sure about what really happened. He admitted that he may have passed out. I think the heat got to him and hope that the water and AC make him feel better.
He got up early today, did his thyroid medicine on his own, collected the trash and took the trash can to the street - all before I got up at 7 when I found him in the shower. Things appeared to be getting back to normal. Our mail was not delivered at all yesterday and package tracking indicated that two days passed without several packages being delivered. He was planning on going to the Post office to complain and to collect his birthday package from Adam. He was going to do that after going up to the lab for bloodwork. I looked out about 9:30 and saw that the flag was down on the mailbox, went outside and collected four packages and a mess of mail, so that problem was solved.
About 9 the home health nurse had her last visit with him and was very happy with his physical condition and progress. I think that those folks are a bit too ready with the praise for his determination to get stronger and then he tries to exceed their expectations, thinking that I am negative and pessimistic. I think that he has two modes: stop and full steam ahead. Moderate is not one of his settings!
Tomorrow is his 86th birthday and we will celebrate very quietly. Perhaps we will go to the temple for services. Right now I don't know what to think or plan. I'm scared for him. I do not want him to give up but I want him to dial it down a few notches. Once again I ask for your prayers.
No comments:
Post a Comment